News

Sarah Marze Returns to Connecticut

UConn graduate Sarah Marze ’23 (SFA) recently returned to Connecticut after spending the past two years at the Royal Academy of Music in London as a Marshall Scholar.

“I am grateful to have spent my two years collaborating with some of the best classical musicians in the world,” says Marze. “Now that I am back home, I am eager to share what I’ve learned and put into practice the new philosophies, aesthetics, and dreams I’ve encountered during my Marshall Scholarship.”

Marze, an honors scholar who was UConn’s sixth Marshall Scholar in its history and fifth since 2008, earned a master’s degree from the Royal Academy and was completely immersed in her studies and the various projects assigned to her. Read More…

Sarah Marze
Sarah Marze after a premiere at Duke’s Hall at the Royal Academy of Music.

Hope Chokshi’s Summer in Turkey

Hope Chokshi ’28 (CLAS) spent two months this summer studying in Turkey as part of the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program through the U.S. Department of State. Chokshi is a native of Avon and is pursuing a dual degree in classics and molecular and cell biology. She studied at the Turkish and Foreign Languages Research and Application Center (TOMER) of Ankara University, in Turkey’s capital city. “I learned a lot about the culture of Turkey and actually did pick up a lot of the language,” says Chokshi. You can read all about it in UConn Today.

Hope Chokshi
Hope Chokshi in Cappadocia, Turkey.

Recent Grad Wins CBYX Award

Julian Cote-Dorado ’24 (CLAS) has been accepted into the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals for the 2025-26 academic year. The fellowship annually provides 65 American and 65 German young professionals the opportunity to spend one year in each other’s countries, studying, interning, and living with hosts as part of a cultural immersion program. You can read all about it in UConn Today.

Julian Cote Dorado
Julian Cote-Dorado

UConn has Record-Breaking Cohort of Gilman Scholars

A record-breaking 31 UConn students have been awarded a Gilman Scholarship in the latest cohort of the prestigious academic award. The award is congressionally funded through the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs at the State Department.

The funding supports expanding student participation in study abroad programs and encourages travel to diverse locations around the globe, along with intensive language study and internship experiences.

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The 31 UConn students, who will study in 14 different countries, will receive a total of nearly $94,000 in scholarship funds through the Gilman program. A total of 40 UConn students have earned Gilman awards in the last two cohorts, this one and October 2024, for a total of more than $121,500 in scholarship funding.

Students applying for Gilman Scholarships work with advisors in UConn’s Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships (ONSF) and Experiential Global Learning (EGL). Rachel Gleicher, an advisor in EGL, and Michael Cunningham, assistant director of ONSF and UConn’s Fulbright program advisor, are UConn’s two Gilman certifying advisors.

“We are very excited that the Gilman program has selected so many UConn students this cycle,” says Cunningham. “It’s a testament to the quality of our students and to the hard work that they put into their applications.”

Continue reading in UConn Today . . . .

UConn Students Earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

 

The program recognizes and supports outstanding students in NSF-supported disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions in the United States

An aerial view of blooms with Wilbur Cross in the background
 

Three students with ties to the University of Connecticut have recently earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF-GRFP). The trio includes one current graduate student and two recent alumni, one of whom is currently enrolled in UConn’s Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates Program (RaMP).

The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the NSF-GRFP was first awarded in 1952. The program recognizes and supports outstanding students in NSF-supported disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions in the United States. In addition to a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, plus another $16,000 paid to the student’s home institution, fellows have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities over the course of their graduate careers.

 

Continue reading in UConn Today . . . .

Junior Andy Zhang Earns Key Into Public Service Scholar Award

Andy Zhang

Andy Zhang ’26 (CLAS, CAHNR) has been selected as a Key into Public Service Scholar by the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s oldest academic honor society and a leading national advocate for the value of liberal arts and sciences education.

The program annually recognizes 20 exceptional arts and sciences students with a demonstrated interest in pursuing careers in local, state, and federal government. This year, over 800 students applied for the honor.

Zhang, an economics and environmental sciences major, will receive a $5,000 scholarship and will participate in a Washington, D.C., conference providing training, mentorship, and opportunities for reflection on pathways to active citizenship.

“This award perfectly aligns with a lot of my interests given that it has a strong focus on liberal arts, public service, and natural sciences,” says Zhang, who was inducted into UConn’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. “It is a wonderful opportunity as I look towards my future.”

Continue reading in UConn Today . . . .

UConn Junior Caitlin Noonan Named 2025 Goldwater Scholar

Kaitlin Noonan
Caitlin Noonan ’26 (ENG) is a 2025 Goldwater Scholar (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

University of Connecticut junior Caitlin Noonan ’26 (ENG), a chemical engineering major, has been named a 2025 Goldwater Scholar. The Goldwater Scholarship is considered the nation’s premier scholarship for undergraduates studying math, natural sciences, and engineering.  Schools can nominate a maximum of four students per year, and Noonan is among just 441 students selected nationally for the award this year from a pool of more than 5,000 applicants.

Read more in UConn Today . . .

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Vargas Named UConn’s First Rangel Fellowship Recipient

Mariam Vargas ’25 (CLAS) has been named a Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship recipient. Vargas was selected among the 1,267 candidates who applied for the program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University. She is the UConn’s first ever-recipient of a Rangel fellowship.

The program supports individuals who want to pursue careers in the foreign service of the U.S. Department of State and was established in 2003. The program was named to honor Charles Rangel, who represented New York City in Congress from 1971 to 2017.

The Rangel Fellowship will support Vargas through a two-year master’s degree in an area of relevance to the foreign service. It will also provide extensive professional development opportunities, including internships, mentors, and skills training.

Continue reading at UConn Today . . . .

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Junior Tae’Niajha Pullen Named 2024-2025 Newman Civic Fellow

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Tae’Niajha Pullen ’25 (CLAS) is a 2024-25 Newman Civic Fellow. (Contributed photo)

 

Tae’Niajha Pullen ’25 (CLAS), an Africana studies major, has been named a 2024-2025 Newman Civic Fellow. 

The distinction was given by Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities working to advance the public purposes of higher education, to students from 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico who were recommended by their campus president or chancellor. 

The fellowship is a yearlong program that recognizes students who stand out for their leadership potential and commitment to creating positive change in communities. It is named for the late Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders, who was a tireless advocate for civic engagement in higher education.  

 

Continue reading in UConn Today . . . .

UConn Junior Neo Lin Named 2024 Goldwater Scholar

Neo Lin
Neo Lin ’25 (CLAS) is a 2024 Goldwater Scholar (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

University of Connecticut junior Neo Lin ’25 (CLAS), an Honors chemistry major from Madison, has been named a Goldwater Scholar. The Goldwater Scholarship is considered the nation’s premier scholarship for undergraduates studying math, natural sciences, and engineering.  Schools can nominate a maximum of four students per year.

Read more in UConn Today . . .