Past Presidents

Under Dr. Núñez’s leadership, Eastern Connecticut State University has received several major national recognitions, including being ranked the #1 public regional university in New England in U.S. News and World Report’s 2021 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded "Green Campus" status by the Princeton Review 10 years in a row.

During her administration, Dr. Núñez has forged closer ties with the local and statewide communities, led a campus-wide strategic planning process, and shepherded the opening of an expanded and remodeled Student Center; a 174,000-square foot state-of-the-art Science Building; the new Center for Community Engagement; and other campus improvements. A new 118,000-square foot Fine Arts Center was completed in spring 2016, the renovated Communication building reopened in August 2018, and Goddard and Shafer Halls were renovated in 2019.

Prior to joining the Eastern community, Dr. Núñez served as Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs in the University of Maine System from 2003 to 2006. Before her appointment in Maine, Dr. Núñez served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lesley University. From 1993 to 1997 she was University Dean for Academic Affairs and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the City University of New York. Dr. Núñez also served as Associate Dean of Faculty at the College of Staten Island of The City University of New York from 1986 to 1992.

Dr. Núñez also has held positions as a tenured faculty member at Ramapo State College, the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York, and Lehman College of the City University of New York. She is the author of “Pursuing Diversity” (1992) and has published numerous articles in the areas of language acquisition, diversity, academic attainment in higher education, cultural differences in education and retention.

Dr. Núñez received her B.A. from Montclair State College, an M.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University and an Ed.D. in Language Education from Rutgers University.

In addition to serving on the NSSE National Advisory Board, Dr. Núñez also serves on the boards of such organizations as the President's Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, and the NCAA Board of Governor's Ad Hoc Committee on Sports Wagering.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Dr. Núñez is married to Dr. Richard Freeland, former president of Northeastern University and former Commissioner of Higher Education for the State of Massachusetts. They have two children, Maria, an anesthesiologist in Detroit, Michigan, and Antony, an academic advisor at Naugatuck Valley Community College.

View Dr. Núñez's Speeches

David G. Carter, the University’s fifth president, was inaugurated in September 1988 and led the school for almost 18 years. On Jan. 20, 2006, Carter was appointed chancellor of the Connecticut State University System.

The period 1988 to 2006 brought tremendous growth to Eastern Connecticut State University under the leadership of David G. Carter. Early in his administration, President Carter was forced to quell sentiments that Eastern should be merged into the University of Connecticut or otherwise shut down. This political debate echoed a similar discussion from more than 40 years prior, and like the earlier discussion, eventually came to naught, thanks largely to Carter’s tireless advocacy.

Under President Carter’s leadership, Eastern soared, with a campus transformation that saw 15 new and renovated buildings added to the campus footprint, doubling the University’s square footage. Included in the growth were Webb Hall (1992); Noble Hall (renovated in 1992); Niejadlik Hall (1998); Mead Hall (1999); Arthur Johnson Unity Center (1997); a baseball stadium/sports complex (1998); the Admissions building (1999); the Foster Clock Tower (1999); the J. Eugene Smith Library (1999); Gelsi-Young Hall (2002); a parking garage (2003); Constitution, Laurel, and Nutmeg residence halls (2004–2005); and the Child and Family Development Resource Center (2005–2006).

This growth in facility space was in direct response to enrollment growth of more than 40 percent during Carter’s tenure. During this same period, Eastern’s academic reputation was enhanced, with a more focused public liberal arts mission approved by the Connecticut State University System Board of Trustees in 1998; membership in the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges in 2004; and an updated Liberal Arts Core Curriculum developed by the faculty. Academic programs expanded to 33 undergraduate majors, 49 undergraduate minors, and 3 graduate programs. In addition to reaccreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the University also sought and was granted accreditation of its teacher preparation programs by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. The University initiated exchange agreements with universities in Sri Lanka, France, Japan, Uganda, Brazil, and elsewhere, and the number of international students on campus grew to 145 in 1995.

