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

A news photo of Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol, holding their smart phones in the air.

Q&A: Trump, the Capitol, and Social Media

Social media played a significant role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol, and its influence in shaping American politics is unlikely to wane, says UConn's Marie Shanahan.

January 18, 2021 | Tom Breen

Pie chart with people on white background. Concept of demographic.

What is a Margin of Error? This Statistical Tool Can Help Explain Vaccine Trials and Political Polling

If you've ever read a news story about a political poll, you've heard the phrase "margin of error." But what does it actually mean?

January 15, 2021 | Ofer Harel, Professor of Statistics

Thanh Nguyen

UConn Engineer Invents Reusable Biodegradable Facemask

The huge increase in facemasks during the COVID-19 pandemic is creating heaps of trash that take years to decompose - until now, thanks to an invention by a UConn engineer.

January 13, 2021 | Anna Zarra Aldrich '20 (CLAS), Office of the Vice President for Research

UConn Health
CT Mirror

Op-Ed: To Save Democracy, Recommit to Principles of the Rule of Law and Human Rights at Home

January 12, 2021 | Tom Breen

The Los Angeles Times

Op-Ed: The Crime Trump Committed in Stirring Up His Mob

January 12, 2021 | Tom Breen

A portrait photograph of Michelle Williams, the subject of the story.

Meet the Researcher: Michelle Williams

Psychological sciences researcher Michelle Williams says her research doesn't achieve its purpose if it can't lead to interventions that can provide help.

January 12, 2021 | Anna Zarra Alrdich '20 (CLAS), Office of the Vice President for Research

Research & Discovery UConn Voices
Two women volunteering in a food pantry pack boxes for distribution to hungry people.

Food Pantries Use Nutrition Information to Increase Healthy Food Orders

Food pantries are more likely to order healthier food when nutrition information is easily accessible, according to a new study by UConn's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity.

January 7, 2021 | Kristin Messina, UConn Rudd Center

Connecticut Magazine

Find the Keys to Forming Healthy Routines and Dropping Ones that Hurt

January 6, 2021 | Tom Breen

Migrant workers from other states arrive at the Anand Vihar bus terminal, in New Delhi on August 18, 2020. - India's official coronavirus death soared past 50,000 on August 17 as the pandemic rages through smaller cities and rural areas where health care is feeble and stigmatisation rife.

‘These Were Haunting Events’: Researchers Study Migrant Precarity During Pandemic in US, India

An interdisciplinary group of researchers is designing a toolkit of methods to study the problems faced by migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

January 5, 2021 | Anna Zarra Aldrich '20 (CLAS), Office of the Vice President for Research

Research & Discovery
Gateway UConn sign surrounded by snow

2020: UConn’s Year in Photos

Looking back on an unforgettable year that many of us would like to forget.

December 30, 2020 | Tom Breen