Elizabeth "Lizz" Harney, Merry Mac of '76, has been teaching Chemistry and Environmental Science at Ursuline for the last 13 years and was the moderator of NHS for 12 of those years. Of course she has been connected to UA much longer than that. Lizz says "Ursuline has been a huge part of my life -  as an elementary and high school student, a parent, a grandparent, a faculty parent, a faculty member, and 44 years as an alumna."

 

She has held many roles while at Ursuline and even had the chance to work with her daughter, Meghann Harney Rooney, Merry Mac of 2006. Meghann taught elementary art at Ursuline for the last 2 years. Lizz's grandson, Arthur, was also a student in the Early Childhood Learning Center (he would have been a Merry Mac of 2036!)

 

Lizz's colleagues had such great things to say about her and what they will remember about her. Stephanie Carton says, "She is fiercely independent, incredibly thoughtful, and one of the toughest and most respected teachers on campus. Students often return to explain how much she prepared them for university and future careers. She is never too busy to listen to a colleague or offer advice, and she will be missed." Natalie Vitrano recalls, "She is a dog lady and has two little ones. She was one of only two teachers who really embraced me when I first came to Ursuline. She made it a point to help me navigate my very scary first year at school and I will never forget that. She loves Stevie Nicks." Susan Young states, "I first met Lizz when she came to Ursuline to teach in UA's science department. Her specialty was chemistry, a subject I struggled with in high school. After observing Lizz over the years, I became convinced that if I had had her as my teacher, I would have found chemistry fascinating. She had a love of her subject, and like all great teachers, found a way to share her passion with her students. Lizz invited excellence from her students; she worked hard and expected them to do likewise. Her students routinely did well at District and State Rallies and found themselves acing their college science classes  She was also generous with her time - many a day she would come into the library during her lunch period and wind up at a table tutoring students. By her example and dedication, Lizz has been responsible for many of our girls choosing careers based in science. She is a credit to her own chemistry teacher, our beloved Sr. Ruth, and it was fortunate for Ursuline that she came back home to teach. I will miss talking to Lizz about her other interests - travel, photography, and music - and wish her all the best in her Connecticut life!"

 

Lizz, Meghann, and Arthur, your Ursuline family will surely miss you and we thank you for your years of dedication to and love of UA!