Before Klair Lubonja even started classes his freshman year he was engaged in research courtesy of the Pre-College Enrichment Program, sponsored by the Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs at the UConn Health Center. As a member of Dr. Yu Lei’s lab, Klair spent the summer working with copper nanowire and single-wired carbon nanotubes in an effort to enhance glucose electrooxidation. Continue reading
Alumni News
Rowe Researcher: Translesional Synthesis DNA Polymerases
Summer 2012: Structure and Interactions of Translesional Synthesis DNA Polymerases
By Maciej Kosakowski, Dr. Dmitry Korzhnev, Ph.D., Dr. Irena Bezsonova, Ph.D.
During my weeks with the College Summer Fellowship Program at the UConn Health Center, I worked in a structural biology lab in conjunction with the NMR lab under Dr. Korzhnev. I assisted him on his project, which aimed to discover the specific mechanisms behind translesional synthesis DNA polymerases, or TLS polymerases for short. Continue reading
Rowe Researcher: Characterization of Drosophila Interacting Genes
Summer 2012: Characterization of Drosophila Interacting Genes: Elucidating the Mechanism(s) of PolyQ Toxicity in Huntington’s Disease
By Daniel R. Camacho, Ping Zhang, Ph.D.
Polyglutamine expansions are a type of genetic mutation that is responsible for several human neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington’s disease. The pathology of these diseases involves the accumulation of proteins containing polyglutamine domains within neuronal cells, which ultimately leads to cell death. The mechanism of toxicity of these protein aggregates is currently being investigated. My work involved using the model genetic organism Drosophila melanogaster to try to elucidate aspects of polyglutamine toxicity. Continue reading
Rowe Researcher: Biofilm-Forming Bacteria
Summer 2010: Determining the Effect of Spacing in Protection of Staphylococcus aureus by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
By Leonela Villegas and Leslie Shor, Ph.D.
The research that I have been conducting since the summer of 2010 includes the observation of two different types of biofilm-forming bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using a quad microfluidic device that simulates a controlled environment, I observed the interactions between these two bacterias at various distances from one another when being in contact with Tobramycin to ultimately compare these results to other types of antibiotics. Continue reading
Twins run in the Honors family
Spencer Reese ’13 and Tyler Reese ’13
By Cheryl Cranick, Honors Program
Currently in the UConn Honors Program, of the roughly 1,600 students enrolled or who have just graduated, 22 do not just have a sibling on campus; they have a physical double. In 2011-2012, the Honors Program included eleven sets of identical twins. The presence of identical twins is not unusual for the Honors Program, which has had twins in previous graduating years. Continue reading
Honors Class Notes (Spring 2012 eNewsletter)
1960s
William Cremins ’69, ’73 is the Administrative Judge for the Waterbury Judicial District, a member of the State Judicial Review Counsel, and a member of the State Marshal Commission.
1980s
Dr. Lisa D. Brush ’85 is a sociology professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Her new book, Poverty, Battered Women, and Work in U.S. Public Policy (Oxford University Press), was named a CHOICE outstanding academic book for 2011. She was in Storrs this May to address the UConn women’s studies students at their Commencement celebration. Robert Rzewnicki ’88 is owner of the FISC Help and Information Desk at Aetna, providing business and technical support for the company’s group and health insurance underwriting and accounting operations. Continue reading
Honors Program Alumni eNewsletter (Spring 2012)
A Message from the Director
To our Honors alumni,
It is with mixed emotions that I write this Director’s Note, having just celebrated my last Medals Ceremony with Honors students and their families in the role of Director. We graduated more than 300 students, our largest number of Honors Scholars in the history of the program.
This year has brought many exciting changes, and some sad ones, as Honors said goodbye to its great friend and one of Honors’ first directors, Dr. John Tanaka, who passed away this April. But as we marked the loss of this important educator, we also paused to realize the advancements of this program under the leadership of its various directors. I am proud that I was able to contribute to its development and participate in the education and success of so many outstanding students. Continue reading
Honors celebrates scholars, faculty, and alumni at the 2012 Medals Ceremony
The Honors Medals Ceremony is a time for the Honors Program to individually recognize each graduating Honors Scholar before family, friends, and the university community. Seniors are presented with commemorative medallions to wear at Commencement and keep as a reminder of their successful completion of a rigorous Honors curriculum. The event also celebrates the contributions of Honors faculty members and marks the accomplishments of Honors alumni, highlighting the circular relationship of educators, students, and graduates. This year, three members of the extended Honors community were recognized. Continue reading
Top U.K. grad programs have Honors Scholars within their ranks
By Cheryl Cranick, Honors Program
Nestled in the quiet country town of Storrs, accomplished students are hard at work preparing for what waits after graduation. These Honors Scholars eventually disperse across the country and beyond; some settle close to home, while others cross an ocean. Two alumni—one an economist, the other a molecular biologist—graduated from the Honors Program just two years apart. They both pursued competitive funding for graduate schools in the United Kingdom—programs with only a handful of slots—and both were successful. They now reside relatively close to each other, though they’ve never met. What they have in common is the firm foundation they gained here at UConn Honors. Continue reading
Understanding culture makes Honors alum a musical visionary
By Cheryl Cranick, Honors Program
In the desert of Phoenix, Ariz., is a sprawling $250 million, 200,000-square-foot facility that blends into the arid background. But inside the walls is a collection of instruments that brings to life the world’s music. The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), led by UConn Honors alumnus Dr. Bill DeWalt ’69, ’76, is not just a museum that displays devices for sound. MIM has a deeper mission: to create an all-encompassing sensory journey around the globe. It promises to be “the most extraordinary museum you’ll ever hear.”