Eastern offers new programs for an evolving workforce

To meet evolving workforce needs and prepare students for new economic opportunities, Eastern has launched an assortment of new academic programs in recent semesters. From cannabis cultivation and special education to data science and anthropology, the new programs delve into emerging industries and longstanding disciplines.

Cannabis Cultivation and Chemistry

Eastern is offering one of the first cannabis programs in Connecticut this spring semester as it launches a new minor in Cannabis Cultivation and Chemistry. The new program follows the state’s recent legalization of recreational marijuana. Licensed as an official hemp producer by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Eastern can now host classes on hemp cultivation, and harvested its first crop this past fall.

Leading the program is plant biologist Bryan Connolly, who hopes the minor will attract new students to the study of plant biology. “We’ll discuss nutrient, pest and light management,” he said. “We’ll harvest and dry and cure, but also talk about the other implications of the hemp industry — how much energy it takes, how much pollution it makes and the social inequities related to the industry.”

Eastern’s program is primarily focused on hemp, which contains a lower level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than marijuana. While both are names for the cannabis plant, hemp has 0.3 percent or lower THC content. The program is rooted in the field of plant biology and will have a practical, hands-on approach that utilizes the University’s greenhouse and laboratories.

“I think the new program is great,” said senior biology major Kate Arildsen. “It’s been a long time coming. I’m happy Eastern was able to shift so quickly and offer something the students really want . . . There’s so much research yet to be done on how (cannabis) interacts with the body. It’s good to be a part of it.”

The program is an opportunity for students to get first-hand experience in a growing entrepreneurial industry across Connecticut and the nation. “It’s wonderful not just to  read about it, but to see the plant in front of you, working in the greenhouse and seeing it under a microscope,” said sophomore biology major Giahna Ellis. “Hemp is used in a lot of cosmetics, medicines and other products. From the medical field to aestheticians, there are many career opportunities in cannabis.”

Medical interpreting in Spanish

The Departments of Health Sciences and World Languages and Cultures are partnering on a new, interdisciplinary minor in Medical Interpreting in Spanish. The program is meant to improve healthcare outcomes for Spanish-only speaking residents, whose needs are often lost in translation in the healthcare setting.  

“Barriers to communication with patients whose only language is Spanish poses a health risk leading to reduction in health outcomes,” said Professor Kin Chan, chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures. “Language barriers significantly compromise the quality of healthcare. Recent studies have shown that Spanish-speaking patients have disease, mortality and pain burdens at least twice as high as English-speaking patients.

“These facts make language a crucial public health concern for the improvement of health among Spanish-speaking citizens. Our program will provide students the background in theory, technical resources and literary and cultural competency that are necessary to communicate in Spanish and in written and oral form.”

Dellanira Rodriguez Perez ’23, who is majoring in Health Sciences, has chosen the new MIS minor as a course of study. “Considering Spanish is my native language, obtaining knowledge of medical Spanish is necessary for reducing communication barriers in health care. Since I want to become a neonatal intensive care unit nurse, taking the Medical Interpreting in Spanish minor will help me improve my nursing skills.”

Dania Banon Vazquez ’23 is majoring in Biology and is excited about pursuing the new minor, as she is already fluent in Spanish. She plans to become a neurosurgeon and knows firsthand that the minor will help to build trust and confidence between the people being served and their doctors.

“What is most intriguing to me is to be able to translate at a professional and grammatically correct manner. In my country of Mexico, something might be called one thing, but the universal term is different,” said Vazquez. Even at the age of eight, my parents or other family friends would ask me to translate medical terminology, which was hard because I sometimes didn’t know how to translate a specific word. When there wasn’t an interpreter present, my interpretation in bits and pieces was better than leaving home confused or frustrated for not knowing what the doctor had said about their results.”

Special Education

To prepare students for the evolving field of special education, Eastern is offering a new Master of Science in Special Education. The program is an advanced degree for certified teachers, teacher candidates who have completed a teaching certification program or those with appropriate teaching experience.

The program combines theory and practice to enhance the ability of educators to instruct K-12

students with special needs. It emphasizes school-community partnerships and includes practica in the field. The program leads toward the Connecticut cross-endorsement certification in comprehensive special education for those who hold an existing initial teaching certificate.

“Our new program is designed to enhance the ability of current educators to work with students with disabilities, their families and other special education personnel,” said Kwangwon Lee, assistant professor of early childhood education. “We envision that our candidates will develop a holistic understanding of special education for individuals with disabilities from diverse backgrounds in a variety of settings, as well as with professionals who work in special education and related services. Our uniquely designed program helps fill a need for qualified special educators in the state of Connecticut.”

