Author: Eskin, Jodi

• Apply Now for Summer 2018 Research and Internship Opportunities

Undergraduate students who are interested in participating in a summer research or internship program need to plan ahead. December is the time to gather together all the required elements of the applications, including faculty letters of recommendation. All of the exciting summer opportunities listed below have application deadlines in December or January! Don’t miss the opportunity to get research experience.

DAAD RISE – Research Internships in Science and Engineering in Germany
Deadline: Applications are due by December 15, 2017; Letters of Reference are due by January 2, 2018 
https://www.daad.de/rise/en/
DAAD RISE gives students in the fields of biology, chemistry, earth sciences, engineering and physics the chance to spend a summer working on research projects with doctoral students at German universities and research institutions. Interested students must first register online between November 1, 2017 and December 15, 2017. Students will then be able to access the internship offers submitted by the doctoral students in Germany prior to completing the application.

Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program (MLEF)
Deadline: January 3, 2018; http://orise.orau.gov/mlef/
The Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship (MLEF) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy. It is a 10-week summer internship program that provides opportunities to students who are pursuing degrees in STEM fields. The goal of the program is to improve opportunities for minority and female students in these fields, but all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply. Selected undergraduates receive a weekly stipend of $600.

Summer Neuroscience Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SNURF) – University of Vermont
Deadline: January 10, 2018; https://www.med.uvm.edu/neuro/snurf
Two summer research programs will be hosted by the University of Vermont. One is funded by NSF and the other by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Both offer generous stipends and housing. Interested students may apply to only one of the two programs. Details available on the website.

Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)
Deadline: January 12, 2018; https://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli/
The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program encourages undergraduate students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at one of 17 participating Dept. of Energy laboratories.

Cold Spring Harbor Undergraduate Summer Research Program 2018
Deadline: January 15, 2018; http://www.cshl.edu/education/urp
The URP program is designed to give students an opportunity to conduct first-rate research under the supervision of senior laboratory staff in the areas of cancer biology, neuroscience, plant biology, cellular and molecular biology, genetics and bioinformatics and genomics. Selected students receive room and board in addition to a $5,000 stipend.

ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships
Deadline: January 15, 2018; http://thinkswiss.tumblr.com/About
ThinkSwiss scholarships support highly motivated undergraduates who are interested in doing research at a public Swiss university or research institute. The scholarship is open to students in all fields. A monthly stipend of approximately $1,050 is provided for a period of 2-3 months.

Summer ORISE Fellowship Opportunities at the CDC
Deadline: January 19, 2018; http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/dls/orise.html
Appointments through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellowship Program. Undergraduate students majoring in the applied sciences may apply. Biology and chemistry majors are preferred. Stipend of approximately $2,800 per month for undergraduate students.

Natural History Research Experiences (NHRE)
Deadline: January 24, 2018; http://www.mnh.si.edu/NHRE/index.htm
This is a 10-week summer internship program at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. NHRE interns work closely with scientific mentors to complete independent research projects in Earth science, Biology, and Anthropology. Interns will receive a stipend of $6,000 and be provided dorm housing at George Washington University.

Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) – Columbia University
Deadline: January 31, 2018; http://ps.columbia.edu/education/student-life/office-diversity/programs/college-and-post-baccalaureate-students/summer-publ
The Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) is designed for undergraduate students who are interested in public health and biomedical science careers. Applicants must have completed at least two years of college. Students from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Approximately 40 students will be selected to participate. Students will receive a stipend, housing, and round trip travel.

 

• Student Accomplishments – May 2017

accomplishments-heading

Please join us in congratulating the UConn undergraduates named below for their significant research and creative accomplishments in spring 2017. Students: if you have an accomplishment to share, please do so using this online form.

AWARDS

Alyssa Mathiowetz ’18 (CLAS) received a Founders Affiliate Undergraduate Student Summer Fellowship Award from the American Heart Association. She will be working under the supervision of Professor Kenneth Campellone in the Campellone Lab this summer, studying actin nucleation factors and autophagy in cardiovascular development. Congratulations, Alyssa!

Elizabeth Rodier ’18 and Jessica Young ’19 have been selected as UConn Beckman Scholars. The Beckman Scholars program will support their independent research in the Tzingounis Laboratory and the Sun Laboratory, respectively, for two summers and one academic year. Congratulations, Elizabeth and Jessica!

John Ovian in a lab.Congratulations to John Ovian ’17 (CLAS), pictured at right, and Diler Haji ’17 (CLAS), undergraduate recipients of 2017 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships! They are among the 10 UConn students and alumni who won NSF Graduate Research Fellowships this year.


PUBLICATIONS

Jack Morley ’17 (ENG) and Leopoldo Valencia ’17 (ENG) were co-authors on a recent publication from Seok-Woo Lee’s Lab, as was one past undergraduate researcher, Thomas Bissell ’16 (ENG):

Dusoe, K.J., Vijayan, S., Bissell, T.R., Chen, J. Morley, J.E., Valencia, L., Dongare, A.M., Aindow, M., & Lee, S.-W. (2017). Strong, ductile, and thermally stable Cu-based metal-intermetallic nanostructured composites. Nature Scientific Reports, 7, 40409. doi: 10.1038/srep40409.

Sayeda Najamussahar Peerzade ’20 (ENG) was a co-author on a recent publication based on research conducted with Dr. Vladimir Litvak at the University of Massachusetts Medical School:

Filiano, A.J., Xu, Y., Tustison, N.J., Marsh, R.L., Baker, W., Smirnov, I., Overall, C.C., Gadani, S.P., Turner, S.D., Wheng, Z., Najamussahar Peerzade, S.,, Chen, H., Lee, K.S., Scott, M.M, Beenhakker, M.P, Litvak, V., & Kipnis, J. (2016). Unexpected role of interferon-γ in regulating neuronal connectivity and social behavior. Nature, 535, 425-429. doi: 10.1038/nature18626.

Connor Occhialini ’18 (CLAS) was the first author on a recent publication in Physical Review B:

Occhialini, C.A.,, Handunkanda, S.U., Curry, E.B., & Hancock, J.N. (2017). Classical, quantum, and thermodynamics of a lattice model exhibiting structural negative thermal expansion. Physical Review B, 95, 094106. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.95.094106.

Nicolas Ochart ’18 (SFA) published a paper based on research he conducted while enrolled in ARTH 3530 – Contemporary Art, taught by Professor Margo Machida:

Ochart, N. (2017). Stark imagery: The male nude in art. Bowdoin Journal of Art, 3, 1-17. Full Text.


EXHIBITIONS, SCREENINGS, AND PERFORMANCES

Spring 2017 included a series of art exhibitions, screenings, and performances by the following undergraduate students:


Diana Abouchacra ’17 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Include|Exclude: Explorations of Xenophobia through Printmaking

Louise Astorino ’17 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Raccogliere: A Study of Gatherings and Public Spaces in Florence, Italy

Edward (John) Cody ’17 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
100 Birds: An Original Puppetry Production

Benjamin Piascik ’17 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
BuyTown: A Comedy Pilot

Catherine Solari ’17 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
STAMPEDE: A Solo Exhibition of Sculptural Printmaking

Over the course of the 2016-17 academic year, Ali Oshinskie ’17 (CLAS) created and produced a podcast, Professors Are People Too, about her experience as an English major and the delight of getting to know her professors. All past episodes are available at the link above.


