Eastern Connecticut State University

Eastern Connecticut State University's circle of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) honor society held its annual induction for new students on March 5. In order to be considered for induction, students had to demonstrate academic achievement, leadership and community service either on or off campus. Of the more than 100 students who applied, 31 were selected, including sophomore inductees for the first time since Eastern's circle was established in 1994. The average cumulative GPA for new inductees was 3.8.

Ten Eastern Connecticut State University theatre students travelled to Hyannis, MA in January to participate in the 55th Annual Kennedy Center's American College Festival. Students spent the weekend presenting research and creativity-based activities, performing, and participating in workshops.

Eastern Connecticut State University recently released its Dean's List for the fall 2022 semester, in which nearly 1,300 students were recognized for maintaining high GPAs.

Eastern Connecticut State University junior Sara Green is one of five student poets selected for the Connecticut Poetry Circuit. Students were selected based on entries they submitted to the Connecticut Poetry Circuit and will tour with their writings across the state from Feb. 6 to March 11.

Nearly 1,000 new students concluded their first semester at Eastern Connecticut State University this fall. The new admits included 734 first-time and 246 transfer students who are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate level programs.

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.

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.

Eastern hosted the Northeast Regional Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity Conference of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) on Oct. 28-29. The conference provided a platform to display the work of 49 students from six liberal arts colleges in the Northeast, including a number of Eastern students.

Six physical education teacher candidates at Eastern placed first in the 13th annual Connecticut Association for Health Physical Education and Dance (CTAHPED) Dee Perilli College Bowl on Nov. 17 in Southbury, CT. Eastern sent two teams, consisting of physical education majors from three different fields of concentration, whose combined score secured Eastern the first-place finish.

Eastern Connecticut State University's men's and women's basketball teams are amid their 2022-23 seasons. The men's team consists of 16 players and began its season on Nov. 8. The women's team consists of 16 players and began its season on Nov. 12.

Eastern Connecticut State University students continue to gain professional experience through internships. This experience is helping them in current jobs and will help them in future careers.

Eastern Connecticut State University's women's field hockey team has begun its fall 2022 season. The team consists of 19 players and began its season on Sept. 1.

The men's golf team at Eastern Connecticut State University won the Little East Conference (LEC) championship on Oct. 7. The team will compete in the NCAA Division III tournament this coming May.

Eastern Connecticut State University's men's and women's soccer teams have begun their fall 2022 seasons. The men's team consists of 27 players and began its season on Sept. 3. The women's team consists of 26 players and began its season on Sept. 3.

Eastern Connecticut State University's women's volleyball team has begun its fall 2022 season. The team consists of 16 players and began its season on Sept. 1.

Eastern Connecticut State University's men's and women's cross-country teams have begun their fall 2022 season. The men's team consists of 14 runners and competed in its first meet on Sept. 2. The women's team consists of 10 runners and competed in its first meet on Sept. 2.

This summer, several students at Eastern Connecticut State University gained real-life experience and learned about themselves through internships. They left their internships in fields such as sales, sports management and insurance with greater knowledge of their prospective professions and of themselves.

Seventeen Eastern Connecticut State University students experienced the trip of a lifetime over the summer: six weeks in Florence, Italy, studying creative writing. Led by seasoned Italian visitor and professor Christopher Torockio, the Creative Writing Abroad course allowed students to explore Italian culture while writing a short story and completing a workshop with peers.

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.

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.

Four Eastern students are spending their summer working with Willimantic children through the early childhood program known as "Jumpstart." Through the Center for Community Engagement (CCE), Eastern's Jumpstart students are completing 300 hours each from June through August at the Windham Regional Community Council (WRCC) Early Childhood Program.

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

Biochemistry major Sydney DeNoncour accompanied Biology Professor Joshua Idjadi on a research trip in The Bahamas to study a rapidly spreading disease that is affecting Caribbean coral reefs. Stationed at the Gerace Research Center from June 8-17, the researchers conducted eight underwater surveys around the small island of San Salvador.

Hundreds of students graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University at the conclusion of the spring 2022 semester. The University's annual Commencement Exercises occurred May 17 at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. The graduate-level ceremony occurred May 14 on Eastern's campus.

A cadre of Environmental Earth Science (EES) students from Eastern Connecticut State University set out on a 12-day expedition this May exploring some of the United States' great mountain landscapes. Led by Professors Dickson Cunningham and Peter Drzewiecki, 15 EES students embarked on a clockwise route out of Salt Lake City, visiting such geological wonders as Craters of the Moon National Monument, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.

Eastern Connecticut State University recently released its Dean's List for the spring 2022 semester, in which more than 1,200 students were recognized for maintaining high GPAs.

Isabel Butterick has been named the recipient of this year's annual J. Eugene Smith Library Research Award at Eastern Connecticut State University. The award recognizes exemplary undergraduate research projects that use library resources.

Three Eastern Connecticut State University students have co-authored an article with professor emeritus Jeffrey Trawick-Smith and Julia DeLapp, director of the Center for Early Childhood Education, that was recently published online in a peer-reviewed journal. The article "The Influence of Teachers, Peers and Play Materials on Dual Language Learners' Play Interactions in Preschool" appears in the May 2022 edition of the "Early Childhood Education Journal."

Health Sciences major Nancy Gonzalez '22 presented research at the Northeast Decision Science Institute's (NESDI) 51st annual conference in Newark, NJ, this past April. Representing a four-student team of researchers from Eastern, Gonzalez presented the group's project, "Vaccine Supply Chain (VSC) Systems: An Analysis Using Operations Management Perspective."