To: Dr.

Anne D’Alleva (Provost)

Dr. Ofer Harel (Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences)

From: Kimberly Hill (Director of University Compliance)

CC: Dr. Sherry Zane (Professor in Residence and Area Director, WGSS 1)
Kimberly Fearney (Associate Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer)
Lakeesha Brown (Vice President for Human Resources)
Karen Buffkin (Executive Director of Employee and Labor Relations)
Angelo Quaresima (Associate Vice President and Chief Audit Executive)
Nicole Gelston (General Counsel)

Date: November 14, 2024

RE: EP 276 – Misuse of Resources; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS)

A. Allegations and Scope of Investigation

University Compliance received the following anonymous report through the Reportline regarding
Dr. Sherry Zane (Professor in Residence and Area Director, WGSS):

“In recent history, there have been multiple instances of suspicious charges being claimed
for reimbursement. In nature, these charges are indicative of an overlap between
university-funded business and personal leisure. For example, [Dr. Zane] has made several,
high-cost trips to Ireland claiming that there are specific research needs that she can only
accomplish in that location. Expenses for these trips in the past have included (but are not
limited to): many business meals with anonymous attendees, multi-month gym
memberships, edited receipts (both handwritten and photoshopped), etc. …It has been
disclosed that [Dr. Zane] has close relatives living in the country. In addition to her frequent
trips to Ireland, some other university-funded travel concerns include a trip to Disney in
which she brought her children and other desirable locations for “research” such as
Portugal.”

The report noted the concerns were relative to Dr. Zane’s travel and corresponding expenses since
UConn’s post-Covid travel ban was lifted.

1
During the investigation, Dr. Zane was an Associate Professor in Residence and Interim Director of Women’s,
Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS).
Based on the nature of the allegations, University Compliance consulted with the Office of Audit
Management and Advisory Services (AMAS) who conducted an initial review of university documentation
specific to Dr. Zane’s travel between June of 2021 through July 2023. 2 Through this initial review, AMAS
identified 19 individual trips Dr. Zane took during the review period, of which 17 were identified as
potentially having unreported personal travel or lacking the sufficient documentation to support the
purpose of business travel. 3

During the course of the investigation, University Compliance received information from the
anonymous reporter about concerns specific to two additional trips Dr. Zane took in November and
December of 2023. As such, University Compliance expanded the scope of the investigation to include the
review of these additional two trips and consulted with AMAS. AMAS conducted a review of university
documentation specific to the two additional trips and concluded that both trips may have included
unreported personal travel and lacked sufficient documentation to support the reported business purpose
of travel.

B. Policy Determination and Recommendation

Based on the facts outlined in this report, there is a preponderance of evidence that Dr. Zane misused
University and grant funds as well as her state position for the personal benefit of herself and for her
immediate family members through university-sponsored travel. In total, UConn funded the entirety, or
a portion of, 19 trips for Dr. Zane during the period subject to review which resulted in a total of 187 travel
days. The related travel expenses incurred by the University totaled $58,084.

Dr. Zane went on multiple trips for personal reasons where she planned or created work after the
fact in an effort to justify the expenses to the University. Dr. Zane took vacations with her children,
including three trips to Disney World, while expensing the trips in whole or in part to the University under
the pretense of doing “research.” Dr. Zane traveled to visit family members in and around the Chicago
area multiple times including to attend a family wedding and to assist in the care of her ailing stepfather
– all of which were expensed, in whole or in part, to the University. On multiple occasions, she referred
to these trips as “vacation” in university emails to students and colleagues.

Dr. Zane traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland seven times over the course of the review period
under the pretense of conducting research; however, as the facts outline, Dr. Zane first traveled to Belfast
to visit her daughter who had recently moved there to attend school. Dr. Zane then traveled to Belfast at
the University’s expense to attend her daughter’s graduation ceremony and then again to get married - a
trip expensed to a grant provided to UConn by the Mellon Foundation. In total, 109 travel days were spent
in Ireland and Belfast, Northern Ireland, where Dr. Zane’s daughter and now-husband resided. Of the

2
The scope of the review was determined based on the date of the reported concern and the reporter’s allegation
that Dr. Zane’s misuse of university resources began after COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted.
3
AMAS was able to confirm two of the trips appeared to have an appropriate business justification. The first was
to New Orleans for the National Teaching Conference and the second was a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the
Association for the Study of Higher Education Conference. Other faculty in the department also attended these
two conferences.

2
seven trips Dr. Zane took to Belfast, six were taken within a 15-month period. Not one day of the 109 days
where Dr. Zane traveled to Belfast, including the day of her wedding, were claimed as personal.

Dr. Zane expensed trips where there were no actual planned business activities and then provided
information or created documentation after the fact to justify the expenses incurred by the University.
University Compliance found several instances of Dr. Zane providing misleading or false information to
the University when asked to justify unallowable expenses. Dr. Zane also provided misleading or false
information to the University on the travel request forms she submitted for the majority of these trips. In
these circumstances, Dr. Zane’s actual activities while traveling were distinctly different and off-topic from
the agreed-upon purpose.

Dr. Zane referenced her contracts with SUNY Press and Filmbank Entertainment as rationale for
several trips. Dr. Zane’s contract with SUNY Press has been in place since 2018 and had an original deadline
of 2019; however, University Compliance found no evidence of a manuscript or any documented progress
to such end. Dr. Zane’s engagement with Filmbank Entertainment was one in which she was contracted
to financially benefit. The University paid for multiple trips where Dr. Zane claimed she was doing research
related to that agreement. University Compliance noted Dr. Zane did not have approval to engage in this
activity as required under University Policy governing faculty consulting. Regardless, even if such
approvals were granted, the University would not otherwise pay for Dr. Zane to travel for personal
financial benefit.

As detailed below, several of Dr. Zane’s trips resulted in little to no work product. Dr. Zane did not
provide sufficient documentation to support the research she claimed to have conducted on several of
these trips, and for some trips, provided no documentation at all. University Compliance did note a few
of the trips where Dr. Zane pre-planned some work that was conducted in line with the stated business
justification. However, these were a small fraction of the trips Dr. Zane took during this timeframe. In
addition, these trips included instances where Dr. Zane provided false information or omitted information
in an effort to conceal impermissible expenses or circumvent the established rules.

As documented below, Dr. Zane’s appointment as an in-residence faculty member is

predominantly for the purpose of teaching courses. University Compliance recognizes that while some in-
residence faculty have a portion of their appointment reserved for research, Dr. Zane is not one of them.
None of her appointment letters since 2015 include the expectation or allocation of time for research.
Yet, 12 of the 19 trips occurred when classes were in session and Dr. Zane was assigned to teach one or
more courses.

Finally, during the course of the investigation Dr. Zane provided misleading information, omitted
information, and provided altered documents to University Compliance in a further effort to justify her
actions or conceal evidence of personal travel and fraud. Based on these facts as supported by the
evidence detailed in this report, there is a preponderance of evidence that Dr. Zane misused University
funds and her state position for personal financial benefit during university-sponsored travel in violation
of the following policies:

i. Travel and Entertainment Policy

3
• General Guidelines: Reimbursement Eligibility and Approval
• Part I: Combined Business and Personal Travel
• Part II: Transportation to and from an Airport
• Part V: Business Meals

ii. Travel Card User Manual

• Proper Use and Misuse Guideline
ii. University Guide to the State Code of Ethics
• Conflicts of Interest: Outside Employment; Financial Benefit
iii. University’s Code of Conduct for Faculty and Staff
• Ethics Statement
• Conflicts of Interest
• Research Principles and Standards – Research Support
• Business, Fiscal and Legal Standards
iv. University’s Policy on Consulting for Faculty and Members of the Faculty Bargaining
Unit (Faculty Consulting Policy)

C. Information and Documentation Reviewed

In addition to the review conducted by AMAS, University Compliance conducted multiple
interviews between February 2024 and July 2024. In addition to gathering information from interviews,
University Compliance reviewed relevant documentation including, but not limited to travel requests;
expense reports; receipts; email communications and documents contained within; CLAS research grant
proposal, IRB submission, and post-research report; Mellon Grant Foundation Grant proposal and award;
course assignments and syllabi, as well as several documents submitted by Dr. Zane at various points
throughout the investigation.

D. Background

i. Dr. Zane’s Appointments and Re-Appointments

Dr. Zane was hired as an Assistant Professor in Residence (APIR) in August of 2015, which was a
9-month appointment carrying seven 3-credit courses (21 total credit hours) per academic year. 4 In
February of 2017, Dr. Zane was appointed as the Associate Director of WGSS in addition to continuing as
an APIR. Dr. Zane’s teaching load was reduced to six 3-credit courses (18 total credit hours) to account for
the additional administrative duties.

In October of 2019, Dr. Zane was appointed as the Interim Director of WGSS and promoted to
Associate Professor in Residence. This was a 10-month appointment requiring Dr. Zane to teach four 3-
credit (12 total credit hours) courses per academic year. On August 23, 2022, Dr. Zane’s appointment as

4
Prior to this Dr. Zane served as a visiting assistant professor for the University.

4
the Interim Director of WGSS was extended for an additional year as a 10-month appointment. 5 The terms
of this appointment were identical to those included in the previous appointment letter noted above. 6 On
August 23, 2020, Dr. Zane received a five-year appointment as an Associate Professor in Residence
(expiring in August of 2025) and a two-year appointment as the Interim Director of WGSS (expiring in
August of 2022). This was a full-time, 10-month position. 7

The Faculty Titles Dictionary for Non-Tenure Track Faculty explains, “In-residence titles are used
for temporary, non-tenure track appointments paralleling each of the four regular faculty ranks. Faculty
members in these titles may be asked to carry out all aspects of the faculty role, teaching, research and
service, and must meet the same professional criteria as the tenure track faculty, as specified in the
University’s Laws, By-Laws and Rules….” 8

ii. Dr. Zane’s Outside Engagements and Consulting

On December 12, 2018, Dr. Zane entered into a contract with SUNY Press to write a book titled
“Surveilling Sex: Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Section A Crusades and the Emergence of a National Security
State, 1919-1923”. Under the contract, a complete electronic copy of the book was due for submission to
the publisher on December 31, 2019. 9 The book was related to Dr. Zane’s dissertation research and
subsequent written article, “’I did it for the uplift of humanity and the Navy’: Same-Sex Acts and the Origins
of the National Security State, 1919-1921,” which was published in The New England Quarterly.

On March 11, 2020, Dr. Zane entered into a consulting agreement with Filmgroup Entertainment
LLC. The agreement engaged Dr. Zane in consultant services relative to a screenplay about the “Newport
naval scandal & its subsequent court trials” which was also related to Dr. Zane’s dissertation research and
subsequent published article. According to the contract, Dr. Zane would be compensated $12,000 10 to

5
The appointment letter specified that the terms of Dr. Zane’s APIR appointment would continue as previously
specified.
6
Dr. Zane’s appointment letter also included administrative responsibilities as a “point person for Native American
and Indigenous Studies” which had specific duties outlined such as “representing NAIS on committees…
communication to NAIS faculty for information regarding the School… assisting in recruitment/hosting candidates
for any searches connected to NAIS, [and] point person for events and programming for NAIS…”
7
According to the appointment letter, Dr. Zane was “expected to teach four courses per academic year. In addition
to managing the curriculum and course offerings, faculty duties, and other administrative responsibilities, you will
work with the Dean’s office to involve additional tenure-line faculty in WGSS, to build collaborations with other
non-departmentally organized units, and develop a vision for the future that is in line with the College’s strategic
plan.”
8
See Faculty Titles Dictionary on the Human Resources website.
9
Additionally, the contract outlines requirements relative to competing works, of note, “the author agrees that
during the life of this agreement he/she will not, without written permission of the Publisher, publish or permit to
be published any material, in any format, written or edited by him/her, based on material in the [book] which will
directly compete with or is in any way reasonably likely to injure the sales of this [book].”(Section 20,
Memorandum of Agreement)
10
Dr. Zane’s compensation structure included “one-half ($6000.00) upon cashflow to Producer from the financier
of the first installment of the production budget and one-half ($6000.00) on the Friday following the start of
principal photography on the Picture.”

5
provide consultation, access, and use of her research materials. According to the Faculty Consulting Office,
Dr. Zane did not submit a request for Faculty Consulting Approval, as required by University Policy.

iii. Research Grants and Funding

In the spring of 2022, Dr. Zane and two colleagues, Dr. Bhatki Shringarpure (Associate Professor,
English) and Dr. Elva Orozco Mendoza (Assistant Professor, Political Science) submitted a proposal for the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Summer Research Funding for 2022. 11 The proposal was
entitled “Insurgent Murals: Women’s Art Activism in Buenos Aires, Khartoum and Belfast” and included
plans for each Co-PI to travel to one of the three destinations. On April 21, 2022, the research proposal
was accepted, and Dr. Zane and her colleagues were funded $32,768.00, the full amount requested.

Dr. Zane was not identified as a Principal Investigator (PI) or a Co-PI for research under the purview
of UConn’s Internal Review Board (IRB) nor did Dr. Zane have any IRB-approved protocols for research
involving human subjects during the period subject to review. 12

On July 31, 2023, the University of Connecticut was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Mellon
Foundation to support the WGSS program. 13 Dr. Zane was identified as the Principal Investigator (PI) on
the grant. According to the budget justification, $45,000 was earmarked for “travel by faculty to attend
conferences related to the mission of the Department of WGSS and the Mellon Foundation.” The terms
of the grant run from August 1, 2023, through January 1, 2025 (18-months).

E. Factual Findings
i. Travel and Funding

Of the 19 trips subject to review, UConn paid for a portion, or the entirety, of the expenses
charged by Dr. Zane. Over the 19 trips, Dr. Zane traveled a total of 187 days. The related travel expenses
charged to UConn totaled $58,084 as summarized below:

Travel Expense Category

KFS Account Domestic Foreign Meals Other 14 Totals
4637680 Zane Research Account $ 19,554 $ 15,658 $ 2,148 $ 1,293 $ 38,653
2712070 CLAS Summer Research Funding - 6,599 1,036 42 7,677
4210550 WGSS Summer Session - 6,902 536 24 7,462
2911020 Prof Development AAUP - 1,791 15 193 1,999

11
The exact date of the submitted proposal is not clear, however, the deadline to submit was by April 15, 2022.
12
Dr. Zane and her research collaborators submitted a Request for Human Subjects Determination to the IRB dated
April 21, 2022, for project number NHSR22-0034; however, in a determination correspondence dated the same day,
the IRB indicated it did not fall under Human Subjects Research as defined by federal regulations for the protection
of human subjects in research. The IRB confirmed the only IRB Protocol that was identified with Dr. Zane was
terminated in 2017.
13
The Mellon Foundation is a private organization and the grants it provides are not government funded.
14
Other expenses included books ($740), “visa fees” ($421), registration fees ($183), transaction fees ($93), office
supplies ($81) and museum gift shop purchases ($80), of which approximately $1,080 and $518 were charged to a
UConn travel card and procurement card, respectively.

6
6219980 Affirming Multivocal Humanities - 1,732 515 46 2,293
Totals: $ 19,554 $ 32,682 $ 4,250 $ 1,598 $58,084

ii. Summary of Travel Dates, Justification, and Business Conducted

During the investigation, University Compliance requested Dr. Zane provide detailed itineraries
for all trips as well as documentation to support the work conducted on each. 15 Of the 187 days Dr. Zane
spent traveling, she claimed none of the days were for personal travel on the travel request forms. During
interviews with University Compliance, Dr. Zane denied that any of the travel days were personal in
nature. Below is a summary of each trip within the scope of the review.

Orlando, Florida
June 25-July 1, 2021

Dr. Zane traveled to Orlando, Florida citing the business purpose as “Central Florida State
Archives” in the Concur Travel System (Concur). 16 Dr. Zane was accompanied by two of her children and
stayed at the Disney All-Star Movies Resort for all six nights, which was a part of a Disney Vacation
Package. A portion of the vacation package was expensed to the University for hotel lodging.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary for this trip titled,
“Orlando Disney Research.” Based on the submitted itinerary, Dr. Zane’s trip included the following
business:

June 25: Flight to Orlando

June 26: Orlando Public Library; Magic Kingdom
June 27: Museum of Military History (Kissimmee); Epcot
June 28: Orlando Public Library; Hollywood Studios
June 29: Universal – Harry Potter
June 30: Holocaust Educational Resource Center; Animal Kingdom
July 1: Leave for Hartford

Dr. Zane was asked if she went to the Central Florida State Archives as noted on the travel request
form. Dr. Zane confirmed she did not go, and stated, “…it’s not uncommon for people to say they are
going to go do one thing and then end up going to do another.”

When asked about the specific work conducted on this trip, Dr. Zane stated “The purpose of this
trip was to look at the experience of Disney and how it polices and sanitizes American History in the parks.
So, I was looking at how social history is presented and how the park controls that narrative. So, I was
looking at what people were buying into… This first trip was largely related to my course teachings and

15
See Appendix A for the itineraries submitted by Dr. Zane in full.
16
The travel request was submitted by Dr. Zane on April 5, 2021, and approved the same day by her supervisor, Dr.
Capshaw.

