Do Good, Feel Good
Illustration by Mary Kate McDevitt
Neuroscientists who study our brains on happiness tend to agree that a key ingredient for one's own contentment is helping others.
As the Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus famously told a room full of Forbes 400 billionaires, "Making money is a happiness. Making other people happy is a super-happiness."
We are all in need of a little happiness and a little inspiration lately, so we've devoted this issue of the magazine to stories of just a few of the many UConn faculty, staff, students, and alumni who spend their days doing good in the world, making it a better place for all of us.
These folks are called to their vocations because they are passionate about what they do and about making a difference — it just so happens that doing so may be making them happier in the process. We know that reading and writing about them made all of us just a little bit happier, too. And we hope you share that feeling.
Feeding the Fish that Feed Us
Peter Goggins ’21 (CAHNR) started his company with a school of goldfish and an aquarium purchased at Petco.
Stoking Our Apocalyptic Fantasies
“They have popped like crazy,” says literature professor Pam Bedore of the apocalyptic and dystopian books that are one of her specialties.
Keeping Students Crafty
Sommer and her colleagues are using their teaching skills in the war against Covid-19 by bringing virtual arts to students.
Raising Her Voice to Amplify Other Voices
Saving a festival youth program in her hometown of Paraty, Brazil, made Pauline Batista ’16 MA a hero there.
Inspiring Students to Save the Planet
“Sustainability is arguably the biggest challenge we face in the 21st century,” says Michael Willig.
Pioneering the New Field of Regenerative Engineering — and Championing Social Justice
A master of multiple fields, Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, holds UConn’s highest academic title: University Professor.
Elevating English Majors
English professor Gina Barreca, dubbed the “feminist humor maven” by Ms. Magazine has kept us laughing through 10 books from “I Used to Be Snow White But I Drifted” to “If You Lean In, Will Men just Look Down Your Blouse?” Her latest, though, invites others to the party.
Helping Kids Decode Their Brains
After nine months of Covid-19 quarantine and endless online meetings, Fumiko Hoeft has webinars on the brain.
Helping Dolly Fight Illiteracy
As CEO of the Dollywood Foundation, Dotson has helped legend Dolly Parton realize and expand her vision of improving childhood literacy.