Reflecting President Carter’s interest in the environment, Eastern also created the Institute for Sustainable Energy and established an endowed chair in Sustainable Energy Studies. Distance learning technology was implemented, as were course offerings at the submarine base in Groton. A close relationship with Connecticut’s community colleges was forged in support of students’ transfer opportunities. President Carter also believed in asking the University’s friends to support Eastern through philanthropic opportunities. In addition to hiring a full-time alumni affairs director, the efforts of the ECSU Foundation, Inc., were enhanced. “Fun*Ding,” the major fund-raising event each year, brought in such stars as Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, and Fleetwood Mac.

President Webb continued the student centered traditions of George Shafer and J. Eugene Smith, scheduling “open door” hours when faculty and students could visit him in the library.

Charles Richard Webb led the University from 1970 to 1988. A graduate of the University of California–Berkeley, he also holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard University. Prior to coming to Eastern, he was chairman of the History Department at San Diego State College.

Eastern’s enrollment went from fewer than 1,000 students to more than 4,000 during Webb’s tenure. He also oversaw the construction of nine buildings on the North Campus, and created majors in Environmental Earth Science, Communication, and Computer Science. During his administration the college also reorganized itself into three distinct schools: Arts and Sciences; Education and Professional Studies; and Continuing Education. In 1983, Eastern Connecticut State College completed its metamorphosis and became Eastern Connecticut State University.

President Webb presided over the University during a time of dramatic change in the United States. The impact of the civil rights and women’s rights movements, as well as other cultural and social trends, could be seen across the country, as well as at Eastern. Campus activities and study abroad programs reflected the adventurous spirit of the times as well as student interest in such issues as the environment, women’s rights, and affirmative action.

A staunch supporter of NCAA Division III athletics during his administration, Webb was instrumental in increasing Eastern’s varsity teams from four (all for men) to 11, including six for women. One of his first initiatives was launching construction of the $2.7 million Sports Center in February 1971. A national softball championship in 1981 was the beginning of nine national Division III championships in baseball and softball.

President Webb enjoyed and contributed to the campus culture. His musical group, “Grooves of Academe,” often played at campus events, and featured Professor Kenneth Parzych on drums, Professor Ed Drew on bass, and President Webb on xylophone. Ever the humorist, at his retirement reception in April 1988, Webb announced, “I have been going to school since I was five and I think it is time for me to graduate.”

In October 1999, the University named its newest classroom building after Webb. He and his wife, Andrée, traveled from California to attend the ceremony. At the event, President David G. Carter commented, “It is clear to me, that when you consider all that transpired during the time of your leadership, you are a person of vision. It is only fitting that we name an academic building after a man whose soul is about teaching and learning. Dr. Webb knew that the most effective learning is active learning.”

During his brief tenure as Eastern’s third president, Searle Charles led the school through another name change: to Eastern Connecticut State College. He also saw the completion of Goddard Hall and Hurley Hall and the opening of Keelor Hall, the school’s first early childhood education facility. Charles left Eastern to become the executive secretary of the Connecticut Community College System.

Searle Charles was president from 1966 to 1970. During his tenure, the school became Eastern Connecticut State College. In 1968, Charles was present for the Faculty Senate’s first meeting. Goddard Hall was built during his administration, as was Hurley Hall and Keelor Hall.

J. Eugene Smith helped broaden the scope of WSTC offerings from a focus on teacher preparation to include liberal arts and graduate programs. During his tenure, the school also “moved up the hill,” building dormitories and classroom facilities, and purchasing other needed buildings.

James Eugene Smith became the president of Willimantic State Teachers College in 1947. He first came to Willimantic in 1935 to teach at Windham High School, moving down the street in 1937 to begin teaching at WSTC. He received his doctorate from Harvard University in 1943. Luva Mead Hoar ’42 recalls the day she met Smith in September 1938: “A few of us had stopped by to visit with him in his office after class. We looked out the window and the trees were falling down, and he said in his unflappable way, ‘I believe we are having a hurricane.’ He escorted us through the tunnel that connected the administration building to the boiler room in Burr Hall.”

