Master Calendar

GI Grand Rounds conferences take place weekly on Wednesdays at noon via Webex. Please contact Amy Pallotti to be added to detailed conference announcement emails.

As you consider the MS in Accounting program (https://msaccounting.uconn.edu/) at UConn, it is extremely important that that you make an informed choice, and attending a virtual information session is a valuable way to gather the missing pieces. The MSA Virtual Infosessions are an ideal opportunity to learn first-hand about our highly regarded program from admissions representatives.

For the full class schedule, descriptions, and to register, please visit the UConn Recreation website (https://recreation.uconn.edu/group-fitness-schedule/).

Graduate Students Interpersonal Groups focuses on promoting emotional wellbeing as you balance academics, relationships, family, and personal responsibilities. Groups offer a supportive confidential space to share your concerns, practice skills and get feedback. Provider: Carlos Gonzalez-Martinez, LCSW

Dissertation Title: Functional Characterization of USP7 and its Pathogenic Mutants in Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Field of Study: Molecular Biology and Biophysics.

Title: "Functional Characterization of USP7 and its Pathogenic Mutants in Neurodevelopmental Disorders" Major Advisor: Dr. Irina Bezsonova

For the full class schedule, descriptions, and to register, please visit the UConn Recreation website (https://recreation.uconn.edu/group-fitness-schedule/).

Art exhibit highlighting creative the creative talent of UConn Health Employees from across the organization.

"Expressions in Multimedia" by Martha G. Trask "Secondary Effects" by Jeff Ostergren Join us for a reception Thursday, May 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Celeste LeWitt Gallery. (north side of the food court)Martha G. Trask is an expressive mixed media artist who happens to work in our library.Jeff Ostergren infuses his paint with actual medications to tell stories about the intertwined histories of pharmaceuticals and color.

The exhibiting artists are Marsha Borden, Helena Chastel, Kathryn Frund, Phoebe Godfrey, Hugh MacDonald, Bob Pavlik, Dan Potter, and R. Douglass Rice. Open Air 2025 is open daily and will remain on view through October 6, 2025. June 19, 2025 iis the last day to visit indoor art exhibitions. Exhibitions inside the AVS Gallery will resume on September 11, 2025

The UConn Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (i.e., UConn Pepper Center), plans to submit an application for competitive renewal to the National Institute on Aging at NIH. At this time, the UConn Pepper Center Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core (PESC) seeks letters of intent (LOIs) for studies to be included in the application. Studies selected for inclusion in the application will be funded contingent upon continued funding of the UConn Pepper Center. We are seeking Letters of Intent (LOIs) for 1-year pilot and exploratory studies that focus on enhancing function and independence in older adults while also advancing knowledge in the UConn Pepper Center theme of Precision Gerontology, and that will support future grant applications. We welcome a variety of research approaches, ranging from biological to clinical/behavioral to health services/community-based research. Projects focusing on cognition and behavior, host defense and immunity, voiding and continence, and mobility and falls are of particular interest. For proposed studies involving human subjects research, secondary data analysis-based projects are encouraged. Projects involving primary data collection are allowed but must be sufficiently feasible to complete within 1 year. LOIs are due by September 10, 2025 Full-time UConn and JAX faculty are eligible to apply for PESC funding. Priority will be given to junior faculty/early-stage investigators as well as established investigators pursuing aging-related research (relevant to Precision Gerontology) as a new area of research. Investigators may request up to $50,000 (direct costs) for a 1-year pilot project. Those interested in submitting an LOI are strongly encouraged to contact the PESC Co-Leaders Dr. Lisa Barry (libarry@uchc.edu) Dr. Blanka Rogina (rogina@uchc.edu) and to visit the UConn Pepper Center website to learn more about the theme of Precision Gerontology and the UConn Pepper Center Research Resource Cores. https://health.uconn.edu/pepper-center/ Those seeking to apply for UConn PESC funding must submit the following by September 10, 2025: 1. A 1-page Letter of Intent (LOI) that includes:Brief description of the Specific Aims, Significance, and Approach; Statement as to how the proposed study aligns with the UConn Pepper Center theme of Precision Gerontology; Statement of how the proposed study will utilize applicable UConn Pepper Center Research Resource Cores. 2. On a separate page, a brief budget and timeline 3. NIH Biosketch for Principal Investigator. Please send LOIs to Ms. Laura Masi (masi@uchc.edu) Individuals selected to submit full proposals will be notified by the PESC Co-Leaders.

Neurosurgery Thursday Residency Curriculum SeriesProvided by University of Connecticut School of Medicine Office of Community and Continuing Medical Education and the UConn Health Department of Neurosurgery.

