New Haven Resident Felice M. Duffy Received Neag School of Education Alumni Society’s Outstanding Professional Award

Felice M. Duffy has been selected to receive the Outstanding Professional Award from the Neag School of Education Alumni Society of the University of Connecticut. Duffy was recently recognized at the 16th Annual Awards Dinner of the Neag School of Education Alumni Society.

Duffy received her MA. in sport psychology in 1985 and Ph.D. in sport psychology in 1991 from the Neag School of Education. She also received her BA in psychology in 1982 at UConn. Duffy has served as the Assistant United States Attorney at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut in New Haven, CT since 2005.

“Felice was an activist for women from the start. During her undergraduate years at UConn, she filed a Title IX complaint which led UConn to establish a women’s soccer program in 1979, one of only three teams in the country at the time,” said Jennifer Bruening, associate professor of sport management at the Neag School.

Duffy went on to captain the team for five years, and was named twice the “most valuable player.” She was selected for the All-American first team in 1981 and later inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame. Duffy also served as the head women’s soccer coach at Yale University from 1985 to 1995, where she was instrumental in developing the team into one of the most competitive teams in New England and nationally.

A civil rights activist at heart, Duffy graduated first in her class with a JD degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law in 1999. As the assistant United States attorney, she prosecutes criminal cases including money-laundering, cybercrime, violations of environmental laws, drug trafficking organizations, and white collar government fraud, among others.

Duffy is active in crime prevention and helping former prisoners avoid re-incarceration. The focus of her recent outreach efforts has been helping women avoid involvement in crimes committed by their husbands or boyfriends, and she was part of a group that created a 30-minute docudrama on the subject.

“Since the time Felice graduated from UConn, her Sports and Leisure Studies program has evolved into the current Sport Management program, focusing on gender equity and gender in sport leadership with outreach programs providing opportunities for girls and women to be more engaged in sport and physical activity,” Bruening added.

Duffy was the recipient of National Organization for Women Alice Paul Award for Advocacy for the Advancement of Women in 2007.