Central honors Larry Hall with Distinguished Service Award

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The annual Distinguished Service Award (DSA) presentation at Central moved to a festive new venue to honor a very special Blue Devil.

The DSA is one of the university’s highest honors. The award recognizes members of the Central community who have provided exemplary service to the university. Nominations for the award are submitted by faculty and staff, students, and peers at other institutions of higher learning.

In recent years, the DSA has been announced and presented at the opening meeting for faculty staff held every fall at Alumni Hall. This year’s recipient, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment Larry Hall of Southington, got to have his moment in front of a much bigger audience on the football field at Arute Stadium during halftime at the 2026 Homecoming football game on Oct. 10.

Interim President Dr. Kimberly T. Kostelis presented the award to Hall, whose wife, Persephone, joined him on the field to celebrate.

Hall’s career in higher education spans three decades, but his connection to Central goes back even further. Hall earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Central in 1989 and 1996, respectively and returned to Central in 2008 to lead the Department of Admissions where he worked as a student.

Hall is well known among his colleagues for above and beyond commitment to prospective and current students and their families. Through the Central Brotherhood Initiative, he has mentored generations of male students, helping them find academic support, professional opportunities and pathways toward their goals. He has also carried that commitment beyond Central through his work with organizations such as the Connecticut Talent Assistance Collaborative, where he serves as president of the board of directors.

"An enduring investment in people is at the heart of Larry’s leadership,” Kostelis said. “He approaches his work with patience, integrity, and an unwavering belief in what people can achieve—whether it is a colleague in need of guidance; a new student learning the ropes of college life; or a family with questions about the admissions process.”

Central COO Sal Cintorino, Interim President Kimberly Kostelis, Larry Hall, and Persephone Hall are shown here on the football field at Central.

(From left) Central Vice President of Operations Sal Cintorino, Interim President Kimberly Kostelis, DSA winner Larry Hall, and Persephone Hall are shown here on the football field at Central following the presentation of the DSA award during halftime of the homecoming football game on Oct. 10.