Meet the 2025 Holster Scholars

About the Holster Scholars Program

The Holster Scholars Program is a selective enrichment opportunity for curious Honors students that supports a select 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. Now in its 15th year, 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 a dozen 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. 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 the fall.

In addition to receiving individualized mentoring, the Holster Scholars provide peer support to each other as they develop their projects. After their first year, Scholars have the opportunity to serve as peer mentors to new Holster Scholars and are encouraged to pursue additional research and enrichment opportunities, including (but not limited to) those offered by the Office of Undergraduate Research (e.g., IDEA, SURF, SHARE, and Change Grants; the Health Research Program, and the BOLD Scholarship), the Division of Student Affairs (e.g., the Leadership Legacy Experience and various Student Life Awards), and the Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships (e.g., Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Udall, and Fulbright).

Daniel D’Souza ’28 (CLAS), from Cheshire, CT, is a Presidential and National Merit Scholar pursuing a dual degree in molecular and cell biology and applied mathematics with a minor in bioinformatics. Throughout high school, he was deeply involved in athletics, serving as captain of both his school’s cross-country and track teams. He was also the president of his chapter of the Science National Honor Society and a member of the math team. Outside of school, he was also a member of the Boy Scouts of America, where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He also volunteered his time at the Quinnipiac Valley Audubon Society Wildlife Preserve and Midstate Medical Center. At UConn, he is a member of iGEM, a competitive synthetic biology team. In his free time, he enjoys running, hiking, camping, backpacking, and anything else outdoors.

Project: Investigating the Role of G2/Jockey-3 in R-loop formation at the Centromeres of Drosophila melanogaster

Mentor: Prof. Barbara Mellone, Dept. of Molecular & Cell Biology

Isabella Kulawik ’28 (CLAS) from Sarasota, FL, is a chemistry major with plans to go into the field of drug discovery. She graduated from Pine View School, where she received the Senior Award of Excellence and served as Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper, The Torch. Over the years, she has dedicated time to the arts along with her academics, performing as the vocalist with an award-winning jazz band, directing plays and shows, and educating children about music as a summer camp student teacher. Off the stage, she participated in the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference (HOBY) and was a finalist for the League of Women Voters YVOTE essay contest. At UConn, Kulawik is an Associate Managing Editor for The Daily Campus and a writer for the Nutmeg. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, singing, and playing guitar and piano.

Project: A Shocking Approach to Cleaner Chemistry: Using Electricity to Drive Chemical Reactions

Mentor: Prof. Nicholas Leadbeater, Dept. of Chemistry

Neeka Oghli ’28 (CLAS), a STEM Scholar from Long Island, NY, is a pre-medical student majoring in Physiology & Neurobiology with a minor in Human Development and Family Sciences. In high school, she served as president of the Science National Honor Society, Women in STEM, and Breaking Borders while holding leadership roles in multiple other organizations. Outside of school, she worked as a math and science tutor at Kumon Learning Center, shadowed physicians, and volunteered at her local Farsi school. At UConn, Neeka is the president of the Honors in STEM group and a Junior Panhellenic Council member for Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Driven by a passion for women’s health, she hopes to make a meaningful impact through inclusive leadership and research that empowers underrepresented communities. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, watching shows, going to the gym, and most importantly, spending time with loved ones.

Project: The Impact of Long-Term Exposure to Lip Cosmetics on the Fertility of Female Drosophila melanogaster

Mentor: Prof. Jianjun Sun, Dept. of Physiology & Neurobiology

Akhil Potdar ’28 (ENG & CLAS), from Charlotte, NC, is a chemistry and materials science & engineering double major who intends to pursue graduate training after graduating from UConn. In high school, he was a Section Leader and later President of his school’s marching band, a member of the Charlotte Pride Band, and would conduct experiments in his garage. At UConn, he is a member of the UConn Chamber Orchestra club, a part of the editorial team in the Undergraduate Science Journal and does research with both Dr. Necmi Biyikli in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Dr. J. Nathan Hohman in the Department of Chemistry. Akhil is fascinated by the field of nanotechnology and wishes to do research in nanomaterials for electronics and biotechnology as a career. In his free time, Akhil enjoys shiny hunting in Pokémon, playing the saxophone, and being with friends and family.

