A Dozen UConn Students, Alums Win NSF Graduate Fellowships

Six members of the UConn Class of 2018, two current graduate students, and four alumni have won National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.  Read more . . . .

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 2019, the Udall Foundation anticipates awarding 50 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 for the Udall Scholarship.  Internal applications for nomination are generally due in early January.  The following three students were UConn’s 2019 nominees for the Udall Scholarship.

Wanjiku (Wawa) Gatheru (CAHNR ’20), from Pomfret, CT, is a junior majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Global Studies. Prior to arriving at college, Wawa spent a year in Thailand as a KL-YES Scholar of the U.S. State Department, an experience that solidified her commitment to culturally competent conservation. Through internships with the City of Hartford’s Office of Sustainability, CHISPA CT, and the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network, Wawa has worked to uplift the voices of those most adversely impacted by environmental inequities. Passionate about the way food can solve the most pressing ecological problems, she been involved in childhood obesity prevention research as a Bridging the Gap Fellow in Dr. Amy Mobley’s Community Nutrition lab and has led nutritional education lessons to pre-school students in the Greater Hartford area as a coordinator of the Husky Nutrition Program. A UCSC Doris Duke Conservation Scholar and Newman Civic Fellow, Wawa is motivated to connect grassroots movements to institutions of power, as a lead organizer in CT’s first Youth Climate Lobby Day, UN Global Health Fellow, delegate at the 2017 UN Climate Change Discussions, co-founder of the President’s Council on Race and Diversity, and crucial leader in the successful implementation of an environmental literacy general education requirement. On campus, she promotes the collective wellbeing of students as the Vice President of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), co-chairs the University-wide Metanoia: Youth for Change, mentors students as a teacher’s assistant in the African American Cultural Center, serves as Peer Research Ambassador at the Office of Undergraduate Research, hosts pop up food pantries as co-founder of UCAFE, and promotes campus sustainability as an intern at the Office of Environmental Policy. Wawa ultimately plans to pursue a joint JD/MEM, with the goal of empowering disenfranchised communities of color in the environmental decision-making process. Wawa was also nominated for the Truman Scholarship.

Himaja Nagireddy (CLAS ’20), from Acton, MA, is an junior undergraduate pre-med student at the University of Connecticut pursuing a BA in Sociology (Honors) and a BS in Physiology and Neurobiology with a double minor in Molecular and Cell Biology and Chemistry as a STEM Scholar. Her goal is to one day become an aerospace flight surgeon. She is a Student Life Award recipient of the 2018 Spirer/Dueker Student Humanitarian Achievement Award, a 2019 Leadership Legacy Fellow, and a member of the inaugural (2019-20) class of BOLD Women’s Leadership Network Scholars at UConn. She also serves on the executive boards of TEDxUConn and Peer Allies Through Honors (PATH), a mentoring group the pairs incoming Honors students upperclass Honors students at UConn.  Himaja is an elected representative of the National Council for the United Nations Association of the USA, a civil organization founded by Eleanor Roosevelt, where she works with over 200 chapters to coordinate efforts to support the UN. Last year, she was a UNA-USA representative for the 62nd Commission of the Status of Women (CSW62), and this year she is in charge of planning over 4 parallel events for the CSW63. Himaja is currently a UConn-Eversource Research Fellow where she is conducting research to evaluate the benefits of NGSS-aligned energy conservation education for middle school students living in areas of high eviction rates in CT. She actively volunteers for three non-profit organizations during the semester (Barefoot College, Unite for Sight, and Paper Airplanes) and enjoys volunteering as the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston during her school breaks. In her free time, Himaja likes to hike, bike, and re-read her favorite books (Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter!).  Himaja was also nominated for the Truman 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.”

Meet UConn’s nominees for the Udall Scholarship.

Kayleigh Granville (CAHNR ’19) is an Honors Student and University Scholar from Newtown, CT, majoring in environmental science. She plans to pursue a Master’s degree in environmental science with a focus on aquatic biogeochemistry. Kayleigh has been working in the lab of Dr. Ashley Helton since her freshman year, when she received a Holster Scholar grant to conduct research on the effects of road salts on ephemeral wetland food webs. During her sophomore year, she received a Michael Lefor Grant from the Connecticut Association of Wetland Scientists to conduct research on denitrification rates and nitrous oxide emissions from salt marshes. She presented her research at the Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources and at the Connecticut Association of Wetland Scientists annual meeting. As a junior, Kayleigh was named a University Scholar and received a SURF Grant to expand on her previous research on denitrification. In addition to her commitment to environmental research, Kayleigh is passionate about environmental education and has developed and taught programs for children from ages three to twelve at Webb Mountain Discovery Zone, an outdoor learning center in Monroe, CT. She is the president of UConn Wildlife Society, works at the Office of the Registrar, and enjoys running, hiking, and writing in her spare time.

