Undergraduate Research

Campus Briefs

Zuzu Acrobats perform thrilling Kenyan acrobatics on campus; Baseball remains unanimous no. 1 in New England; Students and faculty awarded for research and mentorship at CREATE conference; Physical...

Posted on May 06, 2021

Olivia Anderson presents on climate change politics at Posters on the Hill

Eastern Connecticut State University student Olivia Anderson recently presented at the prestigious Posters on the Hill Conference on April 28.

Posted on May 05, 2021 by Molly Boucher

“Turn on the Light” by Karla Pacheco-Sahagun

21st CREATE conference available online
Virtual symposium showcases the best of student research and creativity

Eastern Connecticut State University’s 21st annual CREATE conference is being presented online for the second year in a row. CREATE stands for “Celebrating Research and Creative...

Posted on April 28, 2021 by Michael Rouleau

History students present at Phi Alpha Theta regional conference

Eastern Connecticut State University history students Claire Lavarreda ’21 and Allen Horn ’21 presented their research at a virtual conference of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor...

Posted on April 16, 2021

17 Eastern students present at virtual NCUR conference

Seventeen Eastern Connecticut State University students presented at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) from April 12–14. The event, which is the largest undergraduate...

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Molly Boucher

Gomez-Stafford and Beazoglou named 2020-21 Barnard Scholars
2 graduating seniors poised for careers in genetic counseling and healthcare management

Two graduating seniors from Eastern Connecticut State University are recipients of the Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Awards this 2020-21 academic year. The award is the highest undergraduate...

Posted on April 08, 2021 by Michael Rouleau

Political science students present at Pi Sigma Alpha national conference

Eastern Connecticut State University political science students Mary Greenwell ’21 and Trevor Mays ’22 recently attended the Eighth Annual Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research...

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Molly Boucher

Eastern’s early childhood education center fills ‘virtual’ void for teacher prep programs

The Center for Early Childhood Education (CECE) at Eastern Connecticut State University has emerged as an invaluable resource for the early childhood education field during the COVID-19 pandemic....

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Michael Rouleau

SLM students ponder WooSox relocation, win second place in COVID-19 problem-solving competition

A team of three sport and leisure management students at Eastern Connecticut State University won second place among 40 competitors at the Pioneer Institute Nichols College Case Competition, which...

Posted on December 07, 2020 by Dwight Bachman

'What Makes a Toy Good?'

Eastern released a short video on Dec. 3 describing the best toys for young children based on 10 years of research through the Center for Early Childhood Education's (CECE) renowned TIMPANI...

Posted on December 04, 2020 by Michael Rouleau

Eastern to host first virtual Northeast COPLAC conference

Eastern Connecticut State University will host the first-ever virtual meeting of the Northeast Regional Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity Conference on Nov. 7. The event is...

Posted on November 05, 2020 by Michael Rouleau

Recent graduate Allison Lundy's honors thesis accepted for publication

Allison Lundy ’20, a recent graduate who majored in Early Childhood Education and Psychology, has been notified that her honors thesis, “Effects of Active Outdoor Play on Preschool...

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Dwight Bachman

CREATE 2020 Comes Alive—Virtually

2020 is the 20th anniversary of Eastern Connecticut State University’s on-campus celebration of student research and creativity. CREATE stands for “Celebrate Research Excellence and...

Posted on May 07, 2020 by Ed Osborn

2 Eastern Seniors Win CSCU Henry Barnard Distinguished Awards

Eastern Connecticut State University students Stefanos Stravoravdis '20 of Colchester and Evelyn Lemus Silva '20 of Burnsville, NC, have been named recipients of the 2020 Henry Barnard...

Posted on April 07, 2020 by Dwight Bachman

Eastern Biology Major Awarded for Novel Scorpion Research

Christopher Shimwell ’20, a biology major at Eastern Connecticut State University, received an excellence award from the Eastern Colleges Science Conference (ECSC) for his manuscript titled...

