STEMposium Exhibition
Advanced Research Mentorship 2025-2026
Embedded Files
Welcome to the 2026 STEMposium Virtual Exhibition!
Welcome to the 2026 STEMposium Virtual Exhibition!
During the 2025-2026 school year, 57 Advanced Research Mentorship (ARM) students partnered with mentors from UConn, UConn Health, Yale University, Connecticut College, and other notable institutions.
During the 2025-2026 school year, 57 Advanced Research Mentorship (ARM) students partnered with mentors from UConn, UConn Health, Yale University, Connecticut College, and other notable institutions.
We are grateful to our ARM Mentors for donating their valuable time, expertise, and guidance to these students throughout the year.
We are grateful to our ARM Mentors for donating their valuable time, expertise, and guidance to these students throughout the year.
Contact instructors with any questions you may have:
Ms. Diane Pintavalle (pintavalled@glastonburyus.org)
Mr. Stephen Falcigno (falcignos@glastonburyus.org)
Please enjoy these photos from this year's STEMposium
Please enjoy these photos from this year's STEMposium
Diego Aguilar
Diego Aguilar
Optimization of SMA-based Compliant Mechanism Dampers for Pendulum Tuned Mass Dampers
Optimization of SMA-based Compliant Mechanism Dampers for Pendulum Tuned Mass Dampers
Mr. Samuel Hopkins, Civil Engineer
Chimamanda Anaedo
Chimamanda Anaedo
Correlations Between Teacher Stress and Different Variables using TALIS Survey Data
Dr. Celeste Sodergren, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Renzulli Center for Gifted Education, University of Connecticut
Cameron Anderson
Cameron Anderson
Targeting the Nrf2-Keap1 Pathway and Autophagy for Enhanced Immunotherapy in Osteosarcoma
Targeting the Nrf2-Keap1 Pathway and Autophagy for Enhanced Immunotherapy in Osteosarcoma
Dr. Marc Hansen, Professor of Medicine, Department of Genetics and Genome Science, UConn Health
Amalia Baird
Amalia Baird
Enhancing Peptide Nucleic Acid Gene Targeting Using Mimosine
Enhancing Peptide Nucleic Acid Gene Targeting Using Mimosine
Dr. Raman Bahal, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut and Ms. Sai Pallavi Pradeep, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate student at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Kaelyn Baran
Kaelyn Baran
Synthesis Dependent Fenton-like Activity of Iron Doped Titanium-Based Metal Oxide Catalysts and Hydrogen Peroxide System for the Removal of Wastewater Pollutants: Role of Titanium to Water Ratio
Synthesis Dependent Fenton-like Activity of Iron Doped Titanium-Based Metal Oxide Catalysts and Hydrogen Peroxide System for the Removal of Wastewater Pollutants: Role of Titanium to Water Ratio
Harith Ranatunga, PhD Student, Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut and supervised by Dr. Steven Suib, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Director of the Institute of Material Science, University of Connecticut
Harith Ranatunga, PhD Student, Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut and supervised by Dr. Steven Suib, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Director of the Institute of Material Science, University of Connecticut
Miriam Bolnick
Miriam Bolnick
An Oblivious Algorithm for Approximate Shortest Path in Navigation Services
An Oblivious Algorithm for Approximate Shortest Path in Navigation Services
Dr. Benjamin Fuller, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Connecticut
Dr. Benjamin Fuller, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Connecticut
Mitchel Boyer
Mitchel Boyer
Photoelectrocatalytic Degradation on PFAS with Variable pH and Temperature
Photoelectrocatalytic Degradation on PFAS with Variable pH and Temperature
Dr. Belinda Huerta, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Southern Connecticut State University
Dr. Belinda Huerta, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Southern Connecticut State University
Catherine Brown
Catherine Brown
Safety Assessment Of Radioisotope Loaded Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and Its Translational Implications
Safety Assessment Of Radioisotope Loaded Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and Its Translational Implications
Xiuling Lu, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmaceutics at the University of Connecticut, Associate Director of Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research and Rama Prajapati, Ph.D., Research Associate
