Ralph Yulo of Eastford Receives Eastern Alumni Award

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Professor Emeritus Ralph Yulo (center) receives his award from Eastern Alumni Association President Mark Bradley and Eastern President Elsa Nunez

WILLIMANTIC, CT (12/13/2011)(readMedia)-- Eastern Connecticut State University Professor Emeritus Ralph Yulo has received the Eastern Alumni Association's 2011 Hermann Beckert "Friend of the University" Award. The award was presented at Eastern's annual President's Leadership Luncheon on Nov. 4, with more than 100 alumni and friends in attendance.

Other awardees included the Savings Institute Bank and Trust Co. of Willimantic, CT, which received the ECSU Foundation Board of Directors Distinguished Donor Award; Eastern History Professor Barbara Tucker, who received the ECSU Foundation Distinguished Faculty Donor Award; Jeff Benedict '91, who received the Distinguished Alumni Award; and Alumni Distinguished Service Award recipients Arthur Vertefeuille '60 and Thomas J. Serra '70.

Retiring in 1992 following a 25-year career at Eastern as a professor of science education, Yulo has stayed active, serving on boards in his hometown of Eastford and through his involvement with various science education organizations in Connecticut. He is also one of the most active donors to the ECSU Foundation, in particular supporting the NRY Scholarship named in honor of him and fellow retired professors Joe Narotsky and David Rand. "Hermann Beckert had a hand in getting me to come to Eastern in the first place," recalled Yulo. When visiting Eastern to consider a faculty appointment in the 1960s, Yulo was impressed with the fact that Eastern faculty and administrators ate together and projected a sense of community.

Eastern President Elsa Nunez acknowledged the leadership and contributions to the University of the six award recipients and said their efforts were part of the reason that Eastern has been ranked in the top 30 public regional universities in the North by U.S. News and World Report the past two years in a row.

Kenneth DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement, applauded the donors present for their commitment to assisting students in paying for their educations. "We had a record 3,100 donors this past year, including 1,700 alumni donors," said DeLisa. "Many of our students would not be here today without your support."