The Holster Scholars Program is a selective enrichment opportunity for curious Honors students that supports a select number of motivated students interested in independent research the summer following their first year. Holster projects are in-depth, individualized learning experiences. Beyond some basic requirements, projects are self-designed. The Holster Scholars Program is made possible by a generous gift from Robert (’68) and Carlotta (’68) Holster.
In his Holster application, David Schwegman ’13 (history) recalled his first year of high school when he met a genocide refugee from the Balkans. As a Holster Scholar, Schwegman explored another conflict, the 1972 Burundi genocide in Africa. “The Holster grant gives you the freedom [to follow your research],” he said. Schwegman tracked the social, economic, and political motivations for the deaths and said the conflict is one history has mostly forgotten.
Rebecca D’Angelo ’14 (anthropology) investigated a whaling vessel anomaly through 20th century archives. She wondered why schooners were used to travel from New London, Conn., to Desolation Island, off the coast of Antarctica. Her answer was elephant seals—animals that lived alongside whales, yet also left the sea, moved slowly on shore, and yielded higher-quality oil. To reach them, crews needed smaller ships. D’Angelo concluded that sealing became a “land-based adaptation” of Connecticut’s whaling industry.
John Giardina ’14 (economics; molecular and cell biology) wondered how diet affects heart health and the long-term costs of coronary heart disease. Using recent national health survey results, he calculated risk based on original and manipulated diet factors. He found only minor differences but called for future long-term study of the diet variable, including its relation to gender. Giardina hypothesized that the increased risk for men may result from dietary preferences, claiming women eat healthier on average.
Ye Sun ’14 (biological science) was inspired to study science beyond the lab. She applied epidemiology—the mapping of health patterns—to PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) exposure and its link to breast cancer. Her meta-analysis of existing studies showed weak correlation, though she also noted her scientific limitations: date, duration, and depth of exposure were unknown. She suggested further investigation but expressed her excitement toward the subject as she looks ahead to her medical career.
Robert Byron Bunda ’14 (management) knew he wouldn’t take a business class until his junior year. But that didn’t stop him from developing a plan for a student-to-student personal training business at UConn. He just had to figure out the process from nothing. He read business resources, interviewed professionals, and devised a market research survey. He eventually learned to think like an entrepreneur and ask every question that might affect his bottom line.
Kousanee Chheda ’14 (molecular and cell biology) researched the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on gene expression, which could benefit surgery procedures and disease treatment. She exposed mice to varying levels of oxygen and examined their tissue. A limitation of her study is the human body itself, citing genes may react differently and alter the effectiveness of the therapy. But the project taught her the demands of conducting an experiment, not just applying the science.
“[Earth is] called the blue marble because there’s so much water there,” said Nikhil Shah ’14 (environmental engineering), yet so many people do not have clean water. In Africa, 32 percent of the population is without improved water sources; that number is 62 percent in Ethiopia, he said. Shah developed an osmosis experiment to filter water through iron. But clogging increased the need for more iron, making the process too costly for local needs. Shah plans to explore other variations: “I need to question my assumptions.” His trip to Ethiopia this winter should serve as motivation.