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14 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 23, 2023 when Wellesley College hired her as an assistant professor. She is a trained neurophysiologist who has contributed to more than 60 scientific publications. Berger-Sweeney said her major accomplishments so far at Trinity College have included increasing by 50% financial aid for undergraduate students and overseeing the college's most successful annual fund drive, raising more than $70 million in three years. The college is in the midst of a $500-million capital campaign. "We are pushing very close to $300 million (this year)," she said. She also said Trinity "would love to raise more money for scholarships, so we can really focus on the talent across all zip codes, and not simply based on people who can afford to pay." She also helped get the Trinity-In- fosys Applied Learning Initiative off the ground in 2019. The program incor- porates elements of liberal arts and tech training. Berger-Sweeney said Trinity will have several events in 2023 to mark the school's 200-year anniversary. "Our goal is to have a very successful bicentennial," she said. "We want to bring our alums back to campus and have our alums inte- grate with our student body, faculty and staff." RADENKA MARIC President University of Connecticut Education: Bachelor's degree in materials science, University of Belgrade, Serbia; master's in materials science and energy, Kyoto University, Japan; Ph.D. in materials science and energy, Kyoto University, Japan Age: 56 By Robert Storace rstorace@hartfordbusiness.com R adenka Maric rose up the ranks at the University of Connecticut, going from a member of the School of Engineering faculty in 2010, to being named interim president and then permanent presi- dent in September 2022. Maric, a 56-year-old Bosnia native, is an experienced researcher and was a leader of UConn's research enter- prise, which raised $308.1 million in fiscal year 2022. Maric leads the the state's flagship university that, in the fall of 2022, had more than 32,000 students enrolled at its main Storrs and regional campuses, including 23,837 undergraduates. Maric, who is fluent in four languages and is an accomplished cook, has made climate change a key initiative in 2023 and beyond. Maric said she will be unveiling a plan this year for the university to achieve on-campus carbon neutrality by 2030. "What that means is that we are going to control the greenhouse gasses that we produce and are going to start switching from combustion fuels and more toward alternative fuels like hydrogen, wind, batteries and solar," Maric said. RHONA C. FREE President University of St. Joseph Education: Bachelor's degree, Sarah Lawrence College; master's degree in economics, Univer- sity of Notre Dame; doctorate in economics, University of Notre Dame Age: 66 By Robert Storace rstorace@hartfordbusiness.com R hona Free has led the Univer- sity of St. Joseph since 2015, and has overseen major changes, including transforming the formerly all-women private Catholic college into a coed institution to help jump-start stagnant enrollment, a move that's had success. Free, 66, was born in Scotland where she said her mother, a scientist, paved the way for her to believe that she could be successful in any career. "I was very fortunate to have a mother who, first of all, always worked and was very involved in her career. I saw, from an early age, that women worked and that it was the respon- sibility of a father, as much as of a mother, to take care of the children so that both of them could work," she said. Immediately prior to joining USJ, Free served as vice president for academic affairs from 2007 to 2013 and provost from 2013 to 2015 at Eastern Connecticut State University. During her seven years at USJ, Free has overseen the transition from five schools to three and the imple- mentation of several capital projects, including the $16.2-million expansion of the O'Connell Athletic Center; the start of a physician assistant studies program; the launch of the Catholic Promise Scholarship and men's sports programs; and championed the creation of the Women's Leadership Center. USJ also recently moved its School of Pharmacy from downtown Hartford to its main West Hartford campus. In 2023, Free said a major initiative will be to provide more customized services that target the needs of specific populations. "We have a very diverse undergrad- uate population with more international students," she said. "We want to make sure they are aware of the many services we can provide to them." USJ has had nine presidents and, because of its bylaws, all have been women. TERRENCE CHENG President Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Education: Bachelor's degree in English, Binghamton University; master's in fine arts, University of Miami Age: 50 By Robert Storace rstorace@hartfordbusiness.com L ong-time educator Terrence Cheng took over the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system in July 2021, and oversaw many changes in 2022 ranging from final- izing contracts with six bargaining units to intensifying efforts to retain students and boost enrollment. Immediately prior to being named CSCU's leader, Cheng, 50, served five years as director of UConn's Stamford campus where he helped launch the Stamford Data Science Initiative as part of the Technology Incubation Program and the Center on Community Safety, Policing, and Inequality. Cheng, an English professor at UConn's Stamford campus who has authored two novels and numerous short stories and essays, oversees a $1.5-billion budget and 64,585 full- and part-time students. The CSCU system includes Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut state univer- sities, community colleges and the online Charter Oak State College. Cheng's focus has been on trying to overcome budget shortfalls and reverse sagging enrollment at the state's public colleges. He's also helping oversee the somewhat controversial merger of the state's 12 community colleges, which is expected to be completed this year. Cheng, a Chinese-American, is the first permanent president of the CSCU system who is a member of a minority group; it was previously run by three white men. JOHN MADUKO CEO Connecticut State Community College system Education: Bachelor's degree in biology, California State Poly- technic University, Pomona; M.D., St. Matthew's University School of Medicine, Cayman Islands Age: 41 By Robert Storace rstorace@hartfordbusiness.com J ohn Maduko became the state's first-ever CEO of the Connecticut State Community College system in April 2022. The 41-year-old Los Angeles native is a former medical doctor who most recently served as vice president of academic and student affairs for Minnesota State Community and Technical College, a member of the 37-institution Minnesota State Colleges and University system. He's currently overseeing the pending merger of Connecticut's 12 community colleges into one system, which is expected to be completed this summer. Once complete, the single, merged community college will have 12 campuses, 4,600 employees and 60,000 students in both credit and non-credit programs. In a recent interview with the Hartford Business Journal, Maduko said the merger's goal is to create cost savings to ensure the community college system, which has faced budget pressures and declining enrollment, is financially sustainable long term, and to put savings into programs that improve the student experience and boost graduation rates. Maduko said he hopes to increase enrollment by better marketing community colleges and providing a broader curriculum that focuses on in-demand industries and careers in health care, manufacturing and IT. He relocated to Connecticut with his wife Amanda and their three children.