Eastern Connecticut State University

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.

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.

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.

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.

Eighteen first- and second-year students majoring in STEM fields participated in a residential program this July meant to support historically underrepresented students in the sciences. Modeled after the National Science Foundation's Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program, the two-week Eastern-funded initiative included a transitional "bridge" program for incoming first-year students and a research institute for sophomores.

From a snowstorm at the Grand Canyon to a climb up an active volcano, environmental earth science (EES) students at Eastern Connecticut State University experienced the natural wonders of Arizona during a global field course (GFC) from March 14-26. The course, titled "EES 271: Earth and Environmental Field Excursion," was led by EES Professors Dickson Cunningham and Peter Drzewiecki. The two have traveled to Arizona three times to teach the course.

History students at Eastern Connecticut State University and visiting students from other Connecticut State Universities (CSUs) presented their topical research at the CSU Making History Conference on March 28 in the Student Center. The event was sponsored by Eastern's Department of History, Center for Connecticut Studies, School of Arts and Sciences, and Provost's Office.

Twelve students from Eastern Connecticut State University's Department of English showcased their literary research at the Connecticut State University (CSU) Undergraduate English Conference on Nov. 1. The event was held at Central Connecticut State University and allowed undergraduates to share their scholarly and creative projects, developed under the mentorship of faculty members Allison Speicher, Susan DeRosa and Ken McNeil.

From artificial intelligence (AI) on Mars to the impacts of cult brainwashing on parenting, nine Eastern students showcased their work at the 2025 National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), held April 7-9 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA. NCUR is an annual conference with the mission of promoting undergraduate research from nationwide institutions and diverse fields of study. The conference featured mentor-led sessions, student poster and oral presentations, and a "Future Fair" showcasing undergraduate research.

Eastern's Department of Psychological Science represented at two academic conferences this past October. At the annual meeting of the Berkshire Association of Behavior Analysis and Therapy (BABAT) in Worcester, MA, Professor James Diller presented a poster with a student co-author. At the New England Psychological Association (NEPA) conference at Springfield College, students presented on college-student well-being and BIPOC peer mentoring.

Two senior biology students from Eastern Connecticut State University have been selected to present their research at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) this Nov. 13 - 16 in Pittsburgh, PA. Nancy Avalos and Anne Le's research will cover critical global health and environmental challenges.

Eastern Connecticut State University sent students from a broad range of disciplines to present at this year's Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) Northeast Regional Conference on Oct. 25 and 26 at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA. Fifteen students from nine academic departments represented Eastern at the conference.

Four environmental earth science students at Eastern Connecticut State University presented their research at the Northeast Section meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA) in Manchester, NH, on March 18.

Two senior biology students from Eastern Connecticut State University have been selected to present their research at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) this November. Nancy Avalos and Anne Le's research will cover critical global health and environmental challenges.

Undergraduate students, staff and faculty from the Northeast traveled to The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY, for the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Northeast Region (CCSCNE) on April 12-13. Among them was mathematics major Carter Kelly from Eastern Connecticut State University.

Nine students from Eastern Connecticut State University presented research projects at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) this April in Long Beach, CA. NCUR provides collegiate scholars across the country with an opportunity to showcase their creative talents and undergraduate research.

Two honors English students at Eastern Connecticut State University recently had their work published in academic journals. Recent alumna Kai-li Davey '23 was featured in the January 2024 Sigma Tau Delta creative writing journal "Rectangle," and Marcus Grant '24 was featured in the fall 2023 issue of the scholarly journal "Metamorphosis."

Two students at Eastern Connecticut State University who are native Spanish speakers recently presented artificial intelligence research while in a setting reminding them of home. Katherine Escalante and Christian Deras-Rodriguez presented at the Hispanic Educational Technology Services (HETS) conference from Jan. 10-13 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Fifteen Eastern Connecticut State University students made the long drive to Mahwah, NJ, this October to present research on topics ranging from history to coding at the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) Northeastern Conference.

Eastern Connecticut State University sent 10 students to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on April 13 to present their research findings at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), the nation's largest undergraduate research conference. Eastern students presented work in a variety of fields, from research on high-speed rails to pigment mutations of plants.

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.

Four Eastern Connecticut State University biology students presented and won awards for their research at the 77th annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference, the oldest continuous scientific conference for undergraduates in the United States. The conference was held at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, on April 1.

Two psychology majors at Eastern Connecticut State University recenlty presented research at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting. The event occurred March 23-25 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Four Eastern Connecticut State University students and three faculty members from the Environmental Earth Science Department recently attended the Geological Society of America (GSA) Conference in Reston, VA.

It's uncommon for undergraduate students to publish their research in a scientific journal. But junior biochemistry major Djenerly Massena has done just that, co-authoring a paper with her faculty mentor and lead author, Kedan He, professor of physical sciences. Their paper, "Examining unsupervised ensemble learning using spectroscopy data of organic compounds," appeared online in November in the Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design.

Several psychology students and faculty from Eastern Connecticut State University presented at the Eastern Psychological Association's (EPA) annual meeting on March 2-4 in Boston, MA.

Eastern hosted three Summer Research Institutes (SRIs) at the conclusion of summer break. Occurring from Aug. 22 - 26, the weeklong institutes engaged 29 students in the fields of English, business/marketing and political science. The SRIs culminated on Aug. 26 with presentations in the Webb Hall auditorium.

Two Eastern students spent their summer's completing research fellowships under close faculty mentorship. In order to receive the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Fellowship, students must carry a 3.0 GPA. In addition to the one-on-one mentorship, students receive a $1,000 stipend and $250 for project expenses.

Honors Biology major Megan Piechowicz presented at the recent American Society of Plant Biology (ASPB) conference in Portland, OR, from July 9 -13.

The Latin American and Caribbean Studies program recognized three students in its 2022 annual Student Paper Awards.