I’d like to start with a reminder for you to join me at my next town hall, Wednesday, June 10, at noon, either in person in Keller Auditorium or virtually via Teams. As of this writing we haven’t seen many questions submitted to our inbox, thquestion@uchc.edu. Any question is welcome and the floor is open.

Last weekend I attended my 21-year-old daughter Hannah’s graduation ceremony. The commencement speaker was Lisa T. Su, BS, MS, Ph.D., who is the Chair and CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, a large global technology company. Dr. Su centered her speech on the positive impact of artificial intelligence. It caught my attention that the one industry she cited as a powerful example was healthcare. Dr. Su’s comments were:

The area that excites me the most is actually what we can do in medicine and healthcare. I think we’ve all experienced firsthand what it feels like when someone you love is sick. And even with incredible doctors and the best care, you realize how hard it is for any one person or any one team to bring together all of the knowledge that has been gathered to help in that critical time of need. AI can help us change that. It can help doctors and researchers bring the world’s best expertise to each patient and each loved one and deliver the care that we want for the best chance of a successful outcome. And this, I think, is the promise of AI at its best.

But we don’t need to look to another university’s commencement for an iconic leader who believes that AI will revolutionize medicine. Dr. Gerald Chan spoke at UConn Health’s 55^th commencement ceremony on May 11. Dr. Chan is a scientist, venture capitalist, and philanthropist, and co‑founder of the Morningside Group. Through the Morningside Foundation, he led a transformational $175 million gift to UMass, the largest in its history, resulting in the naming of UMass Chan Medical School. He gave a wonderful speech called “In Sickness and Health,” which he ended with:

The opportunities before you graduates are many and varied. You are living in a most exciting time. With the advent of AI, science and medicine have never had greater potential for improving human health. I would give an arm and a leg to be young again like you, starting out on a journey with so many possibilities.

The reason I mention this is to underscore why we at UConn Health are discussing with donors about helping us launch our planned Institute for AI Healthcare Innovation. This is still a work in progress but the institute’s strategic focus will include:

• Systematically assessing unmet operational and clinical needs within UConn Health
• Identifying and evaluating existing AI companies whose solutions address those needs
• Facilitating structured pilots and integrations of selected companies within UConn Health

I will keep you updated as our donor discussions continue.

One of the things that has become a regular occurrence is our trend of being recognized by outside entities for our quality and patient safety. I’m happy to say that trend continues yet again, this time with Newsweek’s “America’s Best Specialized Hospitals” for pulmonary care.

We often talk about how outstanding our clinical care is, but it’s especially validating when objective third-party measures affirm that belief. Congratulations to all who have a hand in elevating and maintaining our quality and warranting of this type of recognition. Please read more about this on UConn Today.

Speaking of awards, this week we accepted the Distinguished Business of the Year award from the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce. In accepting the award at the group’s 136^th annual dinner in Bristol Wednesday night, Caryl Ryan, our chief nursing officer and JDH COO, and Anne Horbatuck, our VP for ambulatory services and UMG COO, thanked the chamber members for the trust and support they give us every time they choose UConn health for their care, or for the care of family or employees.

This is the chamber’s highest honor, and it illustrates that our success is intertwined with the success of the hundreds of small businesses that make up the chamber and the work they do across our communities. We had more than 30 members of senior leadership, physician leadership, dental school leadership and nursing leadership to represent us in accepting this honor.

Yet another honor is coming soon. Next Thursday, Dr. Christopher Conner, neurosurgeon in our Brain and Spine Institute, will accept a 2026 Connecticut Hospital Association Healthcare Hero award. I’m looking forward to attending the ceremony and will have more to say on this next week, but this week I wanted to share this photo of Dr. Ketan Bulsara (left), chair of our Department of Neurosurgery, and Dr. Scott Allen (right), our chief medical officer, meeting Dr. Conner in our hospital lobby this week to share the news with him. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Conner for this well-deserved honor.

Our finance people do a great deal of work behind the scenes to ensure we are properly collecting from our payors for our outstanding clinical services. They are some of the best in their fields, and a testament to that is the fact that two of them are now in leadership roles at the Connecticut chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Kyle Dunleavy (right), director of single billing, began a one-year term as president June 1, and Chad Bianchi (left), VP of finance and logistics, just began as president-elect, and will succeed Kyle as president next year.

This is yet another example of their expertise not only in their jobs, but in their disciplines. Many health systems face similar challenges with revenues and costs, and through this association we can benefit from the collective knowledge industry-wide. Our involvement in HFMA goes back more than 20 years, and our membership enables professional development for our employees by way of access to certification courses to enhance professional development in finance, revenue cycle, accounting, and business intelligence.

Please read more about this on UConn Today, and join me in congratulating Kyle and Chad on their important roles, which, I should mention, go above and beyond what they’re already doing for us.

I have a short patient letter I’d like to share this week (edited for privacy):

I was in PACU [recently]. Meagan Zolla was my nurse.

I want her to know that she did an outstanding job. She anticipated my every need and want. She was understanding and empathetic. She helped me get dressed, even putting on my compression socks, which are difficult for me to put on! Any complaint I had, she was ready to address.

She reviewed the discharge instructions with me until she was sure I understood them.

Awesome job Meagan! Thank you!

What a lovely tribute to Meagan’s outstanding care. To her it may be just another day on the job, but to this patient it clearly made a lasting impression. Thank you, Meagan!

And to end on another positive note, this week our Project SEARCH program held its 11^th bridge ceremony. For those who don’t know, Project SEARCH is a 10-month internship experience to prepare adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities for meaningful, independent employment. We were the first Project SEARCH employer in Connecticut in 2015, and today there are 17 throughout our state. This year we had six interns complete the program, and the bridge ceremony is their graduation ceremony.

I am extraordinarily proud, not only of these hardworking young adults who’ve shown up every day since last August to work here and to learn important job skills, but also of us as an institution for being a leader in this program for the last 11 years. I’d like to thank our Human Resources team for partnering with Favarh to make this possible, as well as the departments who have hosted and mentored interns, including dental finance, housekeeping, linen, food and nutrition, central receiving, and the mailroom, just to name some.

And please join me in congratulating this year’s Project SEARCH graduates: Stacey, Olivia, Farren, Dante, Aidan, and Cody! Read more about them and this wonderful program on UConn Today.

Thank you for all you do.

Andrew C. Agwunobi, MD, MBA
Chief Executive Officer
EVP for Health Affairs
UConn Health

Dear Dr. Andy

I have a question regarding the cafeteria setup. After events, tables and chairs in the rear of the cafeteria are often rearranged but not returned to their original positions. At times, chairs remain in alternate layouts, such as semi-circles, for extended periods. Recently, I observed an elderly individual nearly lose their balance while attempting to move a chair to sit down. This raised some safety concerns. Is there a process or guidance in place to ensure furniture is returned to its standard arrangement after events, so patients and visitors do not need to move it themselves?

Thank you for your question, which I’ve shared with several leaders. Formal events that are arranged through our Department of Administrative Support Services would include setup and breakdown of tables and chairs by our facilities staff. However, especially in high-traffic public areas like the cafeteria, it’s not unusual for “unofficial” or informal events, where people rearrange some tables and chairs on their own, to take place. In those situations, the space is not always restored to how it was, and our facilities staff will take care of it once they become aware of it, which isn’t always right away.

Your concern about patient and visitor safety is valid, and is one reason we all should utilize our room reservation system. When an informal or last-minute gathering comes to be, when finished we should take reasonable steps to restore the space to how it was, to avoid a situation like described in the question.

Thank you for raising this.

Have something you want to ask Dr. Andy? Submit your question on The Hub.

Hub Highlights

Read about a CT AHEC workshop on food as medicine.

It’s another national recognition for our hospital, named among Newsweek’s “America’s Best Hospital for Pulmonary Care.”

Two of our finance experts have leadership roles at the Connecticut chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Plus, don’t forget Dr. Andy’s town hall next Wednesday!

2026 Faculty Seed Grant

The objective of the seed grant competition is to support and promote faculty research projects on human rights and to facilitate the writing of external grant proposals. Proposed research projects intend make a significant contribution to ongoing scholarly and/or policy debates in the field of human rights.

Sarah Willen, Professor of Anthropology and Co-Director, Global Health and Human Rights Program
“Public Health in Crisis: Tracing the Multi-level Impact and Human Rights Implications of Gender-Based Violence Prevention Program Closures at CDC” 

2026 Small Grants for Faculty & Staff Research in Human Rights

Our research grant competition for faculty and staff supports and promotes research projects on human rights related questions. Projects endeavor to make a significant contribution to ongoing scholarly and/or policy debates in the field of human rights.

Kathryn Libal, Professor, Social Work and Human Rights 
“Supporting Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the United States during an Era of Severe Restrictionism: Volunteer and Service Provider Perspectives” 

Catherine Masud & Janie Cole, Assistant Professor In-Residence, Human Rights Documentary Filmmaking; Assistant Professor of Musicology 
“The Making of Gabriel” 

Michael Orwicz, Co-Chair, Research Program on Arts and Human Rights, Associate Professor, Art History 
Translation for “Evidence at the Limits of the Visible: Art, Human Rights, and Environmental Justice” by Alice Miceli

2026 Dissertation Writing Fellowship

In an effort to support UConn graduate students writing doctoral dissertations with a human rights focus, the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute selected one dissertation fellowship awardee for the 2026-27 academic year.

