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Congratulations to the 11 UConn undergraduates who have been awarded UConn IDEA Grants in the fall 2018 funding cycle!
The award recipients represent a variety of disciplines, from English to materials science, and from biological sciences to design and technical theater. They will conduct independent research, develop creative works in different media, and initiate programs that engage the University community.
Special thanks to the faculty and staff that supported student applications to the UConn IDEA Grant and to those who will be mentoring the award recipients as they complete their projects.
The UConn IDEA Grant program awards funding to support self-designed projects including artistic endeavors, community service initiatives, research projects, prototyping and entrepreneurial ventures, and other creative and innovative projects. Undergraduates in all majors at all UConn campuses can apply. Applications are accepted twice per year from individuals and from small groups who plan to work collaboratively on a project. The next application deadline is March 11, 2019.
HRP student Brian Aguilera ’19 (CLAS) working with his UConn Health mentor, Dr. Mallika Ghosh, Center for Vascular Biology.
The Office of Undergraduate Research is pleased to announce the next phase of the Health Research Program (HRP). This program offers a 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 2019, here is the key information:
Summer 2019 opportunities are now posted on theHRP website. There are 31 opportunitiesthat range from public health to biological modeling, biomaterials to neuroscience, genetics to psychiatry. The application deadline for these opportunities is 11:59pm on Monday, February 4, 2019.
All of these opportunities are slated tocontinue into the 2019-20 academic year.Continuation is contingent on satisfactory progress over the course of the summer and both student and faculty mentor interest in continuing the placement.
To be eligible for Summer 2019 HRP opportunities, studentsmust plan to graduate no sooner than May 2020.
Further details and answers to frequently asked questions are available on theHealth Research Program website. Students are encouraged to peruse the posted opportunities and begin preparing application materials for any placements of interest.We 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 summerand academic year schedule.
Please join us in congratulating the UConn undergraduates named below for their significant research and creative accomplishments in summer and fall 2018. Students: if you have an accomplishment to share, please do so using this online form.
PUBLICATIONS
Keara Frawley ’18 (ENG) was first author on a recent publication from Dr. Seok-Woo Lee’s lab and her paper is featured in the journal cover:
Frawley, K.G., Bakst, I., Sypek, J.T., Vijayan, S., Weinberger, C.R., Canfield, P.C., Aindow, M., & Lee, S. (2018). A Nanoindentation Study of the Plastic Deformation and Fracture Mechanisms in Single-Crystalline CaFe2As2. The Journal of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, 70(7). doi: 10.1007/s11837-018-2851-y
William Hunt ’19 (ENG) was a co-author on a recent publication from Dr. Kevin Brown’s (Biomedical Engineering) research group:
Brown, K.S., Allopenna, P.D., Hunt, W.R., Steiner, R., Saltzman, E., McRae, K., & Magnuson, J.S. (2018). Universal Features in Phonological Neighbor Networks. Entropy, 20(7), 526; doi: 10.3390/e20070526
Craig Mendonca ’18 (CLAS) worked in the Gene Therapy Center in Dr. Guangping Gao’s lab at UMass Medical School. Craig was a co-author on a recent publication from this research internship:
Wang, D., Li, J, Song, C.Q., Tran, K., Mou, H., Wu, P.H., Tai, P.W.L., Mendonca, C.A., Ren, L., Wang, B.Y., Su, Q., Gessler, D.J., Zamore, P.D., Xue, W., & Gao, G. (2018). Cas9-mediated allelic exchange repairs compound heterozygous recessive mutations in mice. Nature Biotechnology, 36. doi: 10.1038/nbt.4219
Kathleen Renna ’20 (CAHNR), an undergraduate in the Health Research Program, and Yue (Jacky) Yang ’19 (ENG), a 2018 SURF student, were co-authors on a recent publication based on research conducted with Dr. Ephraim Trakhtenberg at UConn Health:
Rheaume, B.A., Jereen, A., Bolisetty, M., Sajid, M.S., Yang, Y., Renna, K., Sun, L., Robson, P., & Trakhtenberg, E.F. (2018). Single Cell Transcriptome Profiling of Retinal Ganglion Cells Identifies Cellular Subtypes. Nature Communications, 9(1). doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05134-3
SUMMER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Jiana Baker ’20(CLAS) conducted research in Dr. Sangamesh Kumbar’s lab in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at UConn Health through the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) Summer Research Fellowship Program. Jiana presented her work “Novel Polymer-Nanotube Composites: Small Molecule Drug Delivery Systems for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration” at the HCOP poster session.
