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Student Accomplishments

Eastern Students Shine at COPLAC Conference
Ten Eastern students presented at the Fourth Annual Northeast Regional Undergraduate Research Conference at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in October. The two-day conference gave students the opportunity to showcase the results of their individual undergraduate research projects and artistic creativity, and to discuss their work with peers and faculty members. Eastern students displayed their artwork, gave talks and presented posters in disciplines ranging from the arts and humanities to the social and natural sciences. Outstanding projects are featured in COPLACs online research journal, "Metamorphosis."

Eastern Students Research Project Published Nationally
Eastern students Jacob Rusconi '14 of Manchester and Dylan Ross '14 of Hampton had their research findings published in the journal on the proceedings of the 2013 conference of the National Council on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). Rusconi and Ross both majored in Business Information Systems (BIS).

Ross and Rusconi analyzed the internal systems of a certified commercial environmental and water monitoring laboratory, Premier Laboratory, Inc., based in eastern Connecticut. The goal of their research was to identify opportunities for improvement in the lab's existing water monitoring systems and procedures. In conducting their research, Rusconi and Ross treated the laboratory as a socio-technical system, in which the technical aspects of the operations were seen as being interdependent with cultural and political factors found in the laboratory, its clients' organizations and communities.

Theatre Students Perform at Kennedy Center Festival
Two Eastern students returned to campus with top awards from this year's Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCATF), a yearly event where more than 1,000 students and faculty from colleges across the Northeast/Region 1 participate. Joseph Staffa's projection design work for "Once on this Island" won first place for Scenic Design Excellence at the conference and a one-week trip to the KCACTF national conference in Washington, D.C. Keri Smart won a one-week scholarship at the prestigious Stage Craft Institute of Las Vegas for her costume design of Eastern's production of "The Birds." Her award includes an experience with Las Vegas' famous Jubilee costume design and run crew.

Eastern Students Win Statewide Storytelling Contest
Two Eastern students walked off with the two top prizes in the Fourth Annual 2014 Connecticut Campus Slammer Finals, a statewide storytelling contest that took place at Connecticut College on April 26. Jonah Craggett, a junior from New Haven majoring in English with a minor in Anthropology, won top honors. Daniel Solomon, a junior from Woodstock majoring in History with a minor in Asian Studies, was the runner up. "This is the first time that two students from the same university have won first and second place," said English Professor and Master Storyteller Raouf Mama.

The contest required that students craft a five-minute personal story and tell it in a spoken-word competition scored on creativity, relation to theme and delivery. No props, notes or instruments were allowed. The competition was timed, which helped train students to hone their words and delivery.

Arts and Sciences Research Conference and Exhibition
Eastern held its 14th Annual Arts and Sciences Research Conference and Exhibition (ASRCE) on April 12. The event featured oral and visual presentations of student-led scientific research and artwork. More than 50 presentations were delivered by students from a range of academic departments. "This event gives students the chance to experience the 'next step' in the research process: presentation," said Peter Bachiochi, psychology professor and faculty mentor. "It is very motivating for them."

Barnard Scholars
Eastern students Erin Conn '14 of Moriches, NY, and Eric Cerino '14 of Stratford, CT, were Eastern's recipients of the Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Award for the 2013-14 academic year. Conn's major is Biology and Cerino's major is Psychology. There are 12 awards given annually throughout Connecticut's four state universities (two each for Eastern and Western and four each from Central and Southern). The students are nominated by their respective universities. Associate Professor of Biology Patricia Szczys recommended Conn for the Barnard Scholar award. According to Szczys, "Erin is, without a doubt, the finest critical thinker and has the strongest analytical and quantitative skills I have ever observed in an undergraduate student." This fall, Conn is attending the Ph.D. program in biomedical sciences at Georgetown University.

Eastern Psychology Professors Wendi Everton, Lyndsey Lanagan-Leitzel and Jennifer Leszczynski all highly recommended Cerino for the Barnard Scholar award. As they noted, "Eric is very talented academically, he is extremely motivated to succeed, and he has distinguished himself by getting involved in research and seeking to better the community."

University's 14th Annual Excellence Expo

Eastern held its 14th Annual Excellence Expo on April 15 in the Student Center. The expo featured more than 100 students presenting their research presentations, business marketing plans, communication advertising campaigns, photography exhibits and poster displays. Jordan LaRusso, who presented a poster on "Freedom of Speech in Schools," discussed the topic of verbal and written speech in our school systems in terms of the First Amendment. It was a project she started in her Ethics and Law class for Communication, and she felt that "conducting research and choosing my own topic is really what had drawn me to present here." Amanda Eckert, who presented a poster on the effects of social media on society titled "Do it for the Vine and Other Excuses Social Media Gives Us," motivated by the fact that the expo allowed her to present on a topic that she was personally interested in.