Posted on April 07, 2020 by Michael Rouleau

10 Years of TIMPANI: Annual Study Investigates the Paradox of Play

For millennia, toys have elicited joy and laughter in children. They are also fundamental to a young child’s intellectual and social development. In this modern world of smart phones, smart...

Posted on February 01, 2020 by Michael Rouleau

Stefanos Stravoravdis '20 and his mentor Biology Professor Jonathan Hulvey.

Biology Research Duo Publishes on Antifungal Resistance

New research into anti-fungal resistance, conducted by Eastern Connecticut State University student Stefanos Stravoravdis '20 of Colchester and mentored by Biology Professor Jonathan Hulvey,...

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Molly Boucher

Eastern Reveals 2019 TIMPANI Toy Study Results

Eastern Connecticut State University's Center for Early Childhood Education announced on Dec. 9 that "Family Counters" by Learning Resources has been named the 2019 TIMPANI (Toys...

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Julia DeLapp

History Students Present at Phi Alpha Theta Conference

Four Eastern Connecticut State University History majors presented their projects at the history honor society’s Phi Alpha Theta New England regional conference on Nov. 23. The Phi Alpha...

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Bobbi Brown

Eastern Receives Grant for New Physical Therapeutic Lab

Eastern Connecticut State University's Health Sciences Department has received a $74,303 grant from the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) to construct a new...

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Bobbi Brown

Kim Diver of Wesleyan University presents her presentations titled "Spatiotemporal Patterns of Reported Black Bear Sighting in Connecticut, 2007-1019."

GIS Professionals Converge on Eastern for GIS Day

Eastern Connecticut State University hosted Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day on Nov. 13. The event was held in the Student Center with approximately 140 attendees, including government...

Posted on November 15, 2019 by Molly Boucher

7 Students Present at COPLAC Conference in New Hampshire

Seven Eastern Connecticut State University students presented research projects at the Northeast regional conference for the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) on Nov. 8-9 at Keene...

Posted on November 12, 2019

Dymond Smith Participates in Yale Summer Research Experience

Health sciences major Dymond Smith ’22 participated in an eight-week research experience at Yale University this summer. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Summer Research...

Posted on September 09, 2019 by Michael Rouleau

Psychology Researchers Publish on Human, Pigeon Suboptimal Choice

Eastern Connecticut State University Psychology Professor James Diller and recent graduate Malvina Pietrzykowski ’19 were published in Springer’s “Learning and Behavior...

Posted on September 06, 2019 by Vania Galicia

Sociology Professor Nicolas Simon and student Tara Nguyen presented at the annual Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction Conference this past August.

Student-Professor Duo Presents at Symbolic Interaction Conference

Eastern Connecticut State University Sociology Professor Nicolas Simon and student Tara Nguyen ’21 presented and organized a session at the 2019 annual Society for the Study of Symbolic...

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Vania Galicia

Rachael Finch Studies Endangered Birds in Buzzards Bay

Rachael Finch, a biology major at Eastern Connecticut State University, has spent the past five weeks working with the endangered birds in Massachusetts’ Buzzards Bay. As the recipient of an...

Posted on July 11, 2019 by Michael Rouleau

Allison Lundy Wins National Student-Faculty Research Award

Eastern Connecticut State University student Allison Lundy ’19 was the sole recipient of the Council on Undergraduate Research’s (CUR) 2019 Education Division Student-Faculty...

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Vania Galicia

Research Institutes Help Young Students to Identify as Scholars

Summer vacation was delayed for four groups of Eastern students who immediately followed the end of the school year with intensive, week-long research programs on campus. From May 20–24, four...

Posted on June 06, 2019 by Michael Rouleau

2 Students Bring Eastern Research to the World Stage

Eastern Connecticut State University’s undergraduate research program gained stature this spring semester, as all three of its student applicants were accepted to present at the second annual...

Posted on June 06, 2019 by Michael Rouleau

Demitra Kourtzidis poses for the camera.

Another Selection for Prestigious ‘Posters on the Hill’

Eastern Connecticut State University student Demitra Kourtzidis ’19 of East Hampton was one of two researchers from Connecticut who presented their projects at the highly selective Posters on...

