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.
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A total of 10 students with ties to the University of Connecticut have recently earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF-GRFP). Those 10 include three undergraduates, three graduate students (including two who earned their undergraduate degrees at UConn) and four UConn alumni.
The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the NSF-GRFP 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 $12,000 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.
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Each year, UConn nominates one student for the Beinecke Scholarship, which is awarded to juniors who aspire to enter a master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities or social sciences after they complete their undergraduate degree. This year’s nominee is Makenzie Smith ’25 (SFA), of Guilford, New Hampshire. Makenzie is a University Scholar majoring in Art History. Particularly interested in the intersection between art and human rights, she is conducting individualized research pertaining to the joining of these disciplines and their unexpected meeting point within the walls of art institutions. At UConn, she is an intern at the William Benton Museum of Art, where she works researching and writing wall labels for an upcoming collection rotation. In the Spring of 2024, she will be co-curating an exhibition around the theme of Storage, collaborating with her colleagues in the practicum, UConn’s Design Center, and contemporary artists from the U.S. and abroad. In her free time, Makenzie enjoys reading and knitting her friends and family imperfect (but heartfelt!) hats and mittens. Upon graduating, Makenzie will pursue a Ph.D in Art History, specializing in contemporary art and activism.
Congratulations to Makenzie and all of UConn’s 2024 national scholarship nominees!
Prior to doing Fulbright, I’d always heard people say that Fulbright was a life changing experience, and I never really knew what to think. Sometimes things seem like they might be too good to be true! Now that I’m halfway through my Fulbright, I have to say that it has been such a formative experience for me. I love teaching, and I love my students. I’ve had so many memorable moments at my university, and I feel really fortunate to be able to learn more about Turkish culture and language through Fulbright. I’ve always been interested in Turkey, and being able to learn more about the country through being here has been incredibly important for me. I think this experience has given me a deeper perspective towards life, people, and my goals, and really helped cement and transform who I see myself being as a person.
I’ve had some wonderful students with a zest for learning and also teaching me, too, which has been so much fun! Alongside teaching, I’ve been able to take experiences I’ve done at UConn and bring them here at my own university. This past semester I worked on a project with a few students outside of class exploring disability in Turkey, which was wonderful. I was involved in undergraduate research at UConn, and it was a really rewarding experience to be mentoring and guiding students here on how to do research!
Outside of the university, I’ve been an avid concert goer. I’ve seen Yıldız Tilbe, Hadise, Edis, Mert Demir, Dedubluman, Buray, Kenan Doğulu, and more in the flesh! I’ve been listening to Turkish music since I was a child, so I think you can imagine my excitement at being able to experience the music live in person. There’s still another few months of Fulbright left to go, but I feel very grateful for this opportunity. I think it’s one that I’ll treasure for a very long time.
By Elisa Shaholli
English Teaching Assistant, Turkey
Each year, through the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace offers approximately 15 one-year fellowships to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year. They are selected from a pool of nominees nominated by participating universities and colleges. James C. Gaither Junior Fellows work as research assistants to Carnegie’s senior scholars. UConn’s 2024 nominee is Lucas Ruiz. Learn more about Lucas below.
Lucas Ruiz ’23 (CLAS) is from East Hartford, CT. He graduated from the University of Connecticut in May of 2023, earning a B.A. in history with Cum Laude honors. During his time at UConn, he conducted six months of independent research that he used to write his thesis, “Wrong Horse: Kim Koo & The Tragedy of U.S. Foreign Policy in Korea, 1945-1946,” which he presented at the Southwest Conference on Asian Studies in Houston, TX, and which was accepted into the Kim Koo Foundation Archive in Seoul. Lucas was the UConn History Department’s 2023 Roger N. Buckley Award winner and, during his senior year, served as the Secretary for the Korean Student Association. In the future, Lucas intends to attend law school before initiating a career in international and national security law to work on topics in U.S. foreign relations such as nuclear policy, peace-building, and Northeast Asian diplomacy. Lucas is a 2024 recipient of the Scoville Peace Fellowship – the first UConn student ever to be selected for that program.
The University of Connecticut has nominated three students for the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship, which is awarded to college sophomores or juniors who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the environment through participation in campus activities or service to their community. Learn more about UConn’s nominees below.
