UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2017
Undergraduate Major(s): Nutritional Science
Currently Employed By: Yale New Haven Hospital, Registered Dietitian
Updates: I am currently working as a Clinical Dietitian in acute rehab / long term care. I oversee both a 120 and 124 bed skilled nursing facility to assure quality nutritional services are provided to all residents, including patients with enteral and parenteral nutrition requirements, pressure injuries, chewing and swallowing difficulties, and significant weight loss. I am hoping to pursue my certification in nutrition support in the near future!
Alumni News
Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Mallory Perry
UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2014
Undergraduate Major(s): Nursing
Currently Employed By: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Postdoctoral Fellow
Updates: I graduated with my PhD in May 2019 from UConn School of Nursing. In August, I began my tenure as a postdoctoral fellow for academic diversity at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in a joint effort with the University of Pennsylvania.
Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Odia Kane
UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2019
Undergraduate Major(s): Cognitive Science and Political Science
Currently Employed By: University of Connecticut, Graduate Assistant
Updates: I am currently a GA at the AACC and still working at the Writing Center so if anyone wants to meet and chat, I am more than willing!
2019 Holster Scholars Announced
![](https://honors.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/277/2019/05/Group-at-Adventure-Park.jpg)
Introducing the 2019 Holster Scholars
The Holster Scholars Program is a selective enrichment opportunity for curious first-year Honors students that supports a small 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.
Applications, due in early November, are reviewed by an interdisciplinary committee of faculty and staff who then invite about 12-15 students to enroll in a one-credit proposal development seminar in the spring. Finalists spend the first half of the spring semester refining their proposals before submitting them mid-semester. At that point, the committee reviews the proposals and interviews the finalists before naming the new cohort of Holster Scholars. Most years, the cohort is approximately 7-10 students. Scholars conduct their research over the summer under the guidance of a faculty mentor and then present their research to the university community at the Holster Scholars Research Symposium in September.
Congratulations to the eleven outstanding students who comprise the 9th cohort of Holster Scholars!
To learn more about the Holster Scholars Program, contact
Vincent G. Moscardelli, PhD
Director, Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships
Coordinator, Holster Scholars Program
Rowe Researcher: Rat Models and Human Hearing
Rat Models and Human Hearing: The Categorical Perception of Species-Specific Rate Vocalization
Spring 2018
Principle Investigator: Heather Read
Contributors: Sharon Cherian, Caitlyn Cody, Mackenzie Zapata, Timothy Nolan, Peter Satonick
Several studies have shown that humans and rats are able to differentiate timing cues in sound sequences. The importance of timing cues for speech and word recognition in normal hearing of adults has been recognized by Shannon (1995) and Souza (2015) who outlined the significance of timing cues for speech recognition among the aging human population, that commonly encounter tone frequency hearing loss. Rats are able to communicate and recognize non-speech vocalizations, as do humans.
We will use the two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) task to train rats to discriminate vocalizations (Gaese et al., 2006; Zarillow and Zador, 2014). The rats will be placed in a sound proof training booth that have nose poke ports on the inside. In the first stage (early stage) of the task, the rats will be receiving a “direct reward” for learning to associate one vocalization with sound delivery with a reward from a port located on the right, and another with sound delivery and reward from a port on the left. First rats are trained incrementally to hold in the Central Nose Port for 150-600 milliseconds to initiate their trial. After holding and hearing the sound play for this duration, the rat needs to navigate to the correct port to receive their reward. The reward is in the form of strawberry or chocolate Ensure protein solution. Once the performance criterion reaches 70-100% for discriminating, the rats will be switched to the “Indirect” phase for the 2AFC paradigm. The sounds in this stage will all be delivered from a central speaker, removing the location cue indicating where the reward might be. Once the rats reach 70-100% correct for the “indirect phase,” they can now be tested in the 2AFC task for discrimination of sound sequences that vary in: timing cues only or timing plus tonal cues combined together.
My research project is essential to understanding more about the auditory system through the examination of interactions between tonal and timing perceptual cues. The results from this research project will allow us to have a more in-depth understanding about not only the auditory system, but how humans perceive specific vocalization sequences and discrimination abilities. Using these results, this will be able to provide valuable insight about human hearing and aging. Hearing aids are widely used by the elderly population, so the results will allow us to optimize hearing aids, as humans do rely heavily on temporal cues to speech. Thus, these results will not only add more to our general understanding about the auditory system, but also allow for improvement for hearing aid devices and other related advancements in clinical settings.
Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Patrick Cooper
UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2012
Undergraduate Major(s): Individualized
Currently Employed By: Children’s Dental Associates, Pediatric Dentist
Updates: I finished my pediatric dental residency at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard, and joined a private practice in pediatric dentistry outside of Boston.
Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Leonela Villegas
UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2012
Undergraduate Major(s): Chemical Engineering
Currently Employed By: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pediatric Resident – PL2
Updates: I’m currently in the 2nd year of my Pediatric Residency at CHOP and enjoying the challenges that come with higher acuity patients!
I am slowly figuring out where my interests lie and deciding between Primary Care and Nephrology. However, my passion for Global Health is my main driving factor and I was able to participate in a Primary Care elective in the Dominican Republic last year. I look forward to engaging in different experiences within the next year and a half!
Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Devorah Donnell
UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2009
Undergraduate Major(s): Biology
Updates: I am finishing Family Medicine Residency at Tufts Family Medicine Residency at Cambridge Health Alliance. After I finish residency this year, I will be moving back to CT to begin working as a PCP this coming Fall! I have been serving as Resident Director for MassAFP, and Mentor for Primary Care Progress chapters. I enjoy leadership, full spectrum reproductive health, medical education, and spending time with my family and adorable nieces and nephew.
Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Mallory Perry
UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2014
Undergraduate Major(s): Nursing
Currently Employed By: Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Registered Nurse (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit)
Updates: Currently enrolled in UConn School of Nursing’s BS-PhD program. I successfully defended my general exam in June 2017 and was awarded my Masters of Science. I also am a certified pediatric nurse (CPN) as of May 2017. I am currently in my dissertation phase of studies with an expected graduation date of May 2019.
Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Michael Gonzalez
UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2017
Undergraduate Major(s): Athletic Training
Currently Employed By: University of Hartford, Athletic Training Intern
Updates: Was accepted to the University of Oregon to continue my graduate education and work as a graduate assistant athletic trainer