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n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | A u g u s t 2 0 2 1 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 17 EMCOR SERVICES NEW ENGLAND MECHANICAL We'll be there when you need us. With 50+ years of experience and more than 300 continuously trained, licensed, and certified facilities services technicians, we provide a wide range of building construction and facilities solutions across New England. COUNT ON NEMSI FOR: HVAC, Plumbing and Process Piping Design-Build Construction Electrical Services Energy Management Systems LEED Certification Programs Comprehensive Preventive Maintenance Programs 24/7/365 Emergency Response Call 860.871.1111 Toll Free 800.741.6367 Fax 866.481.3250 55 Gerber Road East, South Windsor, CT 06074 nemsi.com OFFICES IN Trumbull | New London | Palmer, MA | Albany, NY | Manchester, NH License #s: E1-0125666 • S1-302974 • P1-203519 • F1-10498 • SM1-192 • MC-1134 By The Numbers A snapshot of the University of Bridgeport Source: University of Bridgeport 4,615 The approximate undergraduate students enrolled $35,000 Tuition and fees for the 2020-21 academic year $17,000 Room and board for the 2020-21 academic year 526 Total faculty members the surrounding Bridgeport community," Wilken said. e same evaluation is being done with student services, which range from health services to tutoring to personal advising, to determine what needs to be added. Wilken says she wants to identify barriers to student learning, then find ways to support those students so any barriers are removed. "We are really going through an evalua- tion and assessment of everything we do at UB at this time," Wilken said. Wilken says she is involving the entire University of Bridgeport community in the process of targeting areas for change and improvement, including through town hall- style meetings. "I anticipate this process to take about a year, but I expect it will be an ongoing part of what we do and part of our culture," Wilken said. "It is not finite. We'll always be evaluating everything." Wilken also says she is focused on developing more faculty professional development opportunities. She has been a faculty member during her career, and she continues to teach courses on medical law and ethics. "What we have found is that (with pro- fessional development), faculty satisfaction and engagement goes up, which translates into happier, more engaged students," Wilken said. Wilken, 47, is among the youngest uni- versity presidents in the country, and she prides herself on her dual roles as an educa- tional leader and mother of two teenagers, who are ages 13 and 17. "I have had people say they are watching my career, because of my age and because I am a woman and a mom," Wilken said. "I am actively trying to balance parenting and presidenting." Her kids were on the university Zoom call when the announcement was first made that Wilken would be president, offering their encouragement. For Wilken, an overlap between her professional and parental roles is to be expected, and she gives her all to both. "Young women know how engaged I am as a mom, and they have watched me professionally be very active and engaged at work," Wilken said. "I try to integrate my kids into opportunities to participate and be part of my work. I also have honest con- versations with my kids about what I am doing at work and why it is important, and what my values are as an educator." n Danielle Wilken, new president of the University of Bridgeport.

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