Nadav Asal is a senior studying Film and Video Production within the UConn DMD Program. In addition to scholastics, Nadav spends time working as the Chief Operations Officer at UCTV and political organizing. While being a film major, Nadav spends much of his time writing, some of his work has been published by others in The New Critic and Kindness Report, much more of his work has been published by himself. Artistically, Nadav's interest lies in the confluence of different mediums and how they interact and what that interaction creates.

For his project, Nadav will create a rough draft of a novel currently titled Winthrup Hums, which will seek to examine the new metaphors of our digital contemporary world in the spirit of Ursula K. Le Guin. To do this, Nadav will do a literature review of relevant science fiction works, create zones of inquiry, and then write a rough draft.

Grace Gewirtz is a senior Honors student from Freehold, New Jersey, pursuing degrees in Physiology and Neurobiology and Psychological Sciences with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies on a premedical track. Her interests center on the relationship between trauma, mental health, and physical healing, particularly how emotional experiences shape recovery from illness. These interests grew through her work in Dr. Park’s spirituality, meaning, and health lab, where she became interested in the role that meaning-making and psychological well-being play in healthcare. Grace is also a Caxide Scholar and the founder of the ICU Diary Project at UConn Health, a volunteer-based ICU diary initiative that supports critically ill patients and families and helps reduce the long-term psychological effects associated with intensive care stays. In addition to this work, Grace conducts research in a Psychiatry lab at UConn Health, and has previously interned at the Bellevue Hospital Emergency Department through NYU Langone’s Project Healthcare, and with the Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics research team at Cohen Children’s Medical Center through Northwell Health. On campus, she also volunteers with children at the Holy Family homeless shelter, serves as President of UConn Rescue, and works as an EMT.

For her IDEA Grant project, Grace will partner with Digital Media and Design student Troy Keddy to create a documentary focused on Post Intensive Care Syndrome, a condition that affects many ICU survivors yet remains widely unrecognized. Through interviews and storytelling, the project aims to highlight the emotional aftermath of critical illness and bring greater attention to the experiences of patients and families during recovery.

Jada Gist is a senior honors student from Tolland, Connecticut majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology and minoring in Marine Biology. Her research centers on aquatic biology, assisting with the development of a test for harmful algal blooms and a microbial method of aqueous pollutant degradation during the 2024 IGEM Summer Research Fellowship. On campus, she works in the Schultz Lab tracking how flatfish respond to environmental change. She plans to attend graduate school and to pursue a career in aquaculture research. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading, and taking care of freshwater aquariums.

Aquatic organisms employ distinct strategies to control their internal concentrations of water and solutes, in a process known as osmoregulation. Some fish species, such as the Alewife, can transition between marine and freshwater environments. Certain Alewife populations have become landlocked, remaining in freshwater lakes their entire lives. Jada’s IDEA Grant project will investigate how changes in salinity affect the gills and kidneys of landlocked and anadromous Alewives. She will use light and electron microscopy to identify morphological changes in key osmoregulatory structures of salinity challenged fish. Her project aims to determine the evolutionary tradeoffs associated with a transition to freshwater. Her research can contribute to conservation by revealing how freshwater species respond to salinization.

Kathryn Homer is a first-year Honors student from West Hartford, CT, pursuing a dual degree in Elementary Education and Accounting. Kathryn works with children in both local and virtual settings through her role at the Mansfield Community Center daycare and as a virtual volunteer English teacher, where she teaches English as a TEFL-certified instructor. On campus, she serves as Treasurer of the Neurodegenerative Disorders Society, volunteers with Camp Horizons, and will serve as Director of Juniper Hill beginning her sophomore year. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and reading!

For her project, Kathryn is working with her sister to develop the UConn–Willimantic Young Scientists Program, an initiative designed to inspire curiosity and confidence in science among young learners. Together, they are designing curriculum presentations and hands-on experiments that will be delivered to students at Natchaug Elementary School during the 2026–27 school year.

Lucy Homer is a third-year Honors student from West Hartford, CT, pursuing a dual degree in Biomedical Engineering and Molecular & Cell Biology. Lucy's research experience spans multiple disciplines, including an exploration of neuroregeneration as a 2024 Holster Scholar, nanofabrication as an NSF INCLUDES Grant Recipient, and tissue engineering. Her work has earned her co-authorship on two papers published in 2025 in ACS Nano and Trends in Biotechnology. Lucy has previously been awarded an IDEA grant for her project Improving Scientific Literacy and Bolstering the Field of Microbiology Through Children's Literature. On campus, Lucy is involved in Camp Horizons, Holy Family Housing and Shelter, Neurodegenerative Disorders Society, and Alpha Beta Epsilon. In her free time, she loves to hike, ski, and crochet.

For her project, Lucy will work with her sister, Katie Homer, to develop the UConn-Willimantic Young Scientists Program, an initiative which seeks to inspire interest and confidence in science amongst young learners. Together, the sisters will use their combined knowledge of science and elementary education to design curriculum presentations and experiments to be presented throughout the 26-27 school year at Natchaug Elementary School.

Troy Keddy is a sophomore Digital Media and Design major concentrating in film and video production from Biddeford, Maine. Additionally, he is an honors student, pursuing a minor in writing. He is also a tour guide with the Lodewick Visitors center. In his free time, Troy enjoys reading and writing poetry, and getting involved in the local music scene.

Alongside Grace Gerwitz, Troy will be creating a documentary about the effects of Post Intensive Care Syndrome on ICU survivors and the way it shapes their lives through interviews and other storytelling aspects. In doing so, they hope to bring awareness to this cause and support those suffering from it.