According to Hoar, Smith was “most responsible for this school being student-centered because he was always willing to listen to what you had to say. He had a wonderful empathy with people.” Smith also had a way with the violin. An excellent musician, he enjoyed playing violin with the Willimantic Symphony Orchestra in the 1940s and the 1950s.

In 1971, several years after Smith’s retirement, the institution dedicated the original J. Eugene Smith Library in his honor. It has since been transformed into the Alvin B. Wood Support Services Center, which houses the many support services available to students, i.e. registrar, financial aid, veterans affairs, and housing. A new state-of-the-art library was dedicated to Smith in 1999.

Interestingly, it was the school’s library that had attracted Smith to campus in the first place. While still teaching at the local high school, he would visit campus to make use of the library, where he made friends with members of the staff, including the librarian and President Shafer. They encouraged him to apply for a vacant teaching position, and “the rest is history.”

During President Smith’s tenure, the campus began to grow up the hill, beyond its roots between Valley and Prospect Streets. In addition to opening the new administration and classroom building that was to become Shafer Hall in 1948, the Knight House and 20 acres of land were purchased in 1947; a new student union/dormitory was built (Winthrop Hall in 1959); and construction of the Goddard Science Building commenced. (It opened in 1967.) The first men’s dormitory — Beckert Hall — was also opened. Smith also saw the value of supplementing state funds and tuition by establishing a foundation to seek private support for the institution.

In 1918, George H. Shafer began the longest tenure of any of Eastern’s leaders. Faculty member C. Francis Willey described him as a man “with deep social insight who guided the college throughout the difficult Depression years of crisis and legislative battles.” Shafer served 29 years as the school’s principal and president.

In addition to dealing with the Depression and World War II, George H. Shafer and his colleagues had many other challenges, including thwarting threats by the Connecticut General Assembly to close the school because of operating costs that legislators felt were too high ($239,105 in 1939), and responding to the loss of the normal school building to fire in 1943.

But Shafer’s years were also good years. He opened the first dormitory, which could house 80 women, and named it after Henry T. Burr, the normal school’s third principal. It remained exclusively the home of female students until fall 2006 when it went coed following an extensive renovation. In January 1924, fire destroyed the Windham Street Model School. Funds were appropriated ($200,000) in 1925 to purchase land and rebuild. The new laboratory school opened in 1928. For many years, Frederick R. Noble was the new school’s principal; the lab school was renovated and named in his honor in 1957. Today the building serves as a residence hall for upperclassmen.

Shafer also directed the school’s transition to a four-year curriculum in 1937, which brought about a name change — from Willimantic State Normal School to Willimantic State Teachers College (WSTC). Shafer was installed on Sept. 27, 1937, as the college’s first president. Legislator Margaret Hurley (a WNS graduate), Willimantic Mayor Pierre Laramee, former WNS principal Henry Burr, and Helene Miller, dean of the faculty all were on hand for the ceremony and the Teachers College chorus sang.

Tuition was free if graduates committed to teaching two years within Connecticut; if they wanted to teach after that, a bachelor’s degree was mandated. By 1929–1930, room and board averaged approximately $325 a year for the 173 students who attended WNS.

Henry T. Burr served as WNS principal during the World War I era and oversaw construction of a model school where student teachers could practice their craft. The school’s first dormitory was built in 1921 and named in his honor.

The second principal of the Willimantic State Normal School, George P. Phenix, led the school’s move to a new building. He went on to become a faculty member, administrator, and eventually president of Hampton University in Virginia.

Arthur B. Morrill, a graduate of Yale University, left New Britain Normal School to open the Willimantic program in 1889. He left Willimantic State Normal School (WNS) in 1893 to open the normal school in New Haven. Morrill kept tight reins on students and faculty alike, establishing strict guidelines and a standard notebook for all student work.