Sophie MacDonald (ENGR ’20) is a sophomore Honors student and Nutmeg Scholar majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in philosophy and math. She plans to pursue an M.S. in Sustainable Engineering, and she aspires to be a practicing engineer in the renewable energy sector. Freshman year, she conducted research under Dr. Leslie Shor in her engineered microhabitats laboratory, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. This semester, she is conducting research more directly associated with her career goals under Dr. Alexander Agrios, whose research focuses on the latest technology in solar power. At the end of her freshman year, Sophie was hired as an intern at the UConn Office of Environmental Policy, where she continues to work on various initiatives to promote sustainability on campus. She is also the co-lead for the Ethiopia Project, as well as the events and planning lead for the University’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders. In this role, Sophie works to help the environment as well as the community of people who depend on its protection. When the dust settles every so often, Sophie loves to do anything and everything outdoors, from hiking to ice climbing to birding.

Weston Henry (CLAS ’19, CAHNR ’19) is a STEM scholar and honors student pursuing a dual degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and landscape architecture. Originally from Mansfield, Connecticut, he has been working in the lab of Dr. David Wagner since high school, with a focus on butterflies, moths, and caterpillars. In summer 2017, he received a SURF grant and was able to live in a cabin on stilts over the Housatonic River, studying various aspects of the conservation of the state-endangered and globally vulnerable Northern Metalmark butterfly. Other research experience includes studies of bird predation in differentially sized forest fragments, monitoring of gastropod populations in Puerto Rico, plant physiology research in South Africa, and general lab work. This past November, he also attended the United Nations climate change conference in Bonn, Germany.  Within the landscape architecture sphere, Weston serves as secretary of UConn’s chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and will be interning with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. planning and design consultants in San Diego, California this coming summer. During his career, he hopes to address the gap between ecological science and design of built spaces, in order to create landscapes that address environmental issues including but not limited to climate change, habitat destruction and resulting biodiversity loss. In his spare time, he enjoys volunteering at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, traveling, and being in nature.

ONS&F is pleased to announce that we have 10 Semi-Finalists in the 2018-19 Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition. These applicants were selected by the National Screening Committees to be forwarded to the Fulbright Commissions in-country for final review and selection. We anticipate hearing Finalist decisions beginning in mid-March thru May.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program Semi-Finalists are:

Hannah Bissonnette (CLAS ’18) for an English Teaching Assistant grant to Bulgaria.

Rebecca Hill (CLAS, ’18) for the Fulbright UK Partnership Award to University of Birmingham.

Mahathi Kumar (CLAS, ’18) for an English Teaching Assistant grant to Mexico.

Madeline Nicholson (CLAS, ’17) for an English Teaching Assistant grant to Mexico.

Marc Reyes (PhD candidate, History) for Fulbright Research grant to India.

Nikita Roy (CLAS, ’18) for a Fulbright grant to Western Sydney University, Award in the Arts, Environment & Public Health.

Kaleigh Rusgrove Berry (MFA candidate) for a Fulbright grant to Western Sydney University, Award in the Arts, Environment & Public Health.

Nicholas Russo (CLAS, ’18) a for a Fulbright Research grant to Sweden.

Rebecca VanderLeest (PhD candidate, Geological Sciences) for a Fulbright Research grant to Chile.

Charity Whitehead (CLAS, 2016) for an English Teaching Assistant grant to South Africa.

Truman Scholarship nominees (l to r) Lucas Bladen, Akshayaa Chittibabu, Kathrine Grant, and Mary Szarkowicz.  (UConn Photo/various)

Meet UConn’s 2017-18 Truman Scholarship Nominees.

