Author: Moscardelli, Vincent

Sophomore Caroline Webb Earns 2021-23 NOAA-Hollings Scholarship

Sophomore Caroline Webb Awarded Hollings Scholarship from NOAA

Award provides $19,000 toward tuition, plus paid internship

Caroline Webb, from Greenwich, CT, has been awarded a prestigious Hollings Scholarship by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  The Hollings Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship awarded to undergraduates studying the marine sciences.

Caroline is a sophomore Honors student pursuing a major in environmental science (human health concentration) and a minor in environmental economics and policy. Growing up along the Connecticut coast, she has long had an interest in and appreciation for the marine environment, which led her to apply for the NOAA Hollings Scholar Program. Additionally, she is interested in conservation ecology, immunology, and the intersection of environmental and human health. At UConn she is involved in research as a member of the Knutie Lab, where she works on the Nest Parasite Community Science Study.  Her work involves collecting data to study how local ecology impacts different aspects of the avian nest parasite community. Additionally, due to the nature of the study, which relies on community scientists all across the eastern US to send nests from backyard boxes, she participates in community outreach efforts. Outside of her research and scholarly interests, Caroline is a member of UConn Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams.

The Hollings Scholarship program is designed to increase interest in oceanic and atmospheric science, increase support for environmental stewardship, and recruit students to public service careers at NOAA and other governmental science agencies. UConn students interested in applying for the Hollings are encouraged to contact Dr. Rowena Grainger in UConn’s Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships.

A First for UConn: Two Students Named Truman Scholars for 2021

UConn's 2021 Truman Scholars
From left, Truman Scholar winners Sena Wazer ’22 and Sage Phillips ’22 on April 12, 2021. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)

 

A pair of University of Connecticut students have been named Truman Scholars for 2021, marking the first time in school history that UConn has had multiple winners of the prestigious recognition.

Sage Phillips ’22 (CLAS), a junior political science and human rights major, and Sena Wazer ’22 (CLAS), a junior environmental studies major, represent UConn in a highly select group of 62 new Truman Scholars from around the country. They were picked from 845 candidates nominated by 328 different schools.

Continue reading in UConn Today . . . .

Two UConn Students Named Goldwater Scholars

2021 Goldwater Scholarship recipients Katherine Lee (l) and Seema Patel

Two University of Connecticut students have been recently named Goldwater Scholars. The Goldwater Scholarship is considered the nation’s premier scholarship for undergraduates studying math, natural sciences, and engineering. Schools can nominate a maximum of four students per year.

The students are Katherine Lee ‘22 (CLAS) of Monroe, and Seema Patel ’22 (CLAS) of North Haven.

Read more in UConn Today . . .

UConn Students Earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

L-R, Brandon D’Agostino, Joshua Dupont, Berk Alpay, Caroline Donaghy

One UConn undergraduate, three graduate students, and 10 alumni have earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF-GRFP).

The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the NSF-GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding students in NSF-supported disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions in the United States. In addition to a three-year annual stipend of $34,000, plus another $12,000 paid to the student’s home institution, fellows have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities over the course of their graduate careers.

Read more in UConn Today . . .

UConn Is Again a National Leader in Fulbright Scholars

The University of Connecticut has been recognized among the top producers of Fulbright U.S. Scholars from research institutions for the third time in the past five years.

The University has seven Fulbright Scholars on its faculty who were given the opportunity to teach and perform research around the world in the 2020-21 academic year, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Read more at UConn Today . . . .

UConn Is Again a National Leader in Fulbright Scholars

Meet UConn’s 2021 Udall Scholarship Nominees

 

UConn 2021 Udall Nominees
UConn’s 2021 nominees for the Udall Scholarship (l to r): Sage Phillips and Sena Wazer.

 

The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment.  In 2021, the Udall Foundation anticipates awarding 55 scholarships of up to $7,000 each.  The Udall scholarship honors the legacies of Morris Udall and Stewart Udall, whose careers had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources.  UConn may nominate up to four candidates in for the Udall Scholarship in each category.  Internal applications for nomination are generally due in early January.  The following students were UConn’s 2021 nominees for the Udall Scholarship.