Claudia Fernanda Pena-Sulantay ’20 (ENG) spent her summer in Nove Hrady, Czech Republic, engaged in a research project at the Center for Nanobiology and Structural Biology (CNSB). Her work on the project “Structural and functional analysis of the yeast K+ translocation system(s) encoded by TRK1 and TRK 2 genes” was part of the REU program in Molecular Biophysics sponsored by Princeton University.
Tanya Miller ’20 (CLAS) engaged in structural biology research at the Laboratory of Structural Biology which is part of BIOCEV, the Biotechnology and Biomedicine Center of the Academy of Sciences and Charles University in Vestec, Czech Republic. She was supervised by Dr. Cyril Barinka during the 5-week summer program.
PRESENTATIONS
Jiana Baker '20 (CLAS)
Alexandra Liberti '19 (ENG)
Amanda Johnson '19 (ENG)
Kalea Coles '19 (CLAS) with her faculty mentor, Dr. Csizmadia (HDFS)
Vinayak Mishra '21 (CLAS)
Nathalia Hernandez '20 (CLAS)
Fawaz Mohsin '21 (ENG, BUS)
Veronica Pleasant '19 (CAHNR)
Helenrose Iannitti '19 (CAHNR)
Lauren Engels '19 (CAHNR)
Galaxy Community Conference-Bioinformatics Open Source Conference – June 25-30, 2018 – Portland, OR
Peter Richter ’19 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient Collecting Data for Association Genetics: Tripal Plant PopGen Submit Pipeline
American Society of Animal Science – Canadian Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting and Trade Show – July 8-12, 2018 – Vancouver, British Columbia
Lauren Engels ’19 (CAHNR) – OUR Travel recipient The Effects of Poor Maternal Nutrition on Fetal Brain Development
Helenrose Iannitti ’19 (CAHNR) – OUR Travel recipient Effects of Poor Maternal Nutrition during Gestation on Oxidative Stress in Offspring Muscle
Veronica Pleasant ’19 (CAHNR) – OUR Travel recipient The Effects of Maternal Milk Production on Dairy Calf Growth and Health
SACNAS 2018 – The National Diversity in STEM Conference – October 11-13, 2018 – San Antonio, TX
Vinayak Mishra ’21 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Cellular Response to Biodegradable Stent in Vascular Bioreactor
Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting – October 17-20, 2018 – Atlanta, GA
Amanda Johnson ’19 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient Assembly of Compact Neurostimulator Circuit Board for Neuroprosthetic Applications
Alexandra Liberti ’19 (ENG) – OUR Travel Award recipient Characterization of Tissue Response in Rodent Spinal Cords by Immunofluorescence Staining
Fawaz Mohsin ’21 (ENG & BUS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Vascular Laser Thermolysis of Blood Vessels Varying in Size
Society for Neuroscience (SFN) Annual Meeting – November 3-7, 2018 – San Diego, CA
Skyler Sklenarik ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Behavioral Biases in People at Risk for Problematic Gambling and Pornography Use
Nathalia Hernandez ’20 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Observational Learning in Rats: Effects of Number and Quality of Observations
Kyrstyn Jenkins ’20 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Evaluating Mechanisms of Reward Enhancement by Nicotine in Humans
National Council of Family Relations Annual Conference – November 7-10 – San Diego, CA
Kalea Coles ’19 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Child Birth Weight and Reading Skills: A Moderation by Race
SENTAC Conference – November 30-December 2, 2018 – Houston, TX
Anika Makol ’19 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Pediatric Nasal Burns During Operative Cautery; Are Aural Speculums More Protective than Nasal Speculums? – A Retrospective Chart Review
With the SURF 2019 application cycle underway, we would like to take the opportunity to highlight some updates and changes to this year’s SURF program. SURF continues to offer students from across the academic disciplines the opportunity to focus full-time on a research or creative project for 9-10 weeks over the summer.
