Elsa M. NuÌñez, president of Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic since 2006, has announced that she is retiring. She was the first Latina to serve as a university president in New England.
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 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. From 1993 to 1997 she was dean for academic affairs and vice chancellor for student affairs at the City University of New York.
In a letter to the Eastern Connecticut State University community, Dr. Núñez wrote: “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.”
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities President Terrence Cheng stated that “Elsa Núñez will leave a strong legacy at Eastern Connecticut State University, having served with distinction for 18 years. Under her able leadership, the university has grown stronger, cementing itself as the state’s public liberal arts institution.”
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Dr. Núñez is a graduate of Montclair State University in New Jersey. She holds a master’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey and a doctorate in language education from Rutgers University.