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

Vintage engraving of a Mother and daughter sold at Slave Auction, Southern USA, 19th Century

There Was a Time Reparations Were Actually Paid Out – Just Not to Formerly Enslaved People

The payments went to former slave owners and their descendants, not the enslaved or their legal heirs.

The Washington Post

Butterflies are Vanishing Out West. Scientists Say Climate Change is to Blame.

A baby being fed with a spoon.

How Safe is Baby Food? Company Reports Show Arsenic, Lead, and Other Heavy Metals

Since the amount of heavy metals varies so dramatically, food choices can make a difference.

Boston Review

The Value of Truth

The members of Ebony Horsewomen Inc.'s Junior Mounted Patrol in Keney Park, receiving a Connecticut Greenways award in October 2022, with Ebony Horsewomen founder and CEO Patricia "Pat" Kelly standing in front, with Bruce Donald of the Connecticut Greenways Council

Hartford Program Offers Healing and Empowerment on Horseback

The Ebony Horsewomen initiative provides life lessons, teaches skills, and promotes youth development.

Highway traffic on Interstate 84

Air Filters Can Scrub Out Air Pollutants Near Highways, Reduce Blood Pressure

Even relatively small reductions in blood pressure can affect the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The UConn Foundation on October 8, 2020.

$4 Million Scholarship Gives Bridgeport Students Path to UConn

The donation, by an alumnus couple, is linked to an afterschool enrichment program in Connecticut's largest city.

As UConn's 141st year dawns, the entire University community is ready for the challenges of the future. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)

UConn’s Impact is Statewide

Each and every one of Connecticut's 169 cities and towns has strong links to the state's flagship public university.

The Conversation

Air Filters Can Scrub Out Pollutants Near Highways, Reduce Blood Pressure

Economic and Political Weekly (India)

Who Will Guard the Guardians?