Eastern Connecticut State University

Eastern Connecticut State University sophomore Eugene Bertrand was awarded an Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Project Grant by Eastern's Provost and Undergraduate Research Council. The grant helped fund Bertrand's history film project titled "Connecticut's Tobacco Industry and Diversity: A History."

Eastern Connecticut State University accounting major Tyler Wright has been selected to present at the annual "Posters on the Hill" conference. His research, titled "The Effect of Length of Stay and Readmission on Total Charges of Total Knee Arthroplasty and Total Hip Arthroplasty Patients," will be presented at the virtual event, which will take place April 26-27.

Twelve members of Eastern Connecticut State University's student chapter of Habitat for Humanity and advisor Peter Bachiochi recently traveled to New Bern, NC, to help build houses with the Habitat for Humanity of Craven County.

Four sociology students at Eastern Connecticut State University presented on their experiences with "open pedagogy" on March 4 at the 2022 Connecticut OER Virtual Summit, where they spoke on a panel titled "Student Perspectives on Open Pedagogy."

Four Eastern Connecticut State University psychology majors presented student-faculty research projects at the annual Eastern Psychological Associations (EPA) meeting in New York City on March 5. The research topics included depression among parents and children, parent-child relationships, sibling relationships and differential parental treatment.

Eastern Connecticut State University inducted 34 students into Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), the national honor society for collegiate leadership, on March 6.

Eastern Connecticut State University psychology student Noelle Ciccarelli presented at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) convention on Feb. 18. Ciccarelli's project was titled "Similarities and Differences in Mate Preferences among Parents and their Daughters," and focused on the ratings that daughters gave when seeking a male mate, compared to their parents' ratings when seeking a mate for their daughters.

Eastern Connecticut State University's Theatre Program opened the spring 2022 semester with "Sweet Flag" from March 1-6. Written and directed by Theatre Professor J.J. Cobb, the story follows the lives of women living in the Nebraska Territory in 1866.

Ten students from Eastern Connecticut State University's Music Program performed "Romance and Revenge: Love at the Opera" on Feb. 12 at the National Opera Center in New York City.

Eastern Connecticut State University's men's and women's lacrosse teams are beginning their spring 2022 seasons. The men's team consists of 31 players and had their first game on Feb. 26. The women's team consists of 22 players and will have its first game on March 3.

Eastern Connecticut State University's men's baseball and women's softball teams are set to begin their spring 2022 seasons. The baseball team consists of 35 players and will compete in their first game on March 5. The softball team consists of 21 players and will compete in their first game on March 4.

Junior biology major Kate Arildsen has been selected as a research intern for the Fulbright Canada Mitacs Globalink Program. The program grants recipients up to $7,800 (Canadian) in funding and enables exceptional undergraduate students from the United States to spend 10-12 weeks at a Canadian university conducting research with a faculty mentor.

Four students from Eastern Connecticut State University's Music Program recently performed in the 2022 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Eastern Division Intercollegiate Band. The conference took place Feb. 18 - 19 in Baltimore, MD, at Johns Hopkins University.

Biology student Megan Piechowicz was awarded the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) travel award to attend the Worldwide Plant Biology Summit from July 9-13 in Portland, OR. While at the conference, Piechowicz will present her research project titled "Phenotypic characterization and mutation analysis of mutants defective in anthocyanin and proanthocyanidins in the model legume plant medicago truncatula."

Eastern Connecticut State University welcomed 148 new students to campus this spring 2022 semester. The new students include first-time and transfer students who are enrolled in full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate programs.

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 men's and women's track and field teams are amid their spring 2022 seasons of competition with 28 athletes and 23 athletes respectively.

Eastern Connecticut State University graduated 189 undergraduate and graduate students at the conclusion of the fall 2021 semester.

Eastern Connecticut State University's Department of English held its annual English Night on Dec. 7. The night was dedicated to students who received scholarships, were inducted into the English honor society and gave capstone presentations.

Eastern Connecticut State University recently released its Dean's List for the fall 2021 semester, in which nearly 1,300 students were recognized for maintaining high GPAs.

Eastern Connecticut State University student Anayeli Arroyo Aguilera has won a design challenge for the non-profit Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art and Performance (EC-CHAP) in Willington. Arroyo Aguilera competed against fellow Eastern students in her graphic design class to create a visual brand for EC-CHAP.

Eastern Connecticut State University student Colleen Goff of Waterbury is one of only four college students statewide selected to be a Connecticut Student Touring Poet in the 2021-22 Connecticut Poetry Circuit. Each year, a panel of judges selects a handful of college student poets to tour the circuit, which hosts readings at universities and organizations across the state.

Eastern Connecticut State University students Alexa Franchetti and Madeleine McGee were recognized as Outstanding Future Professionals by the Connecticut Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CTAHPERD) at its annual conference on Nov. 18 and 19.

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.

Many Eastern Connecticut State University students are spending their fall 2021 semesters working as interns for a multitude of organizations. Interning in fields related to their majors, students are receiving real-world training to prepare them for their future careers.

Eastern Connecticut State University's men's and women's basketball teams are amid their 2021 seasons. Both teams have 15 players.

Two biology students from Eastern Connecticut State University presented at the 85th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Section of the American Society of Plant Biologists (NE-ASPB), held virtually on Oct. 30.

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.

Eastern Connecticut State University student Connor Pollick of is interning with the Willimantic Police Department as part of the Social Work and Law Enforcement (SWLE) Project. The statewide initiative is training social work students from five universities to work with four police departments across Connecticut. The initiative is being spearheaded by Eastern's Social Work Program and Willimantic Police Department.