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More than 12,000 family members and friends filled the XL Center in Hartford on Tuesday, May 17, to cheer on their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, as 1,221 undergraduates and 25 graduate students received their diplomas at Eastern Connecticut State University’s 126th Commencement exercises.
Jerry Franklin, CEO and president of the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa during the Commencement Exercises, and offered remarks following presentation of his honorary degree.
Franklin has served as CEO and president of CPBN for more than 30 years. Through CPTV, the state’s only public television broadcasting network, and WNPR, Connecticut’s leading National Public Radio affiliate, CPBN serves Connecticut as well as areas of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York — reaching an estimated 450,000 television viewers and 276,000 radio listeners each week.
During his tenure at CPBN, Franklin has led a growth in programming ranging from the Infinity Hall music concert series to playing a leadership role in bringing children’s programming such as “Barney and Friends,” “Bob the Builder” and “Thomas and Friends” to public television.
Speaking to the graduates, Franklin said, “You may feel overwhelmed by today’s events . . . it feels like the world is coming unglued. You may see these times as a pivotal point in human history. It is where we have always been. Life is all about moments of transition. Tonight you are coming to the end of your college phase, bringing you back to a beginning, a new start. Do not be afraid of this time. Adjusting to change is what life is all about, and the liberal arts undergraduate degree you have earned is the first step toward your success.”
Other speakers at the Commencement Exercises included Eastern President Elsa Nunez; attorney David Jimenez, who represented the Board of Regents for Higher Education; Senior Class President Bryan Hayes, and Gabriela Wrobel ’16, who delivered the Senior Class Address. Other members of the platform party included Willimantic Mayor Ernie Eldridge; Justin Murphy ’98, president of the ECSU Foundation; Ellen Lang ’81, president of the ECSU Alumni Association; Father Larry LaPointe; and other Eastern officials.
Núñez told the graduates, “Our nation and the global society we live in look to you for leadership. As you begin your career, take care of yourself, take care of your families, but make sure that you take time to help others when you can. You will find that supporting and helping others strengthens you. St. Francis of Assisi once said, ‘Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received…but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.’ May each of you have a long, successful life, marked by courage, strengthened through sacrifice, and enriched by service to others.”
More than 40 percent of the graduates were the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree. As Connecticut’s only public liberal arts university, Eastern draws students from 158 of the state’s 169 towns. Approximately 85 percent of graduates stay in Connecticut to launch their careers, contribute to their communities and raise their families.
Senior Class President Bryan Hayes presented the Senior Class Gift to President Nunez — an annual Class of 2016 scholarship — and said, “Our contributions will allow future Eastern students to experience the vast opportunities that our University has to offer. Together, we are leaving behind a legacy that we can all be proud of.”
David Jimenez, a shareholder in the Hartford-based law firm of Jackson Lewis, which specializes in employment and labor law, spoke on behalf of the Board of Regents for Higher Education. “We all know there is no shortcut to earning an undergraduate degree, but the benefits for doing so are extraordinary,” said Jimenez. “You energize my colleagues and me on the Board of Regents with the promise and potential you represent. The foundation of learning you have received at Eastern has prepared you well. Your contributions to your communities, our state and the world have just begun.”
Mark Ojakian, president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System, also brought greetings. “I hope you feel an immense sense of pride for the unique contributions to Eastern. You have pushed yourself to succeed despite life’s numerous challenges. I am inspired by what you have achieved. You are Connecticut’s future leaders, its future workforce, and members of our state’s communities. Now go out and make us proud!”
In her Senior Class Address, Gabriela Wrobel described coming to the United States from Poland when she was 11 years old, and said, “It was at Eastern, in this tight-knit community, that I found my home over the past four years . . . . By connecting with the faculty on campus I have had the chance to do independent research, aid in running a classroom as a teaching assistant, and even broaden my horizons by taking a Global Field Course to Israel and Jordan over spring break.” Turning to her fellow graduates, Wrobel said, “At Eastern, we have developed a deeper way of thinking about the world and the solutions to its problems. We leave here as liberally educated people, well-rounded, rational, critical and ethical members of society, ready to create change where change is needed.”
From the Governor’s Foot Guard Color Guard in attendance, to the plaintive sound of the bagpipes of the St. Patrick’s Pipe Band and the pre-event music of the Thread City Brass Quintet, this year’s graduation ceremonies again reflected the University’s Commencement traditions of dignity and grace. University Senate President Gregory Kane presided over the commencement exercises; seniors Shelby Larsen, Caitlin McDonough, Delaney Jordan, Moriah Parrett, Alexis Kurtz and Judy Reid sang “America the Beautiful”; Senior Courtney Callaway gave the invocation; and Business Administration Professor Jeffrey Schaller was recognized as the 2016 Distinguished Professor Award recipient.

The Art Gallery in Eastern Connecticut State University’s new Fine Arts Instructional Center is seeking artists’ submissions for the exhibition, “Here & Now: Eastern Art Alumni Exhibition,” which will be open to the public from Sept. 1-Oct. 13. An opening reception will take place on Sept. 8 from 5-7 p.m. 