The formation of soot nanoparticles in combustion environments remains one of the most complex and least understood phenomena in aerosol science, particularly at the early stages where molecular precursors transition into solid-phase nanoparticles. This dissertation focuses on advancing the detection and characterization of flame-formed carbonaceous and metal aerosols smaller than 5 nm by advancing the application of state-of-the-art aerosol diagnostic techniques. The primary focus of this dissertation is the integration of High-Resolution Differential Mobility Analysis (HR-DMA) coupled with a novel Condensation Particle Counting (CPC) diagnostic technique to achieve high-resolution measurements of the size distribution functions (SDFs) of sub-5 nm particles. This dissertation evaluates the performance of a prototype Water CPC (WCPC) in detecting hydrophobic sub-5 nm charged and neutral carbonaceous flame-formed aerosols. To enhance condensation growth activation of the smallest possible aerosols within a WCPC, a two-stage saturator is installed at the WCPC inlet and operated with different working fluid, which is either DiEthylene Glycol (DEG), normal Butanol (nBA), Isopropanol (IPA), or Ethanol (EtOH). Experimental results demonstrate that the concurrent supersaturation of water and fluid enhances the detection of charged materials as small as 1.5 nm with 50% efficiency. Notably, the evaporative flow generated in the saturator inlet serves as a natural sheath, directing the aerosol sample toward the centerline of the growth tube, where supersaturation and temperature fields are more uniform, enabling the fluid-WCPC to be used also as an aerosol sizing instrument. This dissertation further advances the detection of electrically neutral nanosized aerosols, an area that has remained largely unexplored due to the inherent difficulties in measuring uncharged particles. By adapting HR-DMA and fluid-WCPC systems, the dissertation presents the first robust approach for detecting and characterizing neutral sub-5 nm aerosols. This capability addresses a critical gap in the current understanding of soot inception, enabling direct investigation of the early-stage formation of both neutral and naturally charged flame-formed aerosols. I also provide a tool to monitor and sample both hydrophilic and hydrophobic aerosols smaller than 5nm in the atmosphere. Additionally, HR-DMA is also employed in a new Planar Mixing Layer Flame (PMLF) configuration to capture the evolution of incipient soot SDFs down to ~0.9 nm, revealing distinct high- and low-temperature soot nucleation pathways, with results validated by in-situ laser diagnostics. Beyond combustion-generated aerosols, this dissertation explores broader applications of HR-DMA, including the characterization of sub-10 nm platinum (Pt) nanoparticles synthesized via Reactive Spray Deposition Technology (RSDT) for building Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs), functional for electrochemical applications. By employing rapid dilution sampling coupled with HR-DMA, this dissertation reveals how Pt nanoparticles evolve in size and acquire charge through interactions with flame-generated ions, providing key insights into controlling nanoparticle synthesis mechanisms during their high-temperature synthesis in flame. Together, this dissertation establishes a versatile experimental framework that leverages state-of-the-art techniques to explore the earliest stages of aerosol formation in flames. These methodologies provide critical insights into gas-to-particle conversion processes, significantly improving our ability to characterize combustion-generated aerosols with greater accuracy and resolution. At the same time, the techniques provide tools to monitor the fate of such flame-formed nanosized aerosols, once emitted in the atmosphere.

 Offerings at the market may change each week, so stop by to see what we have. Bakery items may include freshly-baked pies, breads, bars, cake slices, and gluten-free/vegan offerings. Feel free to chat with the student farmers and learn more about some interesting varieties they grow, their farming practices, and what they love about Spring Valley Student Farm. Summer Market: Thursdays from July 10 - August 14th (no market on 7/3 or 8/21) When: 11:30am-1:30pm Where: Storrs Campus, Fairfield Way, near the UConn Library Selling farm fresh produce, flowers, farm t-shirts, and fresh baked goods from the UConn Bakery Farm Fresh Market can only accept credit/debit. Open to all. MARKET UPDATES/INCLEMENT WEATHER: If inclement weather occurs, the market will likely move indoors to the lower level of the Student Union. Please follow UConn Dining Services on our social accounts (https://dining.uconn.edu/social-media/) for market updates.

For the full class schedule, descriptions, and to register, please visit the UConn Recreation website (https://recreation.uconn.edu/group-fitness-schedule/).

Title: Distributional Dimensions of Risk and Resilience: Essays on Climate Uncertainty, Institutional Design, and Social Hierarchies in Water, Energy, and Food Systems. Field of Study: Agricultural and Resource Economics. This dissertation examines how climate uncertainties affect decision-making across water, energy, and food sectors, within the context of existing infrastructures, institutions, and social structures. The first two chapters focus on environmental uncertainty and its interaction with outdated institutional frameworks and infrastructure systems that were originally designed for a more stable climate regime. These chapters explore how these interactions influence individual decision-making processes and the strategies people adopt to mitigate or adapt to emerging risks. The third chapter shifts focus to examine how entrenched social hierarchies—specifically, the caste system—shape food security outcomes in a developing country context, using Nepal as a case study. Across all three chapters, a central concern is the heterogeneity of impacts and the limitations of one-size-fits-all policies in addressing evolving, uneven vulnerabilities and varying capacities to cope with climate, institutional, and social challenges.

Dissertation Title: Bank-Owned Life Insurance and a Methodology for Managing Death Benefit Cash Flows

COMMITTEE Dr. Preston Britner Dr. Beth Russell Dr. Kevin Ferreira van Leer

This therapy group provides a supportive and confidential space for Mandarin-speaking graduate students to explore challenges related to academic stress, cultural adjustment, relationships, and personal growth. Conducted in Mandarin, the group fosters connection and understanding among peers who share similar experiences. Provider: Michelle Chen, LPC