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
Faculty 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
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
Class of 2012: Alexandra Raleigh
By Lauren Lalancette
To prepare for her dream job of U.S. Secretary of State, Alexandra Raleigh ’12 (CLAS) will begin a Ph.D. program in political science at the University of California-Irvine this fall, specializing in political psychology.
“I am deeply patriotic,” says Raleigh, who is graduating with a double major in psychology and political science. “I care about my country’s values, and I want to work really hard to protect those values.” Continue reading
2011-12 Faculty Member of the Year Award: Virginia Hettinger
Dr. Virginia Hettinger’s path to an academic career took many twists and turns. She graduated from Indiana University with a double major in economics and folklore. Like many liberal arts majors at the time, she had little sense of what to do next or even how to go about finding something to do next.
After a brief stint as a retail manager and assistant buyer, Dr. Hettinger earned a Masters in Public Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her second career took her to the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget and then the Virginia Department of Education. In both agencies she worked on evaluation projects and program reviews. Dr. Hettinger loved working on solutions for problems in areas as diverse as child support, educational equity, prison and jail population growth, and Medicaid expenditure growth, but she also wished to concentrate her focus on the questions she found most interesting as opposed to those deemed important by legislators and bureaucrats. Graduate school called to her again. Continue reading
Hayley Dunnack: Lasting Motivation and a Constant Smile
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By Julie Bruhn
Sophomore Hayley Dunnack genuinely values her time here at UConn. As a nursing student, she takes full advantage of the simulation labs and is excited to start her first hands-on clinical experience next semester. Hayley serves as secretary for UConn Irish, a cultural organization that focuses on Irish stepdancing. Furthermore, she enjoys her job at the Student Activities office and believes that working on campus is a great way to get involved and build connections. Continue reading
Class of 2012: Alexander Velázquez
By Lynnette Repollet ’12 (CLAS)
Alexander Velázquez’s passion for engineering first manifested itself when he was only 5 years old. “I told my parents I wanted to be an inventor,” he says. “I’ve always been very technically-inclined.”
Velázquez, who is graduating in May from UConn’s EuroTech program with a dual degree in computer science and engineering and German studies and a minor in mathematics, is fulfilling that childhood dream at an international level. During a four-month internship in Stuttgart, Germany in summer 2011, Velázquez contributed new code to the driving simulator, extending the traffic module that generates computer-controlled cars. Continue reading