Eastern Connecticut State University

Each spring, Eastern recognizes two outstanding graduating seniors as winners of the Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Award, the top academic honor in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system. For this year's winners, biology major Abby Heidorn '26 and English major Julianna Concepcion '26, the award is emblematic of a journey toward personal and academic success.

Eleven seniors at Eastern Connecticut State University presented their research to undergraduate scholars from across the country at the annual National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Richmond, VA, from April 13-15.

Four undergraduate business information systems (BIS) students outperformed acclaimed business schools at a business analytics case competition on April 3 at Travelers in Hartford. The team earned first place, facing fierce competition from five teams from four other institutions: UConn, Quinnipiac University, the University of Hartford, and Central Connecticut State University. The competition is a part of Travelers' Business Intelligence & Analytics Leadership Development Program, titled the "2026 Travelers BI&A LDP Case Competition." The competition tasked teams with providing in-depth, data-driven, proactive business solutions using real-life, anonymized datasets from Travelers.

Prior to this year, Eastern computer science Professor and Department Chair Garrett Dancik had never traveled with more than two students to the Annual Meeting of the Consortium for Computing in Colleges Northeast Region (CCSCNE). This year's group tripled that record, as Dancik brought six students to the conference at Smith College in Northampton, MA, on April 10.

Ten business information systems (BIS) students outshined regional competition at the ITSA Midwest Collegiate Computing Conference (MWC3) in Grand Rapids, MI, this past March. Competing against larger universities with nationally recognized BIS programs, seven out of the ten Eastern students brought home two first-place titles, one second-place title, and one third-place title, along with two honorable mentions in competitions throughout the three-day conference.

A psychology major at Eastern may be able to help you understand how physical exercise influences your diet and financial decisions. Senior Gabriel Williams earned recognition for his honors thesis research at the Connecticut Association for Behavior Analysis (CTABA) annual conference on Feb. 27 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.

Eastern's Department of Communication, Film, and Theatre captivated audiences with its production of "Three Sisters," written by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov and directed by Rachel Jett, from March 5-8 in the Delmonte Bernstein Studio Theatre. The production followed the story of four siblings at a war-torn military outpost.

Students from Eastern's College of Business are providing cost-free tax preparation services to local community members through the IRS' Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) this tax season. The national program offers free tax preparation services through mid-April for households making less than $69,000 annually. This tax season, Windham's VITA location is staffed by 18 student volunteers who provide income-tax preparation services to community members. The students practically apply skills learned in class, having completed IRS tax certification prior to the site's opening.

Students and faculty in Eastern's Department of Psychological Science brought a potent presence to the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) conference in Boston, MA from Feb. 26-28. Professors T. Caitlin Vasquez-O'Brien, Jennifer Leszczynski, Stan Kolek, and Phyllis Lee mentored a total of 10 students, each of whom gave presentations on various topics in psychology.

Seven student leaders of the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) showcased the fruits of their community involvement at the IMPACT National Conference in Cincinnati, OH, from Feb 18 to Feb 22. The conference is the nation's largest convention focused on civic engagement by university students and administrators. Eastern's CCE student leaders each presented on their volunteer work in the Willimantic/Windham school districts.

Eastern Connecticut State University's annual Equity and Social Justice Awards recognized three student activists for their commitment to civil rights and advocacy for marginalized groups. The ceremony took place on Feb. 20 in the Fine Arts Instructional Center's Susan Sukman McCray Foyer.

Nursing majors enrolled in the Class of 2028 took their oath of service at Eastern Connecticut State University's second annual White Coat Ceremony on Jan. 22 in the Fine Arts Instructional Center Concert Hall. The event was held in accordance with the historic Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which was established in 1993 and whose namesake began the tradition of the ceremony.

Six English majors at Eastern Connecticut State University made history on Jan. 9, presenting their research at the Modern Language Association (MLA) Annual Convention's inaugural undergraduate research poster session in Toronto, Canada. Eastern's group was the largest representation by any institution at the session.

Eastern Connecticut State University recently released its Dean's List for the fall 2025 semester, in which 1,311 students were recognized for maintaining high GPAs.

Audiences explored conflict, protest, and the role of state authority in the Department of Communication, Film, and Theatre's fall 2025 production of "The Burial at Thebes," an adaptation of Sophocles' classic tragedy "Antigone," which was staged in the Proscenium Theatre from Dec. 4 to 7.

