{"id":249365,"date":"2026-08-18T07:30:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T11:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=249365"},"modified":"2026-08-10T15:02:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T19:02:22","slug":"summer-research-experiences-give-students-career-building-boost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2026\/08\/summer-research-experiences-give-students-career-building-boost\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Research Experiences Give Students Career-Building Boost"},"content":{"rendered":"

The academic rotunda at UConn Health was abuzz with activity on Summer Research Day, as attendees flooded the halls to hear poster presentations by undergraduate researchers.<\/p>\n

Some 44 students ranging from first-year to rising seniors completed the Health Research Program (HRP), a 10-week, 360-hour research experience offered through UConn\u2019s Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). An additional 12 undergraduate or masters\u2019 degree students taking part in the summer-long Technology Incubation Program (TIP) Innovation Fellowship Program also gave poster presentations or short talks.<\/p>\n

OUR Director Micah Heumann noted the increased interest in the HRP program over the last two years. The number of applicants has more than doubled, he says, from 106 in 2024 to 240 this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is clearly a desire,\u201d says Heumann. \u201cStudents are coming to college now wanting to do research. What makes UConn special is these experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Student
Adonis Smith \u201827 (SFA), left, and Valentina Gutierrez \u201927 (CAHNR) present their project in the Rotunda of the Academic Building at UConn Health during Summer Research Day on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Sydney Herdle\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

HRP students were matched and mentored by researchers at UConn Health. Students in the TIP Innovation Fellowship program were paired with university startup companies for mentored technology development experience leading to possible internship or\u00a0part-time employment\u00a0within the company they are matched with.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s through the process of synthesizing these experiences that students have \u2018aha\u2019 moments,\u201d says Caroline Dealy, director of the TIP Innovation Fellowship Program, and a professor in the departments of Orthodontics, Orthodontic Surgery, Biomedical Engineering, and Cell Biology at UConn Health. \u201cNot only do they do research, they synthesize what they\u2019ve learned into a presentation that non-experts will understand. That\u2019s where they gain a higher level of understanding and real pride in their project.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about learning to market, commercialize research, and more, adds Paul Parker, director of TIP Farmington. \u201cWe\u2019ve had students change majors or come back to get a Ph.D. as a result of this program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patrick Lonergan ’27 (ENG), was one of the many HRP students presenting in the first poster session. A biomedical engineering major from New Jersey, Lonergan says he jumped at the chance to work in the lab of Dr. Liisa Kuhn, professor of biomedical engineering at UConn Health.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis one was by far the one that interested me most because I had a lot of experience with computer modeling in the past,\u201d says Lonergan. His project with Kuhn was, \u201cto create an anatomically accurate breast prosthetic for women who have undergone mastectomies that addressed long-standing issues with commercial prosthetics.\u201d The project involved using digital imaging, CAD modeling and advanced 3D printing to create a lighter-weight, more personalized prosthetic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way it turned out, it\u2019s been really great,\u201d says Lonergan. \u201cI\u2019m using skills I already have and I\u2019m not just doing experiments. I\u2019m actually helping, from the reaction of Dr. Kuhn\u2019s patients. It\u2019s been really amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Group
Attendees of Summer Research Day at UConn Health pose for a photo in the Academic Building lobby on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Sydney Herdle\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nearby, Nabil Mardhy \u201828 (CLAS), pointed to a poster illustrating his project, \u201c<\/em>Testing and Troubleshooting Mathematical Models or Biological Systems.\u201d <\/em>A neurobiology major, Mardhy worked under Michael Blinov, an associate professor of genetics and genome sciences. His research involved figuring out if mathematical models created for specific tools \u2013 to track COVID, for example \u2013 can be customized for use with another tool \u2013 say, one for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).<\/p>\n

\u201cComputational modeling is very important,\u201d explains Mardhy, who plans to go into biomedical research. \u201cTo work in neurobiology, for example, with issues like CTE, the research uses a lot of models.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adonis Smith ’27 (SFA), a digital design major at UConn Stamford, was among the TIP Fellowship Program students giving presentations. Working with Valentina Gutierrrez \u201827 (CAHNR), an allied health sciences major, he created a digital presentation promoting a rapid at-home test for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses under development by TIP startup Therapeutic Bandage Products.<\/p>\n

Participating HRP students received stipends funded through the Barbara C. Setlow Health Research Program. Support for the TIP fellows program comes from UConn\u2019s Technology Commercialization Services (TCS) and the UConn schools and colleges partnering with the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith recent cuts in funding, particularly the student experience, support from UConn is critical for career-building experiences such as these,\u201d says Dealy. \u201cThere is no replacement for a hands-on experience.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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