PRESENTATIONS

Plant Animal Genome Conference – January 14-17, 2017 – San Diego, CA

Sumaira Zaman ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Bioinformatic Evaluation of Transcriptomic Frame Selection Methods in Non­-model Species

Samantha Mairson
Samantha Mairson ’17 (SFA)
American Library Association Midwinter Conference – January 20-24, 2017 – Atlanta, GA

Samantha Mairson ’17 (SFA) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Museums, Libraries, and Civic Discourse in Connecticut: Omeka Everywhere

Yale Undergraduate Research Conference – February 11-12, 2017 – New Haven, CT

Radhika Malhotra ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Investigating the Role of Ras Signaling in Ovulation Using Drosophila Melanogaster as a Model System

American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting – February 16-20, 2017 – Boston, MA

Colin Cleary ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Investigating Service Learning Pedagogy in Undergraduate STEM Coursework

Jessica Griffin
Jessica Griffin ’17 (CAHNR, CLAS)
Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography Aquatic Sciences Meeting – February 26-March 3, 2017 – Honolulu, HI

Jessica Griffin ’17 (CAHNR, CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Food Quality and Diet Preference in Mysis diluviana

Wilson Ornithological Society Annual Meeting – March 9-12, 2017 – Ft. Myers, FL

Nicholas Russo ’18 (CLAS) – Recipient of the Nancy Klamm Undergraduate Presentation Award for best student talk – OUR Travel Award recipient
Avian Spring Migration as a Dispersal Mechanism for an Invasive Insect

American Physical Society Meeting – March 13-17, 2017 – New Orleans, LA

Connor Occhialini ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Inelastic X-Ray Scattering Study of Incipient and Realized Structural Transitions in Mercurous Halides

Kangaroo Care Senior Design Team
Sarah McGee ’17 (ENG), Cailah Carroll ’17 (ENG), Courtney Mulry ’17 (ENG), Katelyn Houlihan ’17 (ENG), & Celine Agnes ’17 (ENG)
Rice 360 Undergraduate Global Health Technologies Competition – March 24, 2017 – Houston, TX

Celine Agnes ’17 (ENG), Rosalie Bordett ’17 (ENG), Cailah Carroll ’17 (ENG), Katelyn Houlihan ’17 (ENG), Sarah McGee ’17 (ENG) & Courtney Mulry ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipients
Promote KMC – Preventing Neo-Natal Mortality Using Technology Assisted Kangaroo Mother Care

CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing – March 30-April 1, 2017 – Cambridge, MA

Jessica Joseph ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Can Visual Shapes Influence Phoneme Perception?

American Chemical Society National Meeting – April 2-6, 2017 – San Francisco, CA

Sydney Scheirey ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Polyureas for Dielectric Applications Developed through a Rational Co-Design Approach

Jean-Marc Lawrence ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Separate Ways: Efforts to Resolve Planar Chiral [13]-Macrodilactones

Samantha Lawrence
Sam Lawrence ’17 (CLAS)
Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting – April 6-8, 2017 – Austin, TX

Maranda Jones ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Relationships between Auditory Brainstem Responses and Early Language in Typically Developing Children and Children with Autism

Samantha Lawrence ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Moral Judgments About Exclusion Bullying: The Role of Previous Experiences and Ethnicity of Participant, Excluders, and Victims

Midwest Political Science Association Conference – April 6-9, 2017 – Chicago, IL

Sydney Carr ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Can’t Fight This Feeling: Emotions, Political Participation, and Black Presidential Candidates

Meriden Public School District Meeting – April 21, 2017 – Meriden, CT

Tashua Sotil ’17 (CAHNR)
The Meriden School Climate Survey: Student Version District Evaluation

Pacific University Undergraduate Philosophy Conference – April 21-22, 2017 – Pine Grove, OR

Christopher Caples ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
The Ship of Plato, A Dualistic-Teleological Theory of Identity

Brittany Molkenthin
Professor Michelle Judge and Brittany Molkenthin ’17 (NUR)
Experimental Biology Annual Meeting – April 22-26, 2017 – Chicago, IL

Brittany Molkenthin ’17 (NUR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Evaluation of the Association of Toll-Like Receptor 4 and BMI with Postpartum Depressive Symptomatology

New England Political Science Association Conference – April 20-22, 2017 – Providence, RI

Marissa Piccolo ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Running and Winning: Understanding the Gender Differential in State Legislatures

Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting – May 6-9, 2017 – San Francisco, CA

Kristin Burnham ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Obesity Diagnosis in Pediatric Emergency Departments: A Missed Opportunity

Griffin Struyk ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Development and Validation of the Violence Prevention Emergency Tool

Kristin Burnham
Kristin Burnham ’18 (CLAS)
Griffin Struyk
Griffin Struyk ’17 (CLAS)

 

• Health Research Program – Opportunities for Summer 2017 & Academic Year 2017-18

The Office of Undergraduate Research is pleased to announce the next phase of the Health Research Program (HRP). This program offers a new pathway into undergraduate research for students with interests in health and/or the biomedical sciences. By facilitating connections between UConn Health researchers and UConn undergraduates, the program aims to involve more students in research at UConn Health.

For students interested in participating in this program for Summer 2017 and/or Academic Year 2017-18, here is the key information:

  • Summer 2017 opportunities are now posted on the HRP website. There are 24 opportunities that range from software development to health policy, biosensors to neuroscience, genetics to molecular medicine. The application deadline for these opportunities is Friday, February 24, 2017. Most Summer 2017 opportunities are slated to continue into the 2017-18 academic year (they will continue if the student makes satisfactory progress over the course of the summer and both the student and the faculty mentor are interested in continuing the placement); those that will not continue are marked “Summer Only.” Summer researchers will receive a stipend of $4,000 to cover the expenses associated with participating in this program
  • Academic Year 2017-18 opportunities (i.e., research placements that begin in the fall) are also now posted on the HRP website. There are 4 opportunities in molecular medicine, orthopaedics, neuroscience, and immunology. The application deadline for these opportunities is also Friday, February 24, 2017. These academic year opportunities can continue into summer 2018, as long as the student makes satisfactory progress over the course of the academic year, both the student and the faculty mentor are interested in continuing the placement for summer, and the student will be returning to UConn as an undergraduate student for 2018-19.
  • To be eligible for Summer 2017 and Academic Year 2017-18 HRP opportunities, students must plan to graduate no sooner than May 2018.

Further details and answers to frequently asked questions are available on the Health Research Program website. Students are encouraged to peruse the posted opportunities and begin preparing application materials for any placements of interest. We also urge students to take care to consider the time commitment and schedule options involved in a given opportunity to ensure that they can accommodate these demands in their summer and/or academic year schedule.