Posted on May 09, 2019 by Jordan Corey

Biology Students Present at Annual ECSC Conference

Fourteen biology students from Eastern presented independent research at the 73rd Annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference (ECSC) on April 6 at Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY. The students...

Posted on May 02, 2019

43 student presenters pose for the camera.

43 Strong, Eastern Represents in Georgia at National Conference

Forty-three students from Eastern Connecticut State University traveled to Georgia on April 11-13 to present original research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). The 2019...

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Michael Rouleau

CREATE Conference Highlights Student Research, Art

Displays of research and creativity dominated the Eastern Connecticut State University campus on April 12 for the annual CREATE conference. CREATE stands for “Celebrating Research Excellence...

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Michael Rouleau

Biology Students Study in Deserts of the Southwest

A group of Eastern students recently returned from the American Southwest after studying desert ecology in a global field course (GFC) with the biology department. The trip took place from March...

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Jordan Corey

Psychology Student-Professor Duo Co-Authors Research Paper

Eastern Connecticut State University alumna Kaylee DeFelice ’19 recently co-authored a paper with Psychology Professor James Diller titled “Intersectional Feminism and Behavior...

Posted on February 12, 2019 by Raven Dillon

Eastern Represents at American Historical Association Annual Meeting

Two students and three professors from Eastern Connecticut State University attended and presented research at the American Historical Association (AHA) annual meeting in Chicago, IL, from Jan....

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Michael Rouleau

Eastern Announces Results of 2018 TIMPANI Toy Study

On Dec. 4, Eastern Connecticut State University’s Center for Early Childhood Education announced that “Magz Clix” (previously known as “Bottle Clix”) by Magz® has...

Posted on December 04, 2018 by Ed Osborn

Eastern Holds Third Civic Action Conference

Eastern students have a reputation of service to community that goes back decades. But at the Third Annual Civic Action Conference on Nov. 14, it was demonstrated how much students actually learn...

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Dwight Bachman

Students Combat Antibiotic-Resistance Crisis via ‘Tiny Earth’

Eastern Connecticut State University is joining the push to mitigate one of the world’s most critical public health crises: antibiotic resistance. Through a new opportunity in the Biology...

Posted on November 09, 2018 by Michael Rouleau

Eastern COPLAC presenters with Environmental Earth Science Professor Stephen Nathan at SUNY-Geneseo.

Eastern Students Present at COPLAC Conference in New York

Eleven students from Eastern Connecticut State University presented their undergraduate research on Oct. 12–13 at the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) Northeast Regional...

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Jordan Corey

Researchers at Eastern Analyze the Baseball Pitch

Health sciences researchers at Eastern Connecticut State University analyzed the biomechanics of the baseball pitch this past weekend, using pitchers from Eastern’s own baseball team as study...

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Michael Rouleau

Biology Students Named ASPB Scholar, Present in Texas

Roshani Budhathoki ’19 and Jacob Dayton ’19 had big Octobers as biology students at Eastern Connecticut State University. Budhathoki was named a 2018-19 ASPB-Conviron Scholar by the...

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Raven Dillon

Professors holds camel spider up to camera.

Eastern Receives Major NSF Grant to Study Camel Spiders

Eastern Connecticut State University is the recipient of a major grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund research on a little-known type of arachnid known as the camel spider. Led...

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Michael Rouleau

Students pose for the camera in Costa Rica.

Eastern’s Tropical Biology Field Course Reaches Milestone

The sun was setting on Costa Rica. The air was thick with humidity and adrenaline. The rain was coming down, and Nicholas Kukla, a biology student at Eastern Connecticut State University, was about...

Posted on August 24, 2018 by Jordan Corey

Summer Fellowships Delve into Industrial Psych, Music Performance

Two Eastern students participated in Undergraduate Research/Creative Activity (UGRCA) Fellowships this summer, which are intensive research experiences on the Eastern campus that pair students with...

Posted on August 07, 2018 by Jordan Corey

Using motion-capture technology, the student in the background is rendered as a 3D image on the computer.