7
figuring out how to unpack what students know about Disney and their experiences from when they were
really young. So, I was gathering information on what I wanted to do and how to get students to think
differently. I was thinking about projects I could give them and assignments to build.”

Dr. Zane was asked to walk through each day of this trip and discuss the business conducted.

While at Magic Kingdom, Dr. Zane stated she stood in lines for rides, talked to people, and
watched people interact with their children. Dr. Zane also stated she did a “mental mapping” of how the
park is laid out. While at the Orlando Public Library, Dr. Zane stated she went there to look at children’s
books on Disney and to look at the list of books the archive holds. She reviewed news clippings and
information on Walt Disney’s purchase of the land.

Dr. Zane stated she went to the Museum of Military History “to see the way in which they depict
Military History” because of her interest in the ways war gets memorialized in a museum as a tourist
attraction. While in Epcot, Dr. Zane stated she “chatted with people” and went to the World Showcase
and the Hall of Presidents. At Hollywood Studios, Dr. Zane stated she was interested in the Star Wars
section of the park, which was new, because “scholars have said this part of the park… presents late-stage
capitalism.” Dr. Zane stated she talked to people who were dressed up to “see how they would feel when
they were in that part of the park.”

While at Universal Studios, Dr. Zane stated she went to Harry Potter World and “talked to people
in line and asked if they went on the ride before and if they liked it.” Dr. Zane stated she went to the
Holocaust Education Resource Center (Center) to “check it out and to see what was there.” Dr. Zane noted
being interested in whether people were bringing their families to the Center and was “curious about it
as another site people might go to when they are on vacation… other than Disney.” While at the Animal
Kingdom Park, Dr. Zane stated she was interested in the way zoos are “Disneyfied” and how Disney makes
animals “human-like.” She also stated she was interested in the Pandora section of the park given that
the movie Avatar was highly contentious within Indigenous communities.

Dr. Zane was asked but was unable to provide documentation of the work conducted on this trip,
noting “This trip is really old and… I didn’t officially interview people. I talked to people who were standing
in line but didn’t have formal conversations…” When asked what the resulting work product was from
this research trip, Dr. Zane stated, “I guess the resulting work product is the way it shaped my classes and
the way it shaped how I thought about future research.”

During this trip, Dr. Zane was teaching an online course Women, Gender, and Film which
concluded on July 2, 2021, the day after she returned from Orlando, Florida. Based on a review of Dr.
Zane’s received and sent emails during this time period, Dr. Zane informed her class that she would be
unavailable from June 28 to July 1, the last week of the class, due to a “family emergency” that required
her to travel to see her sister. When University Compliance asked about the emails, Dr. Zane stated she
lied to the students because she did not want to tell them she was at Disney. Dr. Zane also referenced this
trip as being a “vacation” to students and colleagues on several occasions via email. When asked about
this, Dr. Zane stated “Well, I mean being in Disney felt like vacation even though I am doing research.

8
Research does not necessarily have to be unpleasant. So, my research often does feel like vacation
because I am doing things I like and that I am passionate about.”

University Compliance reviewed available course syllabi and noted the use of Disney films (e.g.,
Mulan, Black Panther) in her course assignments, particularly for the Women, Gender & Film course.

University Compliance asked Dr. Zane’s supervisor, Dr. Katherine Capshaw (Associate Dean,
CLAS), about her understanding of Dr. Zane’s proposed work on this trip. Dr. Capshaw stated she could
not recall. Dr. Capshaw stated generally her expectations of the work conducted while traveling would
depend on the trip. Dr. Capshaw stated if the trip was for “archival research”, as indicated in Dr. Zane’s
travel request for this trip, she would expect the researcher to arrive on a weekend day when the archives
are typically closed, be in the archives Monday-Friday, and then travel back on a weekend. Dr. Capshaw
stated, “You wouldn’t travel on a day the archives are open because that would be a waste of time.
Archives are typically not open on weekends.” Dr. Capshaw shared that archives may include physical
documents that a researcher needs to sift through and that those documents can be organized or not.

Dr. Capshaw stated sometimes researchers will also meet with the archivist of the collection they
are interested in because the curator of the collection knows the subject area really well. Dr. Capshaw
stated that sometimes research includes interviewing and meeting with people who are knowledgeable
about the topic. Therefore, sometimes it’s not just about looking at written materials but gathering oral
information as well. When asked, Dr. Capshaw stated Dr. Zane did not indicate any portion of this trip to
be personal in nature.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $2,454.00. 17

Chicago, IL
July 10-18, 2021

Dr. Zane traveled to Chicago, Illinois, citing the business justification as “Research archival for
book manuscript” in Concur. 18 Dr. Zane’s mother and stepfather have a home in Geneva, Illinois, a suburb
of Chicago.

Dr. Zane flew from Hartford to Chicago on Saturday, July 10. The following day, Dr. Zane rented a
car and drove 438 miles to Osage Beach, Missouri where she lodged for seven nights at the Margaritaville
Lake Resort. Dr. Zane lodged at her mother’s house, located in the Chicago area, on the nights of July 10
and July 17. While lodging was not expensed to the University, all other expenses for this trip were. Dr.
Zane was accompanied on this trip by her two children and her mother, who, Dr. Zane stated, drove to
Missouri separately. University Compliance noted the per-diem meals were claimed at the Chicago rate

17
Due to the expense report being submitted more than 60-days after the travel occurred, it was routed to Dr.
Capshaw who approved the expenses. According to Accounts Payable, generally if the supervisor approved the travel
request, they would not need to approve the corresponding expense report; however, any expense report that is
flagged by Concur for certain audit rules are then routed to the Department Head or Dean for approval.
18
The travel request was submitted by Dr. Zane on March 31, 2021, which was approved the same day by Mackenzie
Murphy (Educational Program Assistant 2) who was a delegate approver for Dr. Capshaw.

9
of $76.00 per day despite being in Missouri for five full days of the trip. Missouri per-diem rates are $20
less than Chicago rates, per day. When asked about this, Dr. Zane stated her administrative assistant
submitted the travel expense report and reimbursement requests.

Dr. Zane was asked about the purpose of this trip to which she stated, “The purpose of this trip
was to go to a bunch of military museums for research I was doing on the Navy. I was interested in the
way that history is represented in museums, and what does and does not get represented. I was also
interested in the way that resort-type areas give you some tourist experiences outside the resort and
what those things are. It was related to the Gender and War class I was thinking about and my own Navy
research. And I found out that Walt Disney’s hometown museum was in Missouri as well.”

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary for this trip. At the top of
the itinerary, Dr. Zane noted that the purpose of the trip was 1) research related to her contract with
SUNY Press; 2) Mapping out research related to the screenplay contract with Filmgroup; 3) Trying to
expand research to frame a new Gender and War class; and to 4) Explore vacation spots that are
immersive in the Midwest.

Based on the submitted itinerary, Dr. Zane’s trip included the following:

July 10: Arrive Chicago

July 11: Drive to Missouri; Checked out the resort area, talked to employees (front
desk and NA store)
July 12: John B. Mahaffey Museum Complex
July 13: Museum of Military History
July 14: Walt Disney Hometown Museum
July 15: Ha Ha Tonka State Park; Osage Beach Veterans Memorial
July 16: Veterans Memorial Museum
July 17: Drove to Chicago; Visited war memorials in Kane County
July 18: Fly to Hartford

Dr. Zane was asked, but was unable to provide, documentation of the work conducted on this
trip, noting many of the places visited were outdoor spaces. Dr. Zane stated, “This was 2021, if I wrote
things down for this I would not know where those things would be.”

During this trip, Dr. Zane accumulated a total of 1,165 miles on the rental car, 876 of which can
be accounted for as travel to/from the airport and the hotel in Missouri, leaving 289 miles. Using Dr. Zane’s
submitted itinerary, Dr. Zane’s travel to/from the hotel to the various locations totaled approximately 886
miles. When asked how she traveled to each of the locations identified on the itinerary, she stated she
took her mother’s car to save money. Dr. Zane was asked why she flew into Chicago and drove to Missouri
when there were airports closer to her final destination. Dr. Zane stated she planned to spend more days
in Chicago but ended up staying longer in Missouri.

Dr. Zane was asked about the archival research conducted for the book manuscript, as cited on
the travel request form. Dr. Zane stated, “…an archive does not need to be a space with documents.

10
Outdoor spaces are archives, museums are archives. Archives are curated and policed. I see archival
research as building my own archive. When you are doing interdisciplinary research, you can’t just go to
an archive – you have to talk to people in the community.” Dr. Zane stated the book referenced in the
travel request was related to a contract with SUNY Press for her Navy research and was an expansion of
an article she published based on her dissertation that focused on surveilling sex in the military. When
asked if she completed the manuscript for this book, she stated she had not and that there was an “open-
ended” contract without an end date. Dr. Zane indicated she had stopped working on that book, noting
she “was not required to write it.” Dr. Zane indicated she became interested in other topics.

During this trip, Dr. Zane was teaching a summer course (Women, Gender & Film). Dr. Zane was
asked who taught her course while she was away. Dr. Zane stated the course was asynchronous and built
in advance. Dr. Zane stated there are no required meetings between students and the instructor and it is
designed to be an “at-your-own-pace” course.

Dr. Zane referenced this trip as “vacation” on multiple occasions via email, to both a student and
to colleagues. When asked about this, Dr. Zane again stated, “If it’s something I am researching that I am
passionate about or interested in, it does feel like vacation.” Dr. Zane denied any portion of this trip was
personal in nature.

Dr. Capshaw was asked about her understanding of the purpose of this trip, to which she stated
it was for Dr. Zane to visit an archive for a book she was developing. When asked what book specifically
Dr. Zane was working on, Dean Capshaw stated it may have been a book on mural art or it could be a book
that was recently published on Audrey Lorde, Lessons from Audrey Lorde’s uses of anger. 19 Dr. Capshaw
was asked about her expectations of the work Dr. Zane would conduct while on this trip. She stated they
were the same expectations as what was discussed for the trip prior. When asked, Dr. Capshaw stated Dr.
Zane did not report any portion of this trip to be personal in nature. When asked if Dr. Zane discussed
going to Missouri for a large portion of this trip, Dr. Capshaw stated she did not.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $1,622.00. 20

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

September 9-13, 2021

Dr. Zane traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, citing the business justification as “Archival
Research and Community Interviews for Book Research on US Navy” in Concur.21 Dr. Zane stayed at the
Bay Watch Resort & Conference Center. Dr. Zane booked the hotel originally for “2 adults,” which she

19
This book was published in February of 2024 and included an introduction written by Dr. Zane in collaboration
with other UConn faculty members. The description of the book indicates it was to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of WGSS at UConn.
20
Based on Concur workflows, the expense report was submitted to the Fiscal Officer in CLAS for review of
available funds; however, it was not submitted to Dr. Capshaw for review and approval as the travel request was
already approved by Ms. Murphy as Dr. Capshaw’s delegate.
21
The travel request was submitted by Dr. Zane’s administrative support person on July 30, 2021, and was
approved by Dr. Capshaw the same day.

11
canceled on July 31, 2021. On August 3, 2021, Dr. Zane’s assistant booked the same hotel for the same
dates for “1 adult” through the University. Dr. Zane was asked if anyone accompanied her on this trip, to
which she stated she was “seeing someone” but that she traveled alone. When asked why she canceled
and re-booked for the same hotel for the same dates, she stated she did not recall.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary for this trip. At the top of
the itinerary, Dr. Zane noted the purpose of the trip was related to “the Navy Book and Movie” in addition
to being interested in how former military sites become vacation spots. Based on the submitted itinerary,
Dr. Zane’s trip included the following:

September 9: Arrive, check in

September 10: Toured through Warbird Park (old Airforce base); Robert Reed Rec
Center
September 11: Naval and Maritime Museum; White Mob Riot site
September 12: Market Common; Visited spots related to Civil War (Dunes Club)
September 13: Leave for home

Dr. Zane was asked about the purpose of the trip which she described as “research I was doing
about the Navy book and the movie work with the screenplay writer and movie producer. There was a sex
scandal that happened in Myrtle Beach, and it is also a site that is heavily trafficked by tourists. I was
looking for evidence of how military history is treated in that space and what people learn about history
there… I was gathering information on space and the way land changes.” When asked for documentation
of the work conducted on this trip, Dr. Zane stated she made notes; however, any research she conducted
related to her book on the Navy and the subsequent screenplay was deleted from her Google Drive. Dr.
Zane stated the only research left in her Google Drive was a listing of films that were shown during WWI.
Dr. Zane was asked if she attempted to recover the deleted documents to which she stated she had not.

When asked if she visited an archive, Dr. Zane stated her archival research included visits to
museums, and seeing the land or public spaces. Dr. Zane expressed having a “horrible experience” in
library archives when she was doing research for her dissertation, therefore, when she refers to “archival
research” she does not always mean a paper archive but may also be referencing “gathering information
for an archive of knowledge.”

Dr. Zane was asked about the community interviews she conducted, as noted in the travel
request. Dr. Zane stated the term “interview” was not formal. Dr. Zane stated because she did not have
IRB approval or documentation that confirmed that her research was not governed by the IRB, she “talked
loosely with a few people about their experiences living in Myrtle Beach.” Dr. Zane stated she hoped to
interview a former member of the U.S. Navy; however, she did not get responses to her requests.
University Compliance did not receive documentation of Dr. Zane’s interview requests nor were they
recovered through an independent search of Dr. Zane’s email communications. No documentation of the
work conducted was provided by Dr. Zane nor independently obtained by University Compliance.

12
When asked what the purpose of this trip was, Dr. Capshaw stated she believed Dr. Zane wrote
an article on the military which led to this trip. Dr. Capshaw stated Dr. Zane was working on writing a book
that expanded on the article. When asked if the book has since been published, Dr. Capshaw stated it has
not but that she believed Dr. Zane has an advanced contract for it.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $1,648.00. 22

Chicago, Illinois
September 30-October 4, 2021

Dr. Zane traveled to Chicago, citing the business justification as “Book Archival Research – Navy
Archives” in Concur. 23 Dr. Zane stayed at the Harbor Shores Hotel on Lake Geneva in Lake Geneva,
Wisconsin for one night (October 1) which was expensed to UConn. Dr. Zane stated that every other night,
she lodged at her mother’s home. Dr. Zane stated her mother has a home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in
addition to her home in Geneva, Illinois.

When asked what the purpose of this trip was, Dr. Zane stated it was to continue conducting
research regarding the military. Dr. Zane stated, “A lot of these trips [were] me moving out of a library
archive and looking at spaces and land. I was also interested in the murals in Pilsen in Chicago, IL… I had
been thinking of Artivism and the ways people are thinking about war.” Dr. Zane also noted that on this
trip she was interested in the ways land gets used and becomes a place for tourism.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane submitted an itinerary for this trip. On the
itinerary, Dr. Zane noted that the purpose of the trip was to 1) continue research on the Navy/Military for
a book; 2) Material for Gender and War course; and for 3) Murals related to colonialism and war. The
itinerary submitted included the following:

September 30: Arrive; First Infantry Museum and Outdoor Park

October 1: Lake Geneva Mansion Tours
October 2: Pritzker Military Museum
October 3: Mural walk in Pilsen
October 4: Leave for Hartford

Dr. Zane was asked for documentation of the work conducted on this trip but was unable to
provide any, citing the length of time that has passed since the trip. University Compliance was unable to
independently obtain documentation of the work conducted during this trip.

22
Based on Concur workflows, the expense report was submitted to the Fiscal Officer in CLAS for review of
available funds; however, it was not submitted to Dr. Capshaw as she had already approved the travel request
form.
23
The travel request was submitted by Dr. Zane on March 31, 2021, which was approved the same day by Ms.
Murphy as a delegate approver for Dr. Capshaw.

13
Dr. Zane was asked how she organizes her process for authoring a book based on her research if
there is no documentation of the work. Dr. Zane stated her research had been deleted from her Google
Drive. Dr. Zane also stated, “I will take field notes at times. A lot of times I am very scattered and don’t
always type on a computer and write in a notebook. I have no idea where that is.” Dr. Zane indicated she
was “sure” this trip impacted her teaching of the Gender and War course. Dr. Zane was asked if she went
to the Navy Archives housed at the National Archives of Chicago, as cited in the travel request form, Dr.
Zane stated she does not recall if she went there on this trip or another trip to Chicago. 24

During this trip Dr. Zane was teaching two courses, Gender & Sexuality in Everyday Life and Gender
and Film and an Independent Study. When asked who taught her classes while she was on this trip, Dr.
Zane stated the courses she was teaching were online; therefore, she had no in-person teaching
obligations, and her Teaching Assistants were responsible for facilitating the discussion section held on
Fridays. Regarding the Independent Study, Dr. Zane stated those did not meet every week. In an email to
a UConn colleague on October 1, 2021, Dr. Zane indicated she was in Illinois “visiting her mother” that
weekend. There was no mention of conducting research.