Madeline Baird, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Anthropology 
“Embodied Borders: Navigating Transit Migration and U.S. Asylum Access” 

2026 Dissertation Research Fellowship

To support primary research activities towards dissertation research, HRI selected one dissertation research fellowship awardee for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Craig Mortley, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Social Work 
“The Architecture of Precarious Belonging: How Asylum Law and Institutional Practice Shape the Structural Conditions of Belonging for LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers” 

2026 Graduate Student Research Grant

The Human Rights Research Grant Competition supports and promotes research projects on human rights related questions among graduate students at UConn.

Jacob Harold Finnegan, Master’s Student, Department of History 
“Dignifying Death and the Making of Veterans’ Rights in the Grand Army of the Republic”

Rojda Idil Arslan, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies 
“Empathy, Hospitality and the Human Rights Novel in Kurdistan”  

Elyse Smith, Ph.D. Student, Department of Anthropology 
“Collaborative Ethnography on the Native American Political Ecologies of Peyote” 

2026 Undergraduate Scholarship Awardees

The Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute offers tuition scholarships to academically outstanding undergraduate students who are majoring or minoring in human rights and enrolled full time at the University of Connecticut. 

Eva Dannison, Class of 2027, Human Rights and Political Science Major, Social Responsibility and Impact in Business Minor
Mark S. Rudy Award 

Gabriel Duffany, Class of 2028, Human Rights, Communication, and Political Science Major
Mark S. Rudy Award 

Chevintha Edirisinghe, Class of 2027, Physiology and Neurobiology Major, Human Rights Minor
Open Society Foundations Award 

Magnolia Hart, Class of 2027, Human Rights and Political Science Major, Economics Minor
Mark S. Rudy Award 

Katrina Hatch, Class of 2027, Human Rights and Environmental Studies Major
Wiktor Osiatyński Award & Laura Chapman Rubbo Award 

Jimena Romero, Class of 2028, Chemical Engineering Major, Human Rights Minor
Open Society Foundations Award 

Kenzie Styles, Class of 2028, Human Rights and Sociology Major
Mark S. Rudy Award 

Serenity Taylor, Class of 2028, Human Rights and Sociology Major, Africana Studies Minor
Alan B. Slifka Award 

2026 HRI Internship Fellow Awardees

Our Summer Internship Fellow Program grew out of a desire to help students find internship placements at premier human rights organizations and respected international initiatives. We have proudly developed dedicated placements for UConn human rights students and facilitate the recruitment and selection process. After a rigorous application process, students selected to participate in each of these opportunities are granted substantial financial support.

Lara Flank Contin, Class of 2028, Human Rights and Sociology Major 
Bellwether International 
Open Society Foundations Award

Katherine Gutierrez, Class of 2027, Human Rights and Political Science Major, Special Program in Law
Connecticut Institute for Refugees & Immigrants 
Open Society Foundations Award

Katrina Hatch, Class of 2027, Human Rights and Environmental Studies Major
Business and Human Rights Center 
Eversource Energy Chair in Business Award

Lukas Heil, Class of 2027, Human Rights and Sociology Major
Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services 
Open Society Foundations Award 

Suleen Kareem, Class of 2027, Human Rights and Philosophy Major
Bellwether International 
Open Society Foundations Award

Reem Saood, Class of 2028, Human Rights and Political Science Major, Pre-Law
Amnesty International 
Open Society Foundations Award 

Malakoot Tabarssi, Class of 2027, Political Science Major, Human Rights Minor
Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services  
Open Society Foundations Award

2026 Summer Capstone Scholarship

The Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute provides financial assistance to human rights majors seeking to complete their human rights capstone each summer. We believe in the importance of experiential learning – and in equity of access to experiential learning opportunities.

Megan Katnik, Class of 2026, Human Rights and Journalism Major, Writing and English Minor
Distressed Children and Infants International (DCI) 
Open Society Foundations Award 

Autumn Loewen, Class of 2028, Human Rights and American Sign Language Major
Latham Centers, Located in Brewster, MA 
Open Society Foundations Award 

Julia Marin, Class of 2026, Human Rights and Political Science Major
The Thomas Merton Family Center 
Open Society Foundations Award

Favarh’s Project SEARCH held a bridge ceremony for its 11^th graduating class at UConn Health, which was the program’s first host site in 2015.

Four of the graduates already have found jobs; one of them, Cody Bucklew, was hired by the UConn Health Department of Dermatology as a clinic office assistant and reported to work immediately following Wednesday’s ceremony.

“I think the most important thing was giving me a lot of good interview experience, and I was able to ace every interview here, including my interview for dermatology,” Bucklew says. “And I’m really thankful because I don’t think I’d get this job if I didn’t go through Project SEARCH and all the growth that they have imparted on me, and everything that has come my way and everything that I’ve done to help out throughout UConn Health, and I can’t wait to keep giving.”

Bucklew, of Simsbury, had a six-week rotation in the dermatology clinic as part of his internship, and also worked in the UConn Center on Aging and in dental finance. Two years ago, his family moved to Connecticut from Texas. His mother, Mindee Olm, says the Project SEARCH experience changed his trajectory.

“It has shifted his focus from just how to work to spend your time versus how to work toward a goal of sustaining yourself,” Olm says. “Our next step is to do supportive housing, so it’s looking at a long-term plan, whereas working, what he was doing before was more of a short-term kind of a plan. This is a future that he can create and forge in a community that is accommodating of those in the workforce with the disabilities that they may have.”

Stacey Dias, of Farmington, who also worked in dermatology and in housekeeping, spoke on behalf of her class at the ceremony.

“We especially want to thank all the departments and mentors for guiding us through each internship,” she said. “We appreciate you taking the time to teach us, answer our questions, and show us how our jobs work. We are grateful to our mentors for sharing the advice, encouragement, and real-world guidance that will carry us into the future.”

She noted that, in addition to the hands-on work experience, the program taught the interns essential workplace skills such as communication, time management, professionalism, teamwork, responsibility, and flexibility, and coached them on how to write professional emails and letters, prepare for interviews, and advocate for themselves.

“Project SEARCH taught us more than just job skills, it helped us learn how to meet new people, work through challenges, and believe in ourselves,” Dias said. “We are proud of how far we’ve come, and we are grateful for the opportunities we were given. Thank you to everyone who played a role in our journey. We will carry what we learned here into our futures, and we are excited for what comes next.”

Dias found a job as a cashier at Beanz & Co., a coffee shop with locations in Avon and New Britain with a history of offering employment opportunities to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Fellow Project SEARCH graduate Farren Henry, also of Farmington, also has a job at Beanz & Co. She worked in central receiving and the mailroom.

“I learned to look up people’s name on the computers and then deliver mail to each room in the hospital,” Henry says.

Aiden Willette, of Bristol, also rotated through the mailroom and central receiving, as well as the psoriasis center.

“I enjoyed coming in every day,” Willette says. “I’m going to miss the mentors that we had, the mentors were great. I’m going to miss the people. And departments know us by name. Once the first internship hits, you start to go around, meet people, they know you by name, and they’ll be saying, ‘How you doing, Aiden,’ which is nice.”

He says he’s just accepted a part-time job as a dining server at a KindCare, an assisted living facility in Bristol.

Both Willette and Henry worked with mail handler Joshua Figueroa.

“Thank you for making my experience just as good for me as it was for you,” Figueroa said during the bridge ceremony. “I just loved working with Aiden and Farren and teaching them to pay attention to detail, and them teaching me a little bit more about patience, and I just wanted to say thank you for that.”

Project SEARCH was life-changing, and it’s a really good experience. — Dante Bontatibus

The 10-month program combines classroom instruction and training on best practices for finding and keeping independent employment, as well as the rotations through the work areas for hands-on experience working with mentors. A typical day starts and ends in the classroom, with the interns reporting to their work areas from 9:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.

Dante Bontatibus, of Canton, worked in linen, housekeeping, and Morrison Healthcare, UConn Health’s food and nutrition services vendor.

“I liked the linen department because I like to fold clothes, and it was a really good experience,” Bontatibus says. “Project SEARCH was life-changing, and it’s a really good experience.”

Olivia Camerl, of Bristol, also worked in food and nutrition, plus dental finance, and the pharmacy.

“I was grateful that I was able to get the interview help, because I feel like I’ve gotten better at it. I still have to get better at that, but it’s still something that I’m glad I got the experience and the help on within this program,” Camerl says. “I want to be able to, hopefully, gain more experiences and be able to go to higher and better things within the next couple of months.”

Keegan Riley, Favarh Project SEARCH manager at UConn Health, says she was impressed with this year’s class.

“Their diligence in reaching their goals and how eager they were to get through the year really, really shine,” Riley says. “They came in with a certain energy, and then they finished the year with that. They’ve gotten denied jobs, and now they’re starting to hear back from jobs, and so they really didn’t let that phase them, they just kept going.”

The program resumes in late August with a new class of eight interns.

“If you’re thinking about enrolling your child, or even as someone who might already have been in the workforce before, anyone who may have a disability but are willing to work through that, I think that they will find a great place and great opportunities at Project SEARCH,” Bucklew says.

Favarh is based in Canton and is a chapter of the Arc, a worldwide organization that supports people with disabilities. In partnership with UConn Health Human Resources and the Connecticut Departments of Developmental Services and Rehabilitative Services, Favarh brought Project SEARCH to UConn Health in 2015. Since then, the program has a 98% success rate for interns who complete the program finding successful independent employment, working a minimum of 16 hours a week in a nonseasonal position with market wages.

Today, 17 Connecticut employers are host sites.

Learn more about Project SEARCH at UConn Health.