Updates for 2019
New Application Management System
We are using the UConn Quest Portal, a new application management system powered by SurveyMonkey Apply, to collect, process, and review SURF applications for summer 2019. This new system will allow students to complete the various components of the SURF application in the most appropriate order for them and to make edits as needed prior to submission of their application.
Quest Portal. Students intending to apply to SURF should initiate an application in the Quest Portal as early as possible at https://quest.uconn.edu/prog/surf/. The Quest Portal User Tips page addresses common user questions related to Requesting a Recommendation, Modifying a Complete Task, and Submitting an Application. Additional help documentation is available within the system by selecting the “I” icon in the top right corner.
Letters of Recommendation. As before, two letters of recommendation are required for the SURF application.
Student applicants must request recommendation letters through the application system by entering the name and email address of the faculty members who have agreed to write letters on their behalf. The system will send the recommenders an individual link for recommendation submission.
Faculty recommenders will receive an email from the Quest Portal on behalf of the student who is requesting a letter of recommendation. Both first and second recommenders will submit their letters through the portal by uploading a PDF file. Faculty who are serving as the project supervisor (1st recommender) will also be asked to answer a series of research compliance questions.
Application Reminders (See the full application outline here)
Budget reminders. Students should visit the Budget Policies and Samples page for detailed guidance about allowable expenses (now including maximum dollar amounts for expenses like poster printing) and examples of budgets that show the appropriate level of detail.
Student requesting stipend as part of a Plan A or Plan C budget should be careful to use accurate stipend language as noted on the Budget Policies page.
Faculty advisors of students conducting laboratory research: Please work with your advisee to ensure s/he has accurate information about the costs of lab supplies that can be procured through university purchasing channels and contracts.
Timeline reminders. Student should visit the Sample Timeline page for guidance on developing a detailed timeline. The SURF proposal timeline should clearly indicate start and end dates, the anticipated number of project work hours each week, and a week-by-week listing of planned project milestones.
Research Compliance reminders. Students and faculty should note that research compliance approvals are complex and take significant time. Please plan accordingly. While the necessary approvals are not required at the application stage, students should be aware that SURF funding will not be disbursed until all necessary compliance documents have been submitted to OUR, and that SURF awards will be rescinded if documentation is not received by the stated deadline. Both faculty and students are reminded to take care in reading the series of questions concerning biological materials as this category encompasses a wide range of items.
ESTA Requirement/Documentation of Safety Training
Students proposing SURF project work that will take place in a setting with hazards such as a lab, theater, or studio will be required to complete the Employee Safety Training Assessment (ESTA) with their faculty mentor to determine which safety training courses are required in order to work where hazards are present.
Student applicants will be asked about completion of the ESTA in the Research Compliance section of the application. We encourage students to complete the ESTA with their faculty supervisor prior to submitting their application.
Information on how to document completion of the ESTA and completion of the indicated training/registration for upcoming training is available on OUR’s Safety Training page.
SURF Mailing List. Students planning to apply for SURF can sign up for the SURF Mailing List to receive helpful application tips via email.
We look forward to another excellent set of SURF applications this year! The application deadline is Monday, February 4, 2019. We encourage all students to make use of SURF Office Hours to seek feedback on their draft materials and to ask any questions they might have about the program or the application. SURF Office Hours are scheduled for 1/22, 1/25, and 1/28. Full detail about times and location can be found in the sidebar on the main SURF webpage.