Dr. Capshaw was asked about the business purpose of this trip, which she said was for Dr. Zane
to work on archival research for the book project referenced in her previous trip to Myrtle Beach. Dr.
Capshaw was asked if Dr. Zane claimed any personal time for this trip, and Dr. Capshaw stated she did
not. When asked, Dr. Capshaw stated she was not aware that Dr. Zane had family living in or around the
Chicago area.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $1,199. 25

Belfast, Northern Ireland

December 10-22, 2021

Dr. Zane traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland, citing the business justification as “Research at UK
University Archives” in Concur. 26 In September of 2021, Dr. Zane’s daughter moved to Belfast, Northern
Ireland to attend Queens University.

When asked what the purpose of the trip was, Dr. Zane stated, “I was interested in doing research
in Belfast about the history of the Troubles, which was a civil war there. I was interested in murals as
people’s ways of communicating political messages and segregating neighborhoods. I was interested in
how the Troubles was represented in the cities on the walls and on the tours that people will take. That

24
University Compliance reviewed all itineraries submitted by Dr. Zane for trips to Chicago and noted none
included a visit to the National Archives at Chicago.
25
Based on Concur workflows, the expense report was submitted to the Fiscal Officer in CLAS for review of
available funds; however, it was not submitted to Dr. Capshaw as the travel request form had previously been
approved.
26
Dr. Zane submitted the travel request form on October 30, 2021, which was subsequently approved by Dr.
Capshaw on November 1, 2021.

14
was my initial focus.” When Dr. Zane was asked what research project this particular trip was related to,
Dr. Zane stated she had been interested in murals in Chicago and a colleague recommended she travel to
Belfast. Dr. Zane stated she is Irish and British and has a personal family story related to that region of the
world.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane submitted an itinerary for this trip. At the top
of the itinerary, Dr. Zane noted the purpose of the trip was “to investigate the political murals of Belfast
and learn about the history of The Troubles.” The itinerary submitted included the following:

December 10: Leave Boston

December 11: Arrive Belfast; Quarantined for Covid-19 regulations
December 12: Quarantined 27; Looked up Northern Ireland History
December 13: Quarantined; Looked up Northern Ireland History and Murals
December 14: Queens University [Library] 28; Walked around University campus; Saw Mural
in Great Hall
December 15: Causeway Coast Tour to take pictures of Game of Thrones sets for class
December 16: Black Taxi Tour; Linen Library (to see documents and poster collection)
December 17: Stormont Parliament Building
December 18: Walked through city – noted artists to reach out to.
December 19: Political Walking Tour
December 20: Titanic Belfast Tour
December 21: Looked up books about murals in Belfast
December 22: Leave for Boston

Dr. Zane was asked for documentation of the work conducted on this trip and submitted
photocopies of field notes. Specifically, this included seven pages of handwritten notes, all of which
included the date of each day and were written in past tense. University Compliance noted on pages 5, 6,
and 7, the dates written on the notes were “12.19.24” “12.20.24” and “12.21.24” respectively, suggesting
Dr. Zane created these notes during the course of the investigation in an effort to justify the trip and
corresponding expenses. No other documentation of work conducted during this trip was provided or
otherwise obtained by University Compliance.

Dr. Zane was asked about some expenses that were incurred on the trip. Specifically, Dr. Zane
purchased a Covid-19 test that was shipped to Dr. Zane’s daughter’s residence in Belfast. Dr. Zane stated
the test was shipped and her daughter delivered it to Dr. Zane at the hotel she was staying at.

On December 18, Dr. Zane expensed a business meal through Uber Eats which was delivered to
Dr. Zane’s hotel. The meal receipt submitted by Dr. Zane did not include the names of the attendees, as

27
Given the Covid-19 pandemic occurring at that time, Dr. Zane was required to quarantine for three days in her
hotel once she arrived in Belfast.
28
Dr. Zane’s full itinerary noted it was required to have a pass to enter the archives, which she did not have. See
Appendix A.

15
required by University Policy. According to email communications, the designated business purpose for
the meal was to discuss the prospect of having the two attendees speak to one of Dr. Zane’s classes. Dr.
Zane was asked about the individuals who attended the business meal. Originally, Dr. Zane declined to
provide the names of those in attendance, citing privacy-related concerns. Dr. Zane ultimately confirmed
the identity of one of the attendees, Jim Potts, 29 when directly asked by University Compliance. As noted
in more detail below, through the course of this investigation University Compliance learned that Dr. Zane
got engaged to Mr. Potts sometime during the review period and later married him on November 21,
2023.

Dr. Zane was teaching three courses in the fall of 2021 including Women, Gender & Film (online),
Gender & Sexuality in Everyday Life (online), and an Independent Study (in-person). According to the
academic calendar for 2021-2022, the last day of regular classes was December 10, 2021, the Day Dr. Zane
left for Belfast.

Dr. Zane did not travel to Belfast prior to her daughter living in the country. University Compliance
independently obtained documentation where Dr. Zane referenced this trip, in relevant part: “…and my
daughter went to Queens to do a master's program in social justice and conflict transformation… And so,
I went um, to visit her, and it was in December… And so, I was looking for things to do…” 30

Dr. Capshaw was asked about the business purpose of this trip, of which she stated she had no
memory of it. Dr. Capshaw was asked to review any records that would provide more information about
the proposed work; however, she stated she was unable to find any.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $5,094. 31

Newport, Rhode Island

January 27-28, 2022

Dr. Zane traveled to Newport, Rhode Island citing the business justification as “Interviews with
Newport archivist and screenplay writer for my book project” in Concur.32 University Compliance asked
Dr. Zane about the purpose of this trip, to which she stated it was to meet with the screenplay writer,
Sean O’Connor, as a part of her consulting agreement with Filmgroup Entertainment LLC. Dr. Zane stated
she was going to meet with the screenplay writer, to whom she had provided her research, to get an
update on the project and discuss the next steps. Dr. Zane stated they also met with David Kohnen, who

29
Mr. Potts works for Coiste Irish Political Tours in Belfast, Northern Ireland which is a company that provides
“political tours, educational talks and programmes, and provides associated services to visitors.”
30
The document was an interview transcript from 2023 that Dr. Zane conducted. Dr. Zane did not provide the
transcript as documentation of work conducted for any of the trips related to Belfast.
31
Based on Concur workflows, the expense report was submitted to the Fiscal Officer in CLAS for review of available
funds; however, it was not submitted to Dr. Capshaw as the travel request form had previously been approved.
32
The travel request was submitted by Dr. Zane on January 19, 2022, which was approved the same day by Ms.
Murphy as a delegate approver for Dr. Capshaw.

16
worked at the Navy War College, in an attempt to get into the archive; however, that was unsuccessful.
Dr. Zane stated this trip was also related to her book project with SUNY Press.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary for this trip that included
the following:

January 27: Arrive Newport; Coffee meeting; Lunch with screenplay writer
January 28: Leave Newport

Dr. Zane was asked for documentation of the work that was conducted on this trip. Dr. Zane
submitted an email communication from December 28, 2021, between herself, Mr. O’Connor, and Mr.
Kohnen. The correspondence indicated Dr. Zane would be visiting Newport, RI in January of 2022 “to have
a meet up, and possibly [do] some research at the War College library.” No further documentation of work
conducted on this trip was provided.

According to Concur records, Dr. Zane purchased books using her University Travel Card from
Charter Books in Newport on January 28, 2022 (the day after Dr. Zane’s meetings) which totaled $57.76.
The expense report submitted by Dr. Zane after returning from the trip noted the following books
purchased were “needed for the research and interview”:

-Abolitionist Handbook – 12 steps to changing yourself and the world

-Gravel Heart (fictional story)
-Spy X Family, Vol 6 (story and art, fictional anime graphic novel)

When asked how the purchase of these books was related to the business purpose of the travel, Dr. Zane
stated, “We are allowed to buy books with our research account.” The University Travel Card Manual
states, “The Travel Card, which is an expansion of the University’s Purchasing Card (“Pro-Card”) program,
is used for travel-related expenses incurred while conducting legitimate University Business.” It goes on
to define Legitimate University Business as, “Activities that support the academic, research and
operational missions of the University; travel expenses related to these activities are able to be charged
using the Travel Card.” Using a University Travel Card for personal purchases is not permissible under the
Policy. 33

During this trip, Dr. Zane was teaching two courses, Gender & Sexuality in Everyday Life (online)
and Gender and War (In-Person, T/R). When asked who taught her classes while she was on this trip, Dr.
Zane stated the online course was asynchronous therefore, she had no in-person teaching obligations and
that her Teaching Assistants were responsible for facilitating the discussion section held on Fridays.
Regarding the in-person course, Dr. Zane stated she could not recall.

Dr. Capshaw was asked about the business purpose of the trip and stated it was likely related to
Dr. Zane’s research involving the military. Dr. Capshaw was asked what the rationale was for Dr. Zane

33
University Compliance noted that books are not specifically included in the examples of appropriate travel-
related business transactions on the Travel Card (Sec. 5.1, Proper Use, Travel Card User Manual).

17
needing lodging given the close proximity to UConn (under 75 miles). Dr. Capshaw stated it would depend
on the timing of the interviews that Dr. Zane was conducting, which Dean Capshaw stated she was not
privy to. As noted in Dr. Zane’s itinerary, no work was conducted on January 28.

As outlined above in this report, Dr. Zane was contracted with Filmgroup Entertainment for
consulting. Dr. Zane did not request approval to engage in faculty consulting with Filmgroup
Entertainment. Regardless, the University would not otherwise pay for travel expenses or research
materials for Dr. Zane to engage in activities where she was contracted to financially benefit, as was with
this case.

On February 1, 2022, a few days after her trip to Newport, Dr. Zane emailed Mr. O’Connor (whom
she met with on the trip) and Keith Patterson (Filmgroup Producer) to terminate her consulting agreement
with them for the movie screenplay. After a contentious exchange over several months, Dr. Zane stated
Mr. Patterson “drained” her research Google Drive, deleting all of her research relative to the Navy. Dr.
Zane could not recall when this occurred and stated she did not attempt to recover the deleted
documents. University Compliance reviewed Dr. Zane’s email communications and noted no mention of
a Google Drive or other methods of sharing research documents related to her work with Filmgroup.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $344. 34

Duck, North Carolina

March 11-15, 2022

Dr. Zane traveled to Duck, North Carolina citing the business justification as “Army research for
article” in Concur. 35 Dr. Zane was asked about the purpose of this trip to which she stated, “This was a
place that I had read about when I was doing my dissertation that also had sex scandals in the Navy. It’s
another place that I was interested in because it was a military site that has been transformed into a
vacation spot… I was hoping to meet with some LGBTQ sailors because I was working on writing this book
about the Navy and sex scandals. I wanted to talk to them about their experiences. I was interested in the
space and place and how the military is represented in this now popular resort.” When asked why the
justification indicated the research was regarding the Army (not the Navy), Dr. Zane stated, “The article I
was thinking of doing was more related to the space and place, this idea of these places with history and
a meta-narrative about military in a space and then after WWII some of that history is lost and I’m
interested in how history is then preserved.” Dr. Zane was asked if she was working on an article as
referenced in the travel request. Dr. Zane stated she was having difficulty writing the book (on the Navy
for OR Books) given what occurred with Mr. Patterson, so she thought she would write an article at the
encouragement of colleagues. When asked, Dr. Zane stated no article was written or published as a result
of this trip.

34
Based on Concur workflows, the expense report was submitted to the Fiscal Officer in CLAS for review of available
funds; however, it was not submitted to Dr. Capshaw as the travel request form had previously been approved.
35
Dr. Zane submitted the travel request on February 25, 2022, which was approved the same day by Dr. Capshaw.

18
At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary for this trip. The title of
the itinerary submitted by Dr. Zane included “Navy Research for Companion Book/Screenplay.” Dr. Zane
disclosed only one project related to a screenplay, which was with Filmgroup Entertainment. At the time
she submitted the travel request for this trip (February 23, 2022), Dr. Zane had already begun to dissolve
her relationship with Filmgroup Entertainment, yet Dr. Zane’s itinerary submitted to University
Compliance during the investigation references this trip as being related to her work with Filmgroup. As
with previous trips, Dr. Zane did not have approval to engage in consulting activities with Filmgroup
Entertainment as is required by the Faculty Consulting Policy. Even if this trip was related to her work with
Filmgroup Entertainment, which is highly unlikely, the University would not pay for expenses related to
Dr. Zane’s consulting engagements.

Based on the submitted itinerary, Dr. Zane’s trip included the following business:

March 11: Arrived; Walked through town/boardwalk

March 12: Duck Research Pier and Bombing Range at Alligator River
March 13: Talked with community members and local business owners; talked with
former Navy guy
March 14: Spent day talking to workers at hotel and visitors; asking about experiences
and why they chose that location; Horse tour.
March 15: Drove to airport; flight home

When asked if she conducted interviews during this trip, Dr. Zane stated, “I wouldn’t call it an
official interview, but I would say I had a conversation with a guy. I talked to people in the town too.” Dr.
Zane stated the former U.S. Navy service member met her in the foyer of her hotel, and they discussed
the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the military. When asked how she got connected to him, Dr. Zane
stated her stepfather was personal friends with the man and connected her with him.

Dr. Zane was asked for documentation of the work conducted on this trip and she submitted
photocopies of six handwritten pages of notes that were titled “Duck, N.C. – March 11, prep”. The notes
were not otherwise dated or delineated by day. None of the notes included substantial information from
any particular person, including the former U.S. Navy service member that Dr. Zane stated she spoke with.

After returning from the trip and upon submitting the expense report, Dr. Zane was asked by the
CLAS Dean’s Office for a business justification for the cost of the hotel ($230 per night) as it was above the
allowable GSA (U.S. General Services Administration) rate and above the 150% exception rate. Dr. Zane’s
response was as follows:

“Just to explain here, there was no hotel for 96.00 a night in Duck, NC, where I conducted the
interviews. The interviewees met me at this hotel because I did not want them to have to drive far
and they did not feel comfortable having me in their homes. Due to COVID and the time of year,
there were not public spaces open, and this hotel had a business lounge that they let me use free
of charge.”

19
Dr. Zane provided this rationale to justify expenses after the fact, knowing that she conducted no
interviews on this trip and knowing none had been pre-scheduled or arranged. Based on Dr. Zane’s
explanation, the Dean’s Office approved the expense and instructed Dr. Zane to document the
justification in Concur and resubmit the expense report, which was completed and ultimately approved.

According to Concur records, Dr. Zane purchased books totaling $62.98 on March 13, 2022, from
Island Bookstore in Duck using her University Travel Card. The expense report submitted by Dr. Zane noted
the following books purchased were “books for research”:

-Collective Wisdom: Lessons, Inspiration, and Advice from Women over 50

-Think Like a Feminist: The philosophy behind the revolution
-Journals (3)

When asked how the purchase of these books was related to the business purpose of the travel,
Dr. Zane stated, “The journals I probably bought to write in, and my notes are probably in one of those.
The other two books, I thought I could buy books from my research account. I probably purchased them
because I was interested in using them for a course or a lecture.”

University Compliance asked Dr. Capshaw about the business purpose of this trip. Dr. Capshaw
stated she understood it was to conduct research for an article. When asked what article Dr. Zane was
working on, Dr. Capshaw stated she did not know. When asked if she had any concerns about the lodging
of the trip being above the permitted GSA rate, she stated she did not recall anything about that.

During this trip Dr. Zane was teaching two courses, Gender & Sexuality in Everyday Life (online)
and Gender and War (in-person, T/R). According to the academic calendar for 2021-2022, Spring Break
was from Sunday, March 13 through Saturday, March 19, 2022; therefore, the majority of Dr. Zane’s trip
took place during the break.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $2,424. 36

Chicago, Illinois
May 20-23, 2022

Dr. Zane traveled to Chicago, Illinois citing the business justification as “Chicago Archive Research”
in Concur. 37 When asked what the business purpose was for this trip, Dr. Zane stated, “Since my trip to

36
Due to the expenses related to the hotel being 150% above the allowed GSA rate, the expense report was routed
to Dr. Capshaw. The expense report was approved by Mackenzie Murphy (Executive Assistant to the Dean, CLAS) as
Dr. Capshaw’s delegate.
37
There were three travel request forms associated with this trip. The first was submitted by Dr. Zane on January
19, 2022, citing “Chicago Sailor Museum” as the business justification and was approved by Ms. Murphy as a delegate
approver for Dr. Capshaw. The second travel request was submitted by Dr. Zane on March 9, 2022, which was
approved the same day by Ms. Murphy as a delegate approver. The third travel request form was submitted by

20
Belfast, I was thinking more and more about mural art. I had started discussing a collaboration with other
WGSS faculty, Eva Orozco-Mendoza, and Bhakti Shringarpure. There was a specific exhibit on Bill Mauldin
that was in Chicago that I wanted to see. Then I went into different areas/towns in Chicago. I wanted to
see the murals in Humboldt Park because I had heard there was a lot of LGBTQ mural art there, I wanted
to go to the National Museum of Mexican Art.” Dr. Zane also stated she and her colleagues were trying to
focus their mural art project and were considering the inclusion of a location in the United States.
University Compliance noted this trip took place after Dr. Zane and her colleagues applied for and were
awarded the CLAS Summer 2022 Grant regarding their mural research; therefore, the scope of their
research had already been solidified. When asked if she went to a library archive on this trip, she stated
she did not. Dr. Zane noted that museums are also archives.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary for this trip titled, “Art
Activism, Mural Research.” Based on the submitted itinerary, Dr. Zane’s trip included the following
business:

May 20: Arrived in Chicago

May 21: Pritzker for Bill Mauldin Exhibit (Drawn to Combat – The Art of War)
Wall of Hope Mural, Pilsen
May 22: Humboldt Park Murals
National Museum of Mexican Art
May 23: Leave for home

University Compliance requested documentation of the work conducted on this trip; however,
Dr. Zane did not provide any.