Please contact Caroline McGuire, OUR Director, at caroline.mcguire@uconn.edu with any questions.

• Additional Summer Research Opportunities – Apply Now

Interested in spending the summer engaged in an exciting research project? There is still time to apply for summer research opportunities in a variety of areas. The programs and opportunities listed below are still accepting applications.

Biomedical Engineering Summer Internship Program (BESIP)
Deadline: February 9, 2017
https://www.nibib.nih.gov/training-careers/undergraduate-graduate/biomedical-engineering-summer-internship-program-besip
This program, sponsored by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), is targeted at undergraduate biomedical engineering students who have completed their junior year of college. This program is a subprogram of the Summer Internship Program (SIP). Students will participate in biomedical research projects under the direction of scientists at NIH laboratories in Bethesda, MD. Stipend of approximately $6,600 for 10 weeks.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program – UT Southwestern Medical Center
Deadline: February 9, 2017
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/graduate-school/programs/non-degree-programs/surf.html
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program at UT Southwestern’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is designed for students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. career in biomedical research. Applicants to this 10-week program must have completed their sophomore year in an undergraduate science degree program. $4,000 stipend.

Quantitative and Physical Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (QP-SURF) Program – UT Southwestern Medical Center
Deadline: February 9, 2017
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/graduate-school/programs/non-degree-programs/qp-surf.html
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program at UT Southwestern’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is designed for students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. career in biomedical research. Applicants must be enrolled in a physics, computer science, mathematics, biomedical engineering, or chemistry degree program and have completed their sophomore year. $4,000 stipend.

MSTP Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program – UC San Diego
Deadline: February 12, 2017
http://mstp.ucsd.edu/surf/Pages/default.aspx
The Medical Scientist Training Program at UC San Diego is designed for students interested in learning about a career in biomedicine. The program features an 8-week research project, weekly seminars, and a physician-scientist clinical shadowing experience. Students from groups underrepresented in health-related sciences and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply. $3,200 stipend and room (but not board) provided.

Summer Undergraduate Research Experience – University at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Deadline: February 14, 2017
http://medicine.buffalo.edu/education/undergraduate/sure.html
The School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences offers a summer undergraduate research program for students in their junior year (at the time of application). Offers extended to only 10 students; $3,500 stipend and housing provided.

Amgen Scholars Summer Research Program – California Institute of Technology
Deadline: February 15, 2017
http://sfp.caltech.edu/programs/amgen_scholars
The Caltech Amgen Scholars program provides undergraduate students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in STEM fields with the opportunity to conduct research in biology, chemistry, and bio-technical fields under the supervision of seasoned research mentors. $6,000 stipend for the 10-week program, campus housing and a board allowance provided.

Montgomery Summer Research Diversity Fellowships in Law and Social Science
Deadline: February 15, 2017
http://www.americanbarfoundation.org/research/Fellowshipopportunities/SummerResearchDiversityFellowshipsinLawandSocialScience.html
The American Bar Foundation sponsors a program of summer research fellowships. The summer program is designed to introduce students from diverse backgrounds to the benefits of a research-oriented career in the field of law and social science. Open to students who will have completed at least two years of undergraduate study by the time the fellowship begins. Selected students will receive a stipend of $3,600.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Summer Student Fellowship
Deadline: February 15, 2017
http://www.whoi.edu/main/summer-student-fellowship
The Summer Student Fellowship provides undergraduates with an interest in ocean sciences, oceanographic engineering, mathematics, or marine policy with a meaningful first-hand introduction to research in those areas. Students who have completed their junior year prior to the start of fellowship period in summer 2017 are eligible to apply. Stipend of $608/week for 10-12 weeks and institutional housing provided.

Molecular Biology REU at the Ohio State University
Deadline: February 15, 2017
https://molgen.osu.edu/research-experience-undergraduates
This NSF-funded research program is hosted by the Departments of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and the Division of Biochemistry at Ohio State. Selected students will receive a $5,000 stipend and univeristy housing. Students from groups historically underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged to apply.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program – State University of New York Upstate Medical University
Deadline: February 15, 2017
http://www.upstate.edu/grad/programs/summer.php
This 10-week summer research program is for students majoring in chemistry, biology, or a related field. Applicants should be between their junior and senior years (in Summer 2017) and have a strong interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical research. $3,000 stipend and housing provided.

Maryland Sea Grant REU Program
Deadline: February 15, 2017
http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/topics/research-experiences-undergraduates/research-experiences-undergraduates
Fifteen students are selected to conduct marine research on the Chesapeake Bay at one of two University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences laboratories. The program is designed for students majoring in marine science, ecology, environmental science, biology and chemistry. Preference given to students who are rising seniors. $6,000 stipend and housing costs are provided.

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences REU Program
Deadline, February 15, 2017
http://www.bigelow.org/education/reu/
This highly competitive, 10-week REU program pairs students with scientist mentors for a hands-on, independent research experience. Student applicants should have a minimum of one year of basic biology and at least one earth or ocean science course. Housing and $5,000 stipend provided.

Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Program in Vision Science – University of Rochester
Deadline: February 15, 2017
http://www.cvs.rochester.edu/training/undergraduate/fellowships/index.html
Students who are juniors (during 2016-17) with an interest in neuroscience, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and biomedical science are encouraged to apply for this summer of supervised laboratory training. $3,820 stipend and on-campus housing provided.

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Changing Environments: Integrating from Genomes to Biomes – Kansas State University Biology REU Program
Deadline: February 15, 2017
http://www.k-state.edu/reu/REU/index.html
This 10-week program provides undergraduates interested in biological sciences with research experience and professional development under the mentorship of a faculty mentor. Student applicants should have research interests in ecological genomics, grassland ecology, or evolutionary biology. $5,250 stipend and housing provided.

Marine Physical Laboratory Summer Internship Program – Scripps Institution of Oceanography 
Deadline: February 17, 2017
https://scripps.ucsd.edu/mpl/mpl-summer-internship-program
Undergraduate students interested in a career in scientific research and development are encouraged to apply for this summer research internship in marine science and technology. This 10-week summer internship program is seeking undergraduates majoring in engineering, chemistry, physics, biology or geology. Interns are paid $14/hour.

Chesapeake Bay Summer Internships – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Deadline: February 19, 2017
http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/student-opportunities/chesapeake-bay-internships
Paid undergraduate internships available for Summer 2017. Descriptions of available internships can be found at the above link.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Oceanography – University of Rhode Island
Deadline: February 21, 2017
http://surfo.gso.uri.edu/~surfo/index.html
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography program is a 10-week research experience designed for science, math and engineering students who will be seniors in Fall 2017. Stipend of approximately $5,500.

