One UConn undergraduate, three graduate students, and 10 alumni have earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF-GRFP).

The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the NSF-GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding students in NSF-supported disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions in the United States. In addition to a three-year annual stipend of $34,000, plus another $12,000 paid to the student’s home institution, fellows have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities over the course of their graduate careers.

Read more in UConn Today . . .

Campus Compact recently announced that UConn sophomore Irene Soteriou (CLAS ’23) would join the 2021 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows.

Read more about Irene and the Newman Civic Fellowship in UConn Today . . . .

The University of Connecticut has been recognized among the top producers of Fulbright U.S. Scholars from research institutions for the third time in the past five years.

The University has seven Fulbright Scholars on its faculty who were given the opportunity to teach and perform research around the world in the 2020-21 academic year, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Read more at UConn Today . . . .

UConn Is Again a National Leader in Fulbright Scholars

 

 

The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment.  In 2021, the Udall Foundation anticipates awarding 55 scholarships of up to $7,000 each.  The Udall scholarship honors the legacies of Morris Udall and Stewart Udall, whose careers had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources.  UConn may nominate up to four candidates in for the Udall Scholarship in each category.  Internal applications for nomination are generally due in early January.  The following students were UConn’s 2021 nominees for the Udall Scholarship.

 

Sage Phillips (CLAS ’22), from Old Town, ME, is a junior double-majoring in political science and human rights with a minor in native American & indigenous studies at the University of Connecticut. As a young panawáhpskewi (Penobscot) woman of the Wabanaki people, Sage hopes to pursue a joint program receiving a J.D. and M.A. in American Indian Law. Sage is the Founding President of the Native American & Indigenous Students Association and the Student Coordinator for Native American Cultural Programs (NACP) at UConn. She hopes that through her efforts to expand NACP to become a Cultural Center, she paves the way for UConn as a land-grant institution to work towards reparations for CT Native youth. Rewarded for her work surrounding leadership, Sage was selected as a member of the Leadership Legacy Experience, recognizing the University’s most exceptional student leaders. Currently, she is a Co-Lead on a grant titled “Bridging the Gap: Assessing the Needs of Native Students in America’s Higher Education” and a Coordinator for UConn’s Indigenous Nations Cultural and Educational Exchange youth mentorship program. Both grants focus largely on land reassessment and opportunities for Native youth at UConn in hopes to get the University to be at good relation with the land it stands upon.  

 

Sena Wazer (CLAS ’22), from Storrs, CT, is a junior majoring in environmental studies. She currently co-directs Sunrise CT, a hub of the national Sunrise Movement, which is a youth led movement fighting to “stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.” As co-director, Sena helped organize the September 20th and December 6th, 2019 youth climate strikes at the CT State Capitol in Hartford. In early 2020, she was also the lead organizer for the Sunrise CT youth lobby day at the CT state legislature, which brought over 150 students to the Capitol. Over the summer of 2020, Sena chaired a subcommittee on the Governor’s Council on Climate Change, and phonebanked for candidates who ran for state legislature. Recently, she helped organize and facilitate the first Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Youth Climate Summit. Sena was also chosen to be a part of the 2021 Leadership Legacy Cohort at UConn. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a joint Law degree and Master’s degree in environmental management, and run for office. She is passionate about climate justice and social justice, and wants to bring that passion into politics.

 

To learn more about these and other nationally-competitive scholarship and fellowship opportunities, visit the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships and click “Talk to an Advisor.”

UConn’s 2021 Truman Scholarship Nominees (l to r) Ryan Phillips, Shelby Houghton, Sena Wazer, Noah Frank, and Sage Phillips

 

The Truman Scholarship is awarded to college juniors with exceptional leadership potential and commitment to a career in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education, or elsewhere in public service.  Scholars are awarded up to $30,000 to pursue graduate studies, receive pre-professional/graduate advising from the Foundation and are invited to participate in internships and other programs.  Schools may nominate up to four students each year for the Truman Scholarship, with additional nomination slots available for transfer students.  The campus deadline nomination falls on or around the first of November each year, but interested students are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Vin Moscardelli, Director of ONSF, as early as spring of their sophomore years.  Congratulations to this year’s nominees.