The University paid for lodging at the Hampton Inn and Suites in St. Charles, Illinois for two nights
(Friday, May 20, and Saturday, May 21). Dr. Zane stated she stayed with her mother for the night of May
22. In an email to another UConn faculty member on the morning of May 21, 2022, Dr. Zane stated, “…I
am going to send this to you tomorrow if that is okay? I have a wedding today and yesterday was [my
son’s] prom! If I have a short break later today I will send it then.” When University Compliance asked
about the wedding referenced in the email, Dr. Zane stated she attended a wedding for her stepbrother
on the night of May 21. Dr. Zane stated none of the days of the trip were personal in nature.

During this trip, Dr. Zane was teaching one May-term course, Gender & Sexuality in Everyday Life
(online) which took place from May 9 through May 27, 2022. When asked who taught the course in her
absence, she stated the course was asynchronous and online.

Stephanie Lumbra (Educational Program Assistant, WGSS) on behalf of Dr. Zane on July 19, 2022, which was
approved by Dr. Capshaw the same day.

21
When asked about the business purpose of this trip, Dr. Capshaw stated she did not recall this
trip and would go back into her notes and emails to see if she could find anything. Later, Dr. Capshaw
confirmed she did not have notes or documentation relative to this trip.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $1,354. 38
Orlando, Florida
June 22-30, 2022

Dr. Zane traveled to Orlando, Florida citing the business justification as “Attending Anime
Convention to attend conference panels for pop culture research” in Concur. 39 When asked what the
business purpose was for the trip, Dr. Zane stated, “I went to an Anime convention. My students had been
requesting that I incorporate Manga and Anime in our film and pop culture class. I was continuing my
research on immersive experiences and looking at fantasy and reality.” Dr. Zane was accompanied by her
son for the duration of this trip.

The Anime Conference took place from Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26, 2022. At the
request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary of this trip, which included the following:

June 22: Arrived in Orlando

June 23: Met conference people at Epcot
June 24: Conference
June 25: Conference
June 26: Conference
June 27: Talked with conference attendees
June 28 Talked with conference attendees and hotel staff about conference
June 29 Met conference people at Hollywood Studios – Star Wars
June 30 Return to Hartford

Dr. Zane was asked about the meetings with conference people/attendees. Dr. Zane stated she
was invited by conference attendees to go with them to Epcot on June 23, 2022, as a way to “observe
their interactions.” Dr. Zane stated this was similar to field research in that she was observing their
behaviors and interactions. When asked how she was connected to conference attendees, Dr. Zane
stated, “My son’s friend [Bobby] who lives in Orlando told my son that there were people from the
conference who were going to go to Epcot. When we got there, my son’s friend was there.”

38
Based on Concur workflows, the expense report was submitted to the Fiscal Officer in CLAS for review of available
funds; however, it was not submitted to Dr. Capshaw as the travel request form had previously been approved.
39
Dr. Zane submitted the travel request form on January 19, 2022, which was approved the same day by Ms. Murphy
as a delegate for Dr. Capshaw.

22
Dr. Zane was asked who she spoke with on June 27, 2022, as noted in the itinerary. She stated “I
just asked people to sit and talk to me… a lot of people stayed in the hotel after the conference and there
were gatherings… I was talking to attendees about their favorite parts of the conference.”

Dr. Zane was asked who she spoke with on June 28, 2022, as noted in the itinerary. She stated
“Every day I made it a point to talk to people. I spoke with the staff because there was a lack of cleanliness
at this place… I talked to the staff and asked specific questions about the differences between Anime
conventions and other conventions.”

Dr. Zane was asked who she spoke with on June 29, 2022, as noted in the itinerary. Dr. Zane stated
“I met with attendees. I often do this. I was not feeling very well and know that I was only there for a short
time.” When asked if these attendees were different from those referenced from June 23, Dr. Zane stated,
“these were people that my son introduced me to and his friend.”

Upon submitting her expense report, Accounts Payable questioned the expenses incurred outside
of the dates of the conference. In response, Dr. Zane noted, “[I] met with organizers and participants to
interview them for my WGSS courses after the convention was over.” University Compliance asked Dr.
Zane for documentation of the meetings or interviews conducted during this trip; however, no
documentation was provided. Based on this evidence, it appears Dr. Zane provided the rationale to
Accounts Payable to justify expenses after the fact while knowing she never met with or interviewed
organizers or participants.

Dr. Zane was asked about the classes related to this trip. She stated she planned to use
information learned on this trip for her pop culture course, however, the course was reassigned to another
faculty member. Dr. Zane stated she incorporated an anime film in her Gender and War course for Spring
of 2024 and discussed anime tropes.

During this trip, Dr. Zane expensed a rental car and also ground transportation to/from Epcot on
June 23, 2022, and to/from Hollywood Studios on June 29, 2022. When asked about the ground
transportation charges when a rental car was available, she stated she was suffering from extreme
migraines and was unable to drive after taking medication.

Dr. Zane referenced this trip on at least four different occasions as a “vacation” in emails to UConn
colleagues and students. When asked about this, Dr. Zane stated, “… sometimes research is fun. I would
consider that as something I am doing that is fun and about my work and it is away from my regular duties
for once… I also use the word ‘vacation’ as a way to say ‘leave me alone’ because there are some faculty
that constantly want my attention whether I am away or not. So… It’s fun for me and I wanted people to
leave me alone.” Dr. Zane denied any of the days of this trip were personal in nature.

Dr. Capshaw was asked about the business purpose of this trip and stated Dr. Zane teaches a wide
range of popular culture courses and that she “could see” Dr. Zane wanting to incorporate materials into
her classes. When asked if Dr. Zane teaches anything on Anime, Dean Capshaw stated she is unaware of

23
any courses that are dedicated wholly to Anime; however, Dr. Zane teaches gender and popular culture
courses, and Anime is a popular genre. Dr. Capshaw was asked about her expectations of Dr. Zane’s work
for the four days she was in Florida and not attending the Anime Conference. Dr. Capshaw indicated they
would need to be designated as personal.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $3,317 40
Chicago, Illinois
July 14-24, 2022

Dr. Zane traveled to Chicago, Illinois citing the business justification as “Book Research – Archives”
in Concur. 41 When asked what the purpose of the trip was, Dr. Zane stated, “It was continued course
development on the use of museums for archives, and it was used for book research on how sites of
tourism provide metanarratives about history. I am interested in how war is depicted through pop culture
and public art as I continued to read about the process of Disneyfication, which is about sanitizing history
and managing those metanarratives….” Dr. Zane was accompanied on this trip by her son and stayed with
her mother in Geneva, Illinois, and in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary for this trip, which
included the following:

July 14: Arrived in Chicago

July 15: National Mexican Art Museum
July 16: Chicago Maritime Museum
July 17: DePaul Art Museum
July 18: Dungeons and Dragons Museum
July 19: Harold Washington Library
July 20: Chicago History Museum
July 21: Navy Pier
July 22: Brookfield Zoo
July 23: Lincoln Park Zoo
July 24: Return to Hartford

Dr. Zane was asked about the business justification on the travel request form, which indicated
she was conducting book research. Dr. Zane stated, “It is related to thoughts about a book I might want
to write, or about articles I could write.” Dr. Zane stated, “I had created an assignment on zoos that I didn’t
end up using because students were uncomfortable about giving money to zoos for entrance fees, but I
cannot find the assignment I created because after talking with students, I decided not to add it as an

40
Due to the expenses related to the hotel being 150% above the allowed GSA rate, the expense report was routed
twice to Dr. Capshaw who approved the expense report each time.
41
Dr. Zane submitted the travel request form on July 7, 2022, which was approved the same day by Dr. Capshaw.

24
option.” No documentation of work conducted was provided by Dr. Zane, nor did University Compliance
independently obtain any.

University Compliance reviewed Dr. Zane’s email communication relative to this trip and noted
she referenced this trip as a “vacation” at least four times to UConn colleagues and students. Dr. Zane
specifically stated to a colleague that she was unable to meet with them on Friday, July 22, 2022, due to
a “family event.” When asked about this, Dr. Zane stated, “Yes, we went to the Brookfield Zoo.” When
asked to clarify if the visit to the zoo was for research or for a family event, Dr. Zane stated, “I wanted to
go to the Brookfield Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo because of the Disneyfication of Zoos and my mom and son
went with me.” Dr. Zane denied any of the days of this trip were personal in nature.

During this trip Dr. Zane was teaching a Summer 2 course, Women, Gender, and Film (online)
which took place from July 11 to August 12, 2022. When asked who taught the course in her absence, she
stated the course was asynchronous and online.

When asked about the specific project Dr. Zane was working on relative to this trip, Dr. Capshaw
stated she did not recall but would review her records. Later, Dr. Capshaw confirmed she did not have
notes or documentation relative to this trip.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $1,374.42

Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Dublin

August 4-22, 2022

Dr. Zane traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland and Dublin citing the business justification as
“Summer Grant Research” in Concur 43, which was related to the CLAS Summer 2022 Grant that Dr. Zane
and two colleagues were awarded. The research proposal for the grant was entitled “Insurgent Murals:
Women’s Art Activism in Buenos Aires, Khartoum and Belfast” and included plans for each researcher to
travel to one of the three destinations. Dr. Zane’s portion of the research was described as follows:

In Belfast, artists have created almost 2,000 murals since the 1970s (Kerr, 2014). These
murals are central to the social and cultural life of their communities and form a crucial
weapon of resistance in the struggle against colonialism, oppression, and injustice. Zane
argues that these murals continue to be a unifying force in a divided Ireland, but they

42
There were two expense reports associated with this trip. Based on Concur workflows, the first expense report
for $1,287 was submitted to the Fiscal Officer in CLAS for review of available funds; however, it was not submitted
to Dr. Capshaw as the travel request form had previously been approved. Dr. Zane submitted a second expense
report for $87 on June 13, 2023, nearly a year after the trip concluded and expenses had been incurred. Due to this
expense report being submitted more than 120-days after the conclusion of the travel, the expense report was
routed to Dr. Capshaw who approved the expense report. It was then approved by Accounts Payable.
43
Dr. Zane submitted the travel request form on June 26, 2022, which was approved the same day by Ms. Murphy
as a delegate for Dr. Capshaw.

25
largely ignore women’s histories. Several women’s community organizations continue to
fight for representation on both the republican and loyalist sides by creating alternate
histories on these walls. One of the ways in which women have sought to challenge this
under-representation is to paint over some of the controversial paramilitary artwork
depicting the burning of Protestant homes at the start of the Troubles. Oral history
interviews will be pivotal in Zane’s research as she seeks to uncover how local protest art
continues to play a pivotal role in the simultaneous struggle against colonialism and
gender oppression.

The proposed outcomes of the research, as stated in the proposal, included 1) a co-authored peer-
reviewed article to be submitted for publication in a top-rated, peer-reviewed journal during the academic
year of 2022-2023; 2) a proposal for a special edited journal issue on Feminist Art, Activism and Pedagogy;
and 3) that the individual researchers will use data gathered for sole-authored publications. The proposal
also specified, “This opportunity will also enable Zane, an in-residence faculty member, to expand her
publications on feminist studies research focused on innovative pedagogy.” According to the grant
funding request, $7,700 was earmarked for Dr. Zane’s portion of travel for the research, which included
expenses for airfare, hotel, transport, art tours, and per diem (meals). As a condition of the funding, the
researchers were required to submit a “report of the accomplishments and their impacts” by September
1, 2022, at which time any unspent funds would be returned to CLAS. As of the date of this report, none
of the outcomes in the grant proposal have been completed.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary of this trip, which included
the following:

August 3: Boston Public Library Exhibition

August 4: Flight
August 5: Arrive 44
August 6: Breakfast meeting with community member; Mural Walk; Dinner with
community member
August 7: Field Research; Dinner with community members
August 8: Field Research; Meal with community member
August 9: Field Research; Meeting with community member
August 10: Murals tour from ex-soldier perspective; meal with community members
August 11: Attended a cross-community youth group event
August 12: Field Research
August 13: Field Research; Dinner with local artists
August 14: Field Research
August 15: Community conversation; Research for Dublin trip
August 16: Dublin Artists Meeting; Field Research

44
While Dr. Zane’s itinerary indicates she arrived on August 5, flight records indicate she was scheduled to arrive in
Belfast on August 4 at 8:55pm local time.

26
August 17: Breakfast with local artist; Guinness Factory Tour – local history
August 18: Meal with an interpreter for artist discussion; Mural walk
August 19: Breakfast with community member; Field Research
August 20: Meal with community member; meal with community members; Field Research
August 21: Field Research; Meal with community members; Community Conversation
August 22: Leave for Home

Dr. Zane was asked what work was conducted during the days the itinerary cited “Field Research.”
Dr. Zane stated, “A lot of things I did over and over again was talking to people in the street, going to
murals, standing on the side of Cooper Way and near the International Wall. There are a lot of black taxis
that stop. You can hear things that people are saying as they get out of the car about the murals.
Whenever I put ‘field research,’ I am out in the community, asking questions about the city and where
they are from and what they think about the murals.” Upon request, Dr. Zane submitted 39 pages of
handwritten notes, of which 11 appear to be notes from an interview with two people. In addition, Dr.
Zane submitted 15 typed pages titled “Irish History.” 45 University Compliance independently verified that
Dr. Zane obtained a visitor pass to Queens University Library for this trip and sent emails attempting to
schedule interviews with people while on this trip.

Dr. Zane stated she was not accompanied by any companions on this trip. Dr. Zane’s daughter
was studying at Queens University and living in Belfast at the time of this trip. According to
documentation, on August 16, Dr. Zane traveled to Dublin, Ireland and stayed for two nights. 46 Dr. Zane
was accompanied by her daughter and Jim Potts according to the purchased train tickets. Dr. Zane stated
Mr. Potts traveled with her to Dublin to provide introductions. The hotel reservation for Dublin indicated
it was for two adults. Dr. Zane submitted documentation to UConn of the confirmation email for Mr. Pott’s
ticket to Dublin, which indicated “1 passenger” as well as the receipt showing the cost for the two tickets
purchased for Dr. Zane and her daughter. Dr. Zane was reimbursed for the two train tickets from Belfast
to Dublin. 47

Dr. Zane was asked if there was an article or manuscript that resulted from the research conducted
on this trip. Dr. Zane stated she, along with her research collaborators, presented a panel discussion at
the National Women’s Studies Association on October 27, 2023. Dr. Zane submitted her panel
presentation notes to University Compliance. University Compliance independently obtained the panel

45
The document did not include cited sources; therefore, it is unclear as to the author or origination of the
document.
46
UConn paid for Dr. Zane’s original Air B&B reservation in Belfast as well as a hotel in Dublin for two nights.
Documentation indicates Dr. Zane received approval from Michelle Cahill (Assistant Director of Shared Services,
CLAS) in October of 2022 after providing the following justification: “I had to travel to Dublin to interview a group of
artists over a 2-day period and had to stay in a hotel because I didn't have a car, and it is a 2-hour train ride… I needed
to see the murals they had done for LGBTQ pride month.”
47
Receipts did not include each passenger’s name; however, links within the emailed receipts were directed to the
actual train tickets in which the passenger’s names were identified. Receipts of the return train tickets, which were
not expensed to the University, indicate Dr. Zane traveled back to Belfast from Dublin with Mr. Potts. Return tickets
were with a different company and the emailed receipt detailed the passenger names.

27
presentation notes from Dr. Zane’s email from the date the presentation occurred. In comparing what Dr.
Zane submitted to University Compliance during the investigation to that within Dr. Zane’s email,
University Compliance noted that Dr. Zane had removed two sections from the document prior to
submitting it for the investigation. The first portion that Dr. Zane removed is underlined, in relevant part:

“Thank you to everyone for attending our panel and I want to thank my two dear friends Professors
Mendoza and Shringarpure for agreeing to work on this collaborative project, and to my daughter,
[name redacted] because if she had not attended Queens University in Belfast to get her MA in
Social Justice and Conflict Transformation, I might not have had this opportunity to work with my
friends and appear before all of you lovely people now.”

The second section that was edited in the version Dr. Zane submitted to University Compliance was:

“So, [my daughter] and I went on a political walking tour to learn about Belfast's history of
conflict…”

In the copy Dr. Zane submitted to University Compliance, references to Dr. Zane’s daughter were
removed from the text.