Project: Developing a Low Temperature Pathway for the Synthesis of Two-Dimensional WS2 Nanosheets

Mentor: Prof. Necmi Biyikli, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Christopher Smith ’28 (CLAS, SFA) from Farmington, CT, is a dual-degree student at UConn majoring in both physiology & neurobiology and music performance (violin). Graduating from Farmington High School, he was the president of the National Honor Society in addition to receiving the Farmington Board of Education Student Leadership Award and Student Citizenship Award for outstanding character and academic excellence. He also attended the Hartt School of Music Community Division for eight years where he received numerous awards and won competitions. As reflected by his choice of major, Christopher is quite passionate about both STEM and music; he plans to continue his studies in both topics going forward. He has earned a spot on the Dean’s List for both the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and School of Fine Arts. Aside from academics, Christopher loves to attend classical music concerts and listen to a wide range of music (but mostly classical). He participates in the Honors Council and a piano trio ensemble with members of the UConn Symphony Orchestra, where he is currently principal of his section.

Project: Music and You; Practicing with Neuroplasticity

Mentor: Prof. Erika Skoe, Dept. of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Hannah van Rijnswou ’28 (CLAS), from Bethel, CT (originally Manhattan, NY), is a psychology major with plans to double major in criminology. At age 16, she started her own organization called InkWellness, an international writing competition that focuses on creative writing as a form of mental health support. In high school, she served as Treasurer of her school’s chapter of the National Honor Society, Founder of the Youth Authors Club, and Captain of the Mock Trial team, while maintaining Top 10 status with a 4.6 weighted GPA. She has also attended various certificate programs at universities like Brown and Harvard. Now at UConn, she serves as Director of Programming for the Residence Hall Association and as a First-Year Honors Resident Assistant. A first-generation, self-made student, Holster is her initiation into research, which she welcomes with open arms. In her (limited) free time, Hannah enjoys baking, cosplaying, creative writing, and rock climbing.

Project: Lost in Translation: Chomskyan Analysis of Language Variation in AI, Post-Critical Learners, and Native Speakers

Mentor: Prof. Hendrikus van der Hulst, Dept. of Linguistics

Akshat Viswanath ‘28 (CLAS) from Charlton, MA, is majoring in physiology and neurobiology, with a minor in English. At Saint John’s high school Akshat was a high honors student, captain of his school’s varsity swim team, member of the crew team, president of the Worcester Youth Jazz Ensemble, contributor to the school magazine, and a member of the national honor society. He enjoys making origami architecture and playing the saxophone, having performed at Mechanics Hall in Worcester and Berklee Recital Hall in Boston. A recipient of an academic excellence scholarship at UConn, Akshat intends to pursue his dreams of a career in medicine. Volunteering and shadowing in hospitals and clinics inspired his passion to join the pre-medical society and UConn’s Bridge to Guanin, where he performed clinical service in the Dominican Republic. At UConn, he is also a proud member of the Honors Council and the Indian Students Association. In his free time, you will see him hanging out with friends, at the gym, or finding beauty in the (infrequent) quiet moments of college life.

Project: How Attention Related Brainwaves Vary with Performance on Speech-In-Noise Tasks

Mentor: Prof. Heather Read, Depts. of Psychological Sciences and Biomedical Engineering

Sashah Wilson-Thompson ’28 (ENG) is a Computer Engineering major from Waldorf, Maryland, and a Cigna and STEM Leadership Scholar at UConn. She’s passionate about technology, community service, and making the most out of every opportunity. From building her first gaming computer at 14 and completing a 4-year Network Engineering program (CISCO) to conducting nuclear physics research at Michigan State’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), she’s always been driven by curiosity and a love for learning. In high school, she led on and off the field, captaining her lacrosse team, playing field hockey, and founding the NPHS Symphony Orchestra as first chair trumpet. At UConn, she serves as President of the Freshman Leadership Initiative (FLI) E-Board of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and participates in Honors Across State Borders (HASB). Outside the classroom, Sashah loves playing video games, running, performing at campus events, socializing, listening to music, and staying active in service and leadership.

Project: Multi-Bit-Per-Cell Phase Change Memory Devices for AI Applications

Mentor: Prof. Ali Gokirmak, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering

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