 

Noah Frank (CLAS ’22), from South Windsor, CT, is a junior pursuing a double major in political science and economics. An Honors Scholar and a member of the 2021 Leadership Legacy cohort, Noah has followed his passion for public service from a young age. He is a recipient of the Philip E. Austin Scholarship, and was a featured speaker at the 2020 TEDxUConn Conference. He is a statewide advocate for election reform. As Director of the External Affairs Committee for the UConn Undergraduate Student Government (USG), he spearheaded the #UConnVotes initiative, and has worked with lawmakers on numerous bills updating Connecticut’s election infrastructure. In the Connecticut General Assembly, Noah has served as a leader, interning for Sullivan & LeShane, Inc. in his freshman year, then for the Secretary of the State of Connecticut. Most recently, Noah managed the Currey2020 campaign, a successful “contactless” effort to elect Rep. Jeff Currey to Connecticut’s 11th House District. As a result of his election work, Noah founded Future Leaders in Politics (FLIP), a coalition of young people committed to changing local discussions on policy, and is a Youth Partner for Be(A)Part, a Yale-affiliated collaborative organization of students and scientific leaders building communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Noah intends to pursue a joint JD/MPA, with the goal of developing and implementing plans to expand election access for all Americans. 

 

Shelby Houghton (CLAS ’22), from Milford, NH, is a junior political science, human rights, and economics student. She prioritizes community engagement and empowering those who need it most. She has expressed these priorities through her work for the NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and the Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club.  She has also served in the DC office of U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan and in NH Representative Joelle Martin’s office. On campus, Shelby is the Communications Specialist for software and design organization Squared Labs, where her recent projects include building waste water/pool testing for campus-wide COVID testing and sharing research through art and stellar online components. Shelby plays music with the UConn Marching Band, serving as a Band Captain and Vice President of her 300 member band family. You can also spot her include DJing at the WHUS radio station, moderating debate through Model United Nations, with her music service fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi, or drinking cold brew at your local coffee shop. In the future, Shelby plans to obtain a human rights focused law degree and serve as a public policy specialist in the American Civil Liberties Union, where she aims to remediate systems of violence in the United States and protect human rights for all.  

 

Ryan Hutchins (BUSN ’22), a junior from Norton, MA, is an Honors student majoring in accounting. Ryan enjoys reading, hiking, and is an avid UConn basketball fan. He has interned with the Worcester County District Attorney’s office, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, and the Federal Defender’s office of Connecticut. Interested in financial regulation and litigation, Ryan has also interned at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in their enforcement division. On campus, he served as President of the UConn Mock Trial Society, an organization that competes in mock trial across the northeast and hosts an annual invitational tournament. Mentorship is the center of Ryan’s service activities. He helps lead a tutoring organization that supports middle school students as they work on their homework and served as a freshman Honors seminar co-facilitator. A member of the Special Program in Law, Ryan is interested in the legal profession and the power of lawyers to serve the public. In the future, he hopes to obtain a law degree and use his accounting background to make financial markets fairer and more equitable. Ryan has been nominated for the Truman Scholarship.

 

Sage Phillips (CLAS ’22), from Old Town, ME, is a junior double-majoring in political science and human rights with a minor in native American & indigenous studies at the University of Connecticut. As a young panawáhpskewi (Penobscot) woman of the Wabanaki people, Sage hopes to pursue a joint program receiving a J.D. and M.A. in American Indian Law. Sage is the Founding President of the Native American & Indigenous Students Association and the Student Coordinator for Native American Cultural Programs (NACP) at UConn. She hopes that through her efforts to expand NACP to become a Cultural Center, she paves the way for UConn as a land-grant institution to work towards reparations for CT Native youth. Rewarded for her work surrounding leadership, Sage was selected as a member of the Leadership Legacy Experience, recognizing the University’s most exceptional student leaders. Currently, she is a Co-Lead on a grant titled “Bridging the Gap: Assessing the Needs of Native Students in America’s Higher Education” and a Coordinator for UConn’s Indigenous Nations Cultural and Educational Exchange youth mentorship program. Both grants focus largely on land reassessment and opportunities for Native youth at UConn in hopes to get the University to be at good relation with the land it stands upon.  