After the panel presentation, Dr. Zane stated she and her colleagues discussed a book proposal for
SUNY Press with Dr. Nancy Naples (Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Women’s,
Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Former Director of WGSS). As of the date of Dr. Zane’s last interview with
University Compliance, no article or manuscript had been drafted or published, nor did Dr. Zane have a
book contract for this.

Dr. Zane and her colleagues were required by the terms of the grant to submit a CLAS Summer
Funding Report in September of 2022 detailing the work conducted. In the report, Dr. Zane indicated
future plans to travel to Belfast in October and December of that same year noting intentions of traveling
to Derry/Londonderry to meet local artist Tom Kelly and meeting with the Northern Ireland Arts Counsel.
Additionally, Dr. Zane noted plans to speak with women’s community organizations on the Shankhill and
visit library archives. The report also stated the three researchers planned to collaborate on a journal
article as well as a proposal for an interdisciplinary study abroad program. 48

Dr. Zane expensed 17 business meals during this trip totaling $894.74. 49 According to a review of
submitted receipts and expense reports, Dr. Zane provided the first names of the attendees, sometimes
with a last initial, for 16 of the 17 business meals. For the remaining business meal, Dr. Zane was the only
attendee named in Concur. Dr. Zane’s expense report cited the following justification: “I cannot put last

48
The report did not indicate where the potential study abroad program would take place.
49
Expenses for these 17 meals were documented with 18 receipts; however, two of the receipts occurred at the
same location on the same date around the same time; therefore, University Compliance considered the two
receipts to be in reference to one business meal.

28
names of interviewees for business meals because I am not allowed…according to [Institutional Review
Board] to identify them.” Dr. Zane did not have any IRB-approved protocols; therefore, the IRB did not
weigh in on Dr. Zane’s protocols relative to participant privacy.

During an interview, University Compliance asked Dr. Zane about the justification of the business
meals as well as the attendees for each. Dr. Zane stated the business purpose was to assist her in
navigating a post-conflict society and to build rapport. Dr. Zane stated some meals were “informational
meeting[s]” to help her navigate the research and get introduced to “gatekeepers” in the community. 50
Dr. Zane stated all attendees requested anonymity; therefore, Dr. Zane used coded alias names on the
submitted receipts and expense reports. University Compliance noted that several of the alias names
appeared to be names of individuals that Dr. Zane actually met with, though on different days or at
different locations than what was on the receipts. When asked about this, Dr. Zane stated, “I think I was
just trying to come up with names in my mind. I coded it and wrote it in my book.”

Upon request, Dr. Zane submitted the full names of the attendees for the 17 meals to University
Compliance. 51 Of these, University Compliance was able to independently corroborate two attendees for
one business meal on August 16. When reviewing the names documented on receipts and/or expense
reports with those submitted by Dr. Zane, coded alias names used for one research participant were used
for multiple different participants. For seven of the business meals, Mr. Potts and/or one of six members
of his family were in attendance.

On August 22, 2022, the date of Dr. Zane’s return flight to Boston, Mr. Potts forwarded Dr. Zane
an email for a wedding brochure from Gretna Green to her UConn email account. 52 In the email Mr. Potts
wrote, in relevant part:

“Hi Sherry.
To say that today has been an emotional rollercoaster would be an
understatement, I have been so emotional today. The past 10 days has changed
my life forever… I understand how my marriage proposal has put you under
pressure, and will stop pestering you my love. I look forward to a call from you
later today....
Your Lover.
Jim....xxx”

University Compliance asked about this email and the referenced marriage proposal. Dr. Zane
stated she did not get engaged in August of 2022 and that Mr. Potts was “goofing around” when he sent

50
University Compliance reviewed the expenses of Dr. Zane’s research collaborators on this grant and noted that
there was only one business meal expensed to UConn by Dr. Bhakti Shringarpure who traveled to Sudan.
51
Dr. Zane consulted with Doug Bradway (Senior Administrative Program Support, Institutional Review Board) prior
to providing the names. Dr. Zane requested that none of the names be noted in the final investigation report in an
effort to maintain her promise of confidentiality to those parties.
52
Upon receiving the email, Dr. Zane directed Mr. Potts to her personal email account.

29
that email. Dr. Zane stated she did, at some point, get engaged to Mr. Potts. Dr. Zane stated she believed
it was “around January of 2023” but was unsure because of the “back-and-forth” nature of the
relationship.

In an email to University Compliance after the interview where this trip was discussed, Dr. Zane
stated, “Jim Potts and I were not in a romantic relationship during my August 2022 research trip. The
travel policy states that ‘the presence of a spouse or partner must be compelling or essential (and not just
beneficial).’ I would not have been able to make the contacts that I did or develop the 2-week summer
study abroad for UConn students without his expertise and connections…” At the time of the last interview
with University Compliance, there was no evidence that Dr. Zane developed a study abroad program nor
did Dr. Zane provide any documentation of such work.

After returning from Ireland, Dr. Zane submitted a corresponding expense report. Accounts
Payable questioned the business justification for unallowable expenses that were not included on the
travel request form. Specifically, Dr. Zane was asked about the ground transportation to Boston and the
hotel stay the night prior to her flight. Dr. Zane responded with the rationale that she stayed in Boston
the night prior to her flight because she conducted “research at the National Archives in Waltham and the
Boston Public Library.” Dr. Zane then included this in the expense report to justify the lodging expenses
the night prior to her flight. Records show that Dr. Zane arrived at her hotel in Boston (Revere) at 4:17pm,
after the archives in Waltham had already closed (4pm). Based on this evidence, Dr. Zane provided the
rationale to Accounts Payable to justify unallowable expenses after the fact while knowing she never went
to the National Archives in Waltham.

During this trip Dr. Zane was teaching a Summer 2 course, Women, Gender & Film (online) which
took place from July 11 to August 12, 2022. When asked who taught the course in her absence, she stated
the course was asynchronous and was online. University Compliance noted Dr. Zane traveled 15 of the 25
business days that this course was in session between this trip to Belfast and the previous trip to Chicago.

University Compliance asked Dr. Capshaw about this trip. Dr. Capshaw stated this trip was related
to a mural project that Dr. Zane was working on with two other faculty members. They received CLAS
Summer funding for this research. Dr. Capshaw was asked what her expectations were in terms of the
work to be conducted and how that was structured. Dr. Capshaw stated, “During the work week, they
should be working. They should be working on the particular project because they are off contract at that
time. The time should be devoted to the research.”

Dr. Capshaw stated she understood, from talking to Dr. Zane, that there are community member
interviews, artist interviews, and locating murals around Northern Ireland. Dr. Capshaw did not know
specifically how Dr. Zane organized her days or managed her time, but she expected that Dr. Zane was
meeting with people and building relationships with community members. Dr. Capshaw emphasized that
it is notoriously difficult research.

30
Dr. Capshaw was asked if she was aware of Dr. Zane getting engaged on this trip to which she
stated, “No, I know very little about her personal life. She mentioned she was divorced at some point, but
that’s all I know.”

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $7,043.53

Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Dublin

October 13-24, 2022

Dr. Zane traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland and Dublin citing the business justification as
“Research on Mural Art and was Invited by Community Members to do more Interviews” in Concur. 54 Dr.
Zane booked her flight for this trip on August 23, 2022, immediately following her prior trip to Belfast.
When asked what the purpose of the trip was, Dr. Zane stated, “I was continuing my research on murals
and activism and as I said, it takes a long time to build relationships with people in the community. I went
back because I was trying to gain some momentum on the research and felt invested in it…” Dr. Zane was
asked if this trip was related to the CLAS Summer 2022 Grant work to which she stated, “It emerged out
of it. I also was very invested, even from the beginning, in thinking about a study abroad program.” A
review of KFS records reflects a portion (~$1,200) of the trip expensed to UConn was funded through the
CLAS Summer 2022 Grant.
At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary of this trip which stated
the purpose was “to continue my research and build relationships with community members to see what
other projects emerge through Community Based Participatory Research methods (CBPR).” 55 The itinerary
included the following:

October 13: Leave for Dublin

October 14: Community conversation/interviews
October 15: Meal with community member; Field research
October 16: Book Talk Event; Conversation with author
October 17: Field Research
October 18: Breakfast with community member; Interviews; Women’s Center Visit
October 19: Lunch with community member; Field Research
October 20: Londonderry/Derry Field Research
October 21: Meal with community member; Linen Library

53
Dr. Zane submitted the expense report relative to this trip on October 10, 2022, due to audit rules related to
business meal expenses in the Concur system, the expense report was routed to Dr. Capshaw who approved the
expense report.
54
Dr. Zane submitted the travel request form on August 23, 2022, which was approved the same day by Dr.
Capshaw.
55
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), CBPR “can include involving community members in any or
all of the following: the development of the research question, design of the research, recruitment activities, the
conduct of the research, as well as analysis and dissemination of the results.” (Points to Consider for CEnR and
CBPR.pdf.)

31
October 22: Community conversations/Interviews; Field Research
October 23: Community conversations; Meal with community member
October 24: [Travel] Home

Dr. Zane was asked about the activities listed as “Field Research” on her itinerary. She stated
“There are always new murals going up. I might have been going to see new murals. I sometimes took taxi
rides because taxi drivers give you their opinions on everything.” Dr. Zane stated it was difficult to know
what specific activities were conducted each day due to the number of trips and the totality of the
research on the topic.

When asked about the interviews conducted on this trip, Dr. Zane stated “I interviewed a lot of
women in the community. I don’t remember who else. I would have to look at my notes.” At the request
of University Compliance, Dr. Zane submitted 36 handwritten pages of notes titled “Belfast – October
2022”. Additionally, Dr. Zane submitted four pages of photocopied handouts from the Museum of Free
Derry on the topic of Bloody Sunday and several photos that were taken in the Linen Library archives. This
included photographs of murals, photos of news clippings, and photos of documents viewed on
microfiche. 56 Some of the notes submitted by Dr. Zane include brief paragraphs that reference people she
spoke with, however, they do not include questions asked or specific answers. 57

Dr. Zane expensed 10 business meals during this trip totaling $500.98. Accounts Payable
questioned the business meals after Dr. Zane submitted the expense report because they did not include
attendee names or the business justification, as required by the Travel Policy. In response, Dr. Zane stated
“The meals were always for interviewees, and I'm not allowed to include their last names per IRB approval.
You can put Betty, Hanna, and Emma on those three days.” In December of 2022, Accounts Payable
questioned the documentation again, to which Dr. Zane responded “I got the Belfast trip report back again
with comments and I will fix the errors, but I would like to explain why I can only put first names on the
business meals. I shouldn't be putting any names at all because per IRB approval because I am conducting
interviews in a conflict area, I am not supposed to use any identifiers that can expose the people I am
interviewing. So aside from the first name, what would you like me to do?” University Compliance
reviewed Dr. Zane’s engagement with the IRB and confirmed that Dr. Zane did not have any IRB-approved
protocols during the timeframe, therefore the IRB did not weigh-in on Dr. Zane’s requirements relative to
participant privacy. 58

University Compliance reviewed the submitted receipts and expense reports and noted all meals
only included a first name for attendees, sometimes with a last initial. University Compliance asked Dr.

56
According to email communication in September of 2022, Dr. Zane requested information and access to documents
at the Linen Library during this trip to Belfast.
57
With the exception of one person, all others were referenced generally such as “Man A” or “Woman B”.
58
The only review conducted by IRB was in April of 2022 relative to Dr. Zane’s CLAS Summer Grant Proposal in which
the IRB determined it was not human subjects research. In that proposal, Dr. Zane indicated there would be no cost
to the University for interviews and any expenses would be incurred by the subjects.

32
Zane who attended the meals and for what purpose. Dr. Zane indicated all names were coded alias names
to protect the privacy of attendees.

Upon request, Dr. Zane submitted the full names of the attendees for the 10 meals to University
Compliance. 59 In comparing the names documented on receipts and/or expense reports with those
submitted by Dr. Zane, one attendee had multiple different coded aliases. For example, one person who
attended multiple meals during this trip was listed as “Jesse W” for one meal, but as “Mandy” for another.
Therefore, Dr. Zane’s coded aliases were either inaccurate or Dr. Zane provided inaccurate information to
University Compliance.

University Compliance obtained a screenshot of a social media post made by Dr. Zane that was
posted on October 18 in Belfast. The post was a photo of Dr. Zane and Mr. Potts in what appears to be a
restaurant with the caption “Delicious dinner tonight x”. The name Dr. Zane provided as the attendee of
this business meal was not Mr. Potts. Dr. Zane was asked if Mr. Potts was the attendee at the business
meal held on that date. Dr. Zane stated, “If Jim was there and I was with someone else as a community
member, [Jim] is also a facilitator. He is integral to the research I have been doing.” The receipt from the
restaurant noted it “covered 2” people. Dr. Zane was asked when her romantic relationship began with
Mr. Potts. In response she stated, “Maybe toward the end of this trip. But he is not a family member.”

In addition to the business meals expensed on this trip, Dr. Zane submitted individual actual meal
costs for eight meals on this trip instead of claiming per diem. Therefore, Dr. Zane submitted receipts for
the actual costs of her meals. Of the eight individual meals claimed, three of the meals appear to be for
two people (i.e., two meals and two drinks). When asked about these meals, Dr. Zane stated she did not
do her own expense reports, but that when she ordered takeout, she would sometimes order enough
food for leftovers. Dr. Zane provided no further explanation.

During this trip, Dr. Zane visited the Museum of Free Derry and was accompanied by her daughter.
Entry fees to the museum were expensed to the University totaling $17.04. The receipt submitted by Dr.
Zane is folded, covering the itemized accounting of the purchase. Based on the Museum of Free Derry
website, tickets to the museum are approximately $11.73 for one adult (9 GBP). While at the Museum,
Dr. Zane purchased items from the gift store, which were coded as “business supplies” on the expense
report and totaled $42.13. Dr. Zane submitted the receipt for reimbursement. The items included two (2)
50th Anniversary Badges, Murals of Derry, and CPC Merch. Dr. Zane was asked about the purchases and
shared that Murals of Derry was a book she purchased for research. Dr. Zane could not recall what the
badges were or what “CPC Merch” was.

One expense submitted by Dr. Zane for this trip was a taxi ride through Value Cab on October 20,
2022. The receipt submitted, which is a screenshot of a cellphone app, indicated the passenger’s name

59
Dr. Zane consulted with Doug Bradway (Senior Administrative Program Support, Institutional Review Board) prior
to providing the names. Dr. Zane requested that none of the names be noted in the final investigation report in an
effort to maintain her promise of confidentiality to those parties.

33
was the first and last name of Dr. Zane’s daughter who was brought to her own residence from the address
of Dr. Zane’s Airbnb. Dr. Zane stated she was the passenger for this taxi ride, not her daughter, but that
her daughter ordered it for her due to restrictions with the Value Cab app requiring a UK telephone
number. Dr. Zane stated her daughter “facilitated conversations” with people she knew and lived with,
and that there are also murals in the area where her daughter lived. When asked why she didn’t use
another cab company, such as FonaCab as she had previously, Dr. Zane stated it was difficult to get taxis.
University Compliance noted that Dr. Zane expensed three taxi rides with FonaCab on that same day.

On three occasions during the trip, Dr. Zane paid for and expensed the purchase of gas totaling
$134.58 despite not having a rental car. Upon receiving Dr. Zane’s expense report, Accounts Payable
questioned the expense for gas without a rental car. In response, Dr. Zane stated “There is a taxi shortage
and sometimes the buses are full, so I asked someone to give me a ride in exchange for me giving them
gas. People in the communities I am in are extremely poor and I cannot ask them to use gas for me to
reach destinations where I do interviews without paying for gas.” Based on submitted receipts, Dr. Zane
used public transportation (i.e., trains, taxis, rails) at least eight times during this trip.

In December of 2022, Accounts Payable requested more information from Dr. Zane regarding the
expense for gas to which she stated, “I had to get rides to Dublin which is a two-hour drive one way, and
it was a guy named Blute. I didn’t get his last name - he worked at the community center and offered to
drive me.” Dr. Zane stated “Blute” drove her twice from Belfast City Center to Dublin, dropping her off at
Trinity College.

When questioned by University Compliance about the gas expenses, Dr. Zane stated she “had
someone drive me back and forth between Dublin Airport and Belfast and I got pre-approval to do so.”
University Compliance found no evidence of this expense being pre-approved, nor did Dr. Zane provide
such documentation to Accounts Payable when questioned about the expense. Two of the three dates of
the gas purchases were not dates on which Dr. Zane was scheduled to travel to/from the Dublin Airport
(October 16 and October 21) 60. Additionally, the itinerary submitted by Dr. Zane does not specify travel
to Dublin while on this trip, with the exception of flying in and out of Dublin Airport.

