Our largest cohort to date, Cohort 5 includes 12 Scholars who represent a diverse range of backgrounds, interest areas, skills, experiences, and majors. We are very excited to work with this cohort over the 2022-23 academic year to help them develop individualized service/leadership projects for summer 2023.

Ariana Bahavar ’24 (Political Science, CLAS)
UConn Iranian Graduate Students: A Personal Narrative
Mentor: Aida Ghiaei, School of Engineering

Daniela Bedoya ’24 (Art, SFA)
Women in Sports Behind the Lens
Mentor: David Lopez, David Lopez Photography

Jola Bufi ’24 (Political Science & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, CLAS)
Domestic Abuse in Albania: Causes and Impacts
Mentor: Dr. Kristin Kelly, Political Science

Samantha Gove ’24 (Sociology & Human Rights, CLAS)
Examining Anti-Indigenous Iconography in "New England"
Mentor: Dr. Ryan Talbert, Sociology

Katherine Jimenez ’24 (English & Journalism, CLAS)
War Mothers: Daisy Zamora, Gioconda Belli, and Claribel Alegria's Women of a Revolution
Mentor: Dr. Gina Barreca, English

Natalie Kach ’24 (Biological Sciences, CLAS)
DIY: Support Threatened Pollinator Species with Home Gardening Choices
Mentor: Dr. Emily Reinhardt, Pathobiology and Veterinary Sciences

Juwon Kang ’24 (Biological Sciences, CLAS)
Sense of Belonging and Related Experience of Different Generations of Korean Americans in CT
Mentor: Dr. Jason Oliver Chang, History & Asian American Studies

Sofya Levitina ’24 (Physics & Statistics, CLAS)
Exploration of the Holistic Female Experience in the Modern World
Mentor: Dr. Brenda Brueggemann, English, American Studies, & Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Delia Lin ’24 (Molecular and Cell Biology & Statistics, CLAS)
STEAM Integration in K-5 Education
Mentor: Dr. Emily Schwab, Enrichment Programs

Arianna Melendez Cintron ’24 (Allied Health Sciences, CAHNR)
Ari's Food Diaries: A Mediterranean-Style Cookbook for College Students
Mentor: Dr. Jillian Wanik, Allied Health Sciences

Kimberly Rosado ’24 (Nursing, NUR)
Guatemalan Government Influence on Women's Sexual/Reproductive Rights
Mentor: Dr. Barbara O'Neill, Nursing

Marianella Salinas ’24 (Computer Science, ENG)
Investigating Factors Affecting Retention Rates for Underrepresented Minority Students in UConn's School of Engineering
Mentor: Dr. Stephany Santos, School of Engineering

The Fourth BOLD Cohort

Gianella Anyosa ’23 (Psychological Sciences, CLAS)
MIGRAR O MORIR
Mentor: Fany Hannon

Brianna Chance ’23 (General Program in Music, SFA)
Housing (In)Justice
Mentor: Martine Granby

Alyssa Daniels ’23 (Physiology & Neurobiology, CLAS)
Investigations into the relationship between Alexithymia and ED in individuals with ASD symptomatology
Mentor: Amy Gorin

Lily Forand ’23 (Political Science, CLAS)
Exploring Political Polarization
Mentor: Jeffrey Dudas

Rose Karvandi ’23 (Physiology & Neurobiology, CLAS)
Being LGBTQ+ In Iran: No Way Out
Mentor: Alyssa Clark

Maria Kelley ’23 (Individualized: Law, Social Justice, and the Family, CLAS)
Amplifying the Voices of Foster Youth
Mentor: Preston Britner

Maggie Singman ’23 (Environmental Sciences, CLAS)
Exploring How Visual Art Can Help Heal Environmental Wounds
Mentor: Phoebe Godfrey

Irene Soteriou ’23 (Statistics & Cognitive Science, CLAS)
Exploring Resilience Among Refugees
Mentor: Liza Boritz

The Third BOLD Cohort

Cristal Arguello ’22 (Urban and Community Studies, CLAS)
Last Line of Defense: The Fight Against an Anti-Immigrant Society
Mentor: Dr. Stacy Maddern, Urban and Community Studies

Serena Beri ’22 (Biological Sciences, CLAS)
Addressing the Gap of Women in Stem Professions
Mentor: Dr. Norah Berrah; Physics

Darlene Burckson ’22 (Biological Sciences, CLAS)
Steps Taken by Food Pantries To Ensure Accessibility To Healthy Food Options
Mentor: Dr. Marlene Schwartz; Rudd Center

Kenniece Coker ’22 (Chinese, CLAS)
Young Mothers Need Support, Not Stigma
Mentor: Nichole Holiday; APRN

Hope Dymond ’22 (Environmental Engineering, ENG)
Faces of Offshore Wind
Mentor: Oksan Bayulgen; Political Science

Kate Gavilanes ’22 (Physiology and Neurobiology & Philosophy, CLAS)
Investigating the Benefits And Culture Behind Non-Conventional Medicine
Mentor: Olivia Marcus; Anthropology

Phoebe Mrozinski ’22 (Environmental Sciences, CAHNR)
Promoting Safe Active Transportation
Mentor: Lynn Stoddard; Executive Director, Sustainable CT and Institute for Sustainable Energy at ECSU

Maura Sanchi ’22 (Environmental Sciences, CAHNR)
The Female Future of Farming
Mentor: Julia Cartabiano; Department of Dining Services

Aditi Sirsikar ’22 (Physiology and Neurobiology, CLAS)
Finding Your Way: Narratives of Career (Re)Planning
Mentor: Dr. Byoung-il Bae; Department of Neuroscience at UConn Health

Eva Solano ’22 (Art History, SFA)
An Exploration of Diversity in Art Museums
Mentor: Dr. Alexis Boylan; Art History & Africana Studies

The Second BOLD Cohort

The Cohort 2 Scholars' reflections on their service/leadership projects can be viewed here.

Alani Arias ’21 (Psychological Sciences, CLAS)
Education and Advocacy in Public Health
Mentor: Fumilayo Showers, Sociology

Laura Bedoya ’21 (Political Science & Latino and Latin American Studies, CLAS)
Gender, Equity, and Political Participation in Colombia
Mentor: Fiona Vernal, History

Wesia Malik ’21 (Physiology and Neurobiology, CLAS)
Women Physicians in Pakistan: A Documentary
Mentor: Catherine Masud, Human Rights Institute

Natalie Roach ’21 (Environmental Sciences & Human Rights, CLAS)
Urban Farming & Food Sovereignty
Mentor: Kathy Rocha, Werth Institute

Simran Sehgal ’21 (Biomedical Engineering, ENG)
An Evaluation of the Accessibility of Durable Medical Equipment
Mentor: César Abadía-Barrero, Anthropology & Human Rights

Noor Taweh ’21 (Physiology and Neurobiology, CLAS)
Somewhere in the Middle: Investigating the Experience of First-generation Immigrants
Mentor: Gerardo Blanco, Educational Leadership

Mara Tu ’21 (Environmental Sciences & Urban and Community Studies, CLAS)
Combating Climate Anxiety: Empowering Action over Anxiety
Mentor: Eleanor Shoreman Ouimet, Anthropology