Summer Research Institutes Expose Students to New Fields of Inquiry

Eastern Connecticut State University held three inaugural Summer Research Institutes from May 14–18 to engage promising and high-achieving students in intensive, week long research programs...

Posted on May 24, 2018 by Michael Rouleau

Eastern Student Wins Fulbright Scholarship to Study in Indonesia

Eastern Connecticut State University student Adam Murphy ’18 has been awarded a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship to study Indonesian language in an intensive-language program in Salatiga,...

Posted on May 11, 2018 by Ed Osborn

Eastern Student is Connecticut’s only 2018 Goldwater Scholar

Eastern Connecticut State University student Jacob Dayton ’18, a biology major from Bolton, has been awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship for undergraduates in STEM fields who intend...

Posted on May 11, 2018 by Ed Osborn

Eastern Professor Courtney Broscious, U.S. Representative Joseph Courtney and Tess Candler.

Eastern Student Presents at 'Posters on the Hill' in Washington, D.C.

Eastern Connecticut State University student Tess Candler ’18 of Ledyard was one of two researchers from Connecticut given the distinguished opportunity of presenting their projects at the...

Posted on April 20, 2018

Christianne Senechal working in an Eastern lab

Eastern Students Assist in Biology Research Project

Undergraduate research and creative activities at Eastern Connecticut State University provide opportunities for students to work closely with faculty mentors on research or creative work.

Posted on March 07, 2018 by Anne Pappalardo

Record Number of Eastern Students Accepted at National Conference

A record-breaking 41 Eastern Connecticut State University students from a variety of disciplines have been selected to represent Eastern at the 2018 National Conference on Undergraduate Research...

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Jolene Potter

Eastern Student Presents Research

Jolene Potter ‘18 was one of two Eastern Connecticut State University students to present her research study as an oral presentation at Eastern’s Annual Psychological Science Afternoon...

Posted on December 01, 2017

Student Michael Beckstein ’18 with economics Professor Brendan Cunningham.

Student-Professor Duo Conducts NASA-Funded Satellite Research

Eastern Connecticut State University student Michael Beckstein ’18 joined Economics Professor Brendan Cunningham this summer to work on a research project titled “The Efficient Use of...

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Jordan Corey

2 Students Awarded Eastern Summer Fellowships

Eastern students Jolene Potter ’18 and Julie Leitao ’18 participated in Undergraduate Research/Creative Activity Fellowships this summer. Potter, a psychology major, prepared her...

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Michael Rouleau

2 Biology Students Complete NASA CT Summer Fellowships

Two Eastern biology students were among six undergraduate students from universities across Connecticut to receive fellowships from the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium this summer. Lauren...

Posted on August 05, 2017 by Michael Rouleau

Students Complete NSF Research Experiences Across the Country

Two Eastern Connecticut State University students participated in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) this summer. Mathematics major Haley...

Posted on August 02, 2017 by Michael Rouleau

Award winners Malvina Pietrzykowski ’19, Kimberly Mines ’17 and Isabella Rossi ’17 with Eastern President Elsa Nunez

Three Students Win Library Research Awards

Three Eastern students were recognized at the sixth annual Library Research Awards at the conclusion of the 2016-17 academic year.

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Michael Rouleau

Kayla Giordano Presents Political Research on Capitol Hill

Eastern student Kayla Giordano '17 was among only 60 students from across the country to present at Posters on the Hill (POH), a highly competitive undergraduate research conference held...

Posted on May 05, 2017

Eastern Unveils 2016 TIMPANI Toy Study Results

Eastern Connecticut State University’s Center for Early Childhood Education announced on Dec. 12 that “Plus-Plus®,” a toy made by the Danish company Plus-Plus®, has been...

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Eastern Connecticut State University’s Center for Early Childhood Education announced on Dec. 12 that “Plus-Plus®,” a toy made by the Danish company Plus-Plus®, has been named the 2016 TIMPANI (Toys that Inspire Mindful Play and Nurture Imagination)