Washington Internship on Social Insurance – National Academy of Social Insurance Deadline: March 1, 2017
http://www.nasi.org/studentopps/washington-internship-social-insurance
This 12-week summer internship targets upper division students studying public policy, economics, political science, social work, actuarial science or related fields. Students serve as interns on social insurance policy research and analysis projects in Washington, DC. $3,500 stipend.

Somers Aging and Long-Term Care Research Internship – National Academy of Social Insurance
Deadline: March 1, 2017
https://www.nasi.org/studentopps/anne-somers-aging-long-term-care-research-internship
This 12-week summer internship targets upper division students studying economics, gerontology, political science, public health, social work, or related field. Students serve as interns on aging and long-term care policy projects in Washington, DC. $3,500 stipend.

• Student Accomplishments – December 2016

accomplishments-heading

Please join us in congratulating the UConn undergraduates named below for their significant research and creative accomplishments in summer and fall 2016. Students: if you have an accomplishment to share, please do so using this online form.

AWARDS

LambdaVision

Audrey Gallo ’18 (ENG) completed a summer internship with LambdaVision, a UConn Technology Incubation Program startup company. She was mentored by Nicole Wagner, CEO of LambdaVision and Assistant Research Professor in Chemistry at UConn. Audrey completed the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Summer Fellowship program, presented her research at the 2016 Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation Day, and tied for first place in the Wolff New Venture Competition. Pictured are LambdaVision founders Dr. Jordan Greco ’10 (CLAS), ’15 Ph.D. (far left), and Dr. Nicole Wagner ’07 (CLAS), ’13 Ph.D. (far right), with undergraduate interns Molly Zgoda ’17 (CLAS) and Audrey Gallo. Photo by Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business.

Catrina Nowakowski and Marina AstithaCongratulations to Catherine “Catrina” Nowakowski ’17 (ENG), one of three student winners of the CMAS Student Poster competition, and the only undergraduate winner. Catrina presented her research at the Community Modeling and Analysis System (CMAS) annual conference in Chapel Hill, NC on October 25, 2016, and is pictured at right with her faculty advisor, Marina Astitha, Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering.


PUBLICATIONS

Nicholas RussoNick Russo ’18 (CLAS) was the first author on a recent publication from the Tingley Lab:

Russo, N.J., Cheah, C. S.-J., Tingley, M.W. (2016). Experimental Evidence for Branch-to-Bird Transfer as a Mechanism for Avian Dispersal of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae). Environmental Entomology, 45(5): 1107-1114. doi:10.1093/ee/nvw083


EXHIBITIONS

Fall 2016 brought us incredible exhibitions by the following undergraduate students:

Michael Amato ’17 (SFA) – SURF Award and OUR Supply Award recipient
Flowhana: Photographs of the Hawaii Fire Artists

Raeanne Nuzzo ’17 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Fear: The Culture


OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Three UConn students participated in the Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program: Jennifer Allocco ’17 (CLAS) at the Bar Harbor, ME campus; and Nicole Gay ’17 (ENG) and Rujia (Lucia) Lian ’19 (CAHNR) at the Farmington, CT campus.

Jessica Griffin ’17 (CAHNR, CLAS) conducted research in summer 2016 through the Lake Champlain REU at the University of Vermont. She worked under the direction of Dr. Jason Stockwell examining the feeding preferences of lake invertebrate Mysis diluviana.

Savanna Smith ’18 (ENG) participated in the SURE Robotics program at Georgia Tech University in summer 2016. Her project, Detection Based Clinical Gail Analysis, was supervised by Dr. Patricio Vela, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering.


PRESENTATIONS

Samantha Lawrence
R: Samantha Lawrence ’17 (CLAS)

International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD) Biennial Meeting – July 10-14, 2016 – Vilnius, Lithuania

Samantha Lawrence ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Justifying Bullying: How Previous Experiences Predict Adolescent Moral Reasoning about Exclusion Used to Bully in Same-Race and Cross-Race Situations

International Lichenological Symposium – August 1-5, 2016 – Helsinki, Finland

Dinah Parker ’17 (CLAS)
Two Lichens, One Fungus: The Identity of Dendriscocaulon intricatulum

American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting and Exposition – August 21-25, 2016 – Philadelphia, PA

John Ovian ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Oxoammonium Salts: Powerful yet Practical Reagents for Oxidation and Oxidative Functionalization in Chemistry

Christine Nguyen
Christiane Nguyen ’17 (ENG)

Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting – October 5-8, 2016 – Minneapolis, MN

Cameron Flower ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Discovery of lncRNA-Encoded Peptidome in Mouse Kidney Inner Medulla

Christiane Nguyen ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Co-patterning Of Living Tissues in 3D-Printed Microfluidic Chips

American Physical Society Division of Nuclear Physics Fall Meeting – October 13-16, 2016 – Vancouver, BC

Christine Ploen ’17 (CLAS)
Beam Line Background Studies for the Electron-Ion Collider at Jefferson Laboratory: A Critical Foundation

Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Conference – October 13-15, 2016 – Long Beach, CA

Gabriella Reggiano ’17 (CLAS) – Winner for Outstanding Poster Presentation in Biochemistry/Biophysics – OUR Travel Award recipient
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Human Cardiac Calsequestrin and the Mutation E39K

Community Modeling and Analysis System (CMAS) Annual Conference – October 24-26, 2016 – Chapel Hill, NC

Catherine Nowakowski ’17 (ENG) – Winner of the 2016 CMAS Student Poster Competition – OUR Travel Award recipient
Prediction of Harmful Water Quality Parameters Combining Weather, Air Quality and Ecosystem Models with In-situ Measurements

Obesity Week 2016 – October 31-November 4, 2016 – New Orleans, LA

Jacob Naparstek ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Internet-Delivered Obesity Treatment Improves Depression Symptoms

National Association for Multicultural Education International Conference – November 9-13, 2016 – Cleveland, OH

Kathrine Grant ’19 (ED, CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Identifying and Using Critically Conscious Film to Address Education Inequity/Verplank Elementary School: A Rich Tapestry

Northeastern Political Science Association Annual Meeting – November 10-12, 2016 – Boston, MA

Amy Saji ’19 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Reel v Real: Assessing the Lessons of Law and Order: SVU within the Current Legal and Political Climate

Society for Neuroscience (SFN) Annual Meeting – November 12-16, 2016 – San Diego, CA

Saheeb Ahmed ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Social and Environmental Factors Influencing Exploration of a Novel Environment

John Pflomm ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Inactivation of Medial Prefrontal Cortex, Dorsal, or Ventral Hippocampus during a Temporal Sequence Task in a Radial Arm Water Maze

Molly Potter ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Effects of Caffeine and Hypothermia on Neuropathology in P6 Rats with Experimentally Induced Hypoxic Ischemic Brain Injury

American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting – November 13-18, 2016 – San Francisco, CA

Daniel Dougherty ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Study of Microstructures and Surface Treatment Techniques on the Drying Rate of Simulated Soil Micromodels in Microfluidic Devices

