Girl Scouts of Connecticut: Elsa Nunez

Elsa Núñez

In August 2011, Dr. Elsa M. Núñez started her sixth year as president of Eastern Connecticut State University. During her first five years on campus, Dr. Núñez has forged closer ties with the local community, led a campus-wide strategic planning process, and shepherded the opening of an expanded/remodeled Student Center; a beautiful 174,000-square foot Science Building; an Academic Services Center that consolidates tutoring, advising and other academic support services; a new Police Department facility; the new Center for Community Engagement; and other campus improvements. In 2009–10, the University also underwent a successful reaccreditation process under the auspices of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Prior to joining the Eastern community, Dr. Núñez had more than 20 years of previous experience as a senior administrator in higher education, serving as Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs in the University of Maine System; as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lesley University; and as University Dean for Academic Affairs and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the City University of New York. Dr. Núñez also served as Associate Dean of Faculty at the College of Staten Island of The City University of New York from 1986 to 1992. She has held positions as a tenured faculty member at Ramapo State College, the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York, and Lehman College of the City University of New York. Dr. Núñez is also the author of “Pursuing Diversity” (1992) and has published numerous articles in the areas of language acquisition, diversity, academic attainment in higher education, cultural differences in education and retention. She received her B.A. from Montclair State College, an M.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a doctorate in linguistics from Rutgers University.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Dr. Núñez is married to Dr. Richard Freeland, former president of Northeastern University and current Commissioner of Higher Education for the State of Massachusetts. They have two children, Maria, an anesthesiologist in Miami, Florida, and Antony, a college counselor for the University of Connecticut who lives in Manchester, Connecticut.