 

Sage Phillips (CLAS ’22), from Old Town, ME, is a junior double-majoring in political science and human rights with a minor in native American & indigenous studies at the University of Connecticut. As a young panawáhpskewi (Penobscot) woman of the Wabanaki people, Sage hopes to pursue a joint program receiving a J.D. and M.A. in American Indian Law. Sage is the Founding President of the Native American & Indigenous Students Association and the Student Coordinator for Native American Cultural Programs (NACP) at UConn. She hopes that through her efforts to expand NACP to become a Cultural Center, she paves the way for UConn as a land-grant institution to work towards reparations for CT Native youth. Rewarded for her work surrounding leadership, Sage was selected as a member of the Leadership Legacy Experience, recognizing the University’s most exceptional student leaders. Currently, she is a Co-Lead on a grant titled “Bridging the Gap: Assessing the Needs of Native Students in America’s Higher Education” and a Coordinator for UConn’s Indigenous Nations Cultural and Educational Exchange youth mentorship program. Both grants focus largely on land reassessment and opportunities for Native youth at UConn in hopes to get the University to be at good relation with the land it stands upon.  

 

Sena Wazer (CLAS ’22), from Storrs, CT, is a junior majoring in environmental studies. She currently co-directs Sunrise CT, a hub of the national Sunrise Movement, which is a youth led movement fighting to “stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.” As co-director, Sena helped organize the September 20th and December 6th, 2019 youth climate strikes at the CT State Capitol in Hartford. In early 2020, she was also the lead organizer for the Sunrise CT youth lobby day at the CT state legislature, which brought over 150 students to the Capitol. Over the summer of 2020, Sena chaired a subcommittee on the Governor’s Council on Climate Change, and phonebanked for candidates who ran for state legislature. Recently, she helped organize and facilitate the first Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Youth Climate Summit. Sena was also chosen to be a part of the 2021 Leadership Legacy Cohort at UConn. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a joint Law degree and Master’s degree in environmental management, and run for office. She is passionate about climate justice and social justice, and wants to bring that passion into politics.

 

To learn more about these and other nationally-competitive scholarship and fellowship opportunities, visit the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships and click “Talk to an Advisor.”

Meet UConn’s 2021 Truman Scholarship Nominees

Truman Logo

UConn’s 2021 Truman Scholarship Nominees (l to r) Ryan Phillips, Shelby Houghton, Sena Wazer, Noah Frank, and Sage Phillips

 

The Truman Scholarship is awarded to college juniors with exceptional leadership potential and commitment to a career in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education, or elsewhere in public service.  Scholars are awarded up to $30,000 to pursue graduate studies, receive pre-professional/graduate advising from the Foundation and are invited to participate in internships and other programs.  Schools may nominate up to four students each year for the Truman Scholarship, with additional nomination slots available for transfer students.  The campus deadline nomination falls on or around the first of November each year, but interested students are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Vin Moscardelli, Director of ONSF, as early as spring of their sophomore years.  Congratulations to this year’s nominees.

 

Noah Frank (CLAS ’22), from South Windsor, CT, is a junior pursuing a double major in political science and economics. An Honors Scholar and a member of the 2021 Leadership Legacy cohort, Noah has followed his passion for public service from a young age. He is a recipient of the Philip E. Austin Scholarship, and was a featured speaker at the 2020 TEDxUConn Conference. He is a statewide advocate for election reform. As Director of the External Affairs Committee for the UConn Undergraduate Student Government (USG), he spearheaded the #UConnVotes initiative, and has worked with lawmakers on numerous bills updating Connecticut’s election infrastructure. In the Connecticut General Assembly, Noah has served as a leader, interning for Sullivan & LeShane, Inc. in his freshman year, then for the Secretary of the State of Connecticut. Most recently, Noah managed the Currey2020 campaign, a successful “contactless” effort to elect Rep. Jeff Currey to Connecticut’s 11th House District. As a result of his election work, Noah founded Future Leaders in Politics (FLIP), a coalition of young people committed to changing local discussions on policy, and is a Youth Partner for Be(A)Part, a Yale-affiliated collaborative organization of students and scientific leaders building communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Noah intends to pursue a joint JD/MPA, with the goal of developing and implementing plans to expand election access for all Americans. 