Lucas Bladen (CLAS ’19), of Mansfield, CT, is an Honors student pursuing a degree in political science and human rights. A lifelong resident of eastern Connecticut, he enjoys reading, debating, and trail running. Lucas has applied his guiding principles of grassroots community engagement and long-term vision to both his local activism and his study of national and international politics. He received a fall 2015 Bennett Research Assistantship and a spring 2016 SHARE Grant to examine the place of refugees within the Westphalian nation-state. He then conducted field research in Paris, France and Florence, Italy through a summer 2016 IDEA Grant; the project, entitled “Stigmatized: A Study of Refugee and Economic Migrant Integration in French Politics and Culture,” was presented at the spring 2017 meeting of the New England Political Science Association. His examination of national identity and global governance, coupled with a semester studying at the Sorbonne, led him to engage more critically with the politics of his own country. He has since interned for the Connecticut Democratic Party, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, and served as an organizing fellow for the re-election campaign of U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, in addition to assisting his local Democratic Town Committee. As Secretary-General of UConn Model United Nations, he works to get high school students interested international relations and debate; this same love for political discourse motivated him to become a staff writer for the UConn Political Review.

Akshayaa K. Chittibabu (CLAS ’19), from Shrewsbury, MA, is a junior studying biological sciences and sociology at the University of Connecticut as a STEM Scholar. She was nominated for the Truman Scholarship.  She has worked on implementing better health education for rural women in South India as a Holster Scholar, assessed barriers in American healthcare as a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow, and studied Korean in Gwangju, South Korea through the U.S. Department of State. Currently, Akshayaa serves as the Vice Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and Senator for Multiculturalism and Diversity in UConn’s Undergraduate Student Government.  She is an editorial assistant at the peer-reviewed journal Social Science & Medicine and is conducting her thesis research with Prof. Audrey Chapman at UConn School of Medicine’s Department of Community Medicine and Healthcare. On campus, she leads Gita studies for undergraduate Hindus at the UConn Hindu Students Council, and volunteers as a community health educator through the Collegiate Health Service Corps. Her investment in global health has led her to chairing Connecticut’s first student-run global health conference, serving on medical development trips to Panama and Ecuador, and advocating for global malaria and polio programs as a UN Foundation Global Health Fellow. In the future, she aims to build and promote innovative health policies, and pursue a fulfilling career in public service as a physician.

Kathrine Grant (CLAS, EDUC ’19), from Groton, CT, is a double major in English and Secondary English Education with a minor in public policy. She was nominated for the Truman Scholarship.  She is the Political Director of UConn Future Educators (UFE) and the Vice President of the Teacher Education Student Association (TESA). She is also a member of the 2018 Leadership Legacy cohort and the Honors Program. Kathrine has worked on several research projects during her undergraduate career, receiving funding for a Holster First Year Project, a Summer Undergraduate Research Project (SURF), and a group IDEA Grant. Each of these projects has allowed her to pursue her passions in education: she’s studied public perceptions of school choice options and quality and is currently working to create a peer-to-peer tutoring and translation program for Emergent Bilingual high school students. Additionally, she has participated in alternative breaks to Washington, D.C.; Birmingham, Alabama; and Detroit, Michigan. In the future, Kathrine plans to teach Secondary English in a public, high-needs district and to become involved with national educational politics and administration after pursuing dual degree program for a law degree and a doctoral degree in Educational Theory and Policy.

Mary Szarkowicz (CLAS, BUSN ’19), from Watertown, CT, is an Honors student pursuing dual degrees in political science and accounting. An avid Crossfitter, she has interned in the office of Senator Richard Blumenthal and in the Department of Justice. A Student Administrative Assistant at the Office of the Registrar, Mary is also involved in UConn Model UN as the 2018 Conference Director and as a member of the 2018 Leadership Legacy cohort. In summer 2016, she was awarded a Holster Scholar grant to pursue research on the impact of professionalism of the state legislature on the lobbyist-legislator relationship. As a recipient of a 2017 IDEA Grant, she is using her funds to pursue a project on the legal framework of female genital mutilation in the United States. She also received an Alan R. Bennett Research Assistantship in fall 2015.  Mary was nominated for the Truman Scholarship.

Meet UConn’s 2017-18 nominees for the Rhodes, Marshall, and Mitchell Scholarships.