 

Sena Wazer (CLAS ’22), from Storrs, CT, is a junior majoring in environmental studies. She currently co-directs Sunrise CT, a hub of the national Sunrise Movement, which is a youth led movement fighting to “stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process.” As co-director, Sena helped organize the September 20th and December 6th, 2019 youth climate strikes at the CT State Capitol in Hartford. In early 2020, she was also the lead organizer for the Sunrise CT youth lobby day at the CT state legislature, which brought over 150 students to the Capitol. Over the summer of 2020, Sena chaired a subcommittee on the Governor’s Council on Climate Change, and phonebanked for candidates who ran for state legislature. Recently, she helped organize and facilitate the first Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Youth Climate Summit. Sena was also chosen to be a part of the 2021 Leadership Legacy Cohort at UConn. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a joint Law degree and Master’s degree in environmental management, and run for office. She is passionate about climate justice and social justice, and wants to bring that passion into politics.

 

To learn more about these and other nationally-competitive scholarship and fellowship opportunities, visit the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships and click “Talk to an Advisor.”

The Goldwater Scholarship awards up to $7,500 to college sophomores and juniors majoring in math, science, engineering, or research psychology (not clinical). Students who are competitive for the award have had significant research experience and have plans for graduate study (aspire to a PhD or MD/PhD) and a career in research.  Students must be nominated by their home institution.  Click here to learn more about the scholarship and about UConn’s campus nomination process.

 

ONSF is pleased to introduce UConn’s 2021 Goldwater Scholarship nominees.

 

Patrick Corrigan (CLAS ‘22) from Hartford, CT is an Honors student majoring in chemistry and molecular/cellular biology. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry after finishing his bachelor’s. Patrick has been interested in chemistry since high school, where he completed both general chemistry and organic chemistry. In his first semester at UConn, he began working in Dr. Jessica Rouge’s research group in the biological chemistry department. His work focused on the Nucleic Acid Nanocapsule (NAN) structure that the Rouge group’s work centers on. The first project he began working on involved developing a procedure to ligate gold nanoparticles to the surface of the NANs so that they could be detected in cells using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). He was awarded the Charles E. Waring Scholarship to fund his research through the summer of 2019. Being unable to do in-person research during COVID-19 lockdown, he instead gained proficiency in writing machine learning algorithms. He independently wrote a research project combining the work the Rouge group does with machine learning so that he could continue doing research from home. He is now enrolled in a graduate level computer science courses in machine learning and plans to continue his education in both computer science and biochemistry. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, graphic design, and spending time with friends.

 

Katherine Lee (CLAS ’22) from Monroe, CT, is an Honors student majoring in structural biology/biophysics. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in computational biology in order to conduct research and teach at an academic institution. She has been working in Dr. Eric May’s lab since the summer of 2019 studying the binding affinities and specificities of antibodies to hyperphosphorylated tau protein found in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. She has studied the allosteric communication networks in these proteins to understand the effect of mutations upon protein dynamics in order to potentially design improved diagnostic antibodies and new therapeutics. She received a SURF grant the summer of 2020 to extend this work through studying the various conformational ensembles a given antibody can assume and using these principles to determine binding energetics. She has been selected as a University Scholar and is investigating novel machine learning methods to predict the biochemical function of antibody variants given structural data. Outside of the lab, Katherine is a math tutor for UConn’s Q Center, a staff columnist for the opinion section of the Daily Campus and has served as an EMT in her hometown. She also enjoys crocheting, singing, and playing the piano.

