Leadership Luncheon honors 4 outstanding donors, alumni

Eastern honored four members of its alumni and donor community on June 10 at its annual President’s Leadership Luncheon and Awards ceremony. The event gathered more than 100 donors and friends while recognizing the generosity and accomplishments of Professor Moh’d RuJoub, alumni Matt Pepin ’91 and Beth Regan ’79, M ’89, and local philanthropist David Foster.

President Elsa Núñez welcomed attendees to the first Leadership Luncheon since the onset of the pandemic. “This luncheon is so important to the life of our university,” she said, “for today we come together to thank our family of committed donors for their generous student support, and to honor those former students who have gone on to bring honor to Eastern through their personal and professional achievements.”

“Today we recognize the impact of our alumni and of our donors,” followed Vice President of Institutional Advancement Ken DeLisa. “Because of your professional achievements, personal philanthropy, and unwavering commitment to Eastern, you inspire our passion for higher education. You serve as role models for our students and you create opportunities for them to succeed.”

Justin Murphy ’98, president of the ECSU Foundation Board of Directors, recounted the many recent successes of Eastern’s Foundation and donor family. “The work of the Foundation never stops. Not even a global pandemic prevented the ECSU Foundation from its work.” The Foundation awarded a record $850,000 to 376 students in the 2021-22 academic year and exceeded its goal of raising $1.5 million by the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

Moh’d RuJoub

Professor RuJoub received the Hermann Beckert “Friend of the University” Award due to his numerous involvements in Eastern and the local community. As coordinator of the Accounting Program, RuJoub’s legacy is one of student employability, alumni engagement and commitment to all things accounting.

In addition to leading Eastern’s Accounting Program for the last two decades, RuJoub is the driving force behind the recent reinstatement of the Master of Science in Accounting, which is now a fully online master’s program. He also established the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program at Eastern, which in its 23-year existence has provided income-tax assistance to thousands of local lower-income families. For the past 26 years, RuJoub has also organized the annual Accounting Banquet, an evening of professional networking for students, alumni and faculty.

Finally, RuJoub created his own scholarship in 2017, the Dr. Moh’d RuJoub and Family Endowed Accounting Scholarship, which has raised more than $60,000. “It has been a joy to serve at this great institution and help so many of our students go on to succeed and become leaders in the accounting industry,” said RuJoub.

Matt Pepin ‘91

Pepin received this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award due to his impressive rise to the top of the journalism profession. From his beginnings with the Campus Lantern student newspaper, Pepin now serves as sports editor of the Boston Globe — one of the country’s premier news organizations in one of its hottest professional sports cities.

Prior to leading the Globe’s sports department, the Eastern English major worked as sports editor at the New Haven Register and Times Record-Herald in Middletown, NY. He joined the Globe in 2009 as digital sports editor before his latest promotion in 2018, where he oversees a staff of 30 full-time and 20 part-time employees, producing content for the Globe’s printed newspaper, websites, newsletters and social media.

As a student, Pepin worked with Eastern’s venerable sports information specialist, Bob Molta. “No one left a greater impression on me than Bob Molta,” he said. “He showed me how to pull back the curtain and find the story. I’ve worked with a lot of journalists and media professionals across the world. Bob is the standard I judge them all by.”

Beth Regan ’79, M ‘89

Regan received the Distinguished Service Award in commemoration of her accomplishments as an educator, coach, athlete, tribal leader and dedicated Eastern alumna. At the ceremony, Regan was elated to learn of the creation of the “Beth Regan ’79, M ’89 Endowed Women’s Soccer Fund,” which was spearheaded by retired women’s soccer head coach Christian D’Ambrosio in honor of Regan’s pivotal role in the creation of the women’s soccer program in 1986.

Regan taught at Tolland High School for 35 years and is a dedicated Special Olympics volunteer and coach, as well as an active member of the Mohegan Tribe. A longtime resident of Hampton, CT, Regan has also fulfilled a number of community roles, presently serving on the board of directors of the Fletcher Memorial Library.

“Service is my way of thanking all of you,” she said to the crowd of friends and fellow Eastern supporters. “It’s one way of giving back a little that was given to me. We may not be able to change the whole world, but we can change our little part of it.”

David Foster

Foster received the ECSU Foundation Board of Directors Award for his dynamic philanthropy and local-legend status as a musical entrepreneur. As the face of the Lester E. Foster and Phyllis M. Foster Foundation, he has overseen support for several Windham-area organizations, including the Covenant Soup Kitchen, Windham Hospital, Windham No Freeze Shelter, Horizons and others.

Since 2006, the Foster Foundation has provided more than $125,000 for a variety of Eastern programs and scholarships. But its biggest gift yet was announced this June: a $250,000 contribution to the David G. Carter Jr., Endowment Fund.

“Eastern is the pinnacle of our community,” said Foster. “Knowledge is everything today. If everybody has a chance to have an education, they have a chance to better themselves.”

Preceding his life as a philanthropist, Foster developed a storied reputation as an owner of the legendary Shaboo Inn in Mansfield, a jazz and R&B nightclub, and later as the band leader of The Shaboo All-Stars and founder of Shaboo Productions.