The American Marketing Association will present Coulter, and her co-authors Yuliya Strizhakova of Rutgers University and Linda L. Price of the University of Wyoming, with the Hans B. Thorelli Award for their article “Branded Products as a Passport to Global Citizenship: Perspectives from Developed and Developing Countries.” The award honors a Journal of International Marketing article published at least five years ago that has made the most significant and long-term contribution to international marketing theory or practice.

The judges said the highly-cited paper, published in 2008, has made an enduring contribution to global consumer research and advanced the understanding of branding in the global marketplace. The article has resonated widely in international marketing, and represents a rigorous, conceptually innovative, and impactful contribution to international marketing research, they said.

Coulter and her colleagues will be honored at the 2026 AMA Conference in July in Denver, Colo.

“The enduring impact of Robin’s research reflects both the high quality and significance of her work, and is a source of tremendous pride for our department,’’ said Gerlinde Berger-Walliser, head of the Marketing Department.

Recognizing the importance of these kinds of partnerships, the UConn Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy’s (InCHIP) Community Engagement Core and UConn Health Disparities Institute (HDI) held a Community-Engaged Research Forum on May 15 at the Lyceum in Hartford’s Frog Hollow neighborhood.

The event brought together more than 50 academic researchers and representatives from community organizations for an afternoon of networking and rapid research pitches to stimulate new university-community research partnerships with a Connecticut focus. At least one project presented through the innovative rapid pitch format will be awarded $10,000 in seed funding.

“InCHIP’s leadership in convening researchers and community partners reflects a real commitment to building the collaborative infrastructure needed to advance health equity in our state. Community partnerships are one of the most powerful tools we have to translate evidence into action, and this forum showed how much stronger our work becomes when community wisdom guides the research agenda,” says Linda Sprague Martinez, Director of HDI and professor in the Department of Medicine and the Department of Public Health at the UConn School of Medicine.

InCHIP’s Community Engagement Research Core, led by steering committee co-chairs Kim Gans, professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, and Kristen Cooksey Stowers, assistant professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences, along with Caitlin Caspi, InCHIP Associate Director and professor of allied health sciences, opted for the rapid pitch format to reduce barriers to funding for university-community teams.

The idea was developed over the year by the Community Engagement Research Core’s Steering Committee, who were motivated by the immediate need to support more teams with the potential to impact local communities across the state.

“It was very gratifying to see so many academic-community teams come together to present from so many different UConn departments and community organizations, and all the important health topics they focused on in their proposed projects. We hope that this forum played a role in getting these teams together and that long-lasting partnerships will result,” says Gans.

To streamline the application process, teams were not required to create formal funding proposals, and projects underwent a dynamic review process.

Twelve research teams comprised of at least one UConn faculty researcher and at least one community partner pitched innovative ideas to a panel of five judges. Several projects were pitched by student researchers including Ph.D. students, medical students, and postdoctoral fellows. After hearing the pitches, judges could ask questions and offer feedback directly to applicants.

Judges included Christopher Ciarcia, associate director of the UConn Office of Outreach and Engagement; Linda Barry, professor in the Department of Surgery and Public Health at the UConn School of Medicine; Brittney Cavaliere, Chief Strategy Officer at Connecticut Foodshare; Candida Flores, former Chief Executive Director of Family Life Education, and Chavon Hamilton, founding Executive Director of Hartford Health Initiative.

Projects presented during the event sought to address needs and challenges identified in partnership with organizations like the Hartford Deportation Defense, Advocacy to Legacy, which serves the greater Hartford community, Connecticut Parkinson’s Disease Coalition, Catalyst CT based in Bridgeport, and New Haven Syringe Services Program and Yale’s Community Health Care Van.

Pitches ranged from addressing the needs of those with Parkinson’s Disease, reducing alcohol and tobacco use, understanding how the anti-immigrant environment is impacting young Latine immigrants, enhancing mental health among young Black men, identifying suicide risk among those participating in syringe service programs, and more.

“We were so excited to have this many university-community teams make pitches for the Community Engaged Health Research Forum. Not only did the event bring people together, but we got to hear a dozen great ideas for improving the health of Connecticut residents,” says Caspi.

The projects and research teams below have been awarded funds:

• 

  Identifying the Needs of Individuals Living with Parkinson’s Disease in Connecticut Through the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model

  • Research Team:
    • Cristina Colon-Semenza, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology
    • Regina Stankaitis, Chair, Connecticut Parkinson’s Disease Coalition
    • Holly Seymour, Program Director, American Parkinson Disease Association
    • Carol Goldberg, Esq., Member, Connecticut Parkinson’s Disease Coalition
    • Christine Gummerson, MD, Clinical Fellow, Yale School of Medicine
    • Veronica Santini, MD, Associate Professor, Yale School of Medicine, and Director, Comprehensive Parkinson Disease Program, Yale School of Medicine
  • Project Description:
    • This project will develop and test a stakeholder-driven, evidence-based needs assessment to identify and prioritize the health and service needs of those living with Parkinson’s Disease in Connecticut. In partnership with the Connecticut Parkinson’s Disease Coalition, Colon-Semenza will design an assessment that evaluates social, epidemiological, educational and ecological, and administrative and policy factors. Parkinson’s Disease is a growing public health concern that impacts about 20,000 people in the state. Although there is strong evidence that interventions can improve quality of life, there is no data-driven system to understand unmet needs and guide equitable allocation of resources in Connecticut. The project is a collaboration between the Connecticut Parkinson’s Disease Coalition and the Movement for Life Lab.
• Elevating the Voices of Youth in Immigrant Families Using YPAR

  

  • Research Team:
    • Mayte Restrepo, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences
    • Camilo Ruiz, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology
    • Leticia Cotto, Hartford Deportation Defense
    • Saira Valencia, Hartford Deportation Defense
  • Project Description:
    • This project builds upon an ongoing collaboration between UConn and Hartford Deportation Defense to understand how Latine youth from immigrant families experience anti-immigrant hostility. Latine immigrant youth are navigating one of the most hostile anti-immigrant climates in recent history. This climate is marked by fear of deportation, family separation, discrimination, and political exclusion, which can create chronic stress and undermine safety, belonging, and community connection. All of which are essential to mental health and well-being for youth. The research team will develop a participatory action research project with 9 Latine youth between 13 and 17 years of age from immigrant families to provide insights into their experiences, cultivate research skills, and establish a community action project to address anti-immigrant hostility. Findings from the project will strengthen future proposals, be shared with the community, and be used to inform policy recommendations to reduce health disparities among Latine adolescents from immigrant families throughout Connecticut.

• 

  SAFE-SSP Suicide Assessment and Facilitated Engagement in Syringe Service Programs

  • Research Team:
    • Roman Shrestha, Associate Professor, Department of Allied Health Sciences
    • Kamal Gautam, Lab Manager, Shrestha Lab; Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Allied Health Sciences
    • Frederick L. Altice, Director, Community Health Care Van; Professor, Yale School of Medicine
    • Natalie Kil, Research Manager, New Haven Syringe Services Program
  • Project Description:
    • • • This project addresses a commonly overlooked aspect of suicide risk and opioid use. Suicide and opioid overdose are often interconnected, but few screening tools provide insights into how people who use opioids experience and express suicidality. Most existing tools only screen for suicidal thoughts and behavior. The population of interest often has high rates of homelessness, trauma exposure, and co-occurring conditions that may influence distress and its disclosure. This project will develop and test a tailored, community-informed screening tool that offers more nuanced insights into opioid use and suicide risk as well as response pathways to connect individuals to care.

Overall, response to the event has been positive, with attendees appreciating the novel rapid-pitch format that enabled research teams to present a community-engaged project that addresses real-world challenges facing communities.

Additionally, participants appreciated the opportunity to compete for seed funding to capitalize groundbreaking pilot studies that lay the foundations for future external grant applications.

The event also took steps to strengthen bonds between researchers and community organizations to produce future research collaborations. Notably, the event represents the Community Engagement Core’s commitment to creating a pipeline of community-engaged researchers.

“We were thrilled to see so many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows attend the event and present on behalf of their labs. It was such a rich training and networking opportunity for our students to engage with community partners and hear the judges’ questions regarding rigorous health equity and community-engaged research design,” says Cooksey Stowers.

Community-engaged research refers to a collaborative approach in which academic researchers partner with community organizations as co-equal partners to produce evidence-based, culturally appropriate solutions to complex challenges.

InCHIP supports a variety of funding mechanisms for this work, including its Community-Engaged Research Health Research Seed Grant and its Rolling Seed Grants for Team Formation, Matched Funding, and Project Completion. These opportunities help fund novel pilot research that will lay the foundation for a future external grant application.

This approach to research can be mutually beneficial for academic researchers and community organizations. For researchers, community-engaged projects enable them to develop meaningful interventions that can be implemented within a community. For community partners, this approach can expand and strengthen the programs and services they provide. Community-engaged research can also enhance the impact of science on society and advance discovery and innovation.

Newsweek’s rankings are based on hospital quality metrics, a nationwide survey of healthcare professionals, patient experience data, and results from Statista’s Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) Implementation Survey.

“This recognition reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses, and staff to delivering outstanding care every day,” said Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health. “It reinforces our commitment to providing patients across Connecticut with access to high-quality, specialized care close to home.”

“Being recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Pulmonary Care reflects the exceptional expertise, innovation, and compassion our entire pulmonary team brings to patients every day,” said Dr. Raymond Foley, interim chief, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine and director, Medical Intensive Care Unit. “What sets UConn Health apart is our multidisciplinary approach to care. Our pulmonologists work closely with specialists in cardiology, thoracic surgery, oncology, radiology and other fields to provide comprehensive, personalized treatment for even the most complex lung conditions.”

