Eastern Connecticut State University

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.

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 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.

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.

Nine students at Eastern Connecticut State University participated in biology Professor Barbara Murdoch's summer research institute titled "Hands-on Undergraduate Research with Cutting-Edge Sequencing Technology: Transforming Abstract Concepts into Tangible Discoveries." According to her, the project brought together students from a variety of scientific disciplines to experiment with powerful research technology that's not typically available to undergraduates. "The participants included biology, psychology, and health sciences majors, none of whom had prior experience with molecular biology or DNA sequencing," said Murdoch. "The participants are to be commended for their phenomenal results from DNA sequencing, interpretation of their data, and for their poster presentations."

Six students at Eastern Connecticut State University bound art with prose in art Professor Lora Lee's summer research institute titled "Tell Your Story Through Picture Books." According to Lee, storytellers learned how to plan, write, and illustrate books that reflected their voices and personal stories. "Books are a powerful medium. They allow us to express creativity, connect with like-minded people, and produce something tangible that's fun to make, read, and hold," she said. "I've always been amazed by how creative and unique our students are. They have so many ideas and compelling stories to tell."

Eastern's Office of Opportunity Programs hosted the Dream Awards, where students were recognized for their achievements and TheDream.US class of 2025 received stoles to showcase at graduation. Taking place on March 28 in the library's Paul E. Johnson, Sr. Community Conference Room, the event served as a night of celebration and inspiration for TheDream.US scholars at Eastern.

Eight students at Eastern Connecticut State University Participated in business administration Professor Fatma Pakdil's summer research institute titled "Data Analytics-Oriented Undergraduate Research: Industry 4.0 and Big Data Analytics in Healthcare." The institute focused on building technologies that benefit the healthcare industry.

Two civic engagement groups at Eastern Connecticut State University traveled to Richmond, VA for the IMPACT conference on Feb. 27 at Virginia Commonwealth University. Eastern's Jumpstart group and its local host, the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) sent student alumni brainpower to the meeting.

Eastern's first cohort of nursing students was honored at the university's inaugural "white coat ceremony" on Jan. 23 in the Fine Arts Instructional Center Concert Hall. A rite of passage for nursing students across the world, the ceremony marks the beginning of students' clinical education and their commitment to compassionate patient care. During Eastern's ceremony, 28 students donned their white coats and received a "Keeping Healthcare Human" pin from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, whose namesake established the ceremony in 1993. The students will now begin on-site clinical experience at two sites this semester: Pierce Memorial Baptist Nursing and Rehabilitation in Brooklyn and Westview Health Care Center in Killingly.

Eastern Connecticut State University will be featured on Amazon Prime's "The College Tour" next spring as one of the show's season 13 episodes. Filming took place on Eastern's campus Oct. 7-11, showcasing a diverse group of 10 students and alumni who represent life at Connecticut's only public liberal arts university.

A biology major at Eastern Connecticut State University recently published a children's book based on her study of marine biology. Junior Jasmine Antonucci's "Friends with the Ocean" takes readers into the depths of the ocean through the eyes of the various creatures dwelling in its waters.

A group of incoming first-year students interested in STEM fields participated in Eastern's inaugural Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program this July. The program is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and aims to diversify Connecticut's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce.

Eastern Connecticut State University welcomed its newest Warriors to campus this June during the annual Student Orientation Advising and Registration (SOAR) program. Through the guidance of student orientation counselors (SOCs), hundreds of incoming students from the Class of 2028 acquainted themselves with Eastern's campus and pondered their collegiate aspirations during four separate two-day orientation sessions.

With the Class of 2024 recently graduated, many of Eastern's newest alumni are beginning their careers while others are choosing to continue their studies. Here are a few of the graduates pursuing advanced degree programs.

The Department of English at Eastern Connecticut State University honored graduating seniors at its spring semester English Night on May 1. The event featured awards and student presentations.

English majors were honored at the close of the fall 2023 semester during English Night, an annual celebration in which awards and presentations were given and students were inducted into the Sigma Tau Delta honor society.

Senior English major Lilia Burdo has published a chapbook of poems, "Yin Ri Bei," inspired by her life growing up as a transracial adoptee from China.

Three biochemistry students at Eastern Connecticut State University are expanding their understanding of how supercomputers can be used to solve complicated health issues, under the guidance of Kedan He, assistant professor of chemistry and the only computational chemist at Eastern.

From burnout to masculine honor, six student projects were recognized at the recent Psychological Science Research Event on Dec. 4. Timothy Jacques, Kaylee Drobish, Victoria Janosi, Kylie Rataic, Stacie Kinlen and Samantha Shatas won "best poster" awards at the event.

Brainstorming paid off for Eastern Connecticut State University computer science students Ian Valeta and Diego Hernandez Ramirez when their plan for a tree-planting digital game won them the top prize at the Hack4Delta Sustainability Hackathon Sept. 15-17 in Hartford.

The Honors Program at Eastern Connecticut State University recognized 19 graduating seniors at its annual reception this past May in the University's J. Eugene Smith Library. The event celebrates students who completed an honors thesis, the program's capstone requirement.

With financial support from the federal government, Amirah Foster, a senior majoring in business administration at Eastern Connecticut State University, is getting a jump start this summer on a career in international business.

Eastern Connecticut State University's English Department recognized student achievements on Dec. 8 during its annual English Night celebration. Thirty students were inducted into the national English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta, and several others received scholarship awards and presented capstone projects.

The Honors Program at Eastern Connecticut State University recognized 14 graduating seniors at its annual reception on May 14 in the J. Eugene Smith Library. The event celebrates students who completed an honors thesis, the program's capstone requirement.

Nancy Gonzalez '22 was recently named a fellow by the Pfizer Research and Development Rotation Program. After she graduates, Gonzalez will join more than 2,000 scientists in this highly selective paid fellowship to explore new knowledge in health care. She will rotate in multiple Pfizer research and development offices and laboratories over the next two years.

Eastern Connecticut State University's newly developed Peer Educators Advocating for Campus Empowerment (PEACE) program has spent the fall 2021 semester promoting inclusion and diversity on campus. Founded by the Arthur L. Johnson Unity Wing, the educational program empowers student leaders to influence the campus culture.

The Student Activities Office at Eastern Connecticut State University recently concluded its fall session of the LEAP leadership program. Standing for "Learn, Explore, Achieve, Perform," the program is designed to help students develop their leadership skills through a variety of workshops. This semester's session trained thirteen students.

Eastern Connecticut State University student Erin Raymond was an organizer and performer in the 20th Annual 5x5 Dance Festival on Nov. 6. Raymond served as an intern and aslo performed with a group of Eastern dancers at the festival, which occured at the University of Saint Joseph's (USJ) Autorino Center for the Arts and Humanities.