Dr. Robert A. Gross is the James L. and Shirley A. Draper Professor of Early American History at the University of Connecticut. A native of Bridgeport, Connecticut, he received his B.A. in American civilization from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966 (Phi Beta Kappa 1965) and Ph.D. in history from Columbia University in 1976. He taught at Amherst College, the University of Sussex, and the College of William and Mary (where he served as director of American Studies) before coming to the University of Connecticut in 2003. He is the recipient of various national awards, including fellowships from the Guggenheim, Howard, and Rockefeller Foundations, the Fulbright Program, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Continue reading
Faculty News
Rowe Researcher: Mesenchymal Progenitors
Spring 2008: Characterization of Mesenchymal Progenitors from Bone Marrow and Adipose Tissue
By Shawnet K. Jones, Katie Lamothe, Ivo Kalajzic and H.Leonardo Aguila
In the lab of Dr. H. Leonardo Aguila we aimed to find markers that would allow for the characterization and isolation of mesenchymal progenitors from different sources. This project focused mostly on progenitors isolated from bone marrow and adipose tissue, two sites containing cells with recognized ability to form bone. In addition this project aimed to determine if there was a differential distribution of progenitor cells amongst males and females. Continue reading
Rowe Researcher: Chemotherapeutic drug (SAM)
Summer 2008: Studying the Effects of a Potential New Chemotherapeutic Agent, SAM, on a Breast Cancer Cell Line and on a Yeast Model for Cancer
By Luke Monteagudo
During my summer fellowship, I worked four days a week doing basic science research on the effect of a potential new chemotherapeutic drug, SAM, on a breast cancer cell line and on a yeast model for cancer. Continue reading
Rowe Researcher: Acoustic Cues for Sound Localization
Summer 2008: Identification of Candidate Acoustic Cues for Sound Localization
By Rishi Kothari
Sound localization is an important ability for all animals for a variety of reasons, including avoiding predation and finding food. The localization of sound in animals, as well as humans, has been investigated extensively with respect to varying azimuth, but substantially less study has been done on the effects of changing the distance or elevation of the sound source. Continue reading
Rowe Researcher: Osteoblast Cell Culture
Summer 2008: Optimizing Osteoblast Cell Culture for the Study of Dlx Gene Function
By Sean Ghassem-Zadeh
With the high volume of research involving in vitro studies and the need to optimize specific types of cell cultures, multiple companies have produced various Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) products that can aid cell culture processes. With numerous companies producing multiple lots of FBS, which are obtained from an isolated population of fetal calves, a further investigation is needed to determine the best product for a desired cell culture (in this case calvaria and bone marrow cultures). Continue reading
Rowe Researcher: Autoimmune Uveitis
Summer 2008: Autoimmunity to Interphotoreceptor Retinoid Binding Protein
By Philip J. Gorecki, Robert E. Cone, Ph.D., and Rajwardhan Yadav, M.D./Ph.D. Dept. of Immunology & Connecticut Lions’ Vascular Vision Center University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Conn.
Autoimmune uveitis is a condition in which the immune response is directed against retinal antigens. Interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP) is an immunodominant antigen that stimulates T and B lymphocytes. Our aim was to characterize IRBP specific immune responses using a mouse model. Continue reading
2007-08 Faculty Member of the Year Award: Steven K. Wisensale
Dr. Steven K. Wisensale is a professor of public policy in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. He earned his B.A. in political science and American history at Salem College in 1967, his M.Ed. in social foundations of education from Temple University in 1970, and his graduate diploma in comparative government and social welfare policy from the University of Stockholm, Sweden, in 1973. In addition, he earned his M.A. in liberal studies at Wesleyan University in 1979 and his Ph.D. in social welfare policy from Brandeis University in 1983. Continue reading
Rowe Researcher: Angelmans syndrome
Summer 2007: A cause of Angelmans syndrome, a form of mental retardation, in terms of Ubiquitin Protein Ligase 3A (UBE3A) expression’s impact on resistance to genotoxic stressors
By Devorah Donnell
Through the UConn Medical School’s Summer Research Fellowship Program, I conducted stem cell research in the summer of 2007 in Dr. Lalande’s laboratory in the department of Genetics and Developmental Biology at the UConn Health Center. I studied a cause of Angelmans syndrome, a form of mental retardation, in terms of Ubiquitin Protein Ligase 3A (UBE3A) expression’s impact on resistance to genotoxic stressors. Continue reading
2006-07 Faculty Member of the Year Award: Louis Lombardi
Louis Lombardi is director of the University of Connecticut actuarial program. He has more than 25 years of experience within the insurance industry and is a member of both the Society of Actuaries and the American Academy of Actuaries. Continue reading
2005-06 Faculty Member of the Year Award: Lawrence Hightower
Dr. Lawrence E. Hightower received his B.S. degree summa cum laude in chemistry from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1968. He received his Ph.D. degree from Harvard University in biochemistry. After working for a year as an instructor in microbiology at University of Massachusetts Medical School, he was appointed assistantprofessor of biology at the University of Connecticut in 1975.
In 1997, Dr. Hightower was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for pioneering work on cellular stress responses. In 1998, he was presented the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees Outstanding Achievement Award. He was the founding president of the Cell Stress Society International and founding Editor-in-Chief of Cell Stress and Chaperones, the leading specialty journal in his field.
Dr. Hightower is currently professor and associate head of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, and he teaches the popular Honors course, “Topics in Modern Biology.” He has helped MCB students with their academic programs as an Honors advisor and has advised several Honors students on their theses.