As Connecticut’s academic medical center, UConn Health combines leading-edge research, advanced diagnostics, and access to the latest therapies with a commitment to delivering patient-centered care. From common respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD to complex diseases including pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung disease, and lung cancer, our team is dedicated to improving outcomes and helping patients breathe easier and live healthier lives.

“This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, respiratory therapists, and support staff who deliver exceptional care and outstanding patient experience every day,” said Caryl Ryan, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer of UConn John Dempsey Hospital.

The recognition adds to a growing list of national honors earned by UConn John Dempsey Hospital, including recent distinctions for maternity care, patient safety, and quality outcomes.

The free program invited men into often overlooked conversations about menopause, andropause, relationships, and the midlife health changes that affect individuals, partners, families, and communities.

The planning of Men of Pause was co-led by Sana Latrease Cotten, founder of Unashamed, Inc., and Armando Jimenez, founder and chief engagement officer of The Tailored Compass, who also served as the event facilitator, reflecting HDI’s commitment to community-led planning and programming.

The event is part of HDI’s Menopause Equity Initiative, a statewide effort to expand awareness, improve access to care, and promote informed conversations about menopause and midlife health. Through community partnerships and public programming, the initiative aims to make menopause a topic of shared understanding rather than private struggle.

“Men of Pause was designed to meet men where they are,” said Jimenez. “Men want to support the people they love, but many have never been invited into conversations about menopause. This was about opening that door with compassion, clarity, and community.”

Creating a community-centered space for learning and connection

The half-day gathering included a screening of The (M) Factor documentary, a moderated group conversation, expert insights from clinicians, catered lunch by Chef Var, and opportunities for fellowship. Men attended alone and with partners, family members, and supporters, creating an intergenerational space for honest dialogue.

Jimenez opened the event by inviting participants to approach the conversation with “A.I. – Authentic Intentionality.” That framing set the tone for a gathering grounded in honesty, curiosity, and shared learning.

For many, the event offered a rare opportunity to talk openly about topics that are often private or misunderstood, including changes in mood, sleep, energy, intimacy, caregiving, and aging.

“We wanted to create a safe space for men to ask questions and feel supported in their curiosity whether they talked a lot or a little,” said Trisha Pitter, HDI’s director of community learning and engagement and instructional design specialist. “We saw men leaning in, taking notes, listening deeply, hugging their partners, and recognizing how important these conversations are, not only for themselves and their partners, but for generations before and after them.”

Expert insights: What’s happening in our bodies?

Following the documentary, attendees heard from expert panelists:

• Carla Gunn-Samson, MD, OB‑GYN and UConn School of Medicine alumna (UConn SOM ’06)
• Brendan Dillon, MD, endocrinologist, UConn Health
• Safiya Ruddock, LCSW, UConn School of Social Work alumna (UConn SSW ’13)

Gunn-Samson and Dillon explained menopause and andropause in clear, accessible language, noting that while women often experience a more abrupt hormonal shift, men may experience a gradual decline in testosterone that can contribute to symptoms in their 40s and 50s.

Gunn‑Samson emphasized that many symptoms’ men may observe in their partners, including changes in mood, sleep, energy, and intimacy, are often misunderstood or dismissed. She noted that menopause is a major hormonal transition and that greater understanding can help partners respond with empathy. “When men understand what’s happening physiologically, they can respond with empathy instead of confusion or frustration,” she said.

She also encouraged partners to consider attending medical appointments together when appropriate so both people can better understand what is happening and navigate midlife changes as a team.

Dillon discussed andropause and men’s midlife hormonal changes, including fatigue, hot flashes, irritability, decreased libido, and changes in strength or sleep. He encouraged participants to speak openly with healthcare providers about changes they are experiencing.

“Men experience shifts too,” Dillon said. “These are real, and they’re treatable. Men deserve to understand their own bodies just as much as they want to understand their partners’.”

One participant echoed that message, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to changes in one’s own body: “If you have something going on that feels a little different, get it checked out. It can be the difference between life and death.”

What Men Shared in the Room: “Why Aren’t We Giving Women What They Need?”

After the documentary, Jimenez invited the audience to share their thoughts and reflections. One attendee immediately responded, “That’s my wife!” as murmurs of agreement and applause rippled through the room, underscoring how closely the stories on screen mirrored many families’ experiences.

Participants expressed powerful emotions, including frustration at the lack of support available to women navigating menopause. One audience member asked, “Why aren’t we giving women what they need? Some women travel abroad for care. Why can’t we care for women here?”

His comment reflected a broader concern raised throughout the discussion: that menopause and midlife health have too often been under‑addressed in health care, research, and everyday conversation.

Another participant said men in his community had quietly discussed changes they were seeing in their wives and had turned to their pastor for guidance. He suggested that faith leaders, community leaders, and trusted messengers should be part of future conversations about menopause and midlife health. “If this is a major part of people’s lives, we also need to start talking to pastors about this topic, especially when it comes to couples or marriage counseling,” he said. “There is a social aspect in human behavior, and we need religious leaders as part of the conversation.”

Participants also pointed to structural barriers that make midlife health harder to navigate, including limited time with providers, insurance challenges, and difficulty finding reliable information. Several participants noted that education about menopause, andropause, and aging should be available in everyday community settings, not only in clinical appointments.

Building stronger relationships through understanding

During the panel discussion, clinicians and mental health experts explored how midlife changes can affect relationships, communication, intimacy, and family dynamics.

Ruddock reminded attendees that support does not always mean solving a problem immediately. “Men often feel pressure to fix things,” Ruddock said. “But support doesn’t always mean solving. Sometimes it means listening, validating, and showing up consistently. I’ve seen embarrassment get in the way. In relationships, we normally talk about finances, family expectations, and life aspirations. We also need to normalize talking about our health, our bodies, and our well-being long before midlife.”

She also emphasized that conversations about health, bodies, intimacy, and well-being should begin early in relationships rather than only when challenges arise.

Participants asked how to start conversations at home, how to better support partners, and how to understand their own midlife changes. Many said they appreciated having a space where men could talk openly, ask questions without judgment, and learn alongside others.

“This was the first time I’ve heard men talk about menopause together,” said Malia Hunt, MSW, HDI’s health policy fellow. “It was powerful to see men learning not just for themselves, but for the women they love. Events like this help normalize the conversation. As Jimenez reminded us, there were 60 people in the room, but the information shared can multiply when people bring what they learned back to their families and communities.”

Participants noted that physicians often do not have time to talk through what patients are experiencing, and that insurance limitations can prevent people from accessing care. “We need to create environments where this information is part of everyday life, not something you only learn if you can get an appointment or afford the right insurance,” one participant said.

A step toward menopause equity

For HDI, Men of Pause reflects the broader vision of the Menopause Equity Initiative: creating spaces where communities, clinicians, researchers, and partners can share accurate information, elevate lived experience, and strengthen support for people navigating midlife transitions.

The event also showed that menopause equity is more than clinical care. It is about relationships, families, community education, health systems, and the social conditions that shape whether people have the knowledge and resources they need. The event closed with resources, next steps, and continued conversation among attendees.

“Men of Pause shows what is possible when we challenge the structures that have kept menopause and midlife health in the shadows,” said Linda Sprague Martinez, Ph.D., director of HDI. “By creating space for shared learning and collective leadership, we strengthen the foundation for more equitable health systems.”

As HDI continues its Menopause Equity Initiative, events like Men of Pause underscore the value of inclusive, community-driven approaches to midlife health and the importance of ensuring that no one has to navigate these transitions alone.

The UConn Health Disparities Institute (HDI) works to enhance research and health care for minoritized and medically underserved populations in Connecticut. HDI aims to eliminate health disparities and advance health equity through research, policy, community engagement, and workforce development. The institute partners with communities across Connecticut to address the structural and social factors that shape health, with a focus on ensuring that those most affected by inequities are centered in defining problems and leading solutions.

HDI’s Menopause Equity Initiative is part of this broader commitment. The initiative seeks to transform how menopause and midlife health are understood, discussed, and supported by expanding access to accurate information, improving care pathways, and elevating the lived experiences of women and gender-diverse people navigating midlife transitions. Through community-driven programming, partnerships, and public education, HDI is working to ensure that menopause is recognized as a critical health equity issue rather than a private struggle.

More information about HDI and the Menopause Equity Initiative is available at www.health.uconn.edu/health-disparities/menopauseequity.

Kumar graduated from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) in Jammu, India, with a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences in 2020.

Kumar then pursued his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine in Bengaluru, India, from January 2020 to July 2020. In August 2020, Kumar began his studies at UConn in Bahal’s lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, a position he held until August 2025.

Kumar’s research focuses on delivering nucleic acids to specific kidney cells, which constitute over 60 percent of the kidney’s mass and are the primary injury site in many renal diseases.

Kumar’s research is currently in the preclinical stage, which assesses a treatment’s safety, toxicity, and effectiveness to determine whether it is ready for clinical trials.

Kumar’s research was recently selected for the Excellence in Research Award for the 2026 American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) Annual Meeting.

Kumar was surprised when he won the award.

“It was hard to believe at the time,” Kumar said. “It was a very humbling feeling, and it motivated me after receiving it.”

Bahal praised Kumar for his research.

“Kumar is an exceptional research scientist who works diligently and intelligently to address complex scientific challenges,” Bahal said. “I am very pleased that he received this distinguished recognition from ASGCT.”

The award meant a lot to Kumar as well.