We are delighted to announce the 15 student-faculty teams selected to receive awards for Spring 2019. Congratulations to all 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.
Project Title: Exploring the Upper Crust of Mesopotamian Society: An Archaeological Study of Bread Production at Tell Leilan Student Apprentice: Stephen Baker, Anthropology and Physiology & Neurobiology Faculty Mentor: Alexia Smith, Anthropology
Project Title: Head vs. Heart Beliefs: Comparing Intuitive and Rational Cognitive Judgments Student Apprentice: Erin Blake, IMJR: Mental Health & Well-Being Faculty Mentor: Crystal Park, Psychological Sciences
Project Title: Study of Language and Math – Mapping Abilities and Math Fluency in Hearing and Deaf Children Student Apprentice: Caroline Hebert, Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences and Cognitive Science Faculty Mentor: Marie Coppola, Psychological Sciences
Project Title: “Advice and Consent” or “Search and Destroy?”: The Senate Judiciary Committee’s Review of U.S. Supreme Court Nominations in the Era of Party Polarization Student Apprentice: John Kelly, Political Science Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Bergendahl, Political Science
Project Title: The Scholio Project: Designing Online News Comments to Promote Intellectual Humility in Public Discourse Student Apprentice: Addison Kimber, Political Science and Biology Faculty Mentor: Michael Morrell, Political Science
Project Title: Justice in the Dark: How Secretively Funded Campaign Advertisements Shape Judicial Campaigns Student Apprentice: Hollianne Lao, Political Science Faculty Mentor: Virginia Hettinger, Political Science
Project Title: The PRISM Project: A Mindfulness Intervention on Substance Abuse Student Apprentice: Kasey Macedo, Psychological Sciences and Human Development & Family Studies Faculty Mentor: Beth Russell, Human Development & Family Studies
Project Title: Preterm Infant Feeding Type in Relation to Neurobehavioral Development Outcomes and Performances in the NICU Student Apprentice: Effie Makris, Nursing Faculty Mentor: Xiaomei Cong, Nursing
Project Title: Musical Rhythm and Nationalism in the Eastern Bloc Student Apprentice: Maria Mandoiu, Music History and Anthropology Faculty Mentor: Daniel Goldberg, Music
Project Title: Patterns of African American Life in Post War Hartford (1940-2010) Student Apprentice: Chloe Murphy, Africana Studies Faculty Mentor: Fiona Vernal, History and Africana Studies
Project Title: Puerto Rican Heritage Trail Student Apprentice: Alejandro Rodriguez, History Faculty Mentor: Anne Gebelein, Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Project Title: Digitizing the Paper Trail: Enslaved and Freedpeople in The Spanish Empire Student Apprentice: Jenifer Rojas Orellana, Political Science Faculty Mentor: Ricardo Salazar-Rey, History
Project Title: Can Inclusive Education Programs Reduce Racial and Gender Discrimination in the Labor Market? Student Apprentice: Mary Vlamis, Economics and Political Science Faculty Mentor: Jorge Aguero, Economics
Project Title: Stratified Model Minorities: Educational Experiences and Social Mobility of Chinese Immigrants from Taishan and Fuzhou Student Apprentice: Jingya Zhu, Sociology and Communication Faculty Mentor: Simon Cheng, Sociology
Please join us in congratulating the UConn undergraduates named below for their significant research and creative accomplishments in spring 2018. Students: if you have an accomplishment to share, please do so using this online form.
AWARDS
Congratulations to Colby Buehler ’18 (ENG), Sydney Carr ’18 (CLAS), Vince Pistritto ’18 (CLAS, SFA), and Daniel Wackelin ’18 (ENG), the undergraduate recipients of 2018 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships! They are among the 12 UConn students and alumni who won NSF Graduate Research Fellowships this year. Three other talented undergraduate researchers, Amy Robinson ’18 (ENG), Nicholas Russo ’18 (CLAS), and Nicholas Oliveira ’18 (ENG) received Honorable Mention recognition.