Nur Hamideh ’17 (ENG) – 1st place in the Food, Pharmaceutical, and Biotechnology Division – OUR Travel Award recipient
Characterization of Polysaccharide Solutions Using Microrheology: Surface Charge Effects

Cameron Harrington ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Cell Culture of the Termite Gut Microbiome Using a 3D-Printed Synthetic Microhabitat

Alyssa Pierne ’17 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Gradient Bioengineering of the Termite Gut Microbiome

The Society for Judgment and Decision Making Annual Meeting – November 18-21, 2016 – Boston, MA

Ryan Thibodeau
Ryan Thibodeau ’17 (CLAS)
Emily Roller
R: Emily Roller ’17 (CLAS)

Emily Roller ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Extending Construal Level Theory to the Hiring Decision Process

Ryan Thibodeau ’17 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Competitive Modeling: Predicting Counterproductive Work Behavior with the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Prototype Willingness Model

American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Annual Meeting – December 3-7, 2016 – San Francisco, CA

Alyssa Mathiowetz
Alyssa Mathiowetz ’18 (CLAS)

Alyssa Mathiowetz ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Interactions of Disease-Associated WHAMM Variants with Actin, Microtubules, and Membranes

 

• Deadlines Approaching for Summer 2017 Research Opportunities

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get valuable research experience this summer. Undergraduate students who are interested in participating in a summer research program should be preparing applications and requesting letters of recommendation now! Check out the following summer research programs with February 1st deadlines.

NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) – NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (CA) and University of California, Irvine
https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/nsrc/SARP
This 8-week summer internship program is targeted at highly motivated rising seniors with a strong background in any of the physical, chemical, or biological sciences, or engineering and an interest in applying their background to the study of the Earth system. Selected students will work in multi-disciplinary teams to study surface, atmospheric, and oceanographic processes and will fly on board the NASA C-23 Sherpa research aircraft. $5,000 stipend, travel costs and housing provided.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program – Gerstner Sloan Kettering
http://www.sloankettering.edu/summer-undergraduate-research-program
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering sponsors a 10-week summer research program for undergraduate students who are interested in the biomedical sciences. This is a competitive program that accepts 20 students. Applicants must have research experience. $4,000 stipend and housing provided.

Pediatric Oncology Education (POE) Program – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
http://www.stjude.org/poe
This program provides a short-term training experience in either laboratory research or clinical research. Students will be matched with a faculty mentor and will participate in the mentor’s ongoing research projects. Qualified students with an interest in cancer research are encouraged to apply. $400/week stipend provided to selected students.

Environmental Health Research Experience Program (EHREP) – University of Washington
http://deohs.washington.edu/ehrep
This funded, nine-week, summer research program is for undergraduates with a strong interest in environmental health science research. Undergraduate applicants must be graduating in 2018 or later. $5,200 summer stipend.

NSF-REU Internships in Astronomy – Maria Mitchell Observatory
http://www.mmo.org/get-involved/internships/reu
Six REU internship positions are available for qualified undergraduate astronomy and physics students. These positions provide students the opportunity to conduct independent research supervised by a senior staff member of MMO. $1,800 per month stipend and housing provided.

REU Program in Solar and Space Physics – University of Colorado Boulder
http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/education/reu/
This 10-week summer REU program targets students with an interest in solar and space physics. Students work under the direction of scientists from one of a number of participating institutions, including Colorado’s Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics and the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s High Altitude Observatory. $500/week stipend and housing provided.

American Heart Association, Founders Affiliate Undergraduate Student Summer Fellowship Program
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Affiliate/Founders-Affiliate-Local-Research-Opportunities_UCM_315885_Article.jsp
This program encourages students to pursue careers in cardiovascular research. Applicants are expected to identify a sponsor with a research laboratory within the Founders Affiliate. Projects related to cardiovascular biology and stroke will be considered. $5,000 fellowship.


Amgen Scholars Programs
The Amgen Scholars Program, through which students work full-time on independent research projects under the guidance of a research scientist, is hosted at ten institutions in the United States. Each host institution has its own application process; see details about 9 of the institutional programs below (the Caltech program is not listed below as its deadline is February 15th). Amgen research is conducted in fields including biochemistry, bioinformatics, biotechnology, chemical and biomolecular engineering, chemistry, immunology, medical pharmacology, microbiology, molecular biology, molecular genetics, molecular medicine, molecular pharmacology, neurobiology, neuroscience, pathology, physiological psychology, physiological science, statistics, and toxicology.

Amgen Scholars Summer Research Program at Columbia University/Barnard College
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/ug/amgen/
Columbia University and Barnard College offer a summer research program to undergraduate students who are interested in hands-on, biology-related laboratory research. The program is competitive with awards based on grades, recommendations, and career plans. Selected students receive a stipend of $4,000, a meal stipend ($500), and housing on the Morningside campus of Columbia University.

Amgen Scholars Program at Harvard
http://uraf.harvard.edu/amgen-scholars
This 10-week, faculty-mentored summer research program is targeted to students with research interests in the biotechnology fields. The program encourages applications from students whose backgrounds and experiences would bring diversity to biotechnology fields and students from groups underrepresented in the STEM fields. $4,000 stipend, $500 meal allowance, housing and travel costs to Boston, MA are provided.

Amgen Scholars Program at NIH
https://www.training.nih.gov/amgenscholars
Undergraduate students will be matched with a research mentor and participate in a curriculum that will teach leadership skills as well as prepare them for research-oriented careers. Preference will be given to students who lack opportunities to perform independent research during the school year. Students from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Amgen-UROP Scholars Program at MIT
http://web.mit.edu/urop/amgenscholars/
The Amgen-UROP Scholars Program is a competitive program providing the opportunity for undergraduates to participate in faculty-mentored summer research at MIT in the science and biotechnology areas. Students work 40 hours per week for nine weeks ($4,418 salary). Housing in an MIT residence hall and a food allowance of $800 are also provided.

Stanford Summer Research Program (SSRP) – Amgen Scholars Program
http://biosciences.stanford.edu/prospective/diversity/ssrp/
The SSRP-Amgen Scholars program is a research-intensive residential program where students are matched with a member of the Stanford faculty to conduct a research project from a comprehensive list of biological and biomedical science programs. The program encourages applications from students whose backgrounds and experiences would bring diversity to the field. The program provides a stipend of $3,600 and summer housing, meals, and travel to and from Stanford.

Amgen Scholars Program at the University of California, Berkeley
http://amgenscholars.berkeley.edu/
The UC Berkeley Amgen Scholars program is a 10-week summer research program that provides undergraduates the opportunity to work on directly on a research project under the guidance of a UCB faculty member. $5,000 stipend and apartment housing provided as well as travel costs to the UC Berkeley campus.

Amgen Scholars Program at the University of California, Los Angeles
http://www.ugresearchsci.ucla.edu/amgenscholars.htm
The UCLA Amgen Scholars Program pairs students with a UCLA faculty mentor to conduct research in biomedical science, chemistry, bioengineering, or chemical engineering. This competitive program has 15 slots available to non-UCLA undergraduate students. $3,600 stipend for the 10-week program, on-campus housing and some meals provided to selected students.