 

Devon Mansfield is a senior Chemistry major in the Honors Program. Devon has been involved as an undergraduate researcher in the Rouge Research Group since his sophomore year and is interested in using chemistry to design therapeutically relevant molecules and materials. In his free time, Devon enjoys reading, running, and hiking.

For his project, Devon will develop a nanocarrier for the controlled delivery of therapeutic protein degraders made from nucleic acid conjugates. This work will build on similar surfactant-based nanoparticle designs in the Rouge Group to broaden their therapeutic applications. Devon intends to draw on his research experience and support from his IDEA grant to achieve the synthesis of this nanoparticle and evaluate its biological efficacy.

Sarah McCarthy is a senior in the Honors Program studying Cognitive Science and Actuarial Science. In the future, Sarah aims to earn a Neuroscience PhD and study our sense of smell. Her past research experience includes investigation into stress circuits at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and the spinothalamic pathway at New York University. On campus, Sarah serves as the president of Neuropolicy and assists in Yee Lab studying conceptual knowledge. During her downtime, you may find Sarah reading, drawing, or playing (and losing) a game of Wingspan with her friends.

Smell, or olfaction, remains scarcely understood when compared with senses like vision or audition. Indeed, studying olfactory perception is time consuming and requires expensive, specialized equipment. Sarah’s IDEA project involves designing and conducting an experiment to validate novel questionnaires measuring olfactory perceptual abilities. By providing a simple measurement tool, Sarah hopes to make olfactory research more accessible.

Diya Patel is a Junior Honors student from Albany, New York, pursuing a degree in Nursing at the University of Connecticut. Her academic and professional interests center on obstetrics, maternal health, and improving patient outcomes through education and evidence-based care. She is particularly passionate about increasing awareness of postpartum warning signs and promoting early recognition of maternal complications to help reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.

Diya’s interest in maternal health developed through her nursing coursework, where she became interested in the complexity of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery. As she continued her studies, she grew increasingly interested in maternal safety, patient advocacy, and the role nurses play in helping patients recognize symptoms that require urgent medical attention following childbirth. She is especially interested in how healthcare education can empower mothers to seek timely treatment and improve postpartum outcomes.

Her research interests also explore how childbirth and postpartum recovery are portrayed socially and in the media, and how these portrayals may shape public understanding of maternal health risks. Through research and educational outreach, Diya hopes to contribute to improved maternal healthcare practices and strengthen patient education surrounding postpartum recovery and warning signs.

For her project, Diya will conduct a qualitative historical content analysis of postpartum complications portrayed in the television series Call the Midwife. Using the POST-BIRTH Warning Signs (PBWS) framework, she will examine how warning signs of maternal complications were historically recognized, managed, and escalated within maternity care settings from the late 1950s through the early 1970s. The project will compare historical portrayals of maternal care with contemporary maternal safety frameworks and translate findings into educational resources for nursing students, including an interactive digital timeline and PBWS educational infographic focused on maternal safety and early symptom recognition.

Ramsey Scott, a junior from Cheshire, CT, is pursuing dual degrees in Piano Performance and Molecular & Cell Biology. He studies piano with Dr. Angelina Gadeliya and is active in both solo performance and chamber music. Ramsey is a member of UConn’s Collegium Musicum under Dr. Eric Rice and serves as a Choral Scholar and organist at St. Mark’s Episcopal Chapel under Dr. Charles Houmard. He previously spent eleven years singing in the renowned choirs of Trinity Episcopal Church in New Haven under the direction of Walden Moore. On the pre-medical track with aspirations of becoming an endocrinologist, Ramsey complements his coursework through clinical research and his work as a tutor at the UConn Writing Center. He is a member of the UConn Honors Program.

For his project, Ramsey will establish and direct a twelve-member vocal ensemble dedicated to performing sacred music from the Anglican choral tradition. The ensemble’s programming will explore the influence of the Oxford Movement, a pivotal event in 19^th-century England that revived music as a central element of Anglican worship. Through public performances featuring works by Tallis, Byrd, Stanford, and Parry, the ensemble will demonstrate how later composers revived and reinterpreted England’s earlier sacred musical traditions.

Akshat Viswanath is a second-year honors student from Charlton, MA, pursuing a degree in physiology and neurobiology with a minor in English on a pre-medical track. His research seeks to synthesize a complex understanding of the brain's sophisticated functions with applications to healthcare; with a focus in the realm of neurological conditions. As a 2025 Holster Scholar, he was able to develop his passions under the mentorship of Dr. Heather Read and continues to grow his skills working with human subjects and performing intricate data analysis as a member of her lab. On campus, Akshat is the student liaison to the honors board of associate directors, serves on the executive board for both Honors Across State Borders and the Honors Council, and is a member of the Archery team. Volunteering and shadowing in hospitals and clinics inspired him to join UConn’s Bridge to Guanin, where he previously had the opportunity to carry out clinical service in the Dominican Republic. In his free time, Akshat loves creating origami architecture, going to the gym, and hanging out with friends. He also enjoys playing the saxophone, having performed at Mechanics Hall in Worcester and Berklee Recital Hall in Boston in the past.

For his IDEA Grant Project, Akshat will continue to work with Dr. Read to investigate the activity of two specialized brainwaves, seeking biomarkers for neurodegenerative disorders. Through working with human participants, taking electroencephalogram recordings, and transforming as well as analyzing subject data, he seeks to determine new ways of looking at and possibly improved ways of treating such conditions, aiming to help better the lives of afflicted patients all around the world.