Naseem Sardashti ’18 (ENG), an undergraduate research in the Health Research Program working under the guidance of Dr. Sangamesh Kumbar, was awarded 3rd place at the 2018 Northeast Bioengineering Conference for her and her team’s work on the synthesis of hybrid skin models for product evaluation.
PUBLICATIONS
Jamasia Williams ’20 (CLAS), a participant in the Work-Study Research Assistant Program, was a co-author on a recent publication based on research conducted with Dr. Molly Waring:
Waring, M.E., Jake-Schoffman, D.E., Holovatska, M.M., Mejia, C., Williams, J.C., & Pagoto, S.L.(2018). Social media and obesity in adults: a review of recent research and future directions. Current Diabetes Reports, 18:34. doi.org/10.1007/s11892-018-1001-9.
EXHIBITIONS AND SCREENINGS
Spring 2018 included a series of art exhibitions and screenings by the following undergraduate students:
Matthew Bilmes ’18 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient Exit: A Short Film
Kiana Cao ’18 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient An Examination of Immigration: A look into Buddhism, Community & Refugees
Yanlin (Eva) Hu ’18 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient CHU: A Solo Exhibition of Ceramic Sculpture
James Keth ’19 (SFA, CLAS) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient The Khmer – A Personal Journey: On being Cambodian American
Austin MacDonald ’18 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient & UConn Co-op Legacy Fellow Prodigal: The Sentinel’s Garden
Emy Regan ’19 (SFA) – UConn IDEA Grant recipient Clementine: The Adventures at Foxhead Manor
PRESENTATIONS
Joint Mathematics Meetings – January 10-13, 2018 – San Diego, CA
Rajeshwari Majumdar ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Applications of Multiplicative LLN and CLT for Random Matrices
Anthony Sisti ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Black-Scholes Using The Central Limit Theorem
Plant and Animal Genome XXVI Conference – January 13-17, 2018 – San Diego, CA
Madison Caballero ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Designing a Genotyping Array for Genomic Selection in Loblolly Pine
Alexander Trouern-Trend ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Comparative Genomics of the Juglandacea
Maria Antony ’19 (CLAS, CAHNR)
Conference on Electronic and Advanced Materials – January 17-19, 2018 – Orlando, FL
Hope Whitelock ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Real Nanoparticles Have Curves: Exploring the Polar Phase Transition Topology in Superellipsoidal Nanoparticles
International Stroke Conference – January 23-26, 2018 – Los Angeles, CA
Maria Antony ’19 (CLAS, CAHNR) – ISC Junior Investigator Travel Award recipient
Oral presentation: Restoration of MiRNA MiR-181c-5p–Rescue From the Detrimental Effect of Social Isolation in the Mice Subjected to Ischemic Stroke
Ocean Sciences Meeting – February 11-16, 2018 – Portland, OR
Jessica Hinckley ’19 (CLAS)
Jessica Hinckley ’19 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Investigating Dissolved Gas Concentrations and Alkalinity in a Long Island Sound Time Series
International Neuropsychological Society Conference – February 14-17, 2018 – Washington, DC
Debra Tomasino ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Informant Report of Cognitive Functioning in Geriatric Depression: Correlates with Objective Cognitive Tests and Structural Imaging
Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting – February 22-25, 2018, Baltimore, MD
Caroline Brooks ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient
Cross Sectional Time Series Analysis on the Impacts of Race on Homeownership
Savannah-Nicole Villalba ’18 (CLAS) A Healthy Food Inventory of Waterbury, CT
Eastern Psychological Association Meeting – March 1-3, 2018 – Philadelphia, PA
Allison Arnista ’18 (CLAS) & Kyrstyn Jenkins ’19 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipients Evaluating Mechanisms of Reward Enhancement by Nicotine in Humans
Dilsara Liyanage ’18 (CLAS)
Dilsara Liyanage ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient The EEG Mu Rhythm and Language Abilities in 18- and 24-Month-Olds
Morgan Livingston ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Longitudinal Outcome of Attention Modification Training for Social Anxiety