Megan Handau (CLAS ’18) is a senior Honors student and Babbidge Scholar from New Fairfield Connecticut, majoring in political science and women’s, gender, and sexualities studies. She was nominated for the Mitchell Scholarship.  In her time at UConn, Megan has interned with Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty in her Washington, D.C. and district offices, the Office of the Public Defender in Hartford, and the Right2Know Campaign in Cape Town, South Africa. During the spring of her senior year, she served as campaign manager for Amanda Webster, a progressive Democrat running for the Connecticut State House of Representatives. Megan’s passion for intersectional feminism and government drives her research for her senior Honors thesis, entitled “I’m Not Supposed to Be Here: A Race-Gendering of the Public Identity of the First Lady.” Dedicated to effective leadership and student political involvement, Megan has served president of UConn College Democrats, president of UConn Ready For Hillary, president of Alpha Epsilon Phi, and vice president of Student Coalition for Social Justice. Megan has also been the recipient of the Fannie Dixon Welch Scholarship, awarded for active citizenship and promise of leadership in government, the 100 Years of Women Scholarship, awarded for advancing the role of women in society, and the Augusta Gerberich Scholarship. Megan’s commitment to public service and amplifying the agency of others resulted in her being offered the chance to serve with the Peace Corps after graduation as a Community Development Volunteer in Moldova. Her future plans include law school.

Rebecca Kaufman (CLAS ’18), from Mansfield, CT, is an Honors student double majoring in political science and human rights, and minoring in public policy.  She aspires to pursue a career in sustainable development and work on issues around the right to water.  She was nominated for the Marshall Scholarship.  An avid runner, Rebecca has worked as Program Design Fellow for Net Impact in Oakland, CA, interned for U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, worked with local leaders in rural Guatemala through the Social Entrepreneurship Corps, and studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa where she interned at the Economic Justice Network. As a spring 2016 IDEA Grant recipient, Rebecca used her funding to analyze the policy outcomes and increased female empowerment promulgated by women in local government in the Asia-Pacific region. She is now finishing her senior thesis, working to construct a more intersectional and comprehensive indicator for women’s empowerment. In spring 2017, she was awarded the Augusta H. Gerberich Scholarship, which is given annually to a junior or senior majoring in political science whose special field of interest is international relations.  She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, a New England Scholar, a Human Rights Institute Oxford Fellow, and received an Alan R. Bennett Research Assistantship in fall 2014.  In the spring of 2016, Rebecca and three other students co-founded the Student Coalition for Social Justice, which conducts sustained, intersectional social justice campaigns in order to incite positive social change on the UConn campus and beyond. Rebecca will be serving as a Water Sanitation and Hygiene Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama from July 2018 to October 2020.

Elizabeth Charash (CLAS ’18) is a history major who was nominated for the Rhodes, Marshall, and Mitchell Scholarships. She is an avid reader, consumer of political satire and tea connoisseur. She is from Newtown, CT, where she is involved with gun violence prevention advocacy following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary her junior year. She has studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa where she worked with community members in an area with high levels of gun violence. Her time in Cape Town in combination with her high school activism have shaped the research she is currently conducting on the differences in urban and suburban gun violence prevention policy and activism. Elizabeth has interned in the offices of Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty and Senator Chris Murphy, as well as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. She is also founder and president of UConn Against Gun Violence, where she seeks to inform her community about the complexities of gun violence.  Winner of the 2016 Newman Civic Fellowship and a 2017 Finalist for the Marshall, Mitchell and Truman Scholarships, Elizabeth is also the recipient of an IDEA grant to continue her ongoing research on the “Faces of the Gun Violence Prevention Movement in Connecticut” with Sociology Professor Mary Bernstein.  Upon graduation, she will be pursuing a MA in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queens University Belfast, with later plans to pursue a joint JD and PhD continuing her work to inform and take action to mitigate gun violence.

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully funded summer overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of broadening the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and building relationships between the people of the United States and other countries, CLS provides opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the United States at every level of language learning. The CLS Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State.

2017 CLS Winners:

Akshayaa Chittibabu (CLAS ’19) is a STEM Scholar majoring in physiology and neurobiology with aspirations to attend medical school and specialize as an OB/GYN.  As a 2016 Holster Scholar, her Holster research project was inspired by her volunteer work in Tamil Nadu, India, where she encountered rural South Indians with low access to health care. Her research, “Assessing the Influence of Select Sociodemographic and Socioeconomic Factors on Non-Compliance to Follow-Up Cervical Cancer Care in Rural Women: A Study in Rural South India” was presented at the Holster Scholars reception in Fall 2016.  On campus, Akshayaa is part of the Writing Center tutoring staff and is an active slam poet and board member of UC Poetic Release and Performance Crew, the UConn spoken word collective and slam poetry team. She will study Korean at the Chonnam National University in Gwangju, Korea.

