The Eastern campus community came out in full force on Jan. 29 to celebrate an exciting new chapter for Eastern Athletics. Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff packed the Student Center for the unveiling of Eastern’s new athletics logo — and the chance to leave with fresh Warrior swag.
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Six English majors at Eastern Connecticut State University made history on Jan. 9, presenting their research at the Modern Language Association (MLA) convention’s inaugural undergraduate research poster session in Toronto, Canada. Eastern’s group was the largest representation by any institution at the session.
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Eastern biology Professors Barbara Murdoch and Matthew Graham have made a discovery that challenges long-held assumptions about one of nature’s most feared substances. The two professors co-authored a study that identifies microbial communities living in scorpion venom, a substance previously believed to be sterile.
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The Thread City Jazz Trio, Eastern’s faculty jazz band named affectionately for its native Willimantic, released its second album, “Keeney Never Stops,” last July. The album reimagines several jazz standards, as well as popular songs from the 1960s to today.
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Last fall, Eastern, in coordination with the Willimantic Downtown Neighborhood Association (WDNA), released “Eastern Passport,” a rewards and discount booklet aimed at strengthening economic ties between downtown Willimantic and the Eastern student community. This spring, Eastern Passport is going digital, streamlining the process for students to receive discounts at local businesses. The move came after a feedback survey, consisting of residential students, unearthed enthusiasm for the program yet voiced a desire for digital access to rewards and discounts.
The Eastern campus community came out in full force on Jan. 29 to celebrate an exciting new chapter for Eastern Athletics. Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff packed the Student Center for the unveiling of Eastern’s new athletics logo — and the chance to leave with fresh Warrior swag.
Spellbinding speeches and riveting musical and poetic tributes filled the Arthur L. Johnson Community Conference Room in the J. Eugene Smith Library during Eastern’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Jan. 28. The Office of Equity and Diversity hosted the celebration in collaboration with the Windham/Willimantic NAACP, Eastern’s NAACP student chapter, Men Achieving Leadership, Excellence and Success (M.A.L.E.S.), and the Center for Community Engagement.
Political science alumna Grace Carlos ‘23 represented Eastern Connecticut State University at the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges’ (COPLAC) legislative breakfast on Jan. 22 in Washington, D.C. Hosted in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, the event highlighted COPLAC’s efforts to promote liberal arts education at public universities and rally support from legislators.
Eastern Connecticut State University is set to launch a grant-funded initiative to support faculty academic innovation. Written proposals for the Academic Innovation Project (AIP) are due Feb. 20, with awards being announced this May. Up to 10 grants will be awarded for faculty projects.
Nursing majors enrolled in the Class of 2028 took their oath of service at Eastern Connecticut State University’s second annual White Coat Ceremony on Jan. 22 in the Fine Arts Instructional Center Concert Hall. The event was held in accordance with the historic Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which was established in 1993 and whose namesake began the tradition of the ceremony.
Lori Runksmeier’s tenure as director of athletics at Eastern Connecticut State University has spanned more than 10 years and includes milestones such as the addition of new varsity programs, facilities upgrades, many Little East Conference championships, and, of course, Eastern’s 2022 national title in baseball. This January, Runksmeier’s service and success earned her a prestigious award — a fitting end to a decorated career.
Eastern hosted an all-star band of New Orleans musicians on Jan. 10, raising $15,000 for two local antihunger organizations. The Take Me to the River All-Stars Live presented an evening of funk, soul, and rhythm in a packed FAIC Concert Hall, with all proceeds benefiting Willimantic’s Covenant Soup Kitchen and Eastern’s Shawn’s Cupboard food pantry for food-insecure students.
Eastern Connecticut State University’s Department of Health Sciences and Nursing was awarded a $75,000 grant from the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) to benefit the University’s nursing program. The grant will be used to purchase new simulation equipment for Eastern’s three on-campus simulation labs, which prepare nursing students for real-world clinical scenarios.
Business administration Professor Fatma Pakdil and economics and finance Professor Steve Muchiri have forged an enduring research partnership. Since 2016, the pair has co-authored a series of papers intended to influence healthcare policy.