Adam Mealy ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Longitudinal Stability of Hostile Attention Allocation, Attention Bias, and Hostility Symptoms
Michelle Padua ’18 (CLAS) & Skyler Sklenarik ’19 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipients Behavioral Biases in People at Risk for Problematic Gambling
Eastern Society for Pediatric Research Annual Meeting – March 16-18, 2018 – Philadelphia, PA
Benjamin Redenti ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Risk Stratification System for Use in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) and Correlation with Adverse Events During Hospital Admissions
Margaux Verlaque-Amara ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Impact of State-By-State Adoption of Key Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Provisions on PED Patients
American Chemical Society National Meeting – March 18-22, 2018 – New Orleans, LA
Caroline Anastasia ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Multicomponent Flexible Film of Organometallic Polymers with Polyimide as High k and Low Loss Dielectric
Northeast Writing Center Association Conference – March 24-25, 2018 – Worcester, MA
Joseph Greenwald ’18 (BUS), Daniel Johnson ’18 (CLAS), & Kaylee Thurlow ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipients Cracking the Code: A Method for Designing and Implementing a Writing Center Honor Code
Odia Kane ’19 (CLAS) & Kharl Reynado ’19 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipients Assessing Our Practice: A Writing Center Fellow-To-Fellow Support System
Odia Kane ’19 (CLAS) and Kharl Reynado ’19 (CLAS)
Anneliese Lapides ’20 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Reassessing Our Responses to the Everyday Language of Oppression
Sierra Rice ’18 (ED) – OUR Travel Award recipient Hosting a Regional Middle and High School Conference: A Practical Model
Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting – March 24-27, 2018 – Boston, MA
Roisin Healy ’19 (CLAS) & Jonathan Serino ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipients Understanding “Thunder” is More Difficult than “Rainbow” when Performing a Concurrent Auditory Task
Northeast Bioengineering Conference – March 28-30, 2018 – Philadelphia, PA
Garrett Soler ’18 (ENG) An Economical & Ergonomic Hydrocephalus Software System
New England Science Symposium – April 8, 2018 – Boston, MA
Brian Aguilera ’19 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient CD13 Promotes Tunneling Nanotube Formation and Cell-cell Communication in Human Endothelial Cells and Mouse Primary Macrophages
Eastern Nursing Research Society Annual Scientific Sessions – April 11-13, 2018 – Newark, NJ
Courtney Lopiano ’18 (NUR) A Battle on Opiates: The NICU Nurse’s Perspective on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Meeting – April 20, 2018 – Hartford, CT
Kayla Hope ’18 (CAHNR)
Kayla Hope ’18 (CAHNR) – OUR Travel Award recipient What Type 1 Diabetes Nutrition Advice is Being Shared on Twitter and Who is Sharing It?
Experimental Biology Conference – April 21-25, 2018 – San Diego, CA
Jordyn Dickey ’18 (CLAS) – OUR Travel Award recipient Analysis of Physiology and Neurobiology (PNB) 2265 Course Redesign
In recognition of the pivotal role that mentors play in supporting undergraduate research and creative activity, the Office of Undergraduate Research is pleased to announce the recipents of the 2018 Mentorship Excellence Awards. These awards recognize two faculty members – one in a STEM field, and one in a non-STEM field – and one graduate student who exemplify the ways in which outstanding mentors challenge and support their students, enabling them to take intellectual risks and achieve milestones they might not have initially envisioned being able to reach.
The 2018 Mentorship Excellence Awards were presented to Andrea Voyer, Nicholas Eddy, and Laura Mickelsen during the Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition on Friday, April 13, 2018.
Andrea Voyer, Assistant Professor, Sociology
Professor Voyer’s award was presented by Savannah-Nicole Villalba ’18 (CLAS). The following text is excerpted from Savannah-Nicole’s presentation remarks.
