Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
2023 Udall Scholar Samantha Gove (CLAS ’23) stands outside The Dodd Center for Human Rights on May 5, 2022. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
University of Connecticut rising junior Samantha Gove ’24 (CLAS), a sociology and human rights major who has a minor in psychological sciences, has been selected as a 2022 Udall Scholar. The honor is awarded on the basis of commitment to careers in the environment; Tribal public policy or Native health care; leadership potential; record of public service; and academic achievement.
A native of Granby, Gove is the ninth Udall Scholar in UConn history, and the third in the past four years.
She is just one of 55 students nationally to earn the distinction in 2022, from a pool of 382 nominations. Each scholarship provides up to $7,000 for the scholar. Udall scholars will also gather this summer in Arizona for a series of discussions and meetings.
2022 P.E.O. Scholar Sarah R. Luria is a Ph.D. candidate in Neag School of Education’s Educational Psychology program.
Sarah R. Luria, a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Psychology, has been selected as one of 100 recipients of the $20,000Scholar Award from the P.E.O. Sisterhood.
This award was established in 1991 to provide substantial merit-based awards for women who are pursuing a doctoral-level degree at an accredited college or university. Women are chosen based on their high level of academic achievement and their potential for having a positive impact on society. The P.E.O. Sisterhood is a philanthropic educational organization dedicated to supporting higher education for women.
The program provides grants for individually-designed study and research projects or for English teaching assistantships around the world
Five UConn students have been selected as recipients of a grant through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the 2022-23 academic year. The program provides grants for individually designed study and research projects or for English teaching assistantships around the world. Students meet, work, live with, and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences.
UConn had 12 semifinalists for the Fulbright Student Program award, which includes the five finalists and one alternate. A total of 20 UConn students completed UConn’s campus application process for the 2022-23 Fulbright round.
Zoey England is one of just 100 students in the country to earn the scholarship this year
Zoey England ’22, UConn’s first Gilman-McCain scholar, pets Jonathan XIV on May 3, 2022. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
Zoey England ’22 (CLAS) has been named a winner of a Gilman-McCain Scholarship, the first in University history.
The scholarship program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, provides awards of $5,000 for undergraduate child dependents of active duty service members to study or serve an internship abroad. It was developed under the framework of the State Department’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program and named after the late Senator John McCain of Arizona.
From left to right: Urvi Kaul, Tony Edgington, Raul Flamenco, Swapna Subramanian. Not pictured: Elyse Schriber (UConn Photo)
Five UConn graduate students and an alumnus 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.
The Graduate Research Fellowships are highly competitive, with annual acceptance rates of about 16% from among more than 12,000 applicants.
Junior Irene Soteriou ’23 (CLAS) has been named a Truman Scholar, marking the tenth time since 1986 that a UConn student has won the prestigious honor
Irene Soteriou, Truman Scholar, at the Wilbur Cross North Reading Room on April 13, 2022. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
University of Connecticut junior Irene Soteriou ’23 (CLAS) has been named a Truman Scholar, marking the tenth time since 1986 that a UConn student has won the prestigious honor. Soteriou is a native of Middletown and is an Honors double major in statistics and cognitive science.
Soteriou represents UConn in a highly select group of 58 new Truman Scholars from around the country. She was picked from 705 candidates nominated by 275 different schools.
Katie Hooker (CLAS ’23) is a 2022 Goldwater Scholar
Katie Hooker (CLAS ’23), a junior molecular & cell biology major from Guilford, has been named a 2022 Goldwater Scholar. TheGoldwater Scholarshipis considered the nation’s premier scholarship for undergraduates studying math, natural sciences, and engineering. Schools can nominate a maximum of four students per year.
TheGoldwater Scholarshipawards 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, and schools are generally allowed to nominate up to four candidates. Click hereto learn more about the scholarship and about UConn’s campus nomination process.
UConn’s 2022 Goldwater Scholarship Nominees (l to r) Katie Hooker, Abigail Moran, Antonina Wenc, and Joshua Yu
Katie Hooker (CLAS ’23), from Guilford, CT, is a Nutmeg Scholar majoring in molecular and cell biology. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in genetics and genomics in order to teach and conduct research at a Research 1 institution, studying the genetics underlying cognitive traits such as reading and language ability. Katie’s interest in genetics began in 2018 when completing a capstone project on the history of the FOXP2 gene, situating this understanding into the larger context of what makes humans unique from our genetic ancestors. She has since expanded on this work in Dr. Nicole Landi’s lab, studying the relationship between variation on the FOXP2 gene, reading and language abilities, and brain metrics associated with these traits through the Holster Scholars Program in 2020. Katie’s current research continues to extend this work, more accurately characterizing the complex relationship between FOXP2, reading and language abilities, and the brain through mediation and graph theoretical analyses. Outside of research, Katie is Vice President of the UConn Irish Dance Team, which puts on regular performances both on and off campus, and an Honors Guide for Peer Success. Katie also enjoys working at the Brain Imaging Research Center, helping run child participants through experimental protocols during MRIs. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running outside, or getting a cup of coffee with her friends.