 

Seema Patel (CLAS ’22) from North Haven, CT, is a Rowe Scholar majoring in molecular & cell biology and minoring in healthcare management & insurance studies. After graduation, she plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. in Pharmacology to investigate effective chemotherapeutic strategies for cancer patients. Her research career began in 2017 when she interned in the Chung Lab at the Yale School of Medicine, where she investigated the role of CatSper ion channels on sperm motility and fertility. Seema has been working in the Hadden Lab in the UConn School of Pharmacy since the spring of her freshman year where she investigates the inhibition of a DNA repair mechanism called translesion synthesis (TLS). She has focused on the development and testing of potent anti-cancer drugs that disrupt a specific protein-protein interaction, termed Rev7/Rev3, of the TLS machinery. Using in vitro approaches, Seema has identified three novel TLS Rev7/Rev3 inhibitors and is currently characterizing their inhibitory potential in an ovarian cancer cell model for her University Scholar project. Seema received the 2020 SURF grant for which she wrote a review paper on the development of TLS inhibitors published in the journal Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs. Outside of the laboratory, Seema volunteers for Paper Airplanes, a nonprofit that teaches English to conflict-afflicted students in the Middle East. Inspired by the abrupt shift to virtual learning in 2020, Seema co-founded the UConn branch of Learn To Be, a national nonprofit tutoring organization, where she will train UConn students to teach STEM courses to students from underprivileged backgrounds. She is also an editorial assistant for the Elsevier Social Science & Medicine peer-reviewed journal Health Psychology.

 

Joshua Yu, (CLAS ’23) from Frederick, MD, is an Honors student studying molecular & cell biology. He plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences focusing on the enhancement of nanoscale platforms through radiotherapy for treatment of cancer. His research career began in high school at the National Cancer Institute, where he studied chemokine receptor derived self-assembling peptide nanoparticles for cancer drug delivery. This work was published in Methods in Molecular Biology. Enamored by the prospects of nanomedicine and the complexities of cancer treatment, he pursued research in Dr. Xiuling Lu’s lab in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department. Named a Holster Scholar in 2020, his summer research project reviewed the effects of nanoparticle properties on internalization, intracellular distribution, and cytotoxicity to cancerous and healthy cells. He is now working to finalize the literature review for publication. Moving forward, Joshua hopes to conduct studies investigating the correlation between the intracellular distribution of nanoparticle chemotherapeutics and tumor-specific toxicity. Alongside his interest in medicine and research, he is also a passionate tubist who has participated in county and state level bands throughout Maryland.  At UConn, Joshua is a dedicated member of Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program, the Symphonic Band, and the Peer Allies through Honors program.

 

To learn more about these and other nationally-competitive scholarship and fellowship opportunities, visit the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships and click “Talk to an Advisor.”

 

The Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships is pleased to introduce UConn’s 2020-21 nominees for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships.  Congratulations to these outstanding young leaders.

Katharine Morris (CLAS ’20) is currently completing her Master of Public Policy as a Fast-Track student. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa as an Honors Scholar double-majoring in Cognitive Science and Anthropology. Her activism at UConn began as a Pack Leader for UConn’s Protect Our Pack Bystander Intervention Program before becoming an active member of UConn’s chapter of the NAACP, the University Senate Enrollment Committee, and the Solve Climate by 2030 Steering Committee among other groups. Katharine spent much of her time in the Experimental Anthropology Lab working under Dr. Dimitris Xygalatas, Prof. of Cognitive Science and Anthropology, and even traveled to Brazil to assist in research with Drs. Dimitris Xygalatas and Gabriela Pinto. In 2018, she conducted research at the NSF REU Comparative and Development Origins of Social Cognition site at Yale University under Drs. Laurie Santos, Yarrow Dunham, and Lisa Chalik. As a BOLD Scholar of the inaugural cohort of UConn’s BOLD Women’s Leadership Network, Katharine independently conducted research on Cross Cultural Engagement and Intersectional Activism Among UConn Affiliates for her Honors thesis and founded UConn Collaborative Organizing (UCCO) for social and environmental justice. As the UCCO president, she led successful collaborations with over 20 campus organizations, mobilizing hundreds of students, faculty, and staff, ultimately receiving the Cohen Student Leadership Scholarship, NAACP UConn Chapter Activist of the Year, and Donald L. McCullough Leadership Award. In the summer of 2020 she interned for the Rudd Center and InCHIP analyzing food insecurity data at UConn, evaluating health equity and policy in Hartford with Dr. Kristen Cooksey-Stowers, and researching the cultural appropriateness and efficacy of obesity interventions with Dr. Loneke Blackman-Carr — all while organizing for racial and environmental justice around the state. In hopes of spreading a culture of radical love and solidarity in activism, Katharine released a TEDxUConn talk titled How to Collaborate for Environmental Justice for the 2020 Patchwork conference. Today, she maintains her activism while working as a policy fellow and research technician for leading health equity organizations in Connecticut. Katharine is nominated for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships.