Amgen Scholars Program at the University of California, San Francisco
http://graduate.ucsf.edu/srtp
The UCSF Amgen Scholars 9-week summer program provides opportunities for undergraduates to conduct research in science and biotechnology under the supervision of UCSF faculty members. Selected students will participate in seminars/lectures and have the opportunity to present their research at the end of the program. Students receive a $4,000 stipend, $500 to cover travel costs to and from San Francisco, and housing.

Amgen Scholars Program at Washington University in St. Louis
http://dbbs.wustl.edu/divprograms/SummerResearchforUndergrads/Pages/Amgen-Scholars.aspx
Undergraduates selected for the Amgen Scholars Program at Washington University will engage in an intensive, 10-week, independent research project under the direction of a faculty mentor. Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and groups historically underrepresented in the sciences are encouraged to apply. $4,000 stipend and housing provided.

• Congratulations, 2017 SHARE Award Recipients!

SHARE Awards support undergraduate research apprenticeships in the social sciences, humanities, and arts, offering students majoring in these fields opportunities to develop inquiry skills and explore research interests early in their college careers.

We are delighted to announce the 16 student-faculty teams selected to receive awards for Spring 2017 and thank the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute for its generous support of two of these student awards. Congratulations to all award recipients!


Project Title: Extinction of Fear Within Virtual Reality Environments
Student Apprentice and Major: Allison Arnista, Psychological Sciences
Faculty Mentor and Department: Robert Astur, Psychological Sciences

Project Title: Intercultural Communication
Student Apprentice and Major: Emma Barnes, Political Science & German
Faculty Mentor and Department: Manuela Wagner, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages

UCHI logoProject Title: Exploring the Communication of Support about Racial Microaggressions in Black Women Friend Groups
Student Apprentice and Major: Alleyha Dannett, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies & Human Rights
Faculty Mentor and Department: Sharde Davis, Communication
Award Co-Sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute

Project Title: Support for Reducing Inequality: Citizen Attitudes vs. Public Action
Student Apprentice and Major: George Dennis, Political Science & History
Faculty Mentor and Department: Thomas Hayes, Political Science

Project Title: Pesos and Ponies: Neural Representation of Phonetic Category Structure in Spanish-English Bilinguals
Student Apprentice and Major: Divya Ganugapati, Cognitive Science & Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
Faculty Mentor and Department: Rachel Theodore, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Project Title: Town Conservation Commissions and Regional Conservation Associations in New England
Student Apprentice and Major: Abigail LaFontan, Political Science
Faculty Mentor and Department: Prakash Kashwan, Political Science

Project Title: Mu Rhythm Patterns in Early Childhood
Student Apprentice and Major: Dilsara Liyanage, Psychological Sciences
Faculty Mentor and Department: Kimberly Cuevas, Psychological Sciences

Project Title: The Implications of Ethnic-Racial Socialization for Emerging Adults’ Development Across Ethnic-Racial and Gender Groups
Student Apprentice and Major: Thessiana Mesilus, Psychological Sciences & Human Development and Family Studies
Faculty Mentor and Department: Annamaria Csizmadia, Human Development and Family Studies

Project Title: Identification of Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity in the Elderly with Osteoarthritis
Student Apprentice and Major: Erin Milner, Nursing
Faculty Mentor and Department: Deborah McDonald, Nursing

Project Title: Violence Against Women and Girls: Evidence of the Normative Gap Between Rhetoric and Law
Student Apprentice and Major: Susan Naseri, Political Science & Human Rights
Faculty Mentor and Department: David Richards, Political Science

Project Title: Using a Focus Group to Evaluate the Utility of Interactive Modules for Self-Management of Low Back Pain
Student Apprentice and Major: Amanda Pinto, Nursing
Faculty Mentor and Department: Angela Starkweather, Nursing

UCHI logoProject Title: Flusser 2.0 – From the Print-Text to the Image-Flood
Student Apprentice and Major: Katherine Riedling, Computer Science and Engineering & German
Faculty Mentor and Department: Anke Finger, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, Nursing
Award Co-Sponsored by the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute

Project Title: Crafting Environmental Citizenship: Pollution, Resistance and Representation in Latin American Cities
Student Apprentice and Major: Emily Steck, Political Science & Human Rights
Faculty Mentor and Department: Veronica Herrera, Political Science

Project Title: An Examination of the Unique Social-Ecologies of Discriminatory Bullying Experienced by Latino Immigrant Youth
Student Apprentice and Major: Monica Vise, Human Development and Family Studies
Faculty Mentor and Department: Alaina Brenick, Human Development and Family Studies

Project Title: The Effects of the Maternal Voice on the Infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)  
Student Apprentice and Major: Selena Williamson, Nursing
Faculty Mentor and Department: Jacqueline McGrath, Nursing

Project Title: Designing Interactive Museum Experiences with Omeka Everywhere
Student Apprentice and Major: Andrew Wolf, Digital Media and Design
Faculty Mentor and Department: Clarissa Ceglio, Digital Media and Design

• Apply Now for Summer 2017 Research and Internship Opportunities

Undergraduate students who are interested in participating in a summer research or internship program need to plan ahead. December is the time to gather together all the required elements of the applications, including faculty letters of recommendation. All of the exciting summer opportunities listed below have application deadlines in December or January! Don’t miss the opportunity to get research experience.

Department of Homeland Security HS-STEM Summer Internship Program
Deadline: December 7, 2016; http://www.orau.gov/dhseducation/internships/
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sponsors a 10-week summer internship program for students majoring in homeland security related science, technology, engineering and mathematics (HS-STEM) disciplines. Undergraduate students receive a $600/week stipend plus travel expenses for a 10-week research experience.

Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship Program (MLEF)
Deadline: December 30, 2016; http://orise.orau.gov/mlef/
The Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship (MLEF) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy. It is a 10-week summer internship program that provides opportunities to students who are pursuing degrees in STEM fields. The goal of the program is to improve opportunities for minority and female students in these fields, but all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply. Selected undergraduates receive a weekly stipend of $600.

Summer Neuroscience Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SNURF) – University of Vermont
Deadline: January 3, 2017; http://www.uvm.edu/~nbhspire/?Page=snurf.html
Two summer research programs will be hosted by the University of Vermont. One is funded by NSF and the other by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Both offer generous stipends and housing. Interested students may apply to only one of the two programs. Details available on the website.

Summer Undergraduate Course Creating Excellence in Scientific Study (SUCCESS) – The Ohio State University, College of Medicine
Deadline: January 7, 2017; https://medicine.osu.edu/mstp/Pages/index.aspx
This 10-week research experience is hosted by the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). The program encourages applications from students whose backgrounds and experiences would bring diversity to the field. Applicants must have an expected college graduation date in 2018 or 2019. $3,800 stipend and housing provided.

Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI)
Deadline: January 13, 2017; http://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli/
The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program encourages undergraduate students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at one of 17 participating Dept. of Energy laboratories.

Cold Spring Harbor Undergraduate Summer Research Program 2017
Deadline: January 15, 2017; http://www.cshl.edu/education/urp
The URP program is designed to give students an opportunity to conduct first-rate research under the supervision of senior laboratory staff in the areas of cancer biology, neuroscience, plant biology, cellular and molecular biology, genetics and bioinformatics and genomics. Selected students receive room and board in addition to a $5,000 stipend.

DAAD RISE – Research Internships in Science and Engineering in Germany
Deadline: January 15, 2017; https://www.daad.de/rise/en/
DAAD RISE gives students in the fields of biology, chemistry, earth sciences, engineering and physics the chance to spend a summer working on research projects with doctoral students at German universities and research institutions. Interested students must first register online between December 1, 2016 and January 15, 2017. Students will then be able to access the internship offers submitted by the doctoral students in Germany prior to completing the application.

Summer ORISE Fellowship Opportunities at the CDC
Deadline: January 20, 2017; http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/dls/orise.html
Appointments through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellowship Program. This is a paid research opportunity for biology and chemistry majors. Stipend of $2,700 per month for undergraduate students.

Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) Summer Internship Program
Deadline: January 25, 2017; http://orau.gov/dndo/
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) Summer Internship Progrhttp://orau.gov/dndo/am provides opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in projects at federal research facilities located across the country. This is a 10-week summer internship program focused on the DNDO mission of domestic nuclear detection and integrating federal nuclear forensics programs. Areas of research include engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and environmental science. U.S. citizenship is required. Interns will receive a stipend of $600/week for 10 weeks plus travel expenses.

Natural History Research Experiences (NHRE)
Deadline: January 25, 2017; http://www.mnh.si.edu/NHRE/index.htm
This is a 10-week summer internship program at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. NHRE interns work closely with scientific mentors to complete independent research projects in Earth science, Biology, and Anthropology. Interns will receive a stipend of $6,000 and be provided dorm housing at George Washington University.

Library of Congress Junior Fellows Summer Intern Program
Deadline: January 27, 2017; http://www.loc.gov/hr/jrfellows/
This 10-week internship program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to explore the environment, culture and collections of the world’s largest and most comprehensive repository of human knowledge. Selected students are provided the opportunity to explore digital initiatives and inventory, catalog, arrange, preserve and research a backlog of special, legal or copyright collections in many different formats. The application will open on December 12, 2016. $4,500 stipend.

Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) – Columbia University
Deadline: January 31, 2017; http://ps.columbia.edu/education/student-life/office-diversity/programs/college-and-post-baccalaureate-students/summer-publ
The Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) is designed for undergraduate students who are interested in public health and biomedical science careers. Applicants must have completed at least two years of college. Students from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Selected students will be provided with a stipend, housing, and round trip travel.

ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships
Deadline: January 31, 2017; http://thinkswiss.tumblr.com/About
ThinkSwiss scholarships support highly motivated undergraduates who are interested in doing research at a public Swiss university or research institute. The scholarship is open to students in all fields. A monthly stipend of approximately $1,050 is provided for a period of 2-3 months.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute Summer Scholars Program (CRISSP)
Deadline: January 31, 2017; http://www.research.chop.edu/programs/crissp/index.php
The CHOP Research Institute Summer Scholars Program (CRISSP) is committed to educating and training future leaders in the biomedical sciences, with a special emphasis on advancing laboratory, clinical, behavioral and translational pediatric research. Summer stipend of $4000 and free housing.

• Student Accomplishments – May 2016

accomplishments-heading

Please join us in congratulating the UConn undergraduates named below for their significant research and creative accomplishments in spring 2016. Students: if you have an accomplishment to share, please do so using this online form.

AWARDS

Quian Callender
Quian Callender ’16 (BUS), during his study abroad in China.

Congratulations to Quian Callender ’16 (BUS), the first undergraduate to be selected as a recipient of the GE Global Fellowship Award from the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER). Quian presented his research on international aspects of healthcare quality at the program’s annual event on April 15, 2016.

Brock Chimileski ’17 (CLAS) has been selected as the first Beckman Scholar at UConn. The Beckman Scholars program will support Brock’s independent research in Alexander Jackson’s laboratory in the Department of Physiology and Neurobiology for two summers and one academic year. Congratulations, Brock!

Sarah Mosure ’17 (CLAS) received a Founders Affiliate Undergraduate Student Summer Fellowship Award from the American Heart Association. She will be working under the supervision of Professor Li Wang in the Wang Lab this summer. Congratulations, Sarah!

Congratulations to Michael Cantara ’16 (CLAS), Alexander Choi ’16 (ENG), and Brendan Smalec ’16 (CLAS, SFA), undergraduate recipients of 2016 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships! They are among the 10 UConn students and alumni who won fellowships this year; 21 UConn students and alumni earned Honorable Mentions in this year’s competition.


PUBLICATIONS

Hannah Gerhard ’18 (CAHNR) was a co-author on a recent publication from the Luo Lab:

Hu, Q. Gerhard, H., Upadhyaya, I., Venkitanarayanan, K., & Luo, Y. (2016). Antimicrobial eugenol nanoemulsion prepared by gum arabic andlecithin and evaluation of drying technologies. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 87, 130-140. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2016.02.051.

Alyssa Mathiowetz ’17 (CLAS) was a co-author on a recent publication from the Campellone Lab, as were two past undergraduate researchers, Ashley Russo ’14 (CLAS) and Steven Hong ’14 (CLAS):

Russo, A.J., Mathiowetz, A.J., Hong, S., Welch, M.D., & Campellone, K.G. (2016). Rab1 recruits the actin nucleation machinery but limits filament assembly during membrane remodeling. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 27(6), 967-978. E15-07-0508.

Fejiro-Okifo
Fejiro Okifo ’16 in the lab.

Oghenfejiro Okifo ’16 (CLAS) was a co-author on a recent publication from the Teschke Lab:

Harprecht, C., Okifo, O., Robbins, K.J., Motwani, T., Alexandrescu, A.T., & Teschke, C.M. (2016). Contextual role of a salt-bridge in the phage P22 coat protein I-domain. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 291, 11359-11372. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.716910


EXHIBITIONS

Spring 2016 included a series of incredible exhibitions by the following undergraduate students:


Christy Corey ’16 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
TODO MODO: Food and Recipe Illustrations 

Jasmine Jones ’16 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Voices, Volume 1: Ballroom 

Ryan King ’16 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Visual Meditation 

Madeline Nicholson ’17 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Whispers of Light: A Video and Sound Installation 

Giorgina Paiella ’16 (CLAS) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient
Woman a Machine: Gender, Automation, and Created Beings


PRESENTATIONS

William Chan
William Chan ’16 (CLAS)

Eastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting – March 3-5, 2016 – New York, NY

William Chan ’16 (CLAS) & Henry Guo ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipients
Assessing public perceptions of recent epidemics in children

Nicole Gherlone ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Associations between asthma and central obesity in children: A case-control study in a pediatric emergency department (PED)

Eastern Society for Pediatric Research Annual Meeting – March 11-13, 2016 – Philadelphia, PA

Lena Capozzi ’16 (CLAS), Eric Dunn ’16 (CLAS), & Morgan McKenna ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipients
Do women and men implicitly create cognitive maps within a virtual environment?

