Eastern student Emily Barata of New Fairfield graduates from University Honors Program

The Honors Program at Eastern Connecticut State University recognized 19 graduating seniors at its annual reception this past May in the University's J. Eugene Smith Library. The event celebrates students who completed an honors thesis, the program's capstone requirement.

Among those honored was Emily Barata of New Fairfield, who majors in Biology. Barata's thesis is titled "Investigating Potential Consequences of Microgravity on Microglial Function and Brain Health."

The University Honors Program offers an enriched course of study for academically talented and intellectually curious students. To graduate from the program, students must work with a faculty mentor in their major discipline on a long-term original research project known as an Honors Thesis, which is bound, catalogued and archived in the University library upon completion.

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,100 students annually on its Willimantic campus. In addition to attracting students from 160 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 32 states and eight countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 20 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022-23 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 13 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.