Eastern Connecticut State University

More than 100 first-generation students from Eastern Connecticut State University were inducted into the Tri Alpha National Honor Society on Nov. 8, recognizing their academic achievements despite the challenges of being the first in their families to attend college.

Eastern Connecticut State University's Campus Activity Board (CAB) again earned various accolades at this year's National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Providence Conference. The meeting took place Oct. 24-26 at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Eastern held two showings of "The Last American Jackrabbit" on Nov. 1, an original play directed and written by students Xsyanni Jackson and Kane Waggoner. The only student-made performance of the fall 2024 semester sold out its evening show and scheduled a matinee performance to accommodate its large audience. Both were held at the Delmonte Bernstein Studio Theater.

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.

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.

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.

Abby Dreyer, a first-year student majoring in business administration, is one of 10 students nationwide to receive the inaugural Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Scholarship.

Several student leaders and interns at Eastern Connecticut State University's Center for Community Engagement (CCE) are spearheading various outreach programs in Willimantic this semester. The common denominator for each volunteer is personal development through their commitment to community outreach.

Senior business administration major Sara Honold was one of 52 students nationwide to receive a scholarship from Delta Mu Delta (DMD) International Honor Society. DMD announced that Honold would be one of four students awarded the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) sponsored award.

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.

This summer, 21 students from the Department of English at Eastern Connecticut State University traveled to Florence, Italy for six weeks. The annual trip is part of English Professor Christopher Torockio's creative writing abroad course.

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.

This summer, Eastern Connecticut State University hosted more than 60 high school students for its annual Summer Transition at Eastern Program/Contract Admissions Program, better known as STEP/CAP. The six-week program was administered by Christina Irizarry, director of opportunity programs for the Academic Success Center, and accustoms incoming Eastern students to a college lifestyle through intensive classes, administrative seminars and activities outside of the classroom.

An anthropology major with an archaeology concentration and a history minor, Eric Hohenthal '25 has long known of his interest in his chosen field. Ever since he was a child, Hohenthal has been "obsessed with the ancient world. I was naturally drawn to archaeology."

Students from a broad selection of disciplines at Eastern Connecticut State University gained valuable professional experience through internships during the spring 2024 semester. Internships ranged from live sound engineering to hospitality and criminal justice services.

In late May, eight students from the Department of Biology at Eastern Connecticut State University went on a 12-day tropical excursion in Costa Rica. The trip, led by biology Professors Brett Mattingly and Matthew Graham, guided students through the ecosystem's natural history and ecology.

Two students from the Department of Environmental Earth Science (EES) at Eastern Connecticut State University joined Professor Peter Drzewiecki on a nine-day trip to the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain to examine the development of the area's geological features in late May.

Twelve students from Eastern Connecticut State University beheld many environments on a 12-day scientific excursion through New Hampshire and Maine in late May. Sponsored by the Department of Environmental Earth Science (EES), Professors Dickson Cunningham, Bryan Oakley and Drew Hyatt guided students through high mountains, deep caves and sprawling coastlines as a part of their "Summits and Seashores" course.

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.

More than 800 Eastern Connecticut State University students graduated in the 2023-24 academic year, which culminated with two commencement ceremonies at the conclusion of the spring 2024 semester. The University's undergraduate ceremony occurred May 14 at the XL Center in Hartford, CT, and the graduate-level ceremony occurred May 11 on Eastern's campus.

Psychology students at Eastern Connecticut State University traversed the tundra of the human psyche on a 10-day field course in Iceland this May. Sponsored by the Department of Psychological Science as part of Professor Peter Bachiochi's field course "Cross-Cultural Well-Being," the trip gave students a look at the mental health of a foreign country.

Students from a broad selection of disciplines at Eastern Connecticut State University gained valuable professional experience through internships during the spring 2024 semester. Internships ranged from live sound engineering to hospitality and criminal justice services.

This May, students from the Department of Music at Eastern Connecticut State University explored the history of classical music in Vienna, Austria. The 10-day trip was conducted by music Professor Emily Riggs and Lecturer David Ballena as a part of Riggs' "City of Song" global field study course.

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.

Eastern Connecticut State University recently released its Dean's List for the spring 2024 semester, in which more than 1,200 students were recognized for maintaining high GPAs.

Students of color gathered in the Art Gallery at Eastern Connecticut State University on April 18 to celebrate Intercultural Graduation. Organized by the Intercultural Center on campus, the event recognized the efforts of minority students, who often face systemic barriers before, during and after college.

More than 250 students from Eastern Connecticut State University showcased their academic and creative achievements at Eastern's annual CREATE Conference on April 19. They shared their work with friends, family and faculty. During the conference, two students and one faculty member received awards.

With the largest graduating cohort ever of queer students, the Pride Center at Eastern Connecticut State University recently hosted its seventh Lavender Graduation. President Elsa Nunez and awardees Billi Kozak and Arden Parzych were honored during the ceremony.

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.