“We worked consistently on this for the last three to four years, focusing on targeted delivery, particularly to the kidneys, and at that time we didn’t realize that the effort would be so meaningful in the end,” Kumar said. “I don’t know how to explain, but I feel happy overall.”

The award was very competitive.

“They mainly look into the depth of analysis and significance of the research done to decide the winners, and there are about 10 winners each year from researchers working in different domains of gene and cell therapy, depending on certain criteria,” Kumar said.

The challenging part of Kumar’s research was developing the things he needed to start.

“When we are developing a targeted drug delivery platform, we have to do extensive optimization studies,” Kumar said. “We have to figure things out, like whether our approach can deliver the drugs to the right cell type, and whether we can safely achieve the therapeutic effect without any toxicity in other parts of the body.”

Kumar was awarded the Excellence in Research Award at the ASGCT annual meeting from May 11-15 in Boston, Massachusetts.

“We were proud to sponsor the Food as Medicine event, as it brought our healthcare and community partners together to explore ways to promote healthy eating habits among their patients and clients,” said Petra Clark-Dufner, director, CT AHEC. “This event directly supports AHEC’s mission of connecting local community groups with UConn Health and other health professionals.”

The Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) in Middletown was the perfect location for the event because it serves as a hub for nutrition support in the community. “We treat access to healthy food as essential healthcare,” said Amanda Schiessl, chief of staff at the Moses/Weitzman Health System at CHC, “so we were happy to facilitate this workshop.” CHC partners with local farm markets, supports community and school-based gardens and refrigerators, provides health programs for farm workers, and has a rooftop garden at their Middletown facility and is in the process of building an adjoining greenhouse.

CHC’s efforts are foundational to what Kennedy showed the audience they need in order to build healthier communities. “The Food is Medicine interventions include providing food that supports health, such as medically tailored meals or groceries, or food assistance such as vouchers or produce prescriptions,” said Kennedy, “a connection to the healthcare system is always required.”

Kennedy framed the workshop around competencies healthcare and community service providers need to support their patient’s food choices. This included instructions on how to conduct a Food Coaching Conversation and steps to becoming a certified Food Coach. “Food coaching is a patient-centered, culturally appropriate, flavor-driven approach to food-behavior change and is based on motivational interviewing techniques,” said Dr. Kennedy. “You want people to take small baby steps because that is what’s sustainable.”

Attendees had the opportunity to practice a simple two-question food coaching conversation. After acknowledging that the ultimate power belongs to the client they were instructed to ask: “If you could wave a magic wand and wish for one change in your diet right now, what would it be?” And “What is one small change you could make this week to start moving toward that goal?”

“I found this exercise and the emphasis on using motivational interviewing techniques when discussing nutrition with patients to be highly practical,” said Amisha Parekh de Campos, Ph.D., MPH, RN, CHPN, assistant clinical professor at UConn’s Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing. “In my work in palliative care, discussions around food choices and preferences are not always prioritized, yet they are an important aspect of holistic care. This event highlighted the need to integrate these conversations more intentionally into practice.”

Kennedy also explained how to translate the recommended food guidelines into real life practice, while considering the need to support culturally grounded meal adaptation. To illustrate the importance of choices, a “Build Your Bowl” exercise with three food stations was set up with a variety of food options that included greens and grains, protein, and a flavor station where there were options to dress the food bowl with Hispanic, African, or Asian sauce. “The interactive component—preparing our own lunches using simple ingredients with culturally diverse toppings and dressings—was particularly engaging and highlighted for me the importance of asking about a patient’s food preferences and incorporating them into the healthy diet discussion,” said Parekh de Campos.

Geneva Williams, founder of the Ollie M. Williams Community Health and Wellness Fair, agreed that the “Build Your Bowl” exercise was one of the highlights of the day and plans to incorporate this activity and pop-up nutrition information and cooking sessions into this year’s fair. “The Food as Medicine event was powerful and eye-opening, highlighting how food deeply influences health by preventing disease and supporting healing,” she said. “It connected education, access, and culture, emphasizing nutritious, affordable, and culturally familiar foods for all.”

Dr. Anton Alerte, professor of Pediatrics and associate dean of Primary Care at UConn School of Medicine, and Kimberly Tschetter, PA-C, ended the workshop with a discussion on how to recognize and overcome the common barriers to adopting healthy food choices into the community. Barriers mentioned included access to transportation to culturally relevant food, food deserts, access to a functioning kitchen, lack of knowledge about food choices and food preparation, and poverty. Abdul Rahmaan I. Muhammad, executive director of My People Clinical Services, identified poverty as a significant barrier in Connecticut communities. “When you have $50 a week to spend on food you buy what you can,” he said.

Tschetter agreed poverty is a significant barrier that is best addressed through community partnerships. “Working together to bring resources that include not only food, but nutrition education and cultural sensitivity are the cornerstone of successful partnerships,” she said. “You can’t just tell people to eat better, you have to practice active listening, provide education, and partner with community members who can provide the resources people need to eat healthy foods.”

When asked what was needed to address these barriers, collaboration around connecting patients with resources was important. “Access is key, along with education and meeting people where they are,” said Tschetter.

Dana Evora, a patient navigator with the Hispanic Health Council, encourages clients to participate in nutrition classes that focus on eating healthy on a budget, cooking skills, and food literacy.  “People don’t cut back on using salt because they can’t imagine cooking without it,” said Evora. “You need to provide experiences where people can learn this lesson on their own and know it is possible.”  The Hispanic Health Council offers community cooking classes that offer the opportunity to make and taste reduced-salt meals so people can see that you can make flavorful meals with less salt.

UConn’s Alerte reminded the group that small changes like this can have a big effect on overall health and do make a difference.

Williams summed up the day by saying “this event fostered community, through expert talks, demonstrations, and practical strategies, making the message real and achievable.  It reinforced that treating food as medicine empowers everyday health control.”

“It was a moment when I really felt I was practicing law, as opposed to just learning law. I realized this was what I wanted to do with my life,” says Wes, who has become a nationally known attorney. “It gave me this feeling that I was doing something important for society as a whole simply by arguing my point. That was a real feeling of empowerment.”

Wes’s opportunity came through the moot court competition, where students practice presenting cases before higher courts in a high-stakes environment.

In reflection of the School of Law opportunities that shaped him, Wes and his wife, Chloe Horton, recently made a generous $500,000 gift to UConn School of Law programs that give students competitive opportunities to practice law and represent clients in simulated legal proceedings, like moot court, mock trial, and negotiation and dispute resolution programs.

To honor Wes’s commitment to the School, the Connecticut Moot Court Board named their spring competition in his honor in early 2026.

To Wes, these competition programs are critical proving grounds for students and important ways to meet industry needs by fostering the next generation of highly skilled lawyers. The Hortons’ gift will give these programs more resources to send teams to competitions and cover travel and lodging costs. Wes hopes his support will also help these programs train more students and hire trainers.

“Thanks to the Hortons’ generosity, we’re better positioned to do well in competitions and represent the School of Law on a national stage,” says Ian Russell ’26 JD, executive director of the Connecticut Moot Court Board.

Wes’ moot court competition was the beginning of a distinguished career in appellate law, a field that involves bringing cases before higher courts to review lower courts’ decisions, often interpreting constitutional rights in the process. “There’s so much you can do as a lawyer that handles appeals to change society for the better,” Wes said.

His competition experience even helped him learn how to conquer nerves as a young and aspiring lawyer, a skill that would serve him when he would later argue — and win — the eminent domain case Kelo v. New London before the United States Supreme Court.

The case he is most proud of, however, wasn’t at the highest court in the land, and not even one of the 135-plus cases he’s argued before Connecticut’s own Supreme Court. He created a pioneering case, Horton v. Meskill, that advocated for his son’s and all Connecticut children’s rights to fair funding for education. “It reaffirmed people’s belief in the power of the Connecticut constitution,” he said, adding that it set the foundation for critical future cases like Sheff v. O’Neill, where he later helped UConn School of Law Professor Emeritus John Brittain challenge Hartford’s school segregation.

This belief in the importance of public education has underpinned Wes’ years-long commitment to the UConn School of Law, where he has taught a course almost every semester for the past five decades. In the process, he’s mentored countless students and enabled them to learn by doing.

“I was very fortunate to have Wes as a professor in law school,” says David Gitlin ’95 JD. “We conducted an in-depth analysis of a case that went before the Connecticut Supreme Court, examining it from both sides. Wes was deeply passionate about teaching, learning, and contributing. He’s a true icon in the Connecticut legal community.”

“When I was Wes’ law school student, there was plenty of teaching, knowledge-sharing, and coaching, but what I wasn’t expecting was the level of mutual respect — he treated me like a colleague, rather than a student, and that was a singularly empowering experience,” adds Ian Russell ’26 JD. “I know Wes has done that, not just for me, and not just for the students who have taken his class, but for countless members of the Connecticut bar. He’s been doing this for long enough that I’ve been mentored by attorneys who were themselves mentored by Wes. That’s a fantastic legacy.”

Wes’s commitment to UConn is also rooted in gratitude for the School’s role in launching his legal career. He had come to law by tragic chance: when his parents died of a car accident at a young age, he turned to the law for answers, pursuing a wrongful death case and managing their estate. The experience inspired Wes to embark on a new career path in law and enroll in the UConn School of Law as the first step.

“I knew the day I arrived at UConn Law School that it was where I belonged,” Wes says, crediting his classes, instructors, and ample opportunities to focus on a path in Connecticut law.

Now, the Hortons’ gift ensures the Horton legacy will always be part of the UConn School of Law.