Tara Ruschmeier graduated in May 2021 from Eastern with a B.S. in Elementary Education and a B.A. in English and will start her master’s program at Eastern this past fall. “I worked with students with special needs when I was in high school and had thought about studying special education in the past. I am excited to learn how to provide my students with the best quality education based on their unique needs.”

Cognitive Neuroscience

To support people with cognitive impairments, Eastern now offers a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience. Psychology Professor Lyndsey Lanagan-Leitzel says a number of Eastern students have expressed interest in this new field of study, which began this past fall. Eastern will be the only state university in Connecticut to offer such a program.

Cognition is the study of how people sense and perceive the world, pay attention, remember things, make decisions, solve problems, reason, use and understand language and move their body. There is a growing need for professionals who can understand the brain and mental processes to help people have a better quality of life as they age or experience brain injury.

Eastern’s new Cognitive Neuroscience concentration will help students acquire advanced knowledge of the cognitive and neural mechanisms that support human thought processes. In addition to a course in Cognitive Neuroscience, students in the concentration will also be required to take a Cognitive Psychology course, and two of three other psychology courses — Sensation and Perception, Physiological Psychology or Human Neuropsychology. Additionally, although it is not a required part of the concentration, Lanagan-Leitzel plans to offer a research component to interested students through assistantships or independent studies in her research lab.

Although the concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience is new, Lanagan-Leitzel has worked with other students who have pursued graduate studies in cognition and cognitive neuroscience. Evan Lintz ’13 is a doctoral student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, studying perception, attention and working memory.

“A formal concentration in cognitive neuroscience further expands the research-related career opportunities for Eastern graduates,” said Lintz. “For those who are thinking about graduate school, the new concentration, coupled with research assistantships or thesis projects, vastly improves Eastern psychology students’ competitiveness for those programs. I’m excited to see an already excellent Psychology Department further raise the bar in what they offer their students.”

Data Science  

Among Eastern’s newest degree offerings is the Data Science major, which began in fall 2020. Students in this unique, interdisciplinary program receive instruction in the core areas of statistics, computer science, business analytics and geospatial information systems.

They also learn fundamental Python, R and SQL programming skills. Data-based team projects, which are integral to the program, provide opportunities for students to apply data science tools and techniques as well as develop collaboration and communication skills. Students also complete a portfolio of their work as part of their graduation requirements and have a number of internship opportunities available in the field.

Students can choose between a B.A. or a B.S.; B.S. students must choose from one of four concentrations in Mathematics, Business Analytics, Geographic Information Systems, or Computer Science. The program is taught by faculty from Mathematical Science, Computer Science, Business Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems.

The major is designed for students who wish to pursue careers as data scientists, geospatial information scientists and technologists, data engineers, business analysts, insurance analysts, financial analysts, sports analysts, political analysts and more. Data science can be applied to fields as diverse as business, finance, healthcare, sports, environmental science, climate science, health science and medicine, political science, defense, social science, human culture and education.

Data science is one of the fastest growing careers in Connecticut and the United States, far outpacing the overall job market. A recent review of job postings in the field of data science and analytics showed 3,700 job postings in Connecticut in January 2020, with an average starting salary of $69,355.

Anthropology

In fall 2020, Eastern also launched a new major in Anthropology. The new program features two concentrations — Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology — aimed at helping students understand the diverse past and present cultures of the world.

Cultural anthropologists examine social relationships and cultures in living communities, using ethnographic interviews, participant observation and other research strategies to explore human existence and help solve social problems in the United States and abroad.

Public health, climate change and economic inequity are all issues that can be examined from the lens of a cultural anthropologist. Archaeologists explore cultures of the past using fieldwork and laboratory analysis to uncover and evaluate artifacts and other remaining evidence of past societies.

“Anthropology has long been recognized as a leading discipline in the development of concepts and knowledge regarding culture, prehistory, evolution and linguistics,” explained Ricardo Perez, program coordinator for the new major. “Anthropology is an excellent background for students who want to pursue careers or plan on attending graduate school in policy, development, teaching or other service professions.”

Eastern has long offered a popular minor in anthropology for students from other majors. The Anthropology major also can be used as a second major for students majoring in History, Psychology, Political Science and Sociology.

Faculty teaching in the new major include experts in Latin American, Caribbean, Canadian and Native American studies. Applied learning opportunities are embedded in the program’s required field courses, which can include internships at local museums, archaeological field work at sites in New England and the Midwest and study trips to other countries.