Director of News and Editorial Communications

Tom Breen

Tom Breen has been at UConn since 2012, serving as a news writer, deputy spokesperson, manager for special projects, UConn Today editor, and, as of January 2021, director of news and editorial communications. Prior to UConn, he worked as a reporter for The Associated Press, covering health care, religion, and state government in West Virginia and North Carolina, and before the AP, he worked at newspapers in Connecticut and Massachusetts. He is the author of two books about Christianity and contemporary culture, and has published short fiction in many periodicals and anthologies. A second-generation Husky, he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2000. He is the co-founder of the award-winning UConn 360 podcast and has given presentations on UConn history to community groups throughout Connecticut. He lives in Manchester, is active in volunteer organizations, and recommends that you try the coconut flavor at the Dairy Bar.


Author Archive

The iron lung on display at the Carolyn Ladd Widmer Wing of Storrs hall on April 3, 2018. These mechanical respirators were familiar sights in the US before the development of the polio vaccine.

Polio Vaccination Rates in Some Areas of the US Hover Dangerously Close to the Threshold Required for Herd Immunity – Here’s Why that Matters

The US recently recorded its first case of polio in nearly a decade

A "Burning Man" participant holds up his arms as t

Burning Man Highlights the Primordial Human Need for Ritual

Since its inception in 1986, attendance has increased from a few dozen to over 70,000 — and hundreds of thousands in regional versions around the world

NPR

Rituals Are Important to Human Life – Even When They Seem Meaningless

Hearst Connecticut Media

UConn Stamford, Hartford to Offer ‘Fintech’ Certificate: ‘Looking to Be the Global Leader’

Man and women whispering a secret latest gossip to a happy young man who covers ears and ignoring all surrounding noise.

Cognitive Biases and Brain Biology Help Explain Why Facts Don’t Change Minds

For many people, a challenge to their worldview feels like an attack on their personal identity and can cause them to harden their position

The Conversation

Cognitive Biases and Brain Biology Help Explain Why Facts Don’t Change Minds

An infographic illustrating the success of a public awareness campaign in Maryland aimed at reducing sugary drink consumption.

Rudd Center: Campaign in Maryland Led to 30% Drop in Soda Sales; Sales of Other Sugary Drinks Also Fell

'One of the most sustained and comprehensive community led efforts to decrease sugary drink consumption in the country'

Fairfield County Business Journal

UConn to Offer Graduate Certificate in Fintech

Hearst Connecticut Media

Lamont is Ready to ‘Challenge the System’ with New Gun Safety Measures in CT

Newsweek

Good Guys With Guns May Be Heroes—But They’re Not Our Solution