ENGL 2407-005: The Short Story

October 7, 2015

Instructor: Katharine Capshaw

Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 2011

This survey of the short story will analyze its central features (plot, point of view, characterization, setting, theme, and symbol). The second half of the course will include attention to Edwidge Danticat, a contemporary major writer. Our goal is to understand our own engagement with stories. Why do we like what we like? Why do some stories make us cringe? Why do others transport us emotionally or intellectually? How do stories build whole worlds in such limited space? In analyzing the approaches that generate our responses, we’ll examine diction, structure, tone, imagery, patterns, beginnings, and conclusions. Our readings are structured through particular ideas that writers pursue – ideas about love, war, childhood, loss, and the strange and surprising human condition.

(CA 1)

ENGL 2101-001: British Literature II

Instructor: Jonathan Hufstader

Prerequisite: ENGL 1010 or 1011 or 2011

An overview of British literature in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: the literary movements known as Romanticism, the Victorians (there is no such thing as Victorianism), followed in the twentieth century by the Modernists and then, for want of a better term, the Post-Modernists. We will read, in an Anthology, major works of poetry, prose (essays and short stories), and drama. The class will be conducted as a discussion. Two essays, a mid-term and final.

(CA 1)

Rowe Researcher: Self-Healing Double Network Hydrogels

September 22, 2015

Self-Healing Double Network Hydrogels

March 2013-2016

Investigators: Dr. Thomas Seery & Omar Allam, UConn Chemistry and Institute of Material Science (IMS), and the Jin Group, Chemistry Department at Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Hydrogels are gels in which the polymer chains that constitute them are hydrophilic and thus readily absorb water. Theoretically, hydrogels have a wide array of applications, however, they display poor mechanical properties, which limit their use. My research aims at i) synthesizing hydrogels with a unique double network structure in order to improve their mechanical properties (in particular, their toughness) and ii) characterizing the physical properties of these new hydrogels to determine their suitability for possible biomedical applications. If this new structure for hydrogels exhibits superior mechanical properties, it will provide an opportunity to test possible applications such as artificial cartilage, contact lenses, and scaffolds for delivering medicine.

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Klair Lubonja

September 21, 2015

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2015
Undergraduate Major(s): Molecular and Cell Biology
Currently Employed By: National Institutes of Health/ National Institute on Aging, IRTA Research Fellow
Updates: During the transition period between the end of my undergraduate experience and prospectively entering medical school, I will be working at the National Institutes of Health, specifically the National Institute on Aging (B.R.C., Johns Hopkins Medical Center), as an IRTA Fellow. Under the direction of Dr. Ranjan Sen, Chief of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology, and in collaboration with Dr. Edward Lakatta, Chief of the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Sciences, I am currently working on a new research venture involving the ARA 290 anti-inflammatory protein. My role is to compare immune status and gene expression in vivo/in vitro in ARA 290 treated rats with control rat models.

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Allison Baylis

September 16, 2015

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2009
Undergraduate Major(s): Physiology and Neurobiology
Currently Employed By: Lawrence Messina, DDS, PC, Associate Dentist
Updates: I am currently working in West Haven, CT as an associate dentist in a private practice office on Long Island Sound. We are a family dental practice focusing on oral health as part of the overall health of the patient with an emphasis on preventative care. I began practice here in July 2015 and I am so happy to be working in my home town- I see friends and family as patients daily! I am always happy to have students come visit me to shadow so please contact me if you are interested. I am also available to help with dental or professional school applications.

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Ana Cerda

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2013
Undergraduate Major(s): Biology and Psychology
Currently Employed By: New England Center for Children, Special Education teacher
Updates: I started graduate school this fall. I am working on my Master’s in Counseling Psychology as well as continuing my full time position at the New England Center for Children (NECC) working with children that have Autism. At NECC, I work as a special education teacher implementing applied behavior analysis interventions in a residential school setting.

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Kristina Dortche

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2015
Undergraduate Major(s): Physiology and Neurobiology
Currently Employed By: UConn Health, Research
Updates: I am currently doing research at the UConn Health Center in the Center for Vascular Biology. I will be in this position until June 2016. I am also applying to medical school for the 2016 cycle.

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Leonela Villegas

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2012
Undergraduate Major(s): Chemical Engineering
Currently Employed By: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Medical student
Updates: I am currently in my fourth year of medical school at Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN! Time flies and it’s crazy to think that four years have gone by so quickly. I am applying in Pediatrics this September and can’t wait to start the interview process in the winter!

2015 Rowe Scholar: Akua Owusu

September 3, 2015

Akua Owusu is originally from Ghana, where she attended Wesley Girls’ High School. She has just finished her sophomore year of college at the UConn Waterbury campus, where she received the Wendell Hoang Award for excellence in Organic Chemistry, of which she is very proud. A molecular and cell biology major, Akua is looking forward to a career in cardiology. She has shadowed in an emergency department and works as a CNA in hospitals, nursing homes, and adult living communities. In 2012 she had the opportunity to observe brain surgery at KATH Hospital in Ghana. When Akua isn’t working or shadowing, she enjoys spending time with her family.

2015 Rowe Scholar: Sarah Ollayos

Sarah Ollayos is from Southbury, CT, where she graduated from Pomperaug Regional High School. She has dedicated herself to living a healthy lifestyle and as such has participated in numerous road races and works in a fitness center. She is a nutritional sciences major and will be applying to the didactic program this year.