Artists in the exhibit must be graduates of Eastern’s Visual Arts program, and only original works executed over the past five years will be considered. Commercial designs, animation and motion graphics are welcomed and encouraged.

A panel of jurors will review all entries via digital submissions, select work for the exhibition and award prizes.  Artists will be notified of selection by July 25, 2016.  Panel members include Thomas Bruhn, emeritus director and curator of the William Benton Museum of Art at the University of Connecticut; Shana Dumont Garr, director of the Kingston Gallery in Boston, MA; and Gregory Garvey, professor of game design and development and chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department at Quinnipiac University. 

Digital submissions (photographs of artwork converted to digital images) can be submitted from June 1-30, 2016. Artists may submit up to three entries each.  All entries must include the entry form, which is available at www.easternct.edu/artgallery along with additional submission guidelines.  For more information call (860) 465-4659.

Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team are excited to return to Connecticut! They plan to film episodes of the hit series AMERICAN PICKERS throughout Connecticut with filming scheduled for this summer.

AMERICAN PICKERS is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique ‘picking’ on History. The hit show follows Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques–from motorcycles, classic cars and bicycles, to one-of-a-kind vintage memorabilia.

As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, Mike and Frank continue their mission to recycle America by rescuing forgotten relics and giving them a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about American history along the way.

AMERICAN PICKERS is looking for leads and would love to explore your buried treasure. They are on the hunt for characters with interesting and unique items.  Some of what they look for: vintage bicycles, toys, unusual radios, movie memorabilia, advertising, military items, folk art, early firefighting equipment, vintage musical equipment, automotive items, and clothing. They are always excited to find things they’ve never seen before and learn the story behind it.

If you or someone you know has a large, private collection send us your: name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to:

americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 855-old-rust.

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. — James Diller, associate professor of psychology at Eastern Connecticut State University, was honored with the System-Wide Teaching Award for the 2015-16 academic year by the Board of Regents for Higher Education, the governing entity of the 17 Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU). With hundreds of faculty to choose from in the system, two awards are given annually — one to a university faculty member and one to a community college faculty member.

“Some professors are skilled as lecturers, others excel in designing innovative approaches in class, and some elicit excellent discussions among their students,” said Eastern Provost Dimitrios Pachis. “There are also professors who stand out as mentors, impacting students in a profound and life-changing way. James Diller excels at all of these.”

Diller, who has been on the Eastern faculty for eight years, is an expert in the psychological field of behavior analysis, and derives his teaching methods from the field. “One of the tenants of radical behaviorism as it relates to education is that the learner is always right,” said Diller. “If your learner isn’t doing something that they should be, that’s something about the environment, something about the instruction, instead of necessarily a flaw with that person.”

Connor Patros ’11, a former student of Diller’s, said of his teaching: “He has an uncanny ability to recognize when students are having difficulty grasping complex concepts, and is able to modify his teaching accordingly.”

Diller ensures his students’ success through frequent assessment, providing immediate feedback and offering opportunities for remediation when they perform poorly. He engages students by asking a lot of questions and summoning participation through ‘choral responding,’ the use of response cards and other creative tactics. “The more engagement that can be fostered, the better the learning outcome,” explained Diller.

Mentoring is perhaps Diller’s most exceptional area of teaching. “James is gifted in his ability to recognize and encourage students with potential,” said Pachis. “The gauge of his success is the achievements of his students” — many of whom, as undergraduates, have been published in research articles and presented in prestigious conferences across the country.

 “The ability to mentor students is absolutely one of the best parts of my job,” says Diller. “A lot of students underestimate what they can do. They’re not sure they would be able to present at a conference or write a paper for publication, but they see they can do those things after working closely with a faculty mentor.”

Diller is also a prolific researcher within the area of behavior analysis, and turns his scholarly pursuits into opportunities for his students. “I have several published papers with student coauthors,” he said. “I’ve been able to advance my research agenda while training them to conduct research and write and do other professional things that will be important to them when they go onto graduate school or into their careers.” Diller acknowledges that if he worked at a larger school, this sort of research and access to faculty would be happening only for graduate students.

“James is quite simply the most gifted and committed teacher I have known,” said Eastern Professor Kristalyn Salters-Peneault, a colleague of Diller’s in the Psychology Department. “It is no coincidence that so many of James’ students go onto master’s and doctoral programs.”

“Dr. Diller is entirely responsible for my current status as a doctoral candidate,” said Patros, who is enrolled in the Oklahoma State University Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. “I have been in the university setting for the previous eight years and have yet to meet an individual with the teaching and mentoring ability exhibited by Dr. Diller.”

Patros commented that while in pursuit of his graduate degree — upon seeing his impressive resume of nine professional posters, a publication and several conference presentations — peers assumed he already had a master’s degree. “I think that’s the best thing I can do,” said Diller. “To train undergraduates as if they are graduate students and give them a head start on the next part of their career.”