Kanika Chaturvedi ’26 (CLAS) is a sophomore from Danbury, CT. She is an Honors student currently majoring in environmental studies with a minor in psychology. Driven by her dedication to sustainability and environmental justice, she actively contributes to the cause as a Sustainability Intern at UConn’s Office of Sustainability. There, she spearheads initiatives aimed at promoting environmental justice while also playing a pivotal role in the communications team to foster greater community engagement on environmental issues. Kanika helps supervise the Eco-Captain program, as well, to ensure that awareness about sustainability is widespread among the student body. Beyond her environmental endeavors, she serves as the Philanthropy Chair for the Hindu Students Organization, striving to enrich UConn’s campus by integrating her cultural heritage. Kanika plans to pursue a law degree, and hopes to specialize in environmental law, driven by her desire to advocate for those disproportionately affected by environmental injustices.
Amanda Stowe ’26 (CAHNR) is a sophomore Honors student from Newtown majoring in environmental sciences with a concentration in sustainable systems and a minor in ecology & evolutionary biology (EEB). Amanda is a Sustainability Intern for the Office of Sustainability, playing a pivotal role on the communications team and in planning conservation and sustainability focused initiatives. Amanda is also an ambassador for the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources and is the secretary of the UConn Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS). This past summer Amanda was a Conservation Intern for the Newtown Forest Association, where she conducted field research on invasive species, and a Field Research Intern for Global Treks and Adventures on the Big Island, Hawaii, where she researched species and conservation efforts on the island. Amanda aspires to pursue a career as a conservation scientist, protecting endangered species and restoring threatened habitats.
Andy Zhang ’26 (CLAS & CAHNR), from Sandy Hook, CT, is a second-year student double-majoring in economics and environmental science with minors in social responsibility & impact in business and environmental science & policy. He is passionate about delving deeper into the intersection of economic, social, and environmental factors as well as the role that businesses can play in mitigating the climate crisis. On campus, he serves as an intern at the Office of Sustainability, Difference Maker Mentor for the Natural Resources Conservation Academy, and student ambassador for the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources.
Congratulations to all three of UConn’s 2024 Udall Scholarship nominees!
The University of Connecticut has been recognized among the top producers of Fulbright U.S. Student Program award recipients for the first time in school history. These results are from U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and were featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
UConn had 10 students named to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program in 2023-24, a record-setting number for the school.
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The Gilman Scholarship, a prestigious academic award congressionally funded through the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs at the State Department, has been awarded to seven UConn students for the most recent (fall 2023) application cycle. The funding supports broadening student participation in study abroad programs and encourages travel to diverse locations around the globe, along with intensive language study and internship experiences.
“We are very excited to see STEM students being represented with Gilman Scholarships this award cycle,” says Valerie Jenkelunas, Experiential Global Learning (EGL) advisor and community liaison specialist. “We also appreciate that four students will be studying abroad in East Asia, an underrepresented region in study abroad nationally.”
In addition to EGL, students applying for Gilman Scholarships also work with advisors in UConn’s Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships (ONSF). Michael Cunningham, Assistant Director of ONSF and UConn’s Fulbright Program Advisor, is one of two Gilman certifying advisors at UConn along with Jenkelunas.
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UConn sophomore Chapal Bhavsar ’26 (BUS) spent four weeks this summer in England as part of the prestigious Fulbright U.K. Summer Institute. The Danbury native and finance major was selected by the US-UK Fulbright Commission to study at the University of Exeter’s Summer Institute on Global Sustainability, an interdisciplinary program emphasizing climate change, sustainability, and civic responsibility for the future of the planet.
“As a Fulbright summer program participant, I was able to explore the University of Exeter and all that it has to offer in addition to further exploring my interests in a more interconnected and sustainable world,” says Bhavsar. “I hope the work I did will enable me to be a more involved and global citizen and the knowledge I brought back will help me create broader connections among my community.”
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UConn doctoral student Anagha Payyambally has been named to the first class of Quad Fellows, an initiative of the governments of the United States, Australia, India, and Japan. This first-of-its-kind scholarship program is designed to build ties among the next generation of scientists and technologists. The Quad Fellowship is operated in consultation with a nongovernmental task force composed of academic, foreign policy, and private-sector leaders from each Quad country.
Payyambally, a native of Kerala, India, is a second-year doctoral student in marine sciences at UConn Avery Point, and plans on completing her degree in 2027.
The Quad program is highly competitive, with only 100 students selected for the initial class among 3,600 initial applicants. Payyambally is just one of 25 students from India to be accepted as a Quad Scholar.
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