Stephany Santos went from an active student participant to professor at the College of Engineering. It was once suggested to Stephany Santos ’12 UConn, PhD ’20 that she pursue a different career path. Instead, she followed her passion and also followed in her mechanical engineer father’s footsteps. The summer after Stephany graduated from high school,…

George Kuchel is an innovator in healthy aging, a mentor to medical students, and an advocate for older adults. “How can we add life to your years?” That unexpected turn of phrase — because one might expect it to say “How can we add years to your life?” — is what guides George Kuchel, M.D.,…

Judy Reilly helps organizations create cultures where neurodivergent workers – including UConn grads – can thrive. UConn is flipping the script on employment when it comes to neurodiversity. An estimated one in six individuals are neurodivergent, but more than 66% of this population are unemployed or underemployed despite being highly qualified. In the previous workforce…

Donald and Jean Reefe’s Bequest Will Support Technology, Education, and Research at the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center. Donald Reefe thought something was a little off when he had a nagging ache between his shoulders in December 2023. But he never imagined that a few weeks later he would end up in UConn Health’s Pat and…

Alexandra Karen Alerte, known as “Alex” by those who loved her, is remembered for living a life of joy, generosity, and advocacy. Alex was so full of life and always willing to help others, but she also faced many challenges. Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at age five, she endured many complications from her childhood treatments,…

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Carla (Salomonsen) Klein ’72 (ED) was alarmed to see the devastating effect it was having on children. “Here in my own neighborhood, I saw how people wanted to help their kids during COVID. They saw that their children lacked the drive to study and complete assignments. I saw how the…

UConn has certainly seen big changes over the past 58 years, but at least one thing remains constant: Lawrence Handler ’67 (BUS) just keeps giving back. Handler made his first philanthropic gift in 1968 and as he says, “there’s been no reason to stop.” In honor of National Philanthropy Month, Handler recently answered some questions…

Karen Berger spent the last eight summers removing Japanese knotweed from both sides of town property along the Farmington River Trail in Canton. She and an army of other Master Gardeners have converted what was a tunnel of invasive knotweed into a spectacular display of native plants along the Collinsville Pollen Trail. As they work…

The UConn Foundation today announced that it will receive $500,000 from Travelers spread over the next five years to help cover the cost of room and board for qualified UConn students at the new, 200-bed residence hall on Pratt Street in Hartford. This marks a pivotal moment for the UConn Hartford campus, which will offer…

STORRS, CT –Wells Fargo has partnered with the University of Connecticut’s Center for Neurodiversity & Employment Innovation to introduce free neurodiversity workshops for corporate America. The new workshops, an academic and corporate collaboration, aim to provide instruction to key leaders from Fortune 500 companies to help design neurodiversity initiatives end-to-end. The full-day workshops are part…

The UConn Foundation’s endowment pool achieved returns of 12.1 percent in the last fiscal year, increasing UConn’s endowment by $57 million to a total of $634 million. This year’s strong returns outperformed the UConn Foundation’s long-term, inflation-adjusted return target and outpaced many of UConn’s peer universities as reported so far. “I want to congratulate the…

A special message from Women’s Basketball Head Coach Geno Auriemma and CEO of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering Cato T. Laurencin, MD, Ph.D. At UConn, we are champions at everything we do. UConn Women’s Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma and CEO of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering Cato T. Laurencin,…

Many Americans have the late UConn School of Medicine Professor Emerita Eileen Storey, MD, MPH to thank for staying healthy on the job. As one of the creators of the Occupational and Environmental Health medical specialty, Dr. Storey dedicated her career to protecting workers and keeping them safe. Her colleague and friend Paula Schenck, MPH is now ensuring her…

An innovative UConn program that teaches high school students about financial literacy has proven so successful that it has dramatically expanded to attract more students and donor support. The Financial Literacy Innovation Program (FLIP), which began with 20 students four years ago, now brings 150 students to Storrs to learn financial life skills. The program…

Diana Piquette ’06 (BUS), ’07 MS lived a life of extraordinary achievement while uplifting those around her. When she passed away in 2022 at the age of 37, her family wanted to honor the incredible impact she made on so many people. Diana’s family decided to establish an endowed scholarship in UConn’s School of Business…