Xiuling Lu, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmaceutics at the University of Connecticut, Associate Director of Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research and Rama Prajapati, Ph.D., Research Associate
Caroline Burkott
Caroline Burkott
Impact of Low Nutrient Levels in Sporulation
on B. Subtilis Spore Resistance and Germination
on B. Subtilis Spore Resistance and Germination
Dr. Peter Setlow, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, Department of Molecular Biology & Biophysics, UConn Health
Dr. Peter Setlow, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, Department of Molecular Biology & Biophysics, UConn Health
Melinda Cao
Melinda Cao
Study of Thermoelectric Performance in Gallium and Boron Dual-Doped Zinc Oxide
Study of Thermoelectric Performance in Gallium and Boron Dual-Doped Zinc Oxide
Dr. Steven Suib, Director at Institute of Materials Science and Board of Trustees, Distinguished Professor, University of Connecticut and Mr. Ryan Purgay, Ph.D Student, University of Connecticut
Dr. Steven Suib, Director at Institute of Materials Science and Board of Trustees, Distinguished Professor, University of Connecticut and Mr. Ryan Purgay, Ph.D Student, University of Connecticut
Ayoni Chakraborty
Ayoni Chakraborty
How Different Environments Affect Spores of Bacillus subtilis Properties
How Different Environments Affect Spores of Bacillus subtilis Properties
Dr. Peter Setlow, UConn Health, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, Molecular Biology and Biophysics
Dr. Peter Setlow, UConn Health, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, Molecular Biology and Biophysics
Ashwin Chandy
Ashwin Chandy
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Thermal Barrier Coatings
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Thermal Barrier Coatings
Dr. Alexander Dupuy, Professor of Material Science at UCONN, Maruf Ahmed, Graduate Student of Material Science at UCONN
Shriya Chennavajhula
Shriya Chennavajhula
Investigating the Role of APC4 and Shtd in Spermatogenesis of Drosophila Melanogaster
Investigating the Role of APC4 and Shtd in Spermatogenesis of Drosophila Melanogaster
Dr.Mayu Inaba Cell Biology Department Associate professor; Sophie Biznik Graduate student
Dr.Mayu Inaba Cell Biology Department Associate professor; Sophie Biznik Graduate student
Olivia Chi
Olivia Chi
Discovering Direct Probing Reagents for Modifying DNA Structure with Mass Spectrometry
Discovering Direct Probing Reagents for Modifying DNA Structure with Mass Spectrometry
Dr. Dan Fabris, University of Connecticut, Harold S. Schwenk Sr. Distinguished Chair in Chemistry, Chemistry Professor
Sarah Mutchek, University of Connecticut, PhD student
Owen Collette
Owen Collette
Quantifying Heat Accumulation in Power Electronics via Numerical Modeling
Quantifying Heat Accumulation in Power Electronics via Numerical Modeling
Dr. Georges Pavlidis Assistant Professor at UConn Department of Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Georges Pavlidis Assistant Professor at UConn Department of Mechanical Engineering
Reilly Cotter
Reilly Cotter
Incorporation of Lenalidomide into Nucleic Acid Nanocapsules for Targeted Drug Delivery
Dr. Jessica Rouge, PhD, Associate Professor of Chemistry Ms. Isabel Penales, B.S, Graduate Student; Department of Chemistry at the University of Connecticut
Dr. Jessica Rouge, PhD, Associate Professor of Chemistry Ms. Isabel Penales, B.S, Graduate Student; Department of Chemistry at the University of Connecticut
William Gaul
William Gaul
A Real-Time IMU-Based Tremor Detection and Gating System for Closed-Loop Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
A Real-Time IMU-Based Tremor Detection and Gating System for Closed-Loop Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
Pramod Bonde, MD, FACS Associate Professor of Surgery (Cardiac) Yale School of Medicine
Owen Guilmette
Owen Guilmette
Simulating Fluorescence in a Real-Time Game Engine
Simulating Fluorescence in a Real-Time Game Engine
Mr. Brian Jackson, Senior Manager, DGX Cloud Automation Engineering at NVIDIA
Mr. Brian Jackson, Senior Manager, DGX Cloud Automation Engineering at NVIDIA
Jia Gupta
Jia Gupta
The Changing Risk Factors and Predictors of Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults Over the Past Several Decades
Dr. Daniyal Asad, MD, Vascular Neurologist, Hartford Hospital, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Connecticut
Dr. Daniyal Asad, MD, Vascular Neurologist, Hartford Hospital, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Connecticut
Joanna Ha
Joanna Ha
ATP Synthase Leak Channel Activity Reduction as a Treatment of Fragile X Disorder