Shankara Narayanan (CLAS ’21) is a senior political science and history major in the Honors Program from Farmington, Connecticut. A 2021 Phi Beta Kappa inductee and University Scholar under the mentorship of Professors Alexis Dudden (HIST), Frank Costigliola (HIST) and Alexander Anievas (POLS), Shankara has studied diplomatic history and international relations since his freshman year. He is a scholar of international security, a proud member of UConn Mock Trial and the Editor-in-Chief of UConn’s Undergraduate Political Review. With his chief interest in accelerating U.S.-China security competition, Shankara’s University Scholar research focuses on key moments when U.S. officials failed to predict China’s behavior in both countries’ bilateral relationship. He has pursued opportunities within the U.S. national security community as well, completing research assistantships with Professor Erica Marat at the College of International Security Affairs, at the National Defense University in the summers of 2019 and 2020, respectively. In 2019, his research focused on Russian special operations in North-Central Africa. He published his analysis of Russian irregular warfare with The Jamestown Foundation, a think-tank specializing in open-source security studies. In 2020, his research focused on the security impact of China’s ‘Digital Silk Road’ on Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific. A 2018 SURF Award recipient, Shankara analyzed the influence of Sir Halford Mackinder and Nicholas J. Spykman’s geopolitical realism on Dean Acheson, George F. Kennan, Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski under the supervision of Professor Anievas. He plans to pursue a J.D. and a Ph.D., continuing his work while pursuing a career in the Departments of State or Defense to influence international security policy. Shankara was nominated for the Marshall Scholarship.

 

To learn more about these and other nationally-competitive scholarship and fellowship opportunities, visit the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships and click “Talk to an Advisor.”

Congratulations to the eleven first-year Honors students who comprise the 2020 cohort of Holster Scholars!

Continue reading . . . .

 

Three UConn undergraduates, three graduate students, and six alumni have earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF-GRFP).

Continue reading . . . 

 

 

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

 

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistantships. During their grants, Fulbrighters will meet, work, live with and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences. Through engagement in the community, the individual will interact with their hosts on a one-to-one basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity, and intellectual freedom, thereby promoting mutual understanding.

 

Congratulations to UConn’s 15 Fulbright Semi-Finalists^* and five Fulbright Finalists^**:

 

Sara Ailshire (Doctoral Student, Anthropology) Finalist for a Fulbright Research Grant to India. Sara will conduct multi-sited ethnographic research in three Indian cities, analyzing the role identity plays in determining what strategies women’s support groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and grassroots activists use to confront the problem of mistreatment of women during childbirth. Sara was previously awarded a 2016 Critical Language Scholarship, a 2017-2018 American Institute of Indian Studies Academic Year Language Fellowship, and a 2019 UConn Human Rights Institute Graduate Research Grant. Upon her return she will complete her dissertation and pursue a career in higher education.

 

Jiana Baker (CLAS ’20) Semi-Finalist for the Fulbright UK Study award to University of Nottingham. Jiana is a physiology and neurobiology major with an interest in nutrition and exercise science. As a candidate for the Applied Sports and Exercise Medicine MSc program, she plans to investigate mechanisms to increase physical activity in the American Black community in order to reduce the overall risk for chronic illnesses. Study in the United Kingdom interests her because of the significantly lower rates for diabetes that are potentially caused by behavioral differences that could be translated into recommendations for health interventions. A background in exercise medicine will allow Jiana, as a future physician, to educate her patients on how to incorporate regular exercise into their lives to maintain their health.