On October 23, 2022, the day before Dr. Zane left Belfast to return home, she purchased bulk
groceries totaling $80.45. On the same date, Dr. Zane expensed a business meal at approximately 6:00pm.
University Compliance asked Dr. Zane about the grocery purchase to which she stated, “Well, I made food
for community members and brought it to them to thank them. I made stuff or packed stuff in my bag for
travel. When you have an Airbnb, the host often leaves things for you when you first arrive. I probably
restocked a few things that she had given to me.” When asked if she was required to restock items in the
Airbnb, Dr. Zane stated “It’s my understanding that if it’s my allowance [research funds], it’s my allowance.
I don’t recall the Airbnb requiring that…”

60
On October 16, Dr. Zane’s itinerary indicates she was at a Book Talk Event which was presented by Alex “Oso”
Calderwood at the Ulster Museum in Belfast at 2:00pm. On October 21, Dr. Zane was conducting research in the
Linen Library in Belfast.

34
During this trip, Dr. Zane was teaching two fall courses, Gender & Sexuality in Everyday Life
(online) and Gender & War (hybrid). When asked who taught the courses in her absence, she stated her
part of the online course was asynchronous and her Teaching Assistants facilitated the in-person sections.
For the hybrid course, she stated, “You do not have to meet in the classroom all of the time, so [the
students] probably had work online while I was gone.”

University Compliance asked Dr. Capshaw about the purpose of this trip. Dr. Capshaw stated she
believed Dr. Zane was doing research that would ultimately result in a book that Dr. Zane is writing on
Northern Ireland Murals and the Catholic/Protestant divide. Dr. Capshaw was asked why Dr. Zane would
need to travel to the country multiple times for this project when the other two faculty on the project
traveled to their respective countries once. Dr. Capshaw stated she does not know the specifics of the
project, and therefore cannot say for certain; however, stated the political situation in the different
countries may have been a consideration. Dr. Capshaw stated it could also be a result of there being a lack
of existing research in Dr. Zane’s area, requiring her to do more research on the ground. Dr. Capshaw
stated there could be reasons why Dr. Zane traveled multiple times when the other two faculty only took
one trip, but that Dr. Capshaw is not the person who reviews or approves travel for the other two faculty
involved in the project. Dr. Capshaw was asked if Dr. Zane indicated any portion of the trip as personal,
which Dr. Capshaw stated she did not.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $4,305. 61

Belfast, Northern Ireland

December 4-20, 2022

Dr. Zane traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland citing the business justification as “Research on
Mural Art and Activism” in Concur. 62 When asked what the purpose of the trip was, Dr. Zane stated,
“Again, building relationships with community members and extending my work on mural art and activism
and study abroad. At this time, I think I was also working on the importance of women’s organizations
and women’s participation in what I was beginning to call ‘survivance’ in communities through art,
through centers, through the unseen work that they do.” Dr. Zane stated this was an extension of her
research from the August 2022 trip to Belfast.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary for this trip which stated
the purpose was “…to continue my research on Mural Art and Activism through CBPR.” The itinerary
included the following:

61
Due to the expense report being submitted over 60-days from the end date of the travel, the expense report was
routed to Dr. Capshaw who approved the expenses.
62
Dr. Zane submitted the travel request form on September 20, 2022, which was approved by Dr. Capshaw the same
day.

35
December 4: Meal with community member; Meal with community member
December 5: Went on two Troubles tours
December 6: Field Research; Meal with community member; Meal with community
member
December 7: Field Research
December 8: Meal with community member, Field Research
December 9: Field Research
December 10: Field Research
December 11: Field Research
December 12: Meal with community members; Meal with community member
December 13: Community building exercise with community women; Field Research
December 14: Community building exercise with community women; Meeting with
LP (on tourism).
December 15: Meal with community member
December 16: Community building exercise with community women; Mural walk;
Meal with community members
December 17: Meal with community member; Meal with community members;
Field Research
December 18: Meal with community member; Meeting with local artist
December 19: Community building exercise with community women; Meal with
community member.
December 20: Meal with community member; Leave for home.

Dr. Zane was asked about some of the activities listed on the itinerary she submitted. For those
dates that indicate she was engaged in “community building exercise,” Dr. Zane stated she went to the
gym with women in the community where she took exercise classes and would then join them for tea. Dr.
Zane stated she could ask the women questions and tell them about her research. Four charges for the
gym (Better.Org) were expensed to the University for a total of $39.53.

On December 14, Dr. Zane stated she met with Peter Lavery, a local business owner who was also
ex-paramilitary (noted as “LP” on the itinerary). Dr. Zane stated she talked with Mr. Lavery about the
murals in Belfast City Center and also about his work to refurbish an area in the Titanic quarters, which he
turned into a distillery. Dr. Zane stated it was important for her to understand public art and why it’s
different in different places. Dr. Zane was asked about the artist she met on December 18, as detailed in
the itinerary; however, she was unable to recall who she met with and provided no further documentation
of the meeting.

Dr. Zane was asked about some of the expenses related to this trip. Specifically, on December 11
and December 12, 2022, Dr. Zane made purchases on her travel card at Waterstones Bookstore. A review
of the receipts indicated 15 items were purchased, including the following items that University
Compliance questioned:

36
1. I’m Glad my Mom Died (memoir by actress, Jennette McCurdy)
2. Ginger Cats Memo Pad
3. Madonna and Child Christmas Card
4. Saphire Large Weekly (planner)
5. Solo Leveling, Volume 1 (fantasy book set; $105)

When asked about these, Dr. Zane stated the books were “probably” related to research she was
conducting on the Troubles. After reviewing the receipt, Dr. Zane noted that some of the items should
have been marked as personal non-reimbursable and were submitted in error. Dr. Zane was asked about
a purchase made at a grocery store for “Xmas Gonk” and “Gift Bow and Ribbon” on December 5, 2022.
Dr. Zane stated those should have been marked as personal non-reimbursable as well. 63

University Compliance reviewed email communications and noted in one communication on

November 7, 2022, Dr. Zane declined a meeting request from a UConn colleague for the week of
December 12 citing she was unable to attend because her daughter was graduating from Queens
University. When asked about this, Dr. Zane stated her daughter did not end up graduating in December
of 2022, though was supposed to. Dr. Zane was asked if the trip was booked for the purpose of attending
her daughter’s graduation. She stated “I don’t remember when I booked the trip. If I had booked the trip
to attend her graduation, then those would have been personal days. But the graduation ceremony would
have been an hour. But she didn’t graduate. The reason I wanted to go there was because I was excited
to extend my research.” Dr. Zane was asked when she learned her daughter would not be graduating, to
which she stated she could not recall but that her daughter became aware sometime in October.

Dr. Zane expensed 21 business meals during this trip totaling $856.59. A review of submitted
receipts and expense reports indicate Dr. Zane provided first names and sometimes a last initial of the
attendees for 17 of the business meals. Dr. Zane provided the full names of attendees for four of the
business meals. When asked who attended the meals and for what purpose, Dr. Zane indicated all names
on the receipts and expense reports were coded alias names to protect the privacy of attendees.

Upon request, Dr. Zane submitted the full names of the attendees for the 17 meals to University
Compliance. 64 When reviewing the names documented on receipts and/or expense reports with those
submitted by Dr. Zane, one attendee had multiple different coded aliases. For example, one attendee’s
alias name on the expense report was listed as “Betty C” for a meal on December 4. “Betty C” was also
used as an alias name for a meal on December 15 with a different attendee. Therefore, both individuals
were coded with the same alias. Again, either Dr. Zane’s coding was inaccurate, or Dr. Zane knowingly
provided inaccurate information to University Compliance when she stated she coded the names. When
asked about the business justification for the business meals, Dr. Zane stated “I was in the process of

63
As of the date of the report the University has not been reimbursed for these expenses.
64
Dr. Zane consulted with Doug Bradway (Senior Administrative Program Support, Institutional Review Board) prior
to providing the names. Dr. Zane requested that none of the names be noted in the final investigation report in an
effort to maintain her promise of confidentiality to those parties.

37
building relationships with community members for research and study away purposes. As I have
previously stated, the process is iterative, and one cannot go into a community and extract information -
the relationship must be reciprocal.”

In addition to the business meals expensed on this trip, Dr. Zane submitted individual actual meal
costs for 13 meals on this trip instead of claiming per diem. Therefore, Dr. Zane submitted receipts for the
actual costs of her meals. Of the 13 individual meals claimed, nine meals appear to be for two people (i.e.,
two meals and two drinks). When asked about these meals, Dr. Zane stated she was unsure, noting this
expense report was particularly confusing to submit. Dr. Zane was later able to provide the names of
attendees at four of the nine meals and noted they may have been incorrectly coded on the expense
report which was submitted by her assistant. University Compliance noted that the Concur system allows
a delegate to prepare an expense report; however, the actual traveler is required to submit it.

During this trip, Dr. Zane was teaching two fall courses, Gender & Sexuality in Everyday Life
(online) and Gender & War (hybrid). When asked who taught the courses in her absence, she stated her
part of the online course was asynchronous and her Teaching Assistants facilitated the in-person sections.
For the hybrid course, she stated, “I might have had them doing stuff online in the modules or working on
their projects. Sometimes I will cancel class, especially toward the end of the semester to do their work
or around mid-terms.”

Dr. Zane was asked but provided no documentation of the work conducted on this trip; however,
in reviewing notes Dr. Zane submitted for a previous trip to Belfast, 65 University Compliance noted one
page of handwritten notes that had a date of “December 2022” at the top of the page. The page appears
to be notes from a conversation where Dr. Zane refers to “Woman A” and “Woman B.” The date and
location are not noted.

University Compliance asked Dr. Capshaw what the purpose of this trip was. Dr. Capshaw stated
this trip was for Dr. Zane’s research for the book on murals. Dr. Capshaw was asked if Dr. Zane disclosed
her daughter was scheduled to graduate in Belfast during that time period, to which Dr. Capshaw stated
she did not. Dr. Capshaw stated she is unaware of where Dr. Zane’s daughter was studying. Dr. Capshaw
stated Dr. Zane did not indicate any portion of this trip as being personal in nature.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $5,363. 66

65
This was included in the notes submitted by Dr. Zane’s for her October 2022 trip to Belfast.
66
Due to the Concur workflow not including the audit code “NOSUPER,” the expense report was routed to Dr.
Capshaw who approved the expenses; however, the report was sent back to Dr. Zane after that approval. The
expense report was not re-routed for Dr. Capshaw after changes to the report were made.

38
Belfast, Northern Ireland
February 9-16, 2023

Dr. Zane traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland citing the business justification as “I am writing a
book based on this research” in Concur. 67 University Compliance noted there was no further explanation
in Concur of what “this research” was in reference to. When asked what the purpose of the trip was, Dr.
Zane stated, “It was again extending the research on murals, artivism, and survivance. I wanted to focus
on building relationships with women community members to learn more about their participation during
the Troubles. I believe it was this time when my friend Bhakti was going to be editing for OR books. They
wanted her to be an editor for OR Books and they wanted her to come up with a series. These are not
academic, or peer-reviewed, like SUNY Press. She was interested in people writing about their experiences
while traveling and about the interesting or remarkable people they meet while traveling. She said she
wanted to pitch it to OR Books that I highlight three women that I have met with and talk about my
experience meeting with them.” Dr. Zane confirmed she did not have a contract with OR Books.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary for this trip which included
the following:

February 9 Leave Boston

February 10: Arrive Belfast; Field Research
February 11: Meal with community member; Community conversations; Field
Research
February 12: Community conversations; Field Research
February 13: Meal with community members; Meal with community members;
Community conversation
February 14: Community conversations; Field Research
February 15: Coffee with community members; Meal with community members;
Field Research
February 16: Breakfast with community member; Left Belfast

University Compliance requested documentation of the work conducted on this trip to which Dr.
Zane provided photocopies of six (6) pages of hand-written notes. University Compliance reviewed the
notes which appear to be observations of murals. One page included brief notes from “Man B” and “Man
C.” The notes do not include conversations or interviews with women.

A review of expenses submitted by Dr. Zane included three charges for the gym (Better.Org).
Accounts Payable flagged these expenses and requested a business justification for the expenses to be

Dr. Zane submitted the travel request form on December 26, 2022, which was approved two days later by Ms.
67

Murphy as a delegate for Dr. Capshaw.

39
marked as “personal non-reimbursable.” Dr. Zane changed the expenses to be personal, therefore the
University did not incur the cost. On the previous trip to Belfast, Dr. Zane expensed four charges for the
gym, which were not detected by reviewers, therefore UConn incurred the cost. After learning that this
expense was not allowable, Dr. Zane did not then self-disclose that UConn paid for the unallowable
expense on her previous trip.

Dr. Zane expensed eight (8) business meals during this trip and noted first names and last initials
for the attendees on the receipts or expense reports. When asked for the full names of attendees and the
business justification, Dr. Zane stated the names provided on the receipts/expense report were coded for
privacy reasons. Upon request, Dr. Zane submitted the full names of the attendees for the eight meals to
University Compliance. 68 When reviewing the names documented on receipts and/or expense reports
with those submitted by Dr. Zane, one attendee had multiple different coded aliases. Therefore, indicating
that either Dr. Zane’s coding was inaccurate or that she provided inaccurate information to University
Compliance when she stated she coded the names.

Dr. Zane purchased a US to UK charger adapter at the airport that totaled $42.49. 69 University
Compliance noted that prior to her trip to Belfast in August of 2022, Stephanie Lumbra (Educational
Program Assistant, WGSS) ordered three (3) US to UK plug adapters and shipped them to Dr. Zane’s home
address at Dr. Zane’s request. 70 Because multiple chargers and adapters were purchased using University
funds for Dr. Zane’s international travel, she was asked about the business justification. Dr. Zane stated it
was because she forgot the adapters/chargers before leaving for the trip.

On February 15, 2023, Dr. Zane purchased multiple items from Waterstones Bookstore that were
expensed to the University. 71 At the top of the submitted receipt, Dr. Zane wrote “Books for Research.”
Included in the purchase was an anime figurine (Death Note L Figurine). When asked about this purchase,
Dr. Zane stated it should have been marked as personal non-reimbursable. 72

During this trip, Dr. Zane was teaching two in-person spring courses, Women, Gender and Film
and Feminist Pedagogy. When asked who taught the courses in her absence, Dr. Zane stated Teaching
Assistants taught her Women, Gender and Film course and that she conducted the Feminist Pedagogy
class virtually through Zoom. University Compliance was unable to verify whether or not Dr. Zane held the
class virtually as stated.

68
Dr. Zane consulted with Doug Bradway (Senior Administrative Program Support, Institutional Review Board) prior
to providing the names. Dr. Zane requested that none of the names be noted in the final investigation report in an
effort to maintain her promise of confidentiality to those parties.
69
Dr. Zane completed a missing receipt affidavit for this expense; therefore, University Compliance could not
independently corroborate what item(s) were purchased.
70
This purchase was not made using Dr. Zane’s travel card.
71
These were purchased while traveling in Belfast using her University Pro-Card.
72
As of the date of this report, the University has not been reimbursed for this expense.

40
University Compliance asked Dr. Capshaw about the business purpose for this trip, to which she
stated it was a continuation of the research for Dr. Zane’s book on murals. University Compliance noted
this was the fourth trip in six months that Dr. Zane made to the same location and asked Dr. Capshaw if
this is typical. Dr. Capshaw stated that it would really depend on the type of work being conducted, but
that it is reasonable to have multiple trips for research when you are developing scholarship from the
ground up, which requires relationship-building with community members.

Dr. Capshaw stated, for the trip to Belfast in August 2022, Dr. Zane was off contract and that the
trip in December was after final exams. For the October and February trips, Dr. Capshaw stated it would
depend on whether or not Dr. Zane planned to teach courses virtually or asynchronously. 73

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $3,227. 74

Albufeira, Portugal
March 17-25, 2023 75

Dr. Zane traveled to Albufeira, Portugal citing the business justification as “Grant to do Mural
Research” in Concur. Based on the evidence, Dr. Zane did not have a grant related to research in Portugal.
When asked what the purpose of the trip was Dr. Zane stated, “The purpose was that when an artist who
I talked to in Belfast learned I was doing work on murals, they told me I should check out Portugal because
the history of the murals there were similar.” Additionally, Dr. Zane noted interest in making connections
between Belfast and Portugal for an upcoming conference presentation (in summer 2024) and that she
was interested in writing but that she “wouldn’t be able to just write about Belfast” which is why she went
to Portugal.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary for this trip which stated
the purpose was “…to continue researching murals for a book project and for a new course I am teaching
in the Fall of 2024 titled ‘Insurgent Art and Survivance…’” The itinerary included the following:

March 17 Arrive Faro

March 18 Field Research; Meal with community members
March 19 Field Research; Community conversation
March 20 Field Research; Meal with local graffiti artists; Meal with community
members to discuss tourism in Albufeira and Faro
March 21: Murals Tour; Field Research
March 22: Mural Walk

73
When asked who would give that permission, Dr. Capshaw stated it would have been either the CLAS Advising
Office or Human Resources.
74
Dr. Zane submitted the expense report on March 21, 2023, which was routed to and approved by Dr. Capshaw
four separate times due to the Concur workflow rules.
75
UConn’s Spring Break was from March 13-17, 2023.