Abigail Moran (CLAS ’23) from Trumbull, CT, is an Honors student and University Scholar majoring in physics and applied mathematics with a minor in astrophysics. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in astrophysics in order to conduct research using a combination of observational and computational techniques. She has been with Dr. Mingarelli’s gravitational wave research group since December of 2020 working to improve pulsar astronomy sensitivity to make it possible to detect a continuous gravitational wave, detect dark matter, and test General Relativity. In the summer of 2021 she received a SURF grant to continue this work in conjunction with the Center for Computational Astrophysics, based in the Flatiron Institute in NYC. This project culminated in a formal paper for a journal publication, which is being finalized now. In her final three semesters, she will continue her work in pulsar astronomy, this time to measure the acceleration of the Milky Way galaxy. Outside of academics, Abby is in the sorority Alpha Omicron Pi, plays the trumpet, and is a volunteer math tutor for children whose educations have been adversely affected by the pandemic.
Antonina Wenc (CLAS ’23) from Waterford, CT, is a first generation molecular and cell biology student. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry after finishing her bachelor’s degree. Antonina has been conducting research alongside graduate students in the Angeles-Boza lab of the chemistry department since her freshman year. Here, she has been helping study the antibacterial efficacy of antimicrobial peptides. Over the last two years, Antonina has studied synergy between metal ions and antimicrobial peptides, as well as the structure and mechanism of a specific group of tunicate peptides, called the Clavanins. She has gained significant proficiency in peptide synthesis, chromatographic separations, and minimum inhibitory concentration assays. When research was shut down due to COVID-19 in the spring and summer of 2020, Antonina joined a lab journal club to participate in extensive discussion of the antimicrobial peptide and synergy literature. This research proved to be extremely useful a year later, when Antonina was helping create a book chapter on synergy for Methods in Enzymology, where she was named second author. Outside of the lab, Antonina is a peer mentor for other undergraduate female students in STEM at the Women’s Center at UCONN. She is extremely passionate about advocating for women in STEM and hopes to continue mentoring female students as she pursues her Ph.D. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, going to spin class at the rec center, and spending time with friends.
Joshua Yu, (CLAS ’23) from Frederick, MD, is an honors student studying molecular and cell biology. He plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. degree 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. 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. Moving forward, Joshua will be conducting studies on nanoparticle-mediated inhibition of acute myeloid leukemia as a University Scholar. 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.”
Sage Phillips ’22 (CLAS) is unearthing more of UConn’s origin story
Phillips in her regalia in the UConn Forest.
A “sage” is a mature person who is wise through reflection and experience. It also happens to be the name of the founding president of NAISA, the Native American and Indigenous Students Association, and newly named Truman Scholar and Udall Scholar —Sage Phillips.
UConn had an all-time high of 17 semifinalists for the Fulbright Student Program award, which includes the six finalists and three alternates.
Top Row: Elizabeth Clifton, Karli Golembeski and Chloe Murphy. Bottom Row: Simran Sehgal, Jessica Stargardter and Candace Tang.
Six UConn students have been selected as recipients of a grant through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the 2021-22 academic year. The program provides grants for individually-designed study and research projects or for English teaching assistantships around the world. Students meet, work, live with, and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences.
UConn had an all-time high of 17 semifinalists for the Fulbright Student Program award, which includes the six finalists and three alternates. A total of 40 UConn students completed UConn’s campus application process for the 2021-22 Fulbright round.
“In what has been a truly challenging year for all students, and one which witnessed an 11.9% increase overall in applications to the Fulbright Student program, our UConn applicants demonstrated outstanding qualities and their commitment to fostering mutual understanding by engaging with the world,” says LuAnn Saunders-Kanabay, Assistant Director in the Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships at UConn and the University’s Fulbright Program Advisor. Together with the campus Fulbright committee, she mentors Fulbright applicants through the months-long application and selection process.