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| | | | Connecticut State Community College (CT State) and the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS) officially signed a landmark partnership at CT State Manchester to strengthen pathways from technical high schools to community college. The agreement expands dual enrollment opportunities, aligns curricula, and prepares students for the high-demand employment needs of Connecticut’s workforce. The signing event featured grade 10 CTECS culinary students, the first cohort to participate under the partnership. |
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| CTECS Executive Director Alice Pritchard (left), signed the partnership agreement with CT State Interim President Dr. Christina Royal (right). |
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Pictured at the ceremony are: (left to right): Karen Hynick, Ed.D., CT State Acting Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Workforce Innovation; Kelli-Marie Vallieres, Ph.D., State of Connecticut Chief Workforce Officer; Alice Pritchard, Ph.D., CTECS Executive Director; Christina Royal Ph.D., CT State Interim President; Charlene Russell-Tucker, Commissioner, State Department of Education: and Dr. John Maduko, Interim CSCU Chancellor (Photos by Brian Lombardo) |
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| | | The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) are embarking on the Excellence in Teacher Residency project to address the challenges of teacher shortages and retention, as well as supporting instructional quality. Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western Connecticut State Universities are partnering with the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH), the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE), and Connecticut Partner school districts to focus on excellence in teacher residency programs. |
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| Pictured are participants at a Teacher Residency Program event hosted at Central Connecticut State University that featured leaders from each CSCU campus. |
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| | | | |  The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) System announced the extension of Dr. Christina Royal’s appointment as interim president of Connecticut State Community College (CT State) through June 30, 2027. Dr. Royal has served as interim president since August 1, 2025. She previously served as president of Holyoke Community College and was selected as a 2024-2025 Judith Block McLaughlin President-in-Residence in the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Royal holds a Ph.D. in Education from Capella University, an M.A. in Educational Psychology, and a B.A. in Mathematics from Marist University.
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| |  Dr. Elena Vladimirovna Koulidobrova, associate professor in Linguistics at Central Connecticut State University, has been selected for a Fulbright award to Ecuador. Her project will focus on Ecuadorian Sign Language (LSEC) as used by Deaf and hard of hearing Ecuadorians.
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| |  Western Connecticut State University (WestConn) was named one of the top colleges for women in the nation by Newsweek in partnership with Gender Fair, earning a 100 overall ranking in the publication’s inaugural America’s Best Colleges for Women 2026. This places We among more than 750 U.S. colleges and universities evaluated for their commitment to advancing gender equity, expanding access to resources and opportunities, and supporting women on campus.
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| |  Eastern Connecticut State University celebrated the unveiling of Eastern’s new athletics logo - an exciting new chapter for Eastern Athletics. The rebrand comes as the university recently completed turf upgrades to its softball and baseball fields, and a new NCAA women’s football program is set to join Eastern's growing roster of Division III sports.
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| |  Southern Connecticut State University instructor and veteran school psychologist Eric Elias has earned one of the highest honors in his field, receiving the School Psychologist of the Year award from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). The national award recognizes professionals who demonstrate exceptional dedication to student mental health, learning, and comprehensive school-based services.
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| |  Connecticut State Community College (CT State) Middlesex received a $13,500 contribution from ARBURG, Inc., a global leader in the manufacturing of high-quality plastic processing and injection molding machines. The funds were raised through the company’s annual charity golf tournament and reflect ARBURG’s continued commitment to manufacturing innovation and workforce development.
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| |  Eastern Connecticut biology Professors Barbara Murdoch and Matthew Graham co-authored a study found that scorpion venom contains “diverse microbial communities,” that could inspire the development of new antibiotics to fight infections. The research was conducted by Murdoch and Graham with co-authors Carlos E. Santibanez-Lopez of Western Connecticut State University and Adam Kleinschmit of the University of Dubuque in Iowa.
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| |  Connecticut State Community College (CT State) celebrated student winners and finalists during the 2025 Elevator Pitch Competition, held at the Werth Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at CT State Housatonic. More than 50 CT State students submitted video pitches for the competition, with judges selecting 19 finalists to present their ideas. The top 10 winners received a cash prize, and all the student entrepreneurs received an LLC-filing grant to support their business start-up costs.
Photo credit: Sherifdeen Dhikrullah, CT State Housatonic.
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| |  Central Connecticut State University honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the university's annual symposium, breakfast, and Day of Service. The annual event brought together students, faculty, and community partners for a morning of reflection followed by hands-on service projects on campus and in New Britain.
Central President Zulma Toro, with members of the Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium Planning Committee, are pictured with keynote speaker L. Joy William, a political strategist and civic leader. (Photo by Johnathon Henninger)
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| |  Southern’s Office of Workforce and Lifelong Learning (OWLL) is opening doors for hundreds of nontraditional students seeking to boost their skills through short-term, skill-based education. The program also offers courses in medical Spanish, medical billing, tourism and hospitality, a NextGen Parent Academy, and even a drone academy. Now in its second year, OWLL served more than 1,000 students last academic year.
Taevon Walker (pictured) became a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Professional after taking coursework and passing the CMMC exam through Southern's Office of Workforce and Lifelong Learning.
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| Eastern’s Runksmeier Receives Lifetime Achievement Award and WestConn Athletics Wins National Community Service Award at NCAA Convention |
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|  Lori Runksmeier (right), director of athletics at Eastern Connecticut State University who retires on April 1, received the prestigious Richard A. Rasmussen Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Convention in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes professionals who have contributed significantly to NCAA Division III athletics.
Western Connecticut State University (WestConn) Athletics was also recognized with the One-Time Project Community Service Award by the National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators (NADIIIAA) for its participation in the school's annual Day of Service. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to campus and community engagement across Division III institution and was presented to WestConn Director of Athletics Lori Mazza (left).
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| |  Lori Runksmeier, director of athletics at Eastern Connecticut State University who retires on April 1, was awarded the prestigious Richard A. Rasmussen Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Convention in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes professionals who have contributed significantly to NCAA Division III athletics.
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| |  Southern Connecticut State University was selected alongside seven Connecticut colleges and universities to participate in the pilot phase of the Connecticut Tech Talent Accelerator 3.0 (TTA 3.0), a statewide initiative bringing together industry and education to expand AI education and workforce readiness across high-impact sectors. Through this award, Southern will expand its AI in Manufacturing program to include quantum computing concepts through a new non-credit micro credential.
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