Eastern Connecticut State University

A group of Eastern Connecticut State University students recently visited the country of Nepal along with Associate Professor of Psychology Carlos Escoto, Geeta Pfau, retired associate director of health services, as well as ITS trainer Barbara Williams.

The Eastern Connecticut State University Alumni Association Board of Directors has elected three new members to the board: Holly Butler of Groton, CT; Kate Fortier of Ashford, CT; and Paulette Haines of Marietta, GA. The three women were unanimously approved and will begin their first three-year terms at the board meeting on October 5. Butler, a 2008 graduate of Eastern, is a mental health worker with CarePlus in Groton. Fortier graduated in 2003 and is a community engagement director with Access Community Action Agency in Willimantic, while Haines is a 1994 graduate and the CEO/consultant for Creative Non-Profit Solutions, LLC. Members of the Eastern Connecticut State University Alumni Association Board of Directors are responsible for attending and actively participating in meetings of the Board in person or via teleconference. They are also encouraged to represent the Alumni Association at university events and activities and to engage fellow alumni to support university events through their attendance or through financial sponsorship. Board meetings are held quarterly on Eastern's campus. Eastern Connecticut State University is part of the Connecticut State University System (CSUS) and is the state's public liberal arts university. Eastern serves more than 5,600 students each year on its Willimantic campus

Eastern Connecticut State University has published "From Tutor to Tutor: A Guidebook for Writers," a book written by students under the leadership of Lauren Rosenberg, associate professor of English and coordinator of Eastern's First Year Writing program. The idea for the book came from student tutors in Rosenberg's Tutoring Writing class in fall 2009. The peer tutors in Eastern's Writing Center work one-on-one with fellow students on their writing assignments for class. While the student tutors received training during the course, the books and articles they read were all written by scholars and professors of composition and rhetoric. Nothing was available by students their age. They chose to do something about it. Throughout the fall 2010 and spring 2011 semesters, the tutor-trainees met with Rosenberg to plan, write and edit a guidebook by peers for peers. "Nothing like this is out there," said Rosenberg. "We didn't model our book after any other because there are no student-written works like this." "From Tutor to Tutor" is composed of 18 essays that range in topics from dealing with plagiarism to working with English as a Second Language students to handling unexpected experiences during tutoring sessions. Essays include "What to Do When You Have No Clue"; "Meeting with a Tutor for the aEUR~Write' Reasons: Why Voluntary Meetings Beat Mandatory Sessions"; and "Turning Stressful to Productive," among others. Each essay is written by a student trained in Writing Center theory and pedagogy in either Eastern's Tutoring Writing or Composition and Theory Pedagogy courses.

The School of Arts and Sciences at Eastern Connecticut State University held its 10th Annual Student Research Conference and Exhibition on April 16. The conference took place in several locations across the campus, including the Science Building, Wood Support Services Center and the Student Center. More than 85 students supported by 35 faculty mentors presented nearly 80 projects and presentations showcasing 11 departments and 13 majors in the School of Arts and Sciences. The following students were among the exhibitors:

Members of Eastern Connecticut State University's community engagement student group, People Helping People (PHP), hosted an event to show their support for U.S. troops stationed in Iraq on Dec. 10 at Sweeney Elementary School in Willimantic.

Eastern Connecticut State University's Performing Arts Department and Drama Society presented the Freshman Showcase on Dec. 4 in the Harry Hope Theatre.

Wooden Vehicles and Traffic Signs, a basic toy created by Wilton, CT-based Melissa and Doug, LLC, has been named the 2010 best Toy to Inspire Mindful Play and Nurture Imagination (TIMPANI). The research results of the 2010 TIMPANI Toy Study were announced on Wednesday, Nov. 17, by faculty and student researchers at Eastern Connecticut State University's Center for Early Childhood Education (CECE).