 

Shelby Houghton (CLAS ’22), from Milford, NH, is a junior political science, human rights, and economics student. She prioritizes community engagement and empowering those who need it most. She has expressed these priorities through her work for the NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and the Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club.  She has also served in the DC office of U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan and in NH Representative Joelle Martin’s office. On campus, Shelby is the Communications Specialist for software and design organization Squared Labs, where her recent projects include building waste water/pool testing for campus-wide COVID testing and sharing research through art and stellar online components. Shelby plays music with the UConn Marching Band, serving as a Band Captain and Vice President of her 300 member band family. You can also spot her include DJing at the WHUS radio station, moderating debate through Model United Nations, with her music service fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi, or drinking cold brew at your local coffee shop. In the future, Shelby plans to obtain a human rights focused law degree and serve as a public policy specialist in the American Civil Liberties Union, where she aims to remediate systems of violence in the United States and protect human rights for all.  

 

Ryan Hutchins (BUSN ’22), a junior from Norton, MA, is an Honors student majoring in accounting. Ryan enjoys reading, hiking, and is an avid UConn basketball fan. He has interned with the Worcester County District Attorney’s office, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, and the Federal Defender’s office of Connecticut. Interested in financial regulation and litigation, Ryan has also interned at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in their enforcement division. On campus, he served as President of the UConn Mock Trial Society, an organization that competes in mock trial across the northeast and hosts an annual invitational tournament. Mentorship is the center of Ryan’s service activities. He helps lead a tutoring organization that supports middle school students as they work on their homework and served as a freshman Honors seminar co-facilitator. A member of the Special Program in Law, Ryan is interested in the legal profession and the power of lawyers to serve the public. In the future, he hopes to obtain a law degree and use his accounting background to make financial markets fairer and more equitable. Ryan has been nominated for the Truman Scholarship.

 

Sage Phillips (CLAS ’22), from Old Town, ME, is a junior double-majoring in political science and human rights with a minor in native American & indigenous studies at the University of Connecticut. As a young panawáhpskewi (Penobscot) woman of the Wabanaki people, Sage hopes to pursue a joint program receiving a J.D. and M.A. in American Indian Law. Sage is the Founding President of the Native American & Indigenous Students Association and the Student Coordinator for Native American Cultural Programs (NACP) at UConn. She hopes that through her efforts to expand NACP to become a Cultural Center, she paves the way for UConn as a land-grant institution to work towards reparations for CT Native youth. Rewarded for her work surrounding leadership, Sage was selected as a member of the Leadership Legacy Experience, recognizing the University’s most exceptional student leaders. Currently, she is a Co-Lead on a grant titled “Bridging the Gap: Assessing the Needs of Native Students in America’s Higher Education” and a Coordinator for UConn’s Indigenous Nations Cultural and Educational Exchange youth mentorship program. Both grants focus largely on land reassessment and opportunities for Native youth at UConn in hopes to get the University to be at good relation with the land it stands upon.  

 

Sena Wazer (CLAS ’22), from Storrs, CT, is a junior majoring in environmental studies. She currently co-directs Sunrise CT, a hub of the national Sunrise Movement, which is a youth led movement fighting to “stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.” As co-director, Sena helped organize the September 20th and December 6th, 2019 youth climate strikes at the CT State Capitol in Hartford. In early 2020, she was also the lead organizer for the Sunrise CT youth lobby day at the CT state legislature, which brought over 150 students to the Capitol. Over the summer of 2020, Sena chaired a subcommittee on the Governor’s Council on Climate Change, and phonebanked for candidates who ran for state legislature. Recently, she helped organize and facilitate the first Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Youth Climate Summit. Sena was also chosen to be a part of the 2021 Leadership Legacy Cohort at UConn. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a joint Law degree and Master’s degree in environmental management, and run for office. She is passionate about climate justice and social justice, and wants to bring that passion into politics.

 

To learn more about these and other nationally-competitive scholarship and fellowship opportunities, visit the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships and click “Talk to an Advisor.”

Meet UConn’s 2021 Goldwater Scholarship Nominees

Goldwater Banner

The Goldwater Scholarship awards up to $7,500 to college sophomores and juniors majoring in math, science, engineering, or research psychology (not clinical). Students who are competitive for the award have had significant research experience and have plans for graduate study (aspire to a PhD or MD/PhD) and a career in research.  Students must be nominated by their home institution.  Click here to learn more about the scholarship and about UConn’s campus nomination process.

 

ONSF is pleased to introduce UConn’s 2021 Goldwater Scholarship nominees.

