WILLIMANTIC, Conn. — After 18 years, the sixth president of Eastern Connecticut State University, Elsa Nunez, announced her retirement Thursday.
Nunez is the first Latina to serve as a university president in New England.
"Eighteen years ago, I visited Eastern for the first time and I fell in love! I encountered a beautiful campus, inspiring students, dedicated faculty and staff, and engaged alumni. From that very first visit, I knew that Eastern was more than where I wanted to be. Eastern was where I was destined to be. I was honored and humbled to be selected as your sixth president, and, to this day, I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to serve all of you! However, no amount of love can stop the passage of time, and, for me, the time has come to embrace the next phase of my life," Nunez said in a letter to the university community.
Under Nunez's leadership, Eastern climbed in U.S. News and World Report's annual Best Colleges rankings. Now ranked #19 among 63 regional public institutions in the North Region, an area spanning 11 states and the District of Columbia.
“Dr. Núñez has made a lasting impact at Eastern Connecticut State University. Her leadership has strengthened the university’s connections with the local community, including through efforts to ensure that our public higher education institutions are providing students with the skills they need to succeed at in-demand jobs. Throughout my tenure as governor, she has partnered with our administration on several initiatives and has been a vocal advocate on behalf of students and their ability to access and pursue high-quality, higher education opportunities. I thank her for her friendship and her many years of public service on behalf of Connecticut’s higher education system, and I wish her nothing but the very best on this well-earned and exciting new chapter in her life,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement.
Nunez became one of the first university presidents to sign the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment.
"A hallmark of her presidency has been her effort to provide higher education opportunities to marginalized high school students, and building a campus culture that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion," according to a statement by the university.
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