“It is difficult to fully capture the profound impact Wes Horton has had on the School of Law over the past half century,” says School of Law Dean Eboni S. Nelson. “Through their latest gift, the Hortons extend this extraordinary legacy — equipping the next generation of aspiring lawyers with the skills, experience, and confidence needed to become effective advocates in the pursuit of justice. The School of Law is deeply grateful to Wes and Chloe for their generous support, which strengthens our ability to provide a transformative educational experience for our students as we build upon our legacy of excellence.”

“I started working at CVS during the pandemic. It was at that time that I realized the impact pharmacists and community pharmacies have on patients’ wellbeing. I like the idea of becoming a trusted healthcare professional and building relationships in the community I work in.” 

Lucille Accetta, Chief Pharmacy Officer, CVS Health, shared her perspective on the value of this opportunity for the recent graduates. “Community pharmacy is one of the most dynamic and impactful career paths in health care today. It offers pharmacists a unique opportunity to serve as an accessible, front-line resource for patients while building trusted relationships that can truly influence health outcomes. As the profession continues to evolve, pharmacists are playing an increasingly important role in preventive care, chronic disease management, and patient education—practicing at the top of their education and training—and making a meaningful difference in the communities they serve.”  

 “My sister is also a community pharmacist,” Tim mentioned. “[She] has always been great at medication management and counseling. I want to be a friendly and approachable pharmacist that patients are comfortable with so that I too can have the opportunity to counsel on any questions they might have.” 

For Lauren Ampadu, the decision to pursue community pharmacy was driven by a desire to serve the people in her hometown. 

“I saw the need within my hometown community and decided to fill it. I wholeheartedly desire to be a skilled pharmacist and a philanthropist doing my best to diminish the power of disease and help patients regain control of their well-being. Community pharmacy allows me to do just this for my patients right where they are. This is my ‘Here am I; send me!’ era as described in Isaiah 6:8.” 

Timothy was grateful for the training the School provided and for the confidence it gave him.  

“From the first Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) being a community centered rotation to doing Student Health Fair projects and vaccine clinics we were exposed to hands on experience that allowed us to grow professionally. Pairing that with coursework and integrating counseling through Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) prepared us academically to handle different aspects of community pharmacy. 

 Preparing practice-ready community pharmacists is a responsibility the School embraces with purpose and intention. 

“Community pharmacists are often the most accessible healthcare professionals, serving as a trusted resource for patients throughout their lives,” says Philip Hirtcko, dean of the School. “Our responsibility is to ensure that graduates leave UConn not only with a strong clinical foundation, but also with the communication skills, empathy, and confidence needed to provide exceptional patient care from day one.” 

Lauren’s experience reflects the supportive environment Dean Hritcko describes. 

“From not understanding a lecture to becoming a Student Educational Assistant to help empower students to understand. My academic and professional transformation is a testament to the strength of the UConn Pharmacy community and the educational environment it provides. If I was able to do this, there is nothing that I cannot do. I am ready.” 

Laurencin’s impactful presentation highlighted an entirely new treatment for knee pain and osteoarthritis. The study showed how the use of brace could reverse knee osteoarthritis in an animal model.

A practicing shoulder and knee surgeon, he is the University Professor at UConn and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, and the CEO of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university Institute created and named in his honor. Previously, he was Lillian T. Pratt Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgeon in Chief at the University of Virginia Health System.

Laurencin is the first to receive the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeon’s Nicolas Andry Lifetime Achievement Award, the Marshal Urist Award from Orthopaedic Research Society, the Kappa Delta Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Orthopaedic Association Distinguished Contributions to Orthopaedics Award with induction into the American Orthopaedic Association Awards Hall of Fame.

He was ranked as the number 1 orthopaedic surgeon in the United States by Scholar GPS. He has been selected to America’s Top Doctor’s for over 20 years.

Laurencin is the first surgeon in history elected to all four major U.S. national academies. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine, as well as an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. He is also an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Led by the Division of Academic Affairs and the Provost’s Office, UConn is launching a comprehensive initiative called “AI for ImpaCT.”  AI for ImpaCT is focused on advancing artificial intelligence best practices across education, research, innovation, public engagement, and workforce development. As the state’s flagship public research university, UConn is uniquely positioned to bring together expertise from across disciplines to help students, employers, communities, and policymakers understand both the opportunities and challenges presented by AI.

According to interim provost Pamir Alpay, AI for ImpaCT will connect AI-related work already underway across the University while creating a structure to support collaboration, share resources, and identify emerging priorities. “The future of AI will depend not only on technological innovation, but on how we apply it” says Alpay. “Through AI for ImpaCT, we will work to ensure that we integrate AI thoughtfully into our teaching, learning, and research to support academic excellence and promote positive life-long outcomes for our students.”

The initiative is also connected to UConn’s role in helping Connecticut navigate a rapidly changing technological landscape. Through AI for ImpaCT, UConn is creating opportunities for learning, research, and workforce development that will benefit communities across Connecticut.

Alpay has appointed Professor David Bergman, associate dean for faculty and research in the School of Business and professor of operations and information management, as the Provost’s Special Advisor on Artificial Intelligence. In this role, Bergman will advise senior leaders on issues related to teaching, research, workforce development, and university operations. He will also work with the provost’s office to coordinate AI for ImpaCT and will chair a new AI Council composed of representatives from across UConn, including faculty, staff, and students.

A longtime researcher in optimization, machine learning, and automated decision-making, Bergman’s work has focused on connecting technical expertise with practical applications in education, industry, and organizational decision-making. He has helped lead several AI-related initiatives at UConn, including playing a key role in developing the University’s new AI for Business graduate certificate and supporting efforts such as AI Day in collaboration with the City of Hartford. He also created an AI teaching tool called ThoughtAmp that helps instructors better understand how students engage with AI-powered learning activities.

Bergman said he is eager to help UConn expand its leadership in AI while ensuring the technology is used thoughtfully and responsibly:

“I am honored to serve the university in this role and excited to help advance UConn’s leadership in this rapidly evolving space. AI presents extraordinary opportunities to enhance teaching, accelerate research, prepare students for the workforce of the future, and deepen our impact on society. I look forward to working with colleagues across the university to ensure we approach AI thoughtfully, responsibly, and ambitiously.”

AI for ImpaCT builds on a growing portfolio of AI-related work already underway across UConn. Recent efforts include new courses designed to build AI literacy among students, workforce development programs that help professionals gain practical AI skills, and research initiatives exploring applications of AI .

Alpay sees opportunities to strengthen partnerships with Connecticut employers and organizations as AI continues to reshape industries across the state. “More and more, employers are sharing with us their need for graduates who are AI literate,” he says. “Through collaborations with industry and corporate partners, our faculty and researchers can support innovation and help their businesses stay competitive.”

Looking ahead, AI for ImpaCT will support development of new academic programs, expanded workforce development opportunities, interdisciplinary research collaborations, and guidance around the responsible use of AI.

This program supports graduate and undergraduate research training with an eye towards a more robust agricultural industry in Connecticut.

CEA has been around for decades. Simply put, CEA is a system that controls the conditions in which crops grow. Greenhouses are the oldest and best-known CEA systems.

“Unlike field-based agriculture, it is actually quite an engineering-intensive approach,” Kim says. “But typically, it has a much higher yield and better crop quality.”

CEA allows growers to have a more reliable harvest as they are not subject to environmental conditions in the same way as field-based agriculture. This is a growing concern as climate change is making weather patterns more volatile. CEA can also reduce water and chemical inputs.

Connecticut has a robust greenhouse sector, comprising 48% of the state’s agricultural industry. But the state has been slower to take up CEA for food production due to its larger relative energy demand and tight economic margins.

“The long-term goal is, as there are not many CEA businesses in Connecticut, I want to contribute to the prosperity of that industry within the state,” Kim says.

Kim’s lab is working on refining CEA technologies and labor processes for tomatoes, which have been shown to be particularly well-suited to year-round CEA growing, and strawberries, a promising crop for New England.

One focus of Kim’s research is canopy management. There is a complex balance between the number of leaves that positively contribute to net photosynthesis and sugar accumulation in fruits, and the number of leaves that consume more carbon skeletons than they contribute. Establishing quantitative relationships between contributing organs and consuming organs can help optimize the growing process, a key research focus within Kim’s lab.

Mark Plourde ’26 (CAHNR) is leading research on improving canopy management in high-wire greenhouse tomato systems. His work examines how different leaf pruning strategies influence plant growth, total yield, and labor requirements in CEA.

Plourde is evaluating three approaches: conventional pruning, alongside treatments with increased and reduced leaf retention on each plant.

Preliminary results from Kim and Plourde’s research indicate that reducing leaf pruning does not significantly affect total yield, challenging industry practices that rely on frequent leaf removal.

“CEA is a labor-intensive industry, so anything that reduces labor while maintaining or even improving yield can make a big difference,” Plourde says. “We’re working to better understand that balance and use environmental data to guide more efficient growing practices.”

Plourde says he hopes to pursue his master’s degree after graduation.

“It’s very fulfilling,” he says. “There are still many unknowns with emerging technologies, research at UConn is helping develop more sustainable and productive agricultural systems that can benefit growers in Connecticut and beyond.”

Quinn McGonagle ’27 MS, a master’s student in Kim’s lab, is working on a project focused on canopy management in strawberries.

Their first experiment involved four groups: one in which they removed leaves from each plant, one in which they remove the first and second order flowers, one in which they did both, and one in which they did neither.

Strawberry flowers develop in progressive stages, with every bloom receiving a classification based on the order in which it originates. The first-order flower develops first, and gives rise to two second-order flowers, which in turn each give rise to two third-order flowers, and so on.