Eastern students showcased their entrepreneurial skills at the College of Business's third annual Big Idea Pitch Competition on Dec. 1 at the J. Eugene Smith Library. The "Shark Tank"-style contest featured 20 original business ideas, presented by Eastern students to a panel of faculty and staff members. Businesses showcased at the event included a hotel for pets, anti-blister soccer cleats, a social networking service for musicians, a dressing aid for individuals with disabilities, and more.

Eastern Connecticut State University theatre major Zoe Calhoun '26 (of South Windsor, CT, and Springfield, MA) is having a big senior year. In the fall 2025 semester, she directed two university productions: a reimagination of Jean-Paul Sartre's psychological thriller "No Exit" and a stage reading of "Happening," Nobel Laureate Annie Ernaux's biographical account of getting an illegal abortion in 1960s France. Calhoun's work will be recognized at the upcoming Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Albany, NY, from Jan. 27 to 31.

Two senior students in Eastern's Department of Art and Art History recently showcased their research exploring surrealist and gothic art, presenting their senior theses in a symposium on Dec. 3 in Goddard Hall focusing on artists who specialized in the abnormal.

Eight students at Eastern Connecticut State University are taking their studies abroad during the fall '25 semester. From South Korea to Ireland and many destinations in between, travelers are immersing themselves in local culture while expanding their academic horizons.

The Department of Music at Eastern showed its latest opera production, "Cinderella," on Nov. 14 and 16 in the Fine Arts Instructional Center Concert Hall. This whimsical 60-minute production featured a new English adaptation by Professor Emily Riggs and musical direction by Professor David Ballena, bringing to life Viardot's witty and tuneful take on the timeless story.

The Department of English at Eastern held its annual English Night, an event celebrating the academic achievements of 40 of the department's students, on Dec. 1 at the Student Center Betty Tipton Room. The event featured the presentations of the Constance Campo and Alexander "Sandy" Taylor Memorial Scholarships, as well as research presentations and inductions into Eastern's chapter of the Sigma Tau Delta National Honor Society for English.

The Department of Communication, Film, and Theatre at Eastern Connecticut State University delighted attendees with a one-night, sold-out performance of "No Exit," an existentialist play directed by senior communication and theatre major Zoe Calhoun, on Oct. 30 in the Fine Arts Instructional Center Delmonte Bernstein Studio Theatre.

The Department of Communication, Film, and Theatre at Eastern Connecticut State University held showings of the dark comedy "Wonder of the World," written by David Lindsay-Abaire and directed by Professor J.J. Cobb, Oct. 14-19 in the Delmonte Bernstein Studio Theater of the Fine Arts Instructional Center.

14 students from various academic departments at Eastern Connecticut State University presented their research at the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, better known as COPLAC, from Oct 17-18. The conference was hosted by Keene State College in Keene, NH and welcomed students from several different institutions in the northeastern United States.

This summer, dozens of students from the Business Division at Eastern Connecticut State University sharpened their corporate expertise through a myriad of internships. Each student exercised various professional skills they learned at Eastern and applied them on-site.

More than 150 historians, graduate, and undergraduate students filled the Student Center Betty Tipton Room on Sept. 20 for a conference highlighting the forgotten histories of ethnic minorities in New England's colonial era. "Present from the Start: People of Color in the Revolutionary Era" hosted a myriad of panels and presentations covering more than 200 years of legacy.

The Office of Housing and Residential Life at Eastern hosted its annual resident assistant (RA) training workshop for 72 current campus RAs from Aug. 11 to 22. The training helped RAs cultivate key skills and concepts they need to be successful on the job and support on-campus student residents.

Nineteen English students at Eastern embarked on an annual global field course to Florence, Italy, from June 22 to August 2. Titled "Creative Writing Abroad," the course was led by English Professor Christopher Torockio and allowed students to draw writing inspiration by immersing in Italian culture and the countryside. During their six weeks abroad, students were assigned to write a short story inspired by their time in Italy. In doing so, they had ample opportunities to explore locations outside Florence.

Walter Scudder '25, a four-year starting midfielder and two-year captain on Eastern Connecticut State University's men's soccer team, was named one of three recipients of the Little East Conference (LEC) Student Athlete-of-the-Year Award for the 2024-25 academic year.

Now going strong for four decades, Eastern Connecticut State University hosted 44 hopeful first-year students during its annual Summer Transition at Eastern Program/Contract Admissions Program (STEP/CAP). Coordinated by Christina Irizarry and Kolin Ebron of the Office of Opportunity Programs, STEP/CAP is designed to provide a smooth transition into higher education for select incoming students over the course of six weeks with the help of student community leaders.