Meet Our Faculty

T. Caitlin Vasquez-O'Brien

Associate Professor

“Students should feel the same sense of excitement about learning that professors do, and students should be able to engage with the material and draw connections to the world around them.” Read More

Christopher Krebs

Associate Professor

“Eastern is a small public liberal arts college similar to that to which I attended during my undergraduate studies, and I am surrounded by colleagues who share a passion for teaching and genuinely care about our students.” Read More

Okon Hwang

Professor

“Everyone contributes to create a positive and productive learning environment. I learn from students as much as they learn from me.” Read More

Sydney Clements

Visiting Assistant Professor - Philosophy

"Doing one thing well is much better than doing a bunch of things poorly. Find your niche." Read More

Marin Kurti

Associate Professor - Criminology and Sociology

“My main advice to students is to embrace lifelong learning. Every year, they should be challenging themselves to learn a new skill that’s either related or unrelated to their career.” Read More

Megan Stanton

Associate Professor - Social Work

“Social work students are dedicated and curious and our courses are all geared toward real-world action and social change. This makes for a dynamic and challenging (in a good way) classroom environment.” Read More

Madeleine Fugere

Professor

“I really enjoy the interesting class discussions which arise during our classes. I also love mentoring undergraduate students who are interested in doing research in social psychology.” Read More

Ricardo Perez

Professor - Anthropology

“The most rewarding aspect about teaching at Eastern for me is getting to know and interact with a diverse group of students.” Read More

Michèle Bacholle

Professor of French

“Nurture your intellectual curiosity. Travel and exchange with people from other backgrounds.” Read More

Anthony Cornicello

Professor and Department Chair

“I love showing students music that they most likely have not encountered — whether it’s jazz or classical. Quite often, there is a wonderful positive reaction that makes it all so worthwhile!” Read More

Peter Drzewiecki

Professor

“One of my ongoing research projects is to understand the climate and environments of the Jurassic rocks in the Connecticut Valley, which were deposited at the time dinosaurs roamed the planet.” Read More

David Belles

Professor

“We perform music from as far back as medieval times, as well as music in multiple languages. In addition, music is a vehicle for students to travel and experience cultures other than those they have experienced.” Read More

Anthony Aidoo

Professor

"Mathematics can be studied, applied and enjoyed by all.’ This has been the premise I have always operated on as a teacher." Read More

Christopher Torockio

Professor

“My favorite teaching moments are when a student who came to class having no idea that they liked to write discovers their voice and realizes that they have a passion for writing.” Read More

Kim Ward

Professor and Math Foundations Program Coordinator

“I hope that my research and/or creative student-centered endeavors are helping our students graduate, seek out and obtain their chosen job, and find happiness and enjoyment in their current and future lives.” Read More

Caitlin Carenen

Professor and Department Chair

“Watching my students visit a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank and visit Israel’s Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem reminds me of why I teach what I teach.” Read More

James Diller

Professor

Dr. James Diller is an expert in the field of behavior analysis. He is credited with developing the concentration in behavior analysis at Eastern, which allows students to sit for national certification. Read More

Jeffrey Calissi

Associate Professor

“My favorite percussion instrument is the marimba for several reasons. It is the most musical and accessible for both performer and audience, not to mention the sound of rosewood being unique and beautiful.” Read More

Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault

Professor

“It gives me such a sense of accomplishment to hear about our alumni’s lives and to know that I was able to join them on part of that journey.” Read More

Cara Bergstrom-Lynch

Professor - Sociology

“I love staying in touch with our alumni and hearing about their lives after Eastern (families, work, graduate school) and all the amazing things they are accomplishing out in the world.” Read More

Afarin Rahmanifar

Associate Professor

“Students in my Mixed Media class are encouraged to enhance their unique artistic ability, shake up their traditional studio practices and step out of their comfort zone.” Read More

Bryan A. Oakley

Professor and Department Chair

“Taking students into the field and showing them how to conduct research, collect and analyze data and then present the data at a research conference is a super rewarding experience.” Read More

Megan E. Heenehan

Professor and Department Chair

“Interactions with students inside and outside of the classroom are the best part of my job. Seeing how students grow over their four years and then hearing what they end up doing after Eastern is very rewarding.” Read More

Martin Mendoza-Botelho

Professor - Political Science and Assistant Department Chair

“Our students are very motivated. I enjoy seeing them progress during their time at Eastern. Whether it’s local politics, the environment, or national politics, they move from simpler understanding to a more complex perspective. Their thinking becomes more sophisticated and balanced.” Read More

Garrett M. Dancik

Professor and Department Chair

Professor Dancik has dedicated much of his work to teaching and developing courses in computer science, data science and bioinformatics, an interdisciplinary field that uses computational and mathematical tools to organize and analyze biological data. Read More

Allison Speicher

Professor

“As a liberal arts true believer, a trained teacher and a first-generation college graduate, I knew Eastern’s students were the students I was meant to be teaching.” Read More

Jenna L. Scisco

Professor

“I have taken Eastern students to study abroad in England, Ireland and Italy. It is such a rewarding experience to be able to expose students to new cultures and the experience of international travel.” Read More

Thomas Balcerski

Professor and Director of Center for Connecticut Studies

“I strive to teach students the contours of American history, to think critically about the past, and to conceptualize history as a contested terrain that we still navigate today.” Read More

Courtney Broscious

Professor and Department Chair

“I believe that institutions of higher education should be agents of social mobility and should provide an education that encourages students to develop flexible skillsets that can be applied in multiple settings.” Read More

Scott Moore

Associate Professor and Assistant Department Chair

“I find it rewarding to see students who have not previously engaged with history realize how much they enjoy it by the end of the semester.” Read More

Kedan He

Associate Professor

“I want to alleviate the apprehensions many students have towards science. By connecting with them early, I hope to demystify the subject and transform their initial trepidation into genuine interest and enthusiasm.“ Read More

Racheal E. Pesta

Associate Professor - Criminology and Sociology

“Receiving an email from a student who just landed their dream job or who got accepted into their top choice graduate program ranks among the most memorable and rewarding experiences I’ve had here at Eastern.” Read More

Tao Chen

Professor

Tao Chen’s artwork has been exhibited in juried art shows nationally and internationally. His passion for art started when his father showed Tao early on the joy of drawing and opened up a world of artistic inspiration. Read More

Maeve K. Doyle

Associate Professor and Department Chair

“I had the rare fortune to spend my whole education in small, liberal arts institutions. I love the personal, hands-on learning that places like Eastern foster. I sought it out as a student, and I’m thrilled to be part of Eastern’s public liberal arts mission today.” Read More

Lora Lee

Associate Professor and Assistant DepartmentChair

“I am consistently thrilled when witnessing students’ creative expressions and their astonishment at their accomplishments with digital tools.” Read More

Jonathan Hulvey

Associate Professor

“Some of my most rewarding moments have been to witness students ask deeper questions or try new experiments in the lab, for the sheer joy of discovering something new and being able to see the natural world from a new angle.” Read More