Savannah-Nicole Villalba ’18 (CLAS) presents the award to her mentor, Professor Andrea Voyer.
I had Dr. Voyer for one of the required classes for our major, social theory. Dr. Voyer gracefully worked us through the dense theories of 19th century sociologists. It was my first time engaging with sociological theory, and many of us were struggling to understand the concepts. Dr. Voyer was patient with us as we tried to make connections to the material. She was encouraging so that we weren’t afraid of being wrong, and was personable in a way that encouraged students to work harder.
This mentality was one that she brought with her when we began the IDEA Grant application process. When we started discussing the possibility of applying, she did not bring me in to work on something she was interested in. In our first meeting, she asked me what I was passionate about and I could tell she genuinely cared. Dr. Voyer was the first person to believe in my passions and to tell me that my research questions were valid. We spent months working on the application process, and when the grant was approved, I knew it would not have been possible without her guidance.
With her own incredible research and personal life, she has always been accessible to discuss the newest challenge I faced. Instead of just providing answers, she would offer suggestions on ways to problem solve to reach reasonable solutions. Even though Dr. Voyer has been away this school year, she has helped me apply (and be accepted) to graduate school, supported (and protected) me at my first research conference, and has shown me what an academic mentor should be.
Nicholas Eddy, Assistant Professor in Residence, Chemistry
Professor Eddy’s award was presented by Pranjali Ichalkaranje ’18 (CLAS). The following text is excerpted from Pranjali’s presentation remarks.
Pranjali Ichalkaranje ’18 (CLAS) presents the award to her mentor, Professor Nicholas Eddy.
Research with Dr. Eddy has been the most rewarding experience I could have wished for as an undergraduate. I was able to grow tremendously by obtaining knowledge and skills applicable not only in research but also other aspects of life. In terms of research, teaching an undergraduate student with experience in life sciences but limited knowledge in Organic Chemistry was a challenging task that Dr. Eddy took on with no hesitation.
I was challenged each day, whether it was mixing a solution or reading articles with little background on the material. He was not afraid to hold me to a higher standard and push me beyond my limits, allowing me to put classroom knowledge into practice and increase my critical thinking and problem solving skills. He encouraged me to read, write, ask questions, and – most importantly – make mistakes. Though I made more than he agrees to, he offered reassuring and constructive feedback each time. Most importantly, he made sure I had everything I needed to succeed in anything I put my mind to – a role he took on as my mentor.
My research experience opened my eyes to career opportunities in research and medicine. I have been able to grow immensely as a scientist, researcher, student, writer, teacher and an overall individual.
Dr. Eddy represents the diligence, passion and commitment that students, scientists and teachers need on a daily basis. He puts his students, researchers and colleagues before himself. He is the highlight of the students’ day, and a source of comfort for many as they embark on their undergraduate experience.
Laura Mickelsen, Ph.D. Candidate, Physiology and Neurobiology, Jackson Laboratory
Laura was presented with her award by Eric Beltrami ’19 (CLAS) and Jacob Naparstek ’18 (CLAS), two of the undergraduate researchers who work under her supervision in the Jackson lab. The following text is excerpted from Eric’s presentation remarks.
Award winner Laura Mickelsen, center, is pictured with undergraduate researchers James Costanzo, Jacob Naparstek, and Eric Beltrami, as well as Professor Alexander Jackson.
Laura is an incredible scientist and speaker, and she has made an effort to help develop those skills in us. She challenges us to explain our projects and try to troubleshoot our setbacks independently so that when we present our work we are prepared to take ownership of what we did and understand the scientific process behind it thoroughly.