41
March 23: Mural Walk
March 24: Field Research; Meal with community members
March 25: Return Home

Dr. Zane was asked about the “Field Research” noted on the itinerary she submitted. She stated,
“I was walking around looking for murals, getting a lay of the land and how it’s set out. I was looking at if
it’s segregated, if at all. There are some very touristy areas there, so I was looking to see what they were
advertising for people to do. Talking to people about why they came there. There were lots of people
walking through certain parts of the town and if I noticed someone who was speaking English, or people
from Belfast, I would ask them questions. I do not speak Portuguese.”

Dr. Zane was asked about the community members noted on the itinerary and how she was
connected to them. Dr. Zane stated Mr. Potts connected her with people who previously resided in Belfast
during the Troubles and who fled to Portugal. Dr. Zane was asked about the “Mural Walk” and “Mural
Tour” activities. She stated the walk referenced her walking around looking for murals whereas the Mural
Tour was a paid boat tour that ended up being a tour of graffiti art. Dr. Zane was asked about the tourism
meeting and who she met with. Dr. Zane stated she could not provide the names because they are ex-
paramilitary, and they requested privacy. Dr. Zane stated she asked questions about murals in Portugal
compared to those in Belfast.

Dr. Zane was accompanied on this trip by Mr. Potts, who was Dr. Zane’s fiancé at the time. Dr.
Zane stated he was not there for the entirety of the trip but could not recall the date of his arrival. Dr.
Zane was asked if any of the days of this trip were personal in nature, to which she stated they were not.

Dr. Zane was asked for documentation to support the work conducted on this trip. In response,
Dr. Zane provided University Compliance with photocopies of eight (8) pages of handwritten notes. In
reviewing the notes, they include observations of places and murals. The notes do not include references
to interviews or discussions with community members. Dr. Zane submitted a syllabus for a Special Topics
section of WGSS 3995 titled “Insurgent Art and Survivance” as evidence of work conducted while in Belfast
and Portugal related to murals. According to email documentation, Dr. Zane submitted this course on
April 8, 2024, to Steven Stifano (Chair, CLAS Committee on Curricula and Courses) for approval to be
included as a Fall 2024 course offering. In that email, Dr. Zane noted that the course had been approved
by the Department Curriculum Committee (DCC) and Departmental Faculty on February 24, 2024.
University Compliance noted February 24, 2024, was a Saturday. Additionally, these submissions and
approvals occurred only after Dr. Zane was informed of the allegations against her and after she was
provided with a list of the specific trips that were in question. 76 Based on a review of courses scheduled
in Student Admin for the 2024-2025 academic year, Dr. Zane is not teaching this course nor is the course
scheduled to be taught by another faculty member.

76
Dr. Zane was noticed of the investigation on February 15, 2024, and received a list of the trips in question (dates
and locations) on February 19, 2024.

42
Dr. Zane expensed six (6) business meals totaling $244.94 during this trip and noted first names
and last initials for the attendees on the receipts or expense reports. Each meal was for two people. When
asked for the full names of attendees and the business justification, Dr. Zane again stated that the names
were coded for privacy reasons and submitted the full names of the attendees to University Compliance
upon request. 77 When reviewing the names documented on receipts and/or expense reports with those
submitted by Dr. Zane, one attendee had multiple different coded aliases. Therefore, indicating that either
Dr. Zane’s coding was inaccurate or that she provided inaccurate information to University Compliance
when she stated she coded the names. Dr. Zane shared the business justification for the meals was, “I met
with people I met in Portugal to discuss the impact of murals and the tourism surrounding it.”

University Compliance asked Dr. Capshaw what the business purpose was for this trip. Dr.
Capshaw stated she “believed it was relative to the repeated trips to Belfast and research on murals.”
When asked if Portugal was a location included in the original grant proposal, she stated it was not. When
asked if Dr. Zane informed CLAS that Portugal was being added to the project, Dr. Capshaw stated she did
not. University Compliance reviewed the CLAS Summer Grant Report and noted no reference to Portugal
being a part of the project nor was there mention of future plans to travel there.

During this trip, Dr. Zane was teaching two in-person spring courses, Women, Gender and Film
and Feminist Pedagogy. When asked who taught the courses in her absence, Dr. Zane stated Teaching
Assistants taught her Women, Gender and Film course and that she conducted the Feminist Pedagogy
class virtually through Zoom. University Compliance could not verify if Dr. Zane held the class virtually as
stated.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $3,147. 78

Chicago, Illinois
May 27-31, 2023

Dr. Zane traveled to Chicago, IL citing the business justification as “Archival Research” in Concur. 79
When asked what the purpose of the trip was, Dr. Zane stated, “This was where I went and looked at
public art in Chicago. There were murals in the Field Museum I was particularly interested in while thinking
about how murals set the scene for display. I talked with someone who does Murals Tours in Chicago and
was thinking a lot about incorporating different cities and how they use public art and what differences
exist between the way cities use different spaces.” Dr. Zane was asked if she went to an archive during

77
Dr. Zane consulted with Doug Bradway (Senior Administrative Program Support, Institutional Review Board) prior
to providing the names. Dr. Zane requested that none of the names be noted in the final investigation report in an
effort to maintain her promise of confidentiality to those parties.
78
Dr. Zane submitted the expense report on April 10, 2023, which was ultimately routed to Dr. Capshaw for
approval due to Concur workflow rules. The expense report was approved by Stephanie Turbes (Assistant to the
Associate Deans) as a delegate approver for Dr. Capshaw.
79
Dr. Zane submitted a travel request form on April 30, 2023, which was approved by Dr. Capshaw the following
day.

43
this trip. She confirmed she did not, noting that her view of an “archive” stems from Thing Theory where
“spaces and experiences become an archive.”

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary for this trip which stated
the purpose was “to explore public art in Chicago and the way art is used in museums to narrate and
sanitize history (Disneyfication).” The itinerary included the following:

May 27: Arrive Chicago; Public Art Research

May 28: Chicago History Museum
May 29: Field Museum
May 30: Murals Tour
May 31: Leave for Home

Dr. Zane was asked about her work at the Chicago History Museum and the Field Museum, and
how it related to mural art. She stated, “The Chicago History Museum had… a special exhibit on Polish
Communities in Chicago [where] you can learn about the communities in various forms where they talk
about their experiences, art, weaving. It connects to murals because… murals try to reflect things that are
important in terms of identity formation in the city. It’s not the same in Belfast in terms of identity within
a mural. The thing that I am always working on, because it takes time, is the way in which identity
formation is important to mural art and the way it gets displayed in a community.”

A review of email communication sent by Dr. Zane indicated that on multiple occasions, she
referenced going to Chicago to see her mother and assist with the care of her ill stepfather. When asked
about this, Dr. Zane stated her stepfather was on overnight dialysis treatments. Dr. Zane stated, “I went
and sat there so my mom could get rest at night while he was doing dialysis.” When asked if this trip was
booked for the purpose of visiting her ill stepfather, she stated “The trip was booked so that I could do
research.” Dr. Zane denied any days of this trip were personal in nature. University Compliance noted that
lodging was expensed to the University each night of this trip, despite Dr. Zane being with her stepfather
overnight as stated.

University Compliance requested documentation of the work conducted on this trip to which Dr.
Zane provided photocopies of five (5) pages of hand-written notes. Notes included bullet points on the
history of Chicago and a page of notes from the Field Museum with observations and questions Dr. Zane
was considering.

Dr. Capshaw was asked about the business purpose of the trip. Dr. Capshaw stated she
understood that Dr. Zane would be going to archives to pursue research on the military or for her mural
project. Dr. Capshaw stated both were book projects, but the military one was under contract meaning
Dr. Zane was under a deadline with a certain timeframe for completion. As Dr. Zane herself disclosed
during the course of the investigation, she had stopped working on this book approximately a year prior
to this trip.

44
The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $2,023.80

Belfast, Northern Ireland

June 25-July 25, 2023

Dr. Zane traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland citing the business justification as “Working on two
book projects that include research in the UK” in Concur. 81 Dr. Zane was accompanied for a portion of this
trip by her daughter and her son. Dr. Zane stated her children both left on July 14. According to records
from Queens University, Dr. Zane’s daughter graduated on June 30, 2023, in a 1:30pm ceremony in Belfast.
Additionally, documentation obtained during the investigation indicated Dr. Zane planned to be married
to Mr. Potts in July while on this trip; however, the wedding was called off. 82

When asked what the purpose of the trip was, Dr. Zane stated “I was doing more investigation
about what I want to do for another book with OR Books, I was continuing the mural research and the
study abroad project. I was really invested in figuring out what kind of study abroad trip would be good
for our students.” As of the last interview with University Compliance, Dr. Zane did not have a book
contract with OR Books.

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary of this trip which stated
the purpose was “to spend more time building relationships with community members to develop a book
project beyond the work on murals… that focuses on women in war [where I] choose three women to
highlight for OR Books. I also investigated several different types of tours… to build a study abroad
program.” The itinerary included the following:

June 25: Arrive

June 26: Fieldwork
June 27: Meal with community member; Ulster Museum – Women’s Peace Org
June 28: Fieldwork
June 29: Irish Museum of Modern Art - Interview with Artist; Kilmainham Gaol
Museum
June 30: Fieldwork
July 1: Cathedral Quarter Art Walk; Community Conversation
July 2: Art Exhibition – Mental Health Awareness
July 3: Fieldwork – Dublin; Meal with community member
July 4: Fieldwork; Meal with community member
July 5: Mural Walk

80
Dr. Zane submitted the expense report, which was eventually routed to and approved by Dr. Capshaw due to the
report being submitted over 60-days from the end of the trip.
81
Dr. Zane submitted the travel request form on April 24, 2023, which was approved by Dr. Capshaw the same day.
82
This information was obtained from a review of Dr. Zane’s emails which recovered an interview transcript
(“Shankhill Road”) from a conversation Dr. Zane had while on this trip. Dr. Zane did not provide the transcript as
documentation of work conducted.

45
July 6: Tour Distillery Labor History; Meal with community members
July 7: Portrush Tour
July 8: Crumlin Road Gaol Tour; Walking Tour through Catholic neighborhood
July 9: Fieldwork
July 10: Community Conversations
July 11: Giant’s Causeway Tour with focus on colonial impact and the partition of
Northern Ireland
July 12: Fieldwork
July 13: Fieldwork; Community Conversations
July 14: Community Conversations
July 15: Fieldwork
July 16: Community Conversations; Meal with community member
July 17: Felon’s Talk; Meal with community member
July 18: Interview with Peace Organizer
July 19: Interview with WC Director
July 20: Interview with community member
July 21: Newcastle Mural Walk; Meal with community member
July 22: Meal with community members
July 23: Fieldwork
July 24: Meal with community members; Fieldwork
July 25: Leave for home

Dr. Zane was asked to provide documentation of the work conducted on this trip, but did not
provide it. Dr. Zane was asked for any transcripts of interviews she conducted, but Dr. Zane provided
none. 83 University Compliance independently obtained three interview transcriptions from Dr. Zane’s
email that may have been conducted on this trip, however, there is no date identified in the emails or on
the transcripts. 84 Two interviews appear to correspond with activities on the submitted itinerary for June
29 and July 20. The third transcript was titled “Crumlin Road Gaol.” Dr. Zane’s itinerary does not indicate
an interview was conducted on July 8 when she toured there, nor were there previous trips to Belfast that
included reference to an interview with that title.

Dr. Zane was asked about the business activities conducted each day. For days that included
“Fieldwork” on the itinerary, Dr. Zane stated, “I don’t remember exactly where but when I am doing
Fieldwork there is a lot of time where I am walking through communities looking for new murals.
Sometimes I stand by a mural and people will walk by or get out of their car, and I would ask what they
think about the mural.” Dr. Zane also indicated during this trip, on July 12, a Protestant Parade occurred

83
In the interview, Dr. Zane indicated she had previously shared one interview transcript with University Compliance
from an interview with Betty Carlisle; however, Dr. Zane submitted no notes corresponding with the dates of this
trip.
84
The transcriptions were done by a third-party vendor and were based on audio recordings provided by Dr. Zane.
University Compliance did not have access to the audio recordings.

46
to celebrate the Battle of the Boyne. Dr. Zane stated she walked around the different communities
observing.

Dr. Zane was asked about the Mental Health Awareness Art Exhibition and how it was connected
to her research. She stated it was an exhibition at the Titanic Museum by a famous artist in Belfast who
painted a mural outside of the Titanic Museum. When asked about the Distillery Tour, Dr. Zane stated it
was Peter Lavery’s distillery. Dr. Zane stated she was “trying to understand the identity of Belfast Center
being related to dock workers and shipping areas” and that she was considering the location as a stop for
students studying abroad.

Dr. Zane was asked about the “Portrush Tour” noted on the itinerary for July 7. Dr. Zane stated,
“I was thinking about a study abroad program for students and this is one of the main tourist attractions.
There is a small theme park there, there is a beach there, and a few murals… In thinking of educating
students about land and space. I was trying to think about Portrush as a main tourist attraction and
protestant area and I was trying to think about what students could learn there.”

Dr. Zane was asked about the “community conversations” that were noted on the itinerary for
July 10. In response, Dr. Zane stated, “If it’s ‘community conversation’ then there are people, probably
women in the community, that I meet with or check in with. Again, it’s about building relationships. We
[had] conversations about the July 12 parade.” When asked who was present, Dr. Zane stated she did not
remember.

Dr. Zane expensed 12 business meals on this trip totaling $535.87 to the University. All business
meals included a first name and last initial on the expense report or receipts. When asked for the full
names of attendees and the business justification, Dr. Zane again stated the names were coded for privacy
reasons and upon request, submitted the full names of the attendees to University Compliance. 85 When
reviewing the names documented on receipts and/or expense reports with those submitted by Dr. Zane,
one attendee had multiple different coded aliases across several of Dr. Zane’s trips to Belfast. Therefore,
either Dr. Zane’s coding was inaccurate, or Dr. Zane provided inaccurate information to University
Compliance when she stated the names were coded. Dr. Zane shared that the business justification for
the meals was, “… all of these community… conversations are part of the community building that I was
trying to do. They were sharing stories and talking about participation in the armed conflict or the effects
on them and their families.”

University Compliance noted that for one of the business meals expensed on July 6 the attendees’
names on the expense report included the first name and last initials of Dr. Zane’s two children and her
then fiancé, Mr. Potts. 86 The specific comment on the expense report that included attendee names was

85
Dr. Zane consulted with Doug Bradway (Senior Administrative Program Support, Institutional Review Board) prior
to providing the names. Dr. Zane requested that none of the names be noted in the final investigation report in an
effort to maintain her promise of confidentiality to those parties.
86
It should be noted that Dr. Zane’s two children have different last names from her and each other; therefore, their
last initials were not the same. As of the time of this report, the expense has not been reimbursed to the University.

47
submitted by Dr. Zane and not an administrative assistant. When asked, Dr. Zane confirmed her children
and Mr. Potts were with her at this meal and noted it should have been marked as “personal non-
reimbursable.” Dr. Zane clarified the meal was not a business meal with community members as indicated
on the itinerary she submitted to University Compliance. 87 Given that Dr. Zane knew this meal was
personal in nature, she should not have used her travel card to pay for the meal. Despite that, Dr. Zane
submitted the expense report, citing her own family as the attendees, and allowed the University to incur
the cost knowing it was personal. The sequence of events indicates these actions were intentionally
deceptive.

Dr. Zane was asked if any portion of the 30-day trip was personal in nature, which she denied.
When asked if the purpose of the trip was to attend her daughter’s graduation ceremony, she stated it
was not. At the time of the interviews with Dr. Zane, University Compliance was unaware of Dr. Zane’s
original plans to get married while on this trip. This only became known to University Compliance through
the previously referenced email; therefore, Dr. Zane was not asked about it.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $7,462. 88

Belfast, Northern Ireland

November 18-25, 2023 89

Dr. Zane traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland citing the business justification as “Artist Interviews”
in Concur with expenses allocated to Dr. Zane’s research account. 90 Expenses totaling $2,293 were
ultimately recorded to KFS Account 6219980 – Affirming Multivocal Humanities, a sponsored project
account with funding through the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (Mellon Foundation). 91

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary of this trip which stated
the purpose was “to continue the research I was doing on murals… to find out what community members
considered important sites for students for a study abroad program and who in the community would be
interested in participating…” The itinerary included the following:

November 19: (Arrive) Dublin; Business meal community member

November 20: Meal with community member; Field Research; Meal with LGBTQ artist
community member

87
Dr. Zane stated after recently going through the travel reports to create the requested itineraries, that she
inadvertently noted the meal as a community meal when it should have been personal.
88
Dr. Zane submitted the expense report for this trip on September 7, 2023. Based on Concur workflows, the expense
report was submitted to the Fiscal Officer in CLAS for review of available funds; however, it was not submitted to Dr.
Capshaw as the travel request form had previously been approved.
89
The Thanksgiving holiday fell on November 23, 2023.
90
Dr. Zane submitted the travel request for this trip on August 21, 2023, and was approved by Dr. Capshaw the same
day.
91
The remaining $31 was charged to Dr. Zane’s 4-ledger account.