 

Lana Delasanta (Ph.D. student, Ecological Psychology) Semi-Finalist and Fulbright Alternate for a Research grant to Canada. Lana completed her undergraduate studies at UConn with a major in Cognitive Science and a minor in Neuroscience. Her research interests led her to stay at UConn to pursue her graduate degree in Psychology to investigate the effect of music performance and group dynamics on social cohesion and perception. With her project, Lana would have the opportunity to collaborate with top music researchers at the LIVELab under the direction of Dr. Laurel Trainer. She will be able to explore innovative experimental methods to examine how group music performance affects perception and action through group dynamics and synchrony.

 

Rebecca Ercolani (BUS ’16)  was a Semi-Finalist for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant in Bulgaria.

 

Elizabeth Ellenwood (MFA ’20 candidate) Finalist for a Fulbright Research grant and also a recipient of the American Scandinavian Foundation grant recipient to Norway. Elizabeth will work collaboratively with an environmental chemist and a marine biologist to produce scientifically informed photographs focusing on ocean pollution. Ellenwood uses her artwork to visually explore and bring attention to critical environmental issues. Her recent solo exhibition at The Alexey von Schlippe Gallery was supported by the Connecticut Sea Grant Art Support Award and University of Connecticut’s Zachs Award. Elizabeth is also a recipient of a Denis Roussel Merit Award. Her work has been exhibited at The Newport Art Museum, Panopticon Gallery and The Vermont Center of Photography. Ellenwood received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from The New Hampshire Institute of Art and is a candidate for a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from the University of Connecticut.

 

Grace Felten (Ph.D. Candidate, Social Work) Semi-Finalist for a research grant to Greece. Grace’s background working with NGOs and her social work field practicums at the United Nations and Global Network of Women Peacebuilders inform her research. Her dissertation is an exploratory case study that looks to examine how forced migration affects the reproductive health of refugee women in Greece and to gain insights into the experiences of humanitarian actors trying to support refugees in severely constrained situations. As a future professor of social work, she hopes to continue partnering with international NGOs and UN agencies in efforts to better prioritize comprehensive reproductive health in migration settings.

 

Megan Go (CLAS ’20) Finalist for Taiwan, studies Psychological Sciences, Communication and International Studies. During her time as an English Teaching Assistant, Megan hopes to dive deeper into Taiwanese culture and reconnect with parts of her cultural heritage. Through this experience, she is looking forward to broadening her horizons by creating interpersonal connections with locals and seeing everything the country has to offer. Upon return to the United States, Megan plans on pursuing a Master’s in Education to work with students from a variety of backgrounds.

 

CarsonLee Harper (CLAS ’20) Semi-Finalist for a Fulbright Study award to Iceland. CarsonLee is a double major in English and History with a minor in medieval studies, and plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Viking and Medieval Norse Studies at the University of Iceland. She will be able to look at medieval Scandinavian culture from an interdisciplinary lens, examining literature, history, religion, and language during the course of a two year program. She will have access to experts in the field and the largest collection of medieval manuscripts to pursue research on the cultural dispersion of information and beliefs through the lens of the Vikings. This program will provide the next step toward her career goal of becoming a professor of medieval studies.

 

Shadia Heenan (MFA ’20 candidate) Semi-Finalist for Creative Arts award to India. Shadia is a multidisciplinary artist working in performance and video, mapping family archives, personal histories and polarized identities. Shadia is the recipient of the Crandall-Cordero Fellowship, the Barbara Bullitt Christian Memorial Award and is a 2020 US Fulbright semi-finalist. Her work has been exhibited in shows including Plexus Projects New York, Artspace Hartford, Atlantic Wharf Gallery Boston, and the Multicultural Caucus for the Society of Photographic Education in New Orleans. She received her BFA, with a minor in Psychology, from the Hite Art Institute at the University of Louisville. Currently, she is a Master of Fine Arts candidate at the University of Connecticut.