“We were hoping to see if we removed the primary and secondary flowers, some of the photoassimilates [compounds formed by plants through photosynthesis] that would normally go to those fruits would end up in the third order fruits and potentially make them heavier or sweeter,” McGonagle says.

Preliminary results indicate that the group with leaf pruning alone yielded the most fruit. The flower thinning treatment, however, yielded higher sugar content and a better ratio of sugar to acidity, which has a big impact on flavor perception. These fruits were also larger. In addition, a higher proportion of the fruits that had the flower thinning or flower thinning and leaf pruning treatments met the USDA marketability standards.

“There’s not a lot of data out there about the best management practices for how to maintain your strawberries in an indoor setting,” McGonagle says. “In time, we’re hoping to produce models that will guide growers toward specific production goals, whether they’re looking to have sweeter fruits, or if they’re just looking to maximize their yield while also minimizing resources.”

The lab is also looking at optimizing irrigation and drainage. An algorithm Kim’s lab is developing can automatically adjust fertilizer and water inputs if it detects an excess or scarcity.

“We are combing horticulture physiology and basic components of engineering to optimize environmental conditions as well as maximize profit for those businesses,” Kim says. “At UConn there will be opportunities to leverage existing technology to enhance the profitability of the controlled environmental agriculture.”

This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.

Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

Kang has received a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award for her project, “3D One-step Heterogeneous Manufacturing for Integrated Circuits (3D OHMIC).” This award will help support her research on advanced manufacturing processes that operate at the micro and nanoscale.

“At its core, this project is simple but fundamental,” says Kang. “We build most electronics in flat, two-dimensional layers, even though the world around us is three-dimensional. This makes devices harder to miniaturize, slower to produce, and more resource-intensive.”

The NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is one of the foundation’s most competitive award for early-career faculty. The program recognizes researchers with the potential to serve as academic leaders while also advancing impactful education.

For Kang, the award supports her research as the intersection of ultrafast laser nanofabrication, light-matter interaction, and energy harvesting, areas that could create new possibilities for producing high-performance electronic and photonic devices.

Kang’s research aims to overcome these limitations by developing new ways to fabricate tiny structures in three dimensions using ultrafast lasers. Her work combines precision laser processing with advanced materials and manufacturing techniques to create highly detailed microscale and nanoscale structures that would be difficult to produce using traditional methods.

“My goal is to develop a fundamental understanding that enables a new type of 3D printing technology that can build complex electronic systems, such as circuits and sensors, directly in three dimensions, in a single step,” says Kang. “This approach can also be extended to photonics, enabling the creation of integrated optical components and devices with enhanced performance and new functionalities.”

By rethinking how these structures are made, there is potential to make manufacturing faster, cleaner, and significantly more flexible.

A key component of the project explores how ultrafast lasers interact with materials at extremely small scales. Kang explains that we can use light as a tool to build materials from the ground up.

Using ultrafast lasers, researchers can control how light interacts with matter at small dimensions to “write” metal structures inside materials with extreme precision. Kang’s team combines this with high-speed 3D printing to push the boundaries of what can be manufactured.

“What makes our approach unique is that we’re not choosing between speed or precision, we’re achieving both in one system,” Kang says. “That’s something that hasn’t been possible before, and it opens the door to an entirely new way of making devices.”

The potential applications span a range of industries, from electronics and communications to energy and medicine. The technology could enable devices that are smarter, smaller, and more efficient, including improved sensors, medical implants, and communication devices.

“More broadly, this research supports a shift toward more resilient and sustainable manufacturing,” says Kang. “We want to produce advanced technologies locally with fewer steps and less material waste.”

Education is a big part of this project as well. Kang doesn’t want students to just learn about advanced manufacturing; she wants them to get first-hand experience with it.

In Kang’s classes and lab, students design their own 3D-printed structures, connecting advanced engineering theory directly to practice. The NSF CAREER Award will expand these learning experiences by supporting new educational tools and interactive materials.

“We’ll engage with students at all levels,” says Kang. “From middle school outreach to graduate research, helping engage and inspire the next generation of innovators.”

This award is incredibly meaningful to Kang, helping her fully invest in developing this new technology, while also supporting students and a research program that can make long-term contributions to advanced manufacturing.

“Receiving this award isn’t just about funding,” Kang says. “It’s a strong vote of confidence in both the vision of the research and the potential impact it can have.”

The citywide event began at the Palace Theater, where attendees heard from keynote speakers Temple Grandin, the renowned autism advocate and animal behavior expert whose life story was brought to the screen in the HBO film “Temple Grandin,” and Rachel LaMont, winner of CBS Reality TV show Survivor 47. The morning portion of the program concluded with a fireside chat moderated by Kristen Govoni, UConn’s 2026 Reed Fellow and associate dean in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. In opening remarks, Campus Dean Fumiko Hoeft described WISHfest as a day to cultivate “creativity,” “partnership and friendship,” and, above all, “possibility and our future.” UConn President Radenka Maric reinforced that theme, reminding the audience that “This event is not only about putting people on the stage. It’s about connections.”

Together, Grandin and LaMont delivered a message that felt especially relevant for the middle school and high school students in the audience: think differently, trust yourself, keep adapting, and do not let failure define you. Grandin made the case for neurodiversity as a real strength, telling attendees, “We need the skills of people who think differently. We need them.”

LaMont offered a complementary message about resilience, saying, “The reason that I won is because every loss came with a lesson.” During the fireside chat, both speakers returned to the importance of perseverance, mentorship, and learning through setbacks. As with last year, Waterbury Arts Magnet School’s digital media team played a significant role in photographing, videotaping, and supporting the event’s visual storytelling.

Following the morning program, the UConn Waterbury campus was transformed into an interactive showcase where students, families, educators, and community partners explored exhibits spanning science, technology, the arts, health, and inclusive design. From virtual reality demonstrations to sensory-friendly activities, each space invited participants to engage, learn, and connect.

This year’s festival also deepened its emphasis on accessibility and inclusion. In addition to intentionally inclusive exhibits and enhanced captioning, WISHfest welcomed students from the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, as well as attendees from Mileva Maric Montessori School in West Hartford, including children as young as 6. The result was an event that widened participation not just in theory, but in practice.

“We’ve been very intentional about making sure everyone feels welcome and able to engage,” said Monica F. Lattimer, co-director of WISHfest and associate director of operations at UConn Waterbury. “Accessibility isn’t an add-on for us; it’s central to how WISHfest is planned and delivered.”

That commitment resonated throughout the day. “As a high school student, I had the opportunity to attend WISHfest, and it was a great experience,” said Cristian Cortes ’29, a student at UConn Waterbury. “I enjoyed the presentation they gave in the Palace Theater and the activities on the school’s campus. Now that I am a student of UConn, I was more than happy to volunteer for WISHfest because I knew how great it was going to be again and I wanted to be a part of it.”

For many exhibitors, WISHfest offered an opportunity to connect directly with the community in a meaningful and impactful way.

“WISHfest is a great opportunity for Waterbury Public School (WPS) students and others to get to know the UConn Waterbury campus, a resource that’s right in their backyard,” said Liliana Oliviera, program coordinator and adjunct professor. “This year, my students had the chance to present their majors at our booth, and it reminded them of where they once were not too long ago. It gave them a chance to offer guidance and share the information they wished they had when they were in high school. As for our WPS students, I hope they got the chance to see who we are, what we have to offer, and to hopefully picture themselves on this campus in a few years.”

An educator, Kate McElderry, director of outreach at The Odyssey School in the Baltimore-D.C. area, who has flown in for the event for three years, said: “What a fabulous WISHfest conference… I am still glowing for the event—it is truly the BEST learning opportunity I attend each year.”

Michael Tierney, a librarian at the Silas Bronson Library in Waterbury, agreed: “Can’t beat WISHfest with its great food, fun exhibits and interesting people. If you missed it, there’s always 2027!”

WISHfest 2026 also reflected the values at the heart of UConn Waterbury’s Neurovariability Initiative, a campus‑wide effort that rethinks learning through the lens of cognitive strengths, neuroscience, and inclusive design. Grounded in the belief that differences in how people think and learn are assets rather than obstacles, the initiative has influenced how the campus approaches teaching, engagement, and community partnerships. The themes emphasized throughout the day (thinking differently, building on strengths, and creating environments where all learners can thrive) mirrored this broader institutional commitment.

That connection was especially evident in the selection of speakers and programming. Grandin’s message that innovation depends on people who “think differently” closely aligns with the Neurovariability Initiative’s focus on recognizing and elevating diverse cognitive styles. Rather than framing difference as something to be accommodated after the fact, both the initiative and WISHfest emphasize proactive design; creating experiences that are accessible, engaging, and empowering from the start.

By embedding these principles into a highly visible, community‑centered event, WISHfest serves as a living example of how the Neurovariability Initiative extends beyond the classroom. From sensory‑friendly activities and inclusive exhibit design to intergenerational learning experiences, the festival demonstrates how strength‑based, neuroinclusive thinking can shape spaces where curiosity, creativity, and connection flourish for everyone.

Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski Jr. captured that spirit in his remarks, saying the theme reflected “exploring new ideas, embracing diverse perspectives, and working together to build a stronger, healthier community for everyone.”

“Once again, WISHfest has proven to be an invaluable experience for our students in the Waterbury Public Schools,” said Darren Schwartz, superintendent of Waterbury Public Schools. “UConn Waterbury has delivered a powerful opportunity for our students to hear from amazing speakers and engage in hands-on activities on the UConn Waterbury campus to explore, discover, and learn.”