Dr. Elizabeth Jonas Physician and Neurologist at the Yale School of Medicine; A professor of endocrinology and neuroscience
Dr. Elizabeth Jonas Physician and Neurologist at the Yale School of Medicine; A professor of endocrinology and neuroscience
Jaime Han
Jaime Han
Merlin and ZPG are required for Germline Stem Cell Maintenance and Dedifferentiation in the Drosophila Testis
Merlin and ZPG are required for Germline Stem Cell Maintenance and Dedifferentiation in the Drosophila Testis
Dr. Mayu Inaba-Oguro, Assistant Professor, Department of Cell Biology, UConn Health, and Stella DiPippo, Research Assistant, Department of Cell Biology, UConn Health
Dr. Mayu Inaba-Oguro, Assistant Professor, Department of Cell Biology, UConn Health, and Stella DiPippo, Research Assistant, Department of Cell Biology, UConn Health
Liam Hogan
Liam Hogan
Impact of Road Salt Runoff on Edema Formation and Kidney Function in Local Wood Frog Populations
Impact of Road Salt Runoff on Edema Formation and Kidney Function in Local Wood Frog Populations
Olivia Jones, student of Dr. Steven Brady, Associate Professor, Biology Department, Southern Connecticut State University
Olivia Jones, student of Dr. Steven Brady, Associate Professor, Biology Department, Southern Connecticut State University
Andrea Hsu
Andrea Hsu
Investigating the Effect of the C-Subunit Leak in Permeability Transition: Morphology of Mitochondria in the Heart
Investigating the Effect of the C-Subunit Leak in Permeability Transition: Morphology of Mitochondria in the Heart
Dr. Elizabeth Jonas, Professor of Neuroscience and Endocrinology, Yale School of Medicine
Dr. Elizabeth Jonas, Professor of Neuroscience and Endocrinology, Yale School of Medicine
Devyn Johnson
Devyn Johnson
The Effects of a Prolonged Usage of a Commercially Available Ice Vest
Dr. Rebecca Stearns, Associate Professor-In-Residence, Chief Operating Officer, Korey Stringer Institute
Shrestha Kar
Shrestha Kar
Tactile Sensing in Human-Robot Collaboration for Moving Boxes
Tactile Sensing in Human-Robot Collaboration for Moving Boxes
Dr. Yuri Gloumakov, Assistant Professor University of Connecticut Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dr. Yuri Gloumakov, Assistant Professor University of Connecticut Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Iyeon Kim
Iyeon Kim
Improving Anti-Tau Nanobody Binding Affinity Through Directed Evolution
Improving Anti-Tau Nanobody Binding Affinity Through Directed Evolution
Dr. Yongku Cho, Associate Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Dr. Yongku Cho, Associate Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Jonathan Kim
Jonathan Kim
Improving Current Untethered In-Pipe Inspection Robots with Compact Actuation Mechanisms
Improving Current Untethered In-Pipe Inspection Robots with Compact Actuation Mechanisms
Dr. Mihai Duduta, Assistant Professor, School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Connecticut
Mr. Alexander White, PhD Candidate, School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Connecticut
Alexandra Korkmaz
Alexandra Korkmaz
The Prevalence of the CCND1 Gene Translocation and its Impact on Overexpression of Cyclin D1
The Prevalence of the CCND1 Gene Translocation and its Impact on Overexpression of Cyclin D1
Dr. Jessica Costa, Assistant Professor in the Musculoskeletal Institute, and Sara Halili, MD-PhD Candidate at UConn Health
Dr. Jessica Costa, Assistant Professor in the Musculoskeletal Institute, and Sara Halili, MD-PhD Candidate at UConn Health
Anushka Kuntey
Anushka Kuntey
Effect of SPEAK OUT! Speech Therapy on Pauses in People With Parkinson’s Disease
Effect of SPEAK OUT! Speech Therapy on Pauses in People With Parkinson’s Disease
Dr. Ciara Leydon, professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Disorders at Sacred Heart University
Dr. Ciara Leydon, professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Disorders at Sacred Heart University
Angel Le
Angel Le
Effect of Mental Health and Chronic Pain Comorbidity on Quality of Life in People with HIV
Effect of Mental Health and Chronic Pain Comorbidity on Quality of Life in People with HIV
Dr. Carla Rash, Associate Professor, Department of Calhoun Cardiology Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
Dr. Carla Rash, Associate Professor, Department of Calhoun Cardiology Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
Derick Li
Derick Li
Is the LSM14A/EDC4 Gene of P-Bodies Important for cGAS-STING Signaling?
Is the LSM14A/EDC4 Gene of P-Bodies Important for cGAS-STING Signaling?
