DANBURY, CONN. — Western Connecticut State University Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Nicholas J. Greco and Associate Professor of Communication and Media Arts Dr. Jessica J. Eckstein have been honored by their peers for professional excellence as recipients of faculty honors awarded by the Board of Regents for Higher Education for the 2014-15 academic year.

Greco, who became a WCSU faculty member in 2009 after earning a Ph.D. in bio-organic chemistry at the University of California-San Diego, has been chosen from professors at the four universities in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system to receive the Board of Regents System-Wide Teaching Award. Eckstein, who earned her Ph.D. in communication studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is the recipient of the Board of Regents Campus-Wide Research Award honoring distinguished work by a member of the WCSU faculty, which she joined in 2008.

Greco and Eckstein are among 23 faculty members at the 17 universities and community colleges in the CSCU system who were recognized at the Board of Regents meeting on April 15 at Eastern Connecticut State University. “The quality of teaching and level of research throughout the college and university system is truly remarkable, and the scholarship by these faculty members is both inspiring and significant,” said Dr. Merle Harris, chair of the Board of Regents academic and student affairs committee.

“These awards recognize the exemplary work of the highest promise being done by our up-and-coming faculty,” CSCU President Dr. Gregory Gray remarked. “They are all demonstrating an impact on their academic field, our students and our state.”

Greco has conducted lecture and laboratory courses in general, survey and organic chemistry courses at Western, and mentored students in research work exploring the biophysical properties of modified nucleic acids. He serves as the secondary education adviser for chemistry majors and the faculty adviser for the WCSU Chemistry Club.

The citation presented at the award ceremony quoted WCSU Department of Chemistry Chair Dr. Russ Selzer’s description of Greco as “an exemplary teacher and colleague, embodying the ideal characteristics of a Western chemistry professor — friendly, engaging, approachable, caring, scholarly and rigorous in the practice of his discipline.” Further comment from another faculty colleague characterized his teaching style as “a perfect blend of traditional versus technological lecturing, coupled with a respectful and nurturing environment that results in a highly interactive classroom brimming with active learners.”

“Dr. Greco believes that through instruction one must foster critical and logical thinking skills, the foundation of a strong scientist,” the citation read. “He employs a teaching approach that utilizes multiple styles and multiple assessments of students’ understanding. Data-driven self-reflection is a process he undertakes to enhance his teaching and to make curriculum changes to improve students’ learning.”

Greco’s doctoral research conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Yitzhak Tor at UCSD focused on the design, synthesis and incorporation of novel fluorescent nucleosides, whose properties and applications are widely studied in the field of molecular biology. His main research interests at Western include the effects of these nucleosides on the structure and function of biological systems. Greco has published extensively as the coauthor of research articles for Chemical Reviews, Organic Letters, ChemBioChem and other professional journals.

The Board of Regents citation for Eckstein’s award noted remarks from WCSU Communication and Media Arts Co-Chair Dr. Kathryn Wiss that “her extensive list of publications and conference presentations and her work in national and regional organizations have established her as one of the primary experts in the field of communication.” The citation quoted a colleague’s description of Eckstein as “the foremost scholar studying domestic violence,” and child welfare social worker Kyle Pinto’s assertion that Eckstein’s research work “has been critical in shaping the dialogue among those who work in the field of interpersonal violence.”

Eckstein has written more than 20 professional articles, chapters and reviews in areas of specialization in interpersonal communication including gender and identity issues, generational messaging, relationship boundaries, intimate relationships, and domestic violence and abuse. She has contributed papers and presentations at more than 50 professional conferences, and has offered instructional sessions for business and community organizations as a trainer dealing with subjects including conflict management, interpersonal relationships, effective listening, communication for persuasion and clarity, respect for diverse identities, and strategies for communication about sensitive topics.

Eckstein has provided her expertise on a volunteer basis as a consultant and adviser to the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury, the Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health. She also is a popular guest lecturer who has shared her research on conflict and violent relationships at universities across the United States.

Eckstein received the 2012 Board of Regents/Connecticut State University Teaching Award at WCSU for her skillful and innovative strategies to design communication course instruction in a way that addresses each student’s interests and challenges them to evaluate information critically. A specialist in research on conscious and unconscious communication of gender, identity and other aspects of relationships, her topical courses at WCSU have addressed “Women, Language and Communication,” “Communication of Men and Masculinities,” and “Communication in Abusive Relationships.” During 12 years of instructional experience at the college level, she has taught a wide range of subjects including group management and decision-making, ethical responsibility, interviewing and persuasion strategies, public speaking, family, gender and health communication, and nonverbal communication.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.