UConn 2021 Goldwater Scholarship Nominees
UConn’s 2021 Goldwater Scholarship Nominees (l to r) Joshua Yu, Seema Patel, Katherine Lee, and Patrick Corrigan

 

Patrick Corrigan (CLAS ‘22) from Hartford, CT is an Honors student majoring in chemistry and molecular/cellular biology. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry after finishing his bachelor’s. Patrick has been interested in chemistry since high school, where he completed both general chemistry and organic chemistry. In his first semester at UConn, he began working in Dr. Jessica Rouge’s research group in the biological chemistry department. His work focused on the Nucleic Acid Nanocapsule (NAN) structure that the Rouge group’s work centers on. The first project he began working on involved developing a procedure to ligate gold nanoparticles to the surface of the NANs so that they could be detected in cells using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). He was awarded the Charles E. Waring Scholarship to fund his research through the summer of 2019. Being unable to do in-person research during COVID-19 lockdown, he instead gained proficiency in writing machine learning algorithms. He independently wrote a research project combining the work the Rouge group does with machine learning so that he could continue doing research from home. He is now enrolled in a graduate level computer science courses in machine learning and plans to continue his education in both computer science and biochemistry. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, graphic design, and spending time with friends.

 

Katherine Lee (CLAS ’22) from Monroe, CT, is an Honors student majoring in structural biology/biophysics. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in computational biology in order to conduct research and teach at an academic institution. She has been working in Dr. Eric May’s lab since the summer of 2019 studying the binding affinities and specificities of antibodies to hyperphosphorylated tau protein found in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. She has studied the allosteric communication networks in these proteins to understand the effect of mutations upon protein dynamics in order to potentially design improved diagnostic antibodies and new therapeutics. She received a SURF grant the summer of 2020 to extend this work through studying the various conformational ensembles a given antibody can assume and using these principles to determine binding energetics. She has been selected as a University Scholar and is investigating novel machine learning methods to predict the biochemical function of antibody variants given structural data. Outside of the lab, Katherine is a math tutor for UConn’s Q Center, a staff columnist for the opinion section of the Daily Campus and has served as an EMT in her hometown. She also enjoys crocheting, singing, and playing the piano.

 

Seema Patel (CLAS ’22) from North Haven, CT, is a Rowe Scholar majoring in molecular & cell biology and minoring in healthcare management & insurance studies. After graduation, she plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. in Pharmacology to investigate effective chemotherapeutic strategies for cancer patients. Her research career began in 2017 when she interned in the Chung Lab at the Yale School of Medicine, where she investigated the role of CatSper ion channels on sperm motility and fertility. Seema has been working in the Hadden Lab in the UConn School of Pharmacy since the spring of her freshman year where she investigates the inhibition of a DNA repair mechanism called translesion synthesis (TLS). She has focused on the development and testing of potent anti-cancer drugs that disrupt a specific protein-protein interaction, termed Rev7/Rev3, of the TLS machinery. Using in vitro approaches, Seema has identified three novel TLS Rev7/Rev3 inhibitors and is currently characterizing their inhibitory potential in an ovarian cancer cell model for her University Scholar project. Seema received the 2020 SURF grant for which she wrote a review paper on the development of TLS inhibitors published in the journal Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs. Outside of the laboratory, Seema volunteers for Paper Airplanes, a nonprofit that teaches English to conflict-afflicted students in the Middle East. Inspired by the abrupt shift to virtual learning in 2020, Seema co-founded the UConn branch of Learn To Be, a national nonprofit tutoring organization, where she will train UConn students to teach STEM courses to students from underprivileged backgrounds. She is also an editorial assistant for the Elsevier Social Science & Medicine peer-reviewed journal Health Psychology.

 

Joshua Yu, (CLAS ’23) from Frederick, MD, is an Honors student studying molecular & cell biology. He plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences focusing on the enhancement of nanoscale platforms through radiotherapy for treatment of cancer. His research career began in high school at the National Cancer Institute, where he studied chemokine receptor derived self-assembling peptide nanoparticles for cancer drug delivery. This work was published in Methods in Molecular Biology. Enamored by the prospects of nanomedicine and the complexities of cancer treatment, he pursued research in Dr. Xiuling Lu’s lab in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department. Named a Holster Scholar in 2020, his summer research project reviewed the effects of nanoparticle properties on internalization, intracellular distribution, and cytotoxicity to cancerous and healthy cells. He is now working to finalize the literature review for publication. Moving forward, Joshua hopes to conduct studies investigating the correlation between the intracellular distribution of nanoparticle chemotherapeutics and tumor-specific toxicity. Alongside his interest in medicine and research, he is also a passionate tubist who has participated in county and state level bands throughout Maryland.  At UConn, Joshua is a dedicated member of Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program, the Symphonic Band, and the Peer Allies through Honors program.