Moira Lewerk (CAHNR, ’18) is an Honors student majoring in Allied Health Sciences with an interest in languages and culture. As a RISE Scholar, she participated in an intensive summer research experience in a laboratory affiliated with the Cognitive Science Program and the Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences.  As a representative for the Pan-Asian Council, Moira also seeks to engage with others in a wide-ranging exploration of cultural differences and similarities. A musician, amateur film-maker and avid traveler, she hopes to return to Korea after graduation to teach English and continue her Korean language learning. Her ultimate goal is to continue her education in both the sciences and communication. She will study Korean at the Chonnam National University in Gwangju, Korea.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

 2017-18 Fulbright Award Recipients are:

Margo Bailey (BUSN, ’17) recipient of the Instituto de Empresa (IE)MA International Management in Spain. Margo is a Marketing major with a minor in Spanish, interested in a career in international corporate social responsibility. Following her studies at IE, she plans to work for a non-profit like the LEGO Foundation or an international company that focuses on bilingual educational services.

Sylvia Cunningham (CLAS, ’15) recipient of the Young Professional Journalist grant to Germany. Graduating with a double major in Journalism and Political Science, Sylvia took her experiences working at WHUS and The Daily Campus to the NBC Universal Page Program. She ultimately landed a job as Desk Assistant to the NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt during the 2016 presidential campaign season. Her goal is to become a political reporter for a new outlet after gaining experience with news organizations in Germany.

Catherine Han (CLAS, ’17) recipient of English Teaching Assistant grant to Mexico. Catherine is a double major in Biology and English, drawing on her experience as a tutor in the UConn Writing Center to engage with students in an English-language learning classroom in Mexico.  She plans to apply to medical school and upon completion, work in a medically underserved urban area in public health.

Lara Hawley (NEAG, ’17) recipient of English Teaching Assistant grant to South Africa. With a BA in English, Lara will earn her Master’s in Curriculum & Instruction from NEAG this year and utilize her classroom teaching experiences to assist an English-language learning instructor in South Africa. Having earlier volunteered in several locations there, she is eager to learn more about society and culture in that country.

Tiffany Murphy (CLAS, ’12) recipient of an English Teaching Assistant grant to Morocco. A 2012 graduate in political science, Tiffany has worked for United Way, AmeriCorps and most recently the New Haven Board of Education as a literacy and ESL tutor. Having traveled to Morocco in 2015 to learn Arabic, she will return there to work in an English-language learning classroom. Her goal is to earn an MSW and work in immigration and refugee services.

Marissa Piccolo (CLAS, ’17) recipient of a study grant to Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, MA program in Legislative Studies and Practice. Graduating with a double major in Political Science and Economics, and a Mount Vernon Leadership Fellow and Truman nominee, Marissa will take her research and public service experience to Belfast to study politics in Northern Ireland.  Her goal is to return to the US to attend law school and ultimately run for public office.

Paulina Rowe (CLAS, ’17) recipient of an English Teaching Assistant grant to Colombia. A double major in Psychology and Spanish, Paulina will bring her experience as a camp counselor, writing tutor and in public service to her role as a teaching assistant in an English-language learning classroom in Colombia. Upon her return, she will join Teach for America or work with a non-profit organization centered on youth development.

Ten Students, Alums Win NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Caitlin Briody (CLAS ’17) from Storrs, CT is an Honors student, 2014 New England Scholar and two times Babbidge Scholar (2015, 2016) with a double major in Political Science and Sociology and a minor in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies. A Writing Center tutor and Orientation Leader, Caitlin was an intern in the Washington DC office of Sen. Chris Murphy in the summer of 2016 in addition to interning with the Treatment Action Campaign in Cape Town, South Africa.  Her research interests range across several topics, including judicial selection, gender based violence, the Shelby v. Holder decision and her thesis project is researching the gender gap in political participation. As a Carnegie Junior Fellows nominee, Caitlin aspires to work with a Senior Fellow in the Democracy and Rule of Law Program.

Jacob Burte (CLAS ’17) from Andover, MA is an Honors student and three-time New England Scholar with an Individualized major in International Relations, Middle East concentration and minors in History and Political Science. The B-side captain for the Men’s Rugby team, he is also a member of the Huskies for Israel and co-founder of the Syrian Resettlement Project at UCONN, which allows him to pursue his interests in the politics of the Middle East.  His senior thesis will focus on Washington’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy with regard to Israeli nuclear research and development during the 1950’s and ‘60’s. As a Carnegie Junior Fellows nominee, Peter aspires to work with a Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program.