By Lily Rand
Photo Editor
On Thursday, April 16, the Sandy Hook memorial sculpture honoring four alumni killed in the 2012 shooting returned to the university’s campus after a 10‑month restoration.
The Atlantic white cedar piece, part of the Sandy Hook Alumnae Remembrance Garden, was reinstalled behind Jennings Hall and Morrill Hall, where it stood since the garden opened in 2018.
The sculpture was designed by 2013 graduate Carlene Barnes, and the university staff teamed with Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio in Vermont to create the design.
Facilities staff removed the sculpture last June after discovering water damage. Dutch Wharf Boatyard & Marina in Branford restored the work by replacing damaged cedar strakes, cleaning the fiber‑optic channels and applying new varnish to protect it from the elements.
As the crane lowered the sculpture into place, students, staff and community members gathered to reflect on the lives of alumni educators Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, Anne Marie Murphy, Mary J. Sherlach and Victoria Leigh Soto.