48
November 21: Meal with community members about a study abroad; Field Research
November 22: Meal with community members; Field Research
November 23: Field Research; Meal with community member
November 24: Field Research; Meal with community member; Meal with LGBTQ
community member.
November 25: Leave

Dr. Zane was asked about the discrepancy between the travel request justification and the
purpose listed on the itinerary she submitted to University Compliance. Dr. Zane stated, “Probably
because I was doing those things all at once all of the time because they are all tied together. Sometimes
the trip is where I am going to focus on continuing book research for the murals project, thinking about
women to highlight for the book and who would be interested. But the study abroad [program] was
something that I really wanted to get going, it takes time to get the proposal to go through. So, sometimes
you plan a trip and think you are going to do [one thing], but when you get there your focus goes to…
other things.”

When asked if any interviews were conducted on this trip, Dr. Zane stated she spoke with an artist
that Mr. Potts connected her to, but did not know his name and did not have notes from the conversation.
When asked about the “Field Work” conducted on this trip as noted in the itinerary, she stated, “Field
research was the same types of things [as other trips] where I walk around and look for new murals and
think about how they are positioned in the city and listen to tour guides...”

Dr. Zane expensed eight (8) business meals totaling $546.01 where she noted first names and last
initials for the attendees on the receipts or expense reports. For seven of the business meals there were
two attendees including Dr. Zane. When asked for the full names of attendees and the business
justification, Dr. Zane again stated the names provided were coded for privacy reasons. Dr. Zane ultimately
submitted full names of the attendees to University Compliance, upon request. 92 When reviewing the
names documented on receipts and/or expense reports with those submitted to University Compliance
by Dr. Zane, the names submitted on receipts/expense reports do not appear to be coded aliases. As with
other trips, the same aliases were used for multiple individuals. Dr. Zane shared that the business
justification for these meals was to meet with people who were helping to connect Dr. Zane with other
women and who were discussing study abroad programs with Dr. Zane.

University Compliance obtained documentation that suggested Dr. Zane and Mr. Potts got
married in Belfast during this trip. When asked, Dr. Zane confirmed they were married on November 21,
2023, around 9:30am at City Hall, noting the ceremony was 20 minutes long and no guests were in
attendance. Dr. Zane was asked if this trip was booked for the purpose of getting married. She stated she
didn’t know she was going to go through with getting married until the day prior. University Compliance

92
Dr. Zane consulted with Doug Bradway (Senior Administrative Program Support, Institutional Review Board) prior
to providing the names. Dr. Zane requested that none of the names be noted in the final investigation report in an
effort to maintain her promise of confidentiality to those parties.

49
asked when the wedding reservation with City Hall was booked, to which Dr. Zane stated she did not
know. In documentation recovered from Dr. Zane’s email, University Compliance noted Dr. Zane made a
statement, in relevant part, “I'm coming there in November. And we're gonna get married in November.”
Therefore, it appears Dr. Zane was aware of her plans to get married on this trip as of October 25, 2023,
or earlier. 93

The afternoon following Dr. Zane’s wedding, University Compliance noted a large business meal
expensed to the University totaling $155.03. The submitted receipt for this meal noted it was with the
“Shankhill Women’s Group” and included seven first names of women, which Dr. Zane told University
Compliance were coded names; however, stated there were women from the Shankhill Women’s Group
in attendance at that meal along with others. According to email communication on November 20, 2023,
Dr. Zane sent a request to Betty Carlisle (Chief Executive Officer, Shankhill Shared Women’s Center), to
have a focus group. Ms. Carlisle responded that due to the short notice of the request she was unavailable.
When asked about this, Dr. Zane told University Compliance that the women in attendance were women
who use the women’s center and were assisting Dr. Zane with her study abroad program work, which was
different from her request for a focus group.

The day after Dr. Zane’s wedding, November 22, 2023, one-way ground transportation to the
Belfast Airport was expensed to the University totaling $10.05. According to Dr. Zane’s itinerary, she did
not go to the airport on that date. When asked, she was unable to recall the details of the charge. Dr. Zane
also had a massage at The Merchant Hotel Spa in the afternoon of November 22, according to reservation
details recovered from Dr. Zane’s emails.

University Compliance asked Dr. Zane’s supervisor, Dr. Capshaw, about the different business
justifications for this trip. Dr. Capshaw did not have information about the difference but noted she
“would think” the original justification on the travel request form would have been the actual justification.
Dr. Capshaw stated she recalled Dr. Zane expressing a desire to partner with Global Affairs to begin a
study abroad program in Ireland and Africa but had not seen any proposals. University Compliance found
no email correspondence regarding a Study Abroad proposal to/from Dr. Zane during the scope of the
review (2021-2023) nor did Dr. Zane provide documentation of one. When asked, Dr. Capshaw stated she
was unaware that Dr. Zane was married while on this trip.

iv. Travel Funding and Expense Justification

According to the applicable sponsored project agreement with the Mellon Foundation attached
in InfoEd:

93
The document recovered was a transcript of an interview Dr. Zane conducted via phone or a virtual meeting with
someone in Belfast. Based on information in the transcript, the interview took place between September 26 and
October 25, 2023. (Interview Transcript, titled “Anne Carr” page 53). Dr. Zane did not submit this interview transcript
to University Compliance as documentation of work conducted.

50
The…Mellon Foundation…is pleased to inform you that we have approved a grant of
$100,000 to the University of Connecticut…for use over 18 months, to support the [WGSS]
Program, in accordance with the proposal finalized on July 06, 2023.

Documentation within InfoEd included email correspondence between a Grants & Contracts
Specialist in UConn’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) and a Program Assistant at the Mellon
Foundation relative to this trip, as follows:

Email Date Details of Correspondence

January 29, 2024 CLAS to the Mellon Foundation: I wanted to get confirmation from
[the Mellon Foundation] that an internal rebudget from domestic to
foreign travel does not require your prior approval if the travel
relates to the Mission of [WGSS].

January 29, 2024 The Mellon Foundation to CLAS: As long as the travel does not fall
into the disallowed categories of business class travel or student
study abroad, you do not require our approval.

February 1, 2024 CLAS to the Mellon Foundation: For clarification, Dr. Zane traveled to
meet with stakeholders in Ireland and the UK about establishing a
study abroad program. Would this planning trip be allowed?

February 8, 2024 The Mellon Foundation to CLAS: [We] can approve this expense.

February 12, 2024 CLAS to the Mellon Foundation: I…wanted to notify you that the PI
intends on making another trip in April to meet with stakeholders in
Belfast and the UK. 94

February 21, 2024 The Mellon Foundation to CLAS: These are permissible activities!

The business justification provided by Dr. Zane in the Concur travel request (“Artist Interviews”)
was inconsistent with the corresponding Concur expense report title (“Dublin Research”). In addition, on
September 19, 2023, Dr. Zane entered a comment attached to a travel request in Concur stating, “I will
be in Dublin and Belfast conducting Research for a book project for OR Books”. This comment and the
original travel justification are inconsistent with the information provided to the Mellon Foundation on
February 1, 2024; at which time the expense report was pending final review.

Dr. Zane was asked why she sought the expenses to be covered by the Mellon Foundation several
months after the trip concluded and the expenses had already been incurred. Dr. Zane stated, “…I
contacted and talked to someone [and asked] should I use the grant for future trips to work on study

94
Any trip made in April of 2024 was outside of the scope of the investigation.

51
abroad. I had this [trip] already done that was focused on study abroad and they said yes, let’s do that
one.” When asked if she disclosed to the Mellon Foundation that she got married while on this trip, she
stated, “No because it was unimportant to me. It was 20-30 minutes in the morning.” Dr. Zane did not
claim any days of this trip to be personal and when asked by University Compliance, denied any portion
of the trip was personal.

The expenses incurred by the Mellon Foundation for this trip totaled $2,293. The remaining
$31.00 was incurred by the University.
Orlando, Florida
December 17-23, 2023

Dr. Zane traveled to Orlando, Florida citing the business justification as “Book Research” in
Concur. Dr. Zane was accompanied on this trip by her two children. When asked what the purpose of
95

the trip was, Dr. Zane stated, “It was to further explore Disney theme parks as part of my larger research
agenda in thinking about an archive as a public space. Disney studies scholars talk about the theme parks
themselves, not just Disney, as a collective archive and identity.” When asked what the book project was
referenced on the travel request form, Dr. Zane stated “I have been thinking a lot about how to make
connections in the stuff that I am doing in Belfast with murals and I am still figuring out what the argument
is, but there [are] connections about theming and branding and policing of historical narratives especially
with regard to tourism… I was thinking about writing an article about Disney in the classroom or Disney
as a classroom.” When asked directly if there was a current book project relative to the trip, Dr. Zane
stated, “There might be if I can flesh out the connections on the mural book that we want to do.”

At the request of University Compliance, Dr. Zane provided an itinerary of this trip which included
the following:

December 17: Arrive Orlando

December 18: Hollywood Studios; Meal Conversation with Disney Employees
December 19: Disney Springs; Meal Conversation with former Disney employees
December 20: Epcot
December 21: Mills 54; Conversations with Disney employee meal
December 22: Magic Kingdom; Conversation with employees’ meal
December 23: Leave for home

University Compliance requested documentation of the work conducted on this trip and Dr. Zane
provided photocopies of eight (8) pages of hand-written notes. University Compliance reviewed the notes
which include general observations of Disney and do not include notes of specific conversations with
Disney employees (current or former). The notes also do not specify the date they were taken or in what
specific location they were in reference to.

95
Dr. Zane submitted the travel request form on August 21, 2023, which was approved by Dr. Capshaw the same
day.

52
Dr. Zane also submitted a course syllabus she developed for a May 2024 session of the Women,
Gender & Film course which focused on Disney. Dr. Zane stated this was the first time she used this
syllabus for the course, which was a three-week class; however, noted using “one or more” Disney films
for the full-semester version of this class previously. Dr. Zane was asked if she could have developed the
May 2024 course syllabus without traveling to Disney multiple times (three times in three years). She
stated “I don’t think so. Because I wouldn’t have had the interactions with people or be able to understand
the ways in which tourists are educated through Disney.”

Dr. Zane was asked about the specific business conducted at Hollywood Studios. In response, she
stated, “I was talking to people in line and asking why they visit Disney and what their favorite rides are
and just thinking about what activities students could learn about.”

Dr. Zane was asked about the specific business conducted at Disney Springs. In response, she
stated, “The research around Disney Springs was because there has been a lot of change over that area
over time… There is public art there and a lot of businesses… I was looking at ways in which these things
are commodified in culture and these stores… I tried to connect that to things I have seen in Belfast and
the areas where the restaurants are.”

Dr. Zane identified work at Epcot as being similar to the work she conducted at Hollywood Studios
noting, “I was doing mapping and thinking about the things that students could do in the space and what
Epcot says about American Culture.”

Dr. Zane was asked about Mills 54 96 and the work that was conducted, as noted on the itinerary.
Dr. Zane stated it was a Vietnamese community that has several murals. Dr. Zane stated the work she
performed was “thinking about how the central focus [in Orlando] is on Disney but then there is a little
community of Vietnamese people, and the history is told through their food, because people go there to
eat the food, and to see the murals. I wanted to see it to see if students could examine its colonial legacy.”

Dr. Zane included Magic Kingdom on her submitted itinerary and was asked about the work
conducted while there. Dr. Zane stated “Same thing – I was going through the park and thinking about the
theming and the way Disney gatekeeps the experiences. I also tested out things like in all the parks; you
get a photo taken and put it on social media and you get responses.” Dr. Zane stated while there she
posted a photo on social media as a part of this work. 97 Dr. Zane stated she also attended shows while at
the park and thought about “what messages are being sent” from those.

96
Based on a Google search, University Compliance believes this is in reference to Mills 50. See Mills 50 in Orlando
| Events & Things to Do (visitorlando.com)
97
Screenshots of photos posted on Dr. Zane’s social media account were obtained by University Compliance. The
photos depict Dr. Zane with her two children at Epcot Studios with the caption “I love balloons.”

53
Five business meals, totaling $343, were reported in Concur. Four of the five meals, totaling $325,
were transacted at Disney, and cited three attendees. Of these four meals, one was transacted at
Hollywood Studios on December 18, 2023 ($40). Two were transacted at Magic Kingdom Park on
December 22, 2023 ($149) and one was transacted at Disney Springs on December 19, 2023 ($136). 98

Four of the business meals were with current or former Disney employees, as Dr. Zane noted on
her submitted itinerary. 99 When asked about the attendees of these meals, Dr. Zane stated she did not
record the employees’ last names and did not have their contact information. Dr. Zane stated she was
connected to them through her daughter, who communicated with them and coordinated meeting times.
Dr. Zane was asked when the meetings with Disney employees were scheduled, to which she stated, “I
think they were last minute, maybe a week before or a few days before.” When asked about the business
conducted during these meals Dr. Zane stated, “I was asking about their experiences as employees of
Disney and why they wanted to work for Disney and their best/worst experiences. I asked them if there
were employees, like if students were to come to the park, how those students could engage with
employees. They said… that students could ask employees questions and get a feel for the way in which
Disney Cast members are the best advertising for the Disney parks themselves.”

Documentation obtained from Dr. Zane’s email account shows that she and her two children had
tickets to Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Magic Kingdom on the corresponding dates noted on the
submitted itinerary. When asked about this, she stated they were doing their own separate things while
at the parks. Upgraded parking at the three theme parks was expensed to the University on each of those
days totaling $165. The justification provided by Dr. Zane in Concur was “Parking fee for front entrance to
archive.” According to a search, the Walt Disney Archives are located in Burbank, California.

While on this trip, Dr. Zane purchased bulk groceries totaling $171.87 which were expensed to
UConn. Dr. Zane was asked if these groceries were just for her. She stated she made the purchase against
her per diem allowance, and she did not recall if any of the groceries were consumed by her children.

Dr. Zane denied any of the days of the trip being personal in nature. University Compliance
obtained at least two email communications in which Dr. Zane referenced the trip as “vacation.” When
asked about this Dr. Zane stated, “It was research, and my kids came with me and when I get to leave the
University and do stuff I am passionate about… it does feel like a vacation.”

Dr. Capshaw was asked what the business purpose was for this trip. In response, Dr. Capshaw
stated, “If it was archival work, I would think it was work toward one of her book projects.” When asked

98
Dr. Zane then stated she believed she marked these meals as personal so that they would not be expensed to the
University. A review of receipts submitted by Dr. Zane have a handwritten notation on all meal receipts that they
are “business meals.” No further documentation was obtained to corroborate that Dr. Zane intended for these meals
to be charged to her personally.
99
The remaining business meal expensed to the University was ordered from Chick-Fil-A through Uber Eats. A review
of the expense report and submitted receipts indicates Dr. Zane did not provide the name of the attendee, but noted
the meal was “for someone I interviewed.”

54
if Dr. Zane was doing research involving Disney, Dr. Capshaw stated the two have talked about getting
access to the Disney archives at some point but does not know what the purpose or work product would
be from that. While in the meeting Dr. Capshaw googled the Disney archives and shared that they are not
located in Florida, but rather in California, which she was not aware of. Dr. Capshaw stated she was
unaware that Dr. Zane’s two children accompanied her on this trip and stated Dr. Zane did not claim any
of the days to be personal in nature.

The expenses incurred by the University for this trip totaled $2,360.100

F. Recommendations

As evidenced above, the investigation determined there was a clear misuse of university funds with
multiple trips that were personal in nature with no appropriate business justification. The circumstances
were further aggravated by Dr. Zane’s mistruths and dishonesty during the investigation, which
diminished her credibility. Based on the nature of the violations, University Compliance recommends the
following for management to consider, in consultation with Labor Relations:

1) Disciplinary action that will address the above policy violations, including full reimbursement
of misused funds.
2) Review to determine if external reporting is required to the Mellon Grant Foundation
regarding grant funds used for Dr. Zane’s travel.
3) Review and evaluation by AMAS and the Office of the General Counsel with respect to any
state or other external reporting requirements.
4) Review of additional expenses made or approved by Dr. Zane that were outside of the scope
of the investigation (i.e., travel, purchasing, contracts).

While outside the scope of the investigation, information obtained during the investigation
suggests Dr. Zane engaged in faculty consulting activities on multiple occasions without the appropriate
approvals in violation of the University’s Policy on Consulting for Faculty and Members of the Faculty
Bargaining Unit and will be referred to UConn’s Faculty Consulting Office for consideration of sanctions
under the Policy.

Additionally, University Compliance found multiple failures in the controls associated with travel
and expense reporting which allowed for the opportunity to misuse University resources. The review of
Dr. Zane’s travel requests was insufficient and lacked critical evaluation. Dr. Zane’s role as an APIR is
largely to teach courses and does not include an expectation or responsibility for research. The number
of trips and total days that Dr. Zane traveled – many of which occurred when Dr. Zane was scheduled to
be teaching - should have reasonably triggered a higher level of scrutiny.

100
Dr. Zane submitted the expense report for this trip on March 6, 2024. The expense report was routed to and
approved by Dr. Capshaw for approval due to the report being submitted 60-days after the travel concluded.

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An internal audit was recently conducted by AMAS that also identified several control
vulnerabilities. As a result, AMAS made several recommendations to management to strengthen controls
and implement preventative measures, of which University Compliance agrees with.

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Appendix A

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