 

To learn more about these and other nationally-competitive scholarship and fellowship opportunities, visit the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships and click “Talk to an Advisor.”

Meet UConn’s 2021 Nominees for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships

Rhodes-Marshall Nominees - 2021
UConn’s 2021 Rhodes and Marshall Scholarship Nominees Katharine Morris and Shankara Narayanan

 

The Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships is pleased to introduce UConn’s 2020-21 nominees for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships.  Congratulations to these outstanding young leaders.

Katharine Morris (CLAS ’20) is currently completing her Master of Public Policy as a Fast-Track student. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa as an Honors Scholar double-majoring in Cognitive Science and Anthropology. Her activism at UConn began as a Pack Leader for UConn’s Protect Our Pack Bystander Intervention Program before becoming an active member of UConn’s chapter of the NAACP, the University Senate Enrollment Committee, and the Solve Climate by 2030 Steering Committee among other groups. Katharine spent much of her time in the Experimental Anthropology Lab working under Dr. Dimitris Xygalatas, Prof. of Cognitive Science and Anthropology, and even traveled to Brazil to assist in research with Drs. Dimitris Xygalatas and Gabriela Pinto. In 2018, she conducted research at the NSF REU Comparative and Development Origins of Social Cognition site at Yale University under Drs. Laurie Santos, Yarrow Dunham, and Lisa Chalik. As a BOLD Scholar of the inaugural cohort of UConn’s BOLD Women’s Leadership Network, Katharine independently conducted research on Cross Cultural Engagement and Intersectional Activism Among UConn Affiliates for her Honors thesis and founded UConn Collaborative Organizing (UCCO) for social and environmental justice. As the UCCO president, she led successful collaborations with over 20 campus organizations, mobilizing hundreds of students, faculty, and staff, ultimately receiving the Cohen Student Leadership Scholarship, NAACP UConn Chapter Activist of the Year, and Donald L. McCullough Leadership Award. In the summer of 2020 she interned for the Rudd Center and InCHIP analyzing food insecurity data at UConn, evaluating health equity and policy in Hartford with Dr. Kristen Cooksey-Stowers, and researching the cultural appropriateness and efficacy of obesity interventions with Dr. Loneke Blackman-Carr — all while organizing for racial and environmental justice around the state. In hopes of spreading a culture of radical love and solidarity in activism, Katharine released a TEDxUConn talk titled How to Collaborate for Environmental Justice for the 2020 Patchwork conference. Today, she maintains her activism while working as a policy fellow and research technician for leading health equity organizations in Connecticut. Katharine is nominated for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships.

Shankara Narayanan (CLAS ’21) is a senior political science and history major in the Honors Program from Farmington, Connecticut. A 2021 Phi Beta Kappa inductee and University Scholar under the mentorship of Professors Alexis Dudden (HIST), Frank Costigliola (HIST) and Alexander Anievas (POLS), Shankara has studied diplomatic history and international relations since his freshman year. He is a scholar of international security, a proud member of UConn Mock Trial and the Editor-in-Chief of UConn’s Undergraduate Political Review. With his chief interest in accelerating U.S.-China security competition, Shankara’s University Scholar research focuses on key moments when U.S. officials failed to predict China’s behavior in both countries’ bilateral relationship. He has pursued opportunities within the U.S. national security community as well, completing research assistantships with Professor Erica Marat at the College of International Security Affairs, at the National Defense University in the summers of 2019 and 2020, respectively. In 2019, his research focused on Russian special operations in North-Central Africa. He published his analysis of Russian irregular warfare with The Jamestown Foundation, a think-tank specializing in open-source security studies. In 2020, his research focused on the security impact of China’s ‘Digital Silk Road’ on Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific. A 2018 SURF Award recipient, Shankara analyzed the influence of Sir Halford Mackinder and Nicholas J. Spykman’s geopolitical realism on Dean Acheson, George F. Kennan, Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski under the supervision of Professor Anievas. He plans to pursue a J.D. and a Ph.D., continuing his work while pursuing a career in the Departments of State or Defense to influence international security policy. Shankara was nominated for the Marshall Scholarship.

 

To learn more about these and other nationally-competitive scholarship and fellowship opportunities, visit the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships and click “Talk to an Advisor.”