UConn researchers continued a standard of excellence and advancement in 2024. It was a year of research that mattered, with faculty members setting records, advancing the University and the state in fields that will help define the future.

“Our research success is not coincidental,” says Pamir Alpay, UConn Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. “We have purposefully strategized our growth to leverage existing strengths in areas such as materials and manufacturing, education, human rights, and health and life sciences to build our capabilities through investments in faculty, infrastructure, and core centers and institutes. The result is a more prominent national profile and the ability to recruit and retain outstanding faculty and students, who, in turn, help build UConn’s research enterprise.”

The growth of UConn’s research and innovation enterprise reflect the University’s strong commitment to critical research. As detailed in the publication UConn Research 2024, UConn researchers won $368 million in FY2024, a 14% increase from the previous year.

As UConn Research transitions into 2025, here are some of the stories that capture the essence of what made 2024 memorable.

1. The forefront of quantum science. Quantum technology is developing at breakneck pace, and UConn is leading Connecticut’s push in applications across the academic spectrum. Along with Yale and other partners in QuantumCT, the University is helping transition Connecticut towards the goal of becoming the nation’s leading quantum accelerator. The economic possibilities are numerous.
2. Embracing Clean Energy and Sustainability. UConn is putting policy to practice as the University transforms its campuses and research objectives to promote clean energy development and a more sustainable world.
3. Breathe easy, Connecticut students and teachers. UConn is leading the push to purify the air in school classrooms across the state, thanks to development of do-it-yourself air filters.
4. Advancements in healing. Thanh Nguyen, an associate professor in biomedical engineering, is working to eradicate diseases like polio as well as improve orthopedic treatment.

5. 

   Shooting for the moon and beyond! UConn associate professor of physics Cara Battersby is a member of a development team working with NASA on a probe using infrared technology to illuminate the secrets of the universe.

6. Saving the Lives of Athletes. The signing of the HEARTS Act marked a victory for athletes on and off the playing field. UConn’s Korey Stringer Institute helped lobby for the bill, which ensures increased CPR preparedness and access to lifesaving defibrillators in cases of sudden cardiac arrest.
7. Using Art to Help Parkinson’s Patients. UConn researchers are melding art with physical therapy to enrich and improve the lives of sufferers of Parkinson’s Disease. In December, UConn’s Avery Point campus hosted a unique exhibition displaying artwork created through movement.
8. Incredible Faculty Members. Whether in the classroom, the laboratory, or in the field, UConn boasts a faculty of world-class researchers. According to a Stanford University survey, 52 members of UConn’s College of Engineering are among the top 2% of their fields. Scientists worked with AI experts on investigations into quantum technology. Researchers made advances in animal vaccine science, treating postpartum disease, and the impact of offshore wind farms on marine life. It was a year of accomplishments that will carry on into 2025.
9. Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Partnerships. The Innovation Partnership Building at UConn Tech Park had a record year, reaching a cumulative $300 million in research partnerships. Executive Director Emmanouil “Manos” Anagnostou set the tone and has established lofty goals for the future. Meanwhile, UConn’s Technology Commercialization Services continued to drive invention and help new companies to grow. Entrepreneurs appeared on national television, students competed in a quantum-themed hackathon, and the University placed highly among national institutions for patent issuances.
10. Strengthening the Grid. From hurricanes to blizzards, the Northeast is no stranger to powerful storms. Thankfully, UConn and partners at the University of Albany are working together to ensure a resilient grid, with a series of promising projects underway.