Stephen Friedland ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
The effects of estrogen on hippocampal-dependent spatial memory

Kezhen Wang
Kezhen Wang ’17 (CAHNR)
Sydney Carr
Sydney Carr ’18 (CLAS)

National Conference of Black Political Scientists Annual Meeting – March 16-20, 2016 – Jackson, MS

Sydney Carr ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
How the public views black presidential candidates

Geological Society of America, South-Central Section, 50th Annual Meeting – March 21-22, 2016 – Baton Rouge, LA

Kezhen Wang ’17 (CAHNR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
A 2-D land-building model for suspended sediment in coastal diversions

Geological Society of America, Northeastern Section, 51st Annual Meeting – March 21-23, 2016 – Albany, NY  

Chad Fagan ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
An organic molecular record of post-glacial climate and fire occurrence in a southern New England wetland core

Nathan Corcoran ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Assessing coastal erosion hazard vulnerability in Connecticut

Society for Research on Adolescence Biennial Meeting – March 31-April 2, 2016 – Baltimore, MD 

Samantha Lawrence ’17 (CLAS)
Justifying bullying: How previous experiences predict adolescent moral reasoning about exclusion used to bully in same-race and cross-race situations

Myroslava Veres ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
The relation between personal bullying experience with evaluations of various response strategies to exclusion bullying scenarios 

Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting – April 2-5, 2016 – New York, NY

Seng and Orvis at CNS
Kagnica Seng and Patrick Orvis presenting at CNS.

Courtney McQuade ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
The effects of nicotine on conditioning, extinction, and reinstatement

Patrick Orvis ’16 (CLAS) & Kagnica Seng ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipients
Body posture and the representation of “abstract” concepts

Northeast Writing Centers Association Conference – April 2-3, 2016 – Keene, NH

Alexandria Bottelsen ’16 (CLAS, ED)
Writing centers are great, just not for my students: The dilemma of high school writing centers

Noah Bukowski ’17 (CLAS)
The disabled body in the public sphere of the writing center

Rofina Johnkennedy ’16 (CLAS), Luke LaRosa ’16 (CLAS), Sindhu Mannava ’16 (CLAS), Yasemin Saplakoglum ’16 (ENG), & Nathan Wojtyna ’16 (CAHNR)
Writing with the disciplines: How fellows draw on ways of knowing from their majors to first-year composition discussion sections

Eastern Nursing Research Society, 28th Annual Scientific Sessions – April 13-15, 2016 – Pittsburgh, PA

Laura Mandell
Laura Mandell ’16 (NUR)
Meaghan Sullivan
Meaghan Sullivan ’16 (NUR)

Laura Mandell ’16 (NUR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Predictors of persistent infant car seat challenge failure 

Meaghan Sullivan ’16 (NUR) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Breast milk exposure and the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight pre-term infants

New England Political Science Association Annual Conference – April 21-23, 2016 – Newport, RI

Christian Caron ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
The transparency of single-candidate super PACs

Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting – April 30-May 3, 2016 – Baltimore, MD

Pavan Anant ’16 (CLAS) & Michael Powell ’16 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipients
Parental perceptions of medical marijuana in an urban children’s medical center

• Summer Research Opportunities – Deadlines Approaching

Interested in spending the summer engaged in an exciting research project? There is still time to apply for summer research opportunities in a variety of areas. The programs and opportunities listed below are still accepting applications.

MSTP Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program – UC San Diego
Deadline: February 14, 2016
http://mstp.ucsd.edu/surf/Pages/default.aspx
The Medical Scientist Training Program at UC San Diego is designed for students interested in learning about a career in biomedicine. The program features an 8-week research project, weekly seminars, and a physician-scientist clinical shadowing experience. Students from groups underrepresented in health-related sciences and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply. $3,200 stipend and room (but not board) provided.

Maryland Sea Grant REU Program
Deadline: February 15, 2016
http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/topics/research-experiences-undergraduates/research-experiences-undergraduates
Fifteen students are selected to conduct marine research on the Chesapeake Bay at one of two University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences laboratories. The program is designed for students majoring in marine science, ecology, environmental science, biology and chemistry. Preference given to students who are rising seniors. $6,000 stipend and housing costs are provided.

NCTR Summer Student Research Program – U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Deadline: February 19, 2016
http://orise.orau.gov/fda/applicants/description.aspx?JobId=19106
The National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Jefferson, Arkansas, has 10-week summer research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Students will participate in research projects on the biological effect of potentially toxic chemicals.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Oceanography – University of Rhode Island
Deadline: February 21, 2016
http://surfo.gso.uri.edu/~surfo/index.html
The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography program is a 10-week research experience designed for science, math and engineering students who will be seniors in Fall 2016. Stipend of approximately $5,500.

Chesapeake Bay Summer Internships – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Deadline: February 19, 2016
http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/student-opportunities/chesapeake-bay-internships
Paid undergraduate internships available for Summer 2016. Descriptions of available internships can be found at the above link.

Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program (MAOP) Undergraduate Summer Research Internship – Virginia Tech University
Deadline: February 26, 2016
http://www.maop.vt.edu/Undergraduate_programs/summer_research.html
Students from a wide variety of academic disciplines work with a faculty mentor on a independent research project. Selected students receive a $3000 stipend and on-campus room and board.

Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research – National Institutes of Health
Deadline: March 1, 2016
https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/sip
The NIH internship program provides students with an opportunity to work side-by-side with scientists in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. This is a highly competitive program. Students are encouraged to apply early and review the “Applying Successfully Video” on the website. Stipend levels vary based on education completed.

REU Program: Gulf of Maine and the World Ocean – Bigelow Laboratory of Ocean Sciences
Deadline: March 1, 2016
http://www.bigelow.org/education/reu/
This highly competitive, 10-week REU program pairs students with scientist mentors for a hands-on, independent research experience. Housing and $5,000 stipend provided.

Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Program in Vision Science – Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester
Deadline: March 1, 2016
http://www.cvs.rochester.edu/training/undergraduate/fellowships/index.html
Students who are juniors with an interest in neuroscience, cognitive science and biomedical science are encouraged to apply for this summer of supervised laboratory training. $3,820 stipend and on-campus housing provided.

Nanotechnology for Health, Energy and the Environment – University of Stony Brook
Deadline: March 18, 2016
http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/reu/index.html
The summer research experience is for undergraduates who are interested in the the application of nanotechnology and nano materials to various societal needs. Undergraduate STEM majors who have completed at least one year of undergraduate study are eligible to apply. $4,000 stipend, free housing and a meal plan.