As it has since WISHfest launched in 2023, this year’s event also included a livestream option, expanding access beyond those able to attend in person. Organized through a collaborative effort among UConn Waterbury, the City of Waterbury, Waterbury Public Schools (WPS), and numerous campus and community partners, WISHfest continues to grow as a signature initiative centered on innovation, inclusion, and public engagement.

We’d also like to thank our sponsors: Dr. David and Joan Reed, Cathy & Jim Smith, The Coca-Cola Company, Dunkin’ (535 Watertown Ave, Waterbury), Mattatuck Museum, Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UConn Waterbury, NSF TRANSCEND Ph.D. Training Program, UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), and USDA/NIFA NextGen Program.

For more than a decade, Master Gardener volunteers have played a vital role in shaping, restoring, and sustaining the historic gardens at the Mark Twain House. Their work blends horticultural expertise with research, interpretation, and care, helping ensure these landscapes reflect the Victorian-era setting of Twain’s time while remaining resilient and relevant today.

A Garden Coordinator Rooted in Service

Dallas Coursey of Wallingford is a UConn Extension Master Gardener who became garden coordinator at the Mark Twain House in 2024. He says the house and its gardens pull volunteers in.

“Once you start volunteering here, you want to come all the time.”

Coursey balances a full-time job at ESPN with his role at the museum, where he works Fridays and Saturdays overseeing all exterior gardens alongside a dedicated group of volunteers.

“I sat on the idea of becoming a Master Gardener for years,” he mentions. “When my work schedule changed, I jumped into it, and it opened a whole new experience.”

That experience now includes coordinating 12 to 13 consistent volunteers each season, including veteran Master Gardeners, returning interns, and newer participants eager to learn. From March through November, volunteers contribute up to eight hours per week, tackling everything from deadheading and soil restoration to historical research and invasive species management.

“We love it. We want to make it look great,” Coursey says. “We take a lot of pride in it.”

Gardens With Stories to Tell

The Mark Twain House gardens are far more than ornamental. Mark Twain was the pen name for Samuel Clemens, and he and his family lived in Hartford from 1874 to 1891. The family hired a gardener, among other staff, and the first gardener’s notebook still exists.

Today, the gardens at the Mark Twain House are named, documented, and increasingly recognized for their historical significance. Among them is the Fran Gordon Garden; the first garden visitors see as they exit the visitor center on the way to the house. Fran Gordon is the woman who famously mobilized community support in the mid‑20th century to save the Twain House from demolition. The garden has become a focal point for volunteer effort and visitor admiration.

“People love having their photos taken in front of it,” says longtime volunteer Cindy Curry, noting how often guests stop and ask about the plants, and about Twain.

Other gardens include Livy’s Garden, named for Olivia, Twain’s wife; the Sundial Garden, part of the Pollinator Pathway and sometimes called the Friendship Garden because so many of its plants were donated from volunteers’ own homes; the Urn Garden, Wall Garden, Carriage House Garden, Stairway Garden, and Horseshoe Garden, each with its own story, challenges, and planting plans.

Perhaps most significant is the Turnway Garden, at the site of a former driveway and now an officially designated historic garden. Gail and Ed Thibodeau are the lead volunteers in the Turnway Garden, and it features hundreds of spring bulbs including daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips. All are purchased, planted, and cared for entirely by volunteers.

This garden helped secure the Mark Twain House a place on the Connecticut Historic Gardens list, making it one of just 16 sites statewide.

“Getting on that list took a lot of work,” Coursey says. “It’s a wonderful honor.”

Where Learning Meets Preservation

Historic accuracy is at the core of the volunteers’ work. Gardens closest to the house are maintained with Victorian-era plantings in mind; boxwoods, period perennials, and historically appropriate varieties selected through extensive research, including photographs and documentation.

Inside the house, the Conservatory, with its original glass still intact, exemplifies that approach. Larry Zarbo leads six Master Gardener volunteers in caring for the space, watering twice weekly, inspecting for pests, and maintaining a curated collection of plants. There are 35 to 40 historically appropriate species on their list of potential plants. A recent Connecticut Master Gardener Association grant helped to resupply the conservatory after harsh winters.

“These gardens are a constantly evolving classroom,” says Heidi Stefanski, a 2026 Master Gardener from Litchfield. “You learn things here, about planting plans, mature landscapes, and historic context, that you don’t get in the program alone.”

That learning flows both ways. Volunteers study compacted clay soils, experiment with mulching and naturalizing plants, monitor jumping worms, and manage invasive species, removing what they can, while preserving elements like the historic Japanese wisteria trellis installed by Eagle Scouts more than a century ago.

“It’s hands-on learning every day,” Coursey says. “Someone spots a stain on a tree, or an unfamiliar insect, and suddenly you’re researching sycamores, cankers, arachnids. When something grabs people’s interest, they go deeper.”

A Community Effort

With limited budgets typical of nonprofit historic sites, the gardens thrive largely through volunteer passion. Urns, the sundial, bark boxes, and plants often come from volunteers’ own yards. Master Gardener grants have supported demonstration gardens, pollinator installations, and educational features like moonflower vines and butterfly spaces. Corporate volunteers and community partners regularly lend a hand.

Christie Kuriger, who served as garden coordinator for nearly a decade, calls the work deeply rewarding.

“People come through and say, ‘Wow.’ That makes it all worth it,” she shares, and adds that the presence of gardeners signals the changing season. “When the volunteers are here, employees and docents get excited. It’s a sign of spring.”

For Kuriger, a former English teacher, volunteering has deepened her connection to Twain’s world.

“People ask us questions about the history. You get to know the story so well, and it’s such a happy place to be.”

The Mark Twain House and Museum is in Hartford’s historic Nook Farm neighborhood, named because it was at the nook of the Park River that flowed through before being moved to prevent spring floods. During Twain’s time, the Nook Farm neighborhood included Harriet Beecher Stowe and William Gillette. It remains a place where literature, landscape, and community intersect. The gardens are a destination in their own right now, drawing more than 100 visitors during last year’s Connecticut Historic Garden Day, always the fourth Sunday in June.

For Coursey, that recognition underscores the impact of UConn Extension Master Gardener volunteers statewide.

“Extension Master Gardeners have opportunities at historic gardens across Connecticut,” he says. “The Master Gardener program opens doors, to learning about plants and to meeting people, preserving history, and being part of something bigger.”

His advice for those considering the program is simple: “Absolutely go for it. Most people are already passionate about gardening. Being a UConn Extension Master Gardener just helps you explore it further.”

The grounds at the Mark Twain House and Museum are open dawn to dusk year-round, with advance tickets recommended for house tours. The UConn Extension Master Gardener Program offers horticultural training, and certified Master Gardeners provide insight to community members statewide, in addition to community projects.

UConn Extension is part of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and fulfills the land-grant mission of translating the university’s research for the public. UConn Extension’s statewide locations and programs help serve all 169 Connecticut municipalities. Programs include health and wellbeing, agriculture, horticulture, natural resources, and positive youth development. UConn Extension provides answers you can trust on issues ranging from health and wellness to agriculture, horticulture, natural resources, and positive youth development.  

Follow UConn CAHNR on social media 

The award, according to the CSDA, is presented to an individual or group who supports and upholds the role of women in dentistry, particularly in Connecticut.

Kathlene Gerrity, executive director of the CSDA, said: “The Emeline Roberts Jones Award recognizes those who champion and elevate the role of women in dentistry. This year, the Connecticut State Dental Association is proud to honor the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine for its longstanding commitment to supporting women in our profession as students, faculty members, and administrators, and for helping shape the next generation of dental leaders.”

Eleven UConn School of Dental Medicine alumni, including four faculty, were also recognized by the CSDA.

The Special Citation Award for distinguished oral surgeons and leaders in organized dentistry was given to Dr. Kevin McLaughlin, DMD ’82. The Rising Star Awards were given to Drs. Felicia Brodeur DMD ’20, Scott Pearl DMD ’16, assistant clinical professor Natalie Pesun AEGD ’25, Courtney Regan DMD ’22, Eric Salm DMD’20, Lenka Serdar DMD ’26, Jeffrey Wojewoda DMD ’16, and adjunct clinical instructor John Zyzo DMD ’16. The Board Recognition Award went to adjunct clinical instructor Dr. Steve Hall DMD ’96, and Dr. Donna Balaski DMD ’93 received the Etherington Award for commitment to organized dentistry. The Presidential Award for leadership and service was given to adjunct clinical instructor Dr. David Fried DMD ’86.

In 1974, a 31-year-old pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers underwent a new procedure to repair the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left elbow. His name was Tommy John, and so would become the name of the surgery. Today, it’s not unheard of for baseball players to get Tommy John surgery before they turn 20. One factor is, it’s become the norm for many child athletes to specialize, for example, playing baseball not just during Little League season, but throughout the year. With that has come an upward trend in upper extremity injuries, and elbow and shoulder surgeries as adolescents.

Dr. Cory Edgar, UConn Health orthopedic surgeon and co-director of the UConn Institute for Sports Medicine, joins Dr. Anthony Alessi to discuss youth sports injuries, the risks of playing a sport year-round with no downtime, the importance of pitch counts, and what parents might consider when it comes to their children’s participation in youth sports.

We’re seeing an uptick in injuries to the elbow and the shoulder in younger athletes for a variety of reasons. — Dr. Cory Edgar

Listen now:

Find the transcript on Podbean.

Submit questions for “Healthy Rounds” to healthyrounds@uchc.edu.

Support comes from UConn Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and Coverys.