 

Addison Kimber (CLAS ’20) Semi-Finalist and Fulbright Alternate for a Fulbright UK Study award to the University of Bristol. Addison is a Political Science and Biology double major who will pursue the Health, Law, and Society LLM degree. Studying in the U.K. will allow her to examine how the National Health Service addresses healthcare inequality. The Balancing Best Interests in Health Care, Ethics and Law (BABEL) research lab studies healthcare decisions for individuals who cannot decide on their own care. She has a particular interest in learning how healthcare culture impacts treatment, which aligns with her future career in health policy.

 

Rick Laguerre (Ph.D. Candidate, Industrial/Organizational Psychology) Semi-Finalist for a Fulbright Research grant to Australia. Rick is an Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) Fellow who researches factors (e.g., attitudes, motivations) important for successful aging and longevity at work. He specializes in methodological issues and how processes unfold over time. His goal is to integrate knowledge about organizational systems to show how organizations and people can best align to succeed. In partnership with Curtin University and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), he intends to do dissertation work in Perth, Western Australia.

 

Emmalyn Lecky (CLAS ’20) Finalist for the English Teaching Assistant grant to Latvia. Emma is a double major in Psychology and Biology with a passion for teaching, learning and Latvia. Working as an ETA would bring new challenges and opportunities that would help her to continue to develop her skills in the classroom. With a Latvian family heritage, having grown up listening to her grandmother’s stories about the country and the courage of its people, she will have the opportunity to learn about the culture and people of Latvia, and to polish her teaching skills in anticipation of her future career teaching science as a university professor.

 

Xinyu Lin (ENG ’20) Semi-Finalist for a Fulbright Study grant to Australia. Xinyu is a civil engineering major with a passion for urban studies, climate justice, and inclusive spaces. She is interested in learning how urban planning & design can be done through a climate justice, community-based lens to respect people, existing systems, and the environment. Xinyu hopes to use her experiences at the University of Melbourne to become a more informed & holistic community advocate and urban planner.

 

Kelly Mahaffy (CLAS ’24) Semi-Finalist and Fulbright Alternate for a Study grant to the UK/Strathclyde. She is a second year M.A./Ph.D. student in English, studying contemporary transatlantic literature with an eye towards genre and form, and her work primarily focuses on cognitive approaches to literature and film. Through this research interest, Kelly has worked in psychology labs focused on reading development and dysfunction, become an active member of the cognitive science department on campus, and has had the opportunity to present her work at multiple national and international academic conferences. Kelly is also a leader in the Digital Humanities group on campus. She founded and currently runs the Digital Humanities Living Toolbox working group for graduate students and faculty to help those on campus interested in DH learn the practical skills needed to complete a project. In her free time, you can find Kelly trying to cook really fancy recipes or watching any St. Louis sports teams play.

 

Mark Stukel (Ph.D. student in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology) Finalist for the Fulbright Research grant to New Zealand. Mark is originally from Naperville, IL, and received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Hope College. Mark is studying the evolutionary relationships and geographic ranges of cicadas and how they can help us understand the processes behind the origin and spread of the world’s biodiversity. He will be working with collaborators at the University of Auckland and Landcare Research in New Zealand to learn cutting edge research methods to uncover ancient hybridization in the evolutionary relationships of New Zealand cicadas and to reconstruct their past species ranges. In addition to his research, Mark will be conducting workshops on cicada biology for school children and the local community. After returning to the United States, he will finish his dissertation on the evolutionary relationships and geographic distributions of world-wide cicadas using the methods learned in New Zealand.

 

^* Fulbright Semi-Finalist – applicants who have been recommended by the National Screening Committee to the Fulbright Commissions in-country

^** Fulbright Finalist – applicants who have been notified that they’ve been offered grants, but who have not signed their Terms of Award or provided medical documents

 

To learn more about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, make an appointment today to meet UConn’s Fulbright Program Advisor Ms. LuAnn Saunders-Kanabay, or visit the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships and click “Talk to an Advisor.”