Inside Eastern

April 01, 2026

Eastern announces 2026 commencement speakers and distinguished awardees 4 impactful friends and alumni among this year’s honorees

Eastern Connecticut State University has announced the commencement speakers, honorary degree recipients, and Distinguished Public Service Award recipient for its annual commencement exercises on May 16 at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford. This year’s undergraduate and graduate ceremonies will honor four individuals with deep ties to the University and extensive records of leadership and community service.

March 24, 2026

‘Three Sisters’ entrances audiences with lovelorn performance

Eastern’s Department of Communication, Film, and Theatre captivated audiences with its production of “Three Sisters,” written by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov and directed by Rachel Jett, from March 5-8 in the Delmonte Bernstein Studio Theatre. The production followed the story of four siblings at a war-torn military outpost.

March 18, 2026

Eastern advances open pedagogy

Nicolas Simon, professor of sociology at Eastern Connecticut State University, has spent the better part of the last decade championing open educational resources (OERs) on and off campus. These learning materials are free for students to use and are easily accessible, residing in the public domain or under open licenses. Recently, Eastern reached two landmarks in recognizing its open educational efforts.

March 17, 2026

‘How to Go Viral’: AI in Marketing A talk with marketing professionals about AI in the workplace

As artificial intelligence increasingly permeates the workforce and daily life, marketing professionals who recently visited campus argue that the emerging technology cannot replace human creativity.

March 17, 2026

English lecturer urges action over performative activism Ramiz to students: “It is better to speak”

Eastern English Lecturer Bulaong Ramiz, a former identity center professional in higher education settings, has become a passionate advocate against improper practices in the offices she once served. On Feb. 19, she led an on-campus discussion encouraging attendees to speak up when higher education institutions fall short of their promises to protect marginalized populations.

March 17, 2026

Alumna-professor duo publishes on ‘chemical imbalance theory’ Ward, Diller examine beliefs on causes of depression

A recent graduate from Eastern’s Department of Psychological Science and her faculty mentor have published research examining popular opinions about depression and the enduring influence of the “chemical imbalance theory” in the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research this March.

March 16, 2026

Eastern students bring tax savings to Willimantic residents Student tax preparers volunteer through VITA

Students from Eastern’s College of Business are providing cost-free tax preparation services to local community members through the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) this tax season. The national program offers free tax preparation services through mid-April for households making less than $69,000 annually.

March 10, 2026

Student leaders power community engagement Semester-long programs support many causes

Since its earliest days as a teacher’s college — when student teachers worked with local children at the Windham Street Model School — Eastern Connecticut State University has maintained deep ties to the Willimantic community. That tradition of service continues today through the Center for Community Engagement, which connects hundreds of student volunteers each year with local organizations and residents in need of support.

March 06, 2026

Balough authors second book on historic composer Percy Grainger

A longtime lecturer in Eastern’s Department of Music recently published a book that both solidifies and removes controversy from the name of Australian American composer Percy Grainger. Teresa Balough’s “The Essential Grainger: Percy Grainger’s Kipling Settings” delves into the composer’s special interest in the works of the often-misunderstood English author Rudyard Kipling.

February 26, 2026

Watch: Students digitize history during Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon

With laptops in hand, Eastern joined a worldwide effort to digitize history on Feb. 20 during the Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon. The annual, international effort honors Black history by empowering volunteers to make the writings of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and his contemporaries more accessible to the public.