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President Toro announced today that Dr. Kristine Larsen has been selected for one of the university’s most prestigious honors – the designation of Connecticut State University Professor.
Dr. Larsen, a professor of Geological Sciences, joins a select group of professors in the Central system who hold the title, including two of her fellow Central faculty members, Carol Austad and Felton Best. Faculty chosen for this award demonstrate excellence in teaching, a record of outstanding scholarship, and service to the university community. Dr. Larsen will retain the title for the duration of her service to the university.
Dr. Larsen acquired her Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Central in 1985. She earned her master’s degree in Physics from the University of Connecticut in 1987 and went on to complete doctoral studies in Physics at UConn.
A Central faculty member since 1989, Dr. Larsen has amassed an extraordinary record of scholarship and grant-funded research in Astronomy, Physics, and Earth Sciences. During her tenure, Dr. Larsen also helped to establish the Center for Teaching and Innovation/Center for Teaching and Faculty Development. Currently she serves as director of the Honors Program.
For her efforts, Dr. Larsen has garnered many prestigious awards over the years. Most recently Dr. Larsen was placed on the May 2022 Central Excellence in Teaching Honor Roll and received the 2021 G.R. Wright Service Award from the Astronomical League.
Outside of Central, Dr. Larsen is a member of several academic societies, including the American Association of Variable Star Observers, American Astronomical Society, and the Astronomical League among others. She is active in the AAUP Central chapter and held leadership positions and an array of committee memberships over the years. She is the author of eight books, more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, and more than 50 book chapters.