Laura’s exceptional mentorship is not limited to guidance in our research projects. Laura has fostered a family of people who deeply care about one another… and the lateral hypothalamus. Laura makes coming to lab not only incredibly productive but also fun. With her effortless humor and kind heart she has made lab somewhere we look forward to going every day. She never hesitates to make sure we are keeping up in our courses and ask us about our extracurricular involvement. It is clear to us that she cares about our personal lives and is always there to provide us guidance in our daily life and about our career goals. I can honestly say that Laura’s mentorship was a major factor in my decision to pursue a career in which I can make research a part of my life.
Laura, whatever path you take on your journey to success will be an amazing and rewarding one because of your incredible dedication and love for what you do. I am constantly inspired by your personal drive and ability to master such a diverse set of skills. James, Jake and I cannot thank you enough for everything.
Congratulations to the 2018 award recipients! The Office of Undergraduate Research thanks the undergraduate students who nominated their faculty and graduate student mentors as well as the Peer Research Ambassadors who served on this year’s selection committee.
The Office of Undergraduate Research is pleased to announce the selection of 59 undergraduate students to receive SURF Awards in support of their summer undergraduate research projects.
Click here to view the full list of Summer 2018 SURF awardees.
Congratulations, SURF awardees! Your academic achievements, curiosity, initiative, and motivation were evident in your applications. You have an exciting summer of deep engagement with the process of academic inquiry ahead of you. We look forward to hearing about all you learn and discover!
We thank the faculty members who supported SURF applicants in a range of roles: mentors, letter writers, and faculty review committee members. SURF represents a collaborative effort between students and faculty. This program would not be possible without the support and participation of the UConn faculty!
OUR also extends thanks to SURF supporters in the UConn community. We are grateful to the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and to the Deans of the Schools and Colleges of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources; Engineering; Fine Arts; Nursing; and Pharmacy, who all contributed funding to the SURF competition this year. Alumni, parents, and friends of UConn also helped fund SURF awards. This collaborative funding effort ensures that SURF supports a diverse array of undergraduate research endeavors. We are grateful to all of our program partners for making intensive summer research opportunities available to students seeking to enrich their undergraduate experience in this way.
Once again, congratulations to the recipients of 2018 SURF awards, and good luck with your summer projects!
Congratulations to the 40 UConn undergraduates who have been awarded UConn IDEA Grants in the spring 2018 funding cycle! 26 of the award recipients will be completing individual projects, and 14 will be working on collaborative group projects.
The award recipients represent a variety of disciplines, from graphic design to history, animal science to biomedical engineering. They will conduct independent research, create art exhibitions and short films, design prototypes, and develop programs that engage the University community.
Special thanks to the faculty and staff that supported student applications to the UConn IDEA Grant and to those who will be mentoring the award recipients as they complete their projects.
The UConn IDEA Grant program awards funding to support self-designed projects including artistic endeavors, community service initiatives, research projects, prototyping and entrepreneurial ventures, and other creative and innovative projects. Undergraduates in all majors at all UConn campuses can apply. Applications are accepted twice per year from individuals and from small groups who plan to work collaboratively on a project. The next application deadline will be in December 2018.
Congratulations to the nineteen UConn undergraduates who have been awarded UConn IDEA Grants in the fall 2017 funding cycle! Thirteen of the award recipients will be completing individual projects, and six will be working on collaborative group projects.
The award recipients represent a variety of disciplines, from nursing to puppetry, biomedical engineering to ecology and evolutionary biology. They will conduct independent research projects; produce documentaries, novels, and creative nonfiction pieces; design prototypes; and engage in service initiatives.
Special thanks to the faculty and staff that supported student applications to the UConn IDEA Grant and to those who will be mentoring the award recipients as they complete their projects.
The UConn IDEA Grant program awards funding to support self-designed projects including artistic endeavors, community service initiatives, traditional research projects, entrepreneurial ventures, and other creative and innovative projects. Undergraduates in all majors at all UConn campuses can apply. Applications are accepted twice per year from individuals and from small groups who plan to work collaboratively on a project. The next application deadline is March 12, 2018.
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With the SURF 2019 application cycle underway, we would like to take the opportunity to highlight some updates and changes to this year’s 