Dr. Penghua Wang, Associate Professor, Department of Immunology, UConn Health and Ms. Zihuan Wang, Graduate Student, Department of Immunology, UConn Health
Dr. Penghua Wang, Associate Professor, Department of Immunology, UConn Health and Ms. Zihuan Wang, Graduate Student, Department of Immunology, UConn Health
Ananya Lingamallu
Ananya Lingamallu
Identifying Target for Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Illness Through Investigating the Morphology of Low Leak C-subunit Mice Mitochondria
Identifying Target for Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Illness Through Investigating the Morphology of Low Leak C-subunit Mice Mitochondria
Dr. Elizabeth Jonas, Professor of Neuroscience and Endocrinology, Yale School of Medicine
Alexis Marques
Alexis Marques
The Connection Between Childhood Trauma in Emergency Medical Workers and Resilience
The Connection Between Childhood Trauma in Emergency Medical Workers and Resilience
Ms. Massaro-Cook EMT at
Middlesex Hospital
Krish Meiyappan
Krish Meiyappan
Building an Actively Controlled Continuous Disreefing System to Reduce Shock Loads in Rocket Recovery Systems
Building an Actively Controlled Continuous Disreefing System to Reduce Shock Loads in Rocket Recovery Systems
Dr. Martin Huber, Associate Professor, UConn School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering
Meher Mittal
Meher Mittal
Detecting Non-B DNA Structures using Nanopore Sequencing
Detecting Non-B DNA Structures using Nanopore Sequencing
Dr. Derek Aguiar, Associate Professor, School of Computing, University of Connecticut
Dr. Derek Aguiar, Associate Professor, School of Computing, University of Connecticut
Devin Myers
Devin Myers
Design, Construction, and Testing of Tsunami-Resistant Structures
Design, Construction, and Testing of Tsunami-Resistant Structures
Mr Andrew Escalera Mechanical engineer
Mr Andrew Escalera Mechanical engineer
Cooper Neidel
Cooper Neidel
The Study of how Levels of Cognition at Admission Correlate with Fall Risk
Dr. Henry Hrdlicka, PhD, Director of Milne Institute, Gaylord Hospital, Wallingford, CT
Dr. Henry Hrdlicka, PhD, Director of Milne Institute, Gaylord Hospital, Wallingford, CT
Noah Oga-Baldwin
Noah Oga-Baldwin
Forming SCRPs in Polar Solutions
Forming SCRPs in Polar Solutions
Dr. Tomoyasu Mani, Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut Chemistry Department; Noen Jian
Kyle Oliver
Kyle Oliver
Development of an Analysis Method for Lowering Extremity Amputee Kinematics During Swimming With Scuba
Development of an Analysis Method for Lowering Extremity Amputee Kinematics During Swimming With Scuba
Dr. Felmlee, University of Hartford, Hanger Clinic
Dr. Felmlee, University of Hartford, Hanger Clinic
Angelina Ossino
Angelina Ossino
Creatively and Meaning in College Students
Creatively and Meaning in College Students
Dr. James C. Kaufman: Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut
Dr. James C. Kaufman: Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut
Praneeth Padamati
Praneeth Padamati
Design and Synthesis for a Bupropion Photoswitch
Design and Synthesis for a Bupropion Photoswitch
Ms. Claire Nieder, Graduate Student, UConn Department of Chemistry
Ms. Claire Nieder, Graduate Student, UConn Department of Chemistry
Maanav Patel
Maanav Patel
Determining Non-B RNA Structures by Translocation Times and Nanopore Sequencing
Determining Non-B RNA Structures by Translocation Times and Nanopore Sequencing
Dr. Derek Aguiar, Associate Professor, School of Computing, University of Connecticut
Dr. Derek Aguiar, Associate Professor, School of Computing, University of Connecticut
Vrunda Patel
Vrunda Patel
Analyzing Liver Proteome Variation Across Fibrotic
Analyzing Liver Proteome Variation Across Fibrotic
Immune Responses in Threespine Stickleback Fish
Immune Responses in Threespine Stickleback Fish
(Gasterosteus Aculeatus)
(Gasterosteus Aculeatus)
Abigail Albright, Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD Student
Abigail Albright, Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD Student
Ioana Popescu
Ioana Popescu
Green Cellulose Extraction From Autumn Leaves For Biodegradable Packaging Films
Green Cellulose Extraction From Autumn Leaves For Biodegradable Packaging Films
Dr. Julia Valla Assistant Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut
Jonathan Riccardi
Jonathan Riccardi
Optimizing Infill Patterns in Additive Manufacturing
Optimizing Infill Patterns in Additive Manufacturing
Dr. Santosh Ranganath, Technical Fellow for Conventional Machining, Pratt & Whitney
Isabella Ramoya
Isabella Ramoya
Mechanism of Adrenomedullin-5 (ADM5) in Breast Cancer Vascular Anergy
Mechanism of Adrenomedullin-5 (ADM5) in Breast Cancer Vascular Anergy
Dr. Kevin P. Claffey
Dr. Kevin P. Claffey
Elliot Rozenshteyn
Elliot Rozenshteyn
The Effect of Chordwise Roughness Location on Lift and Drag of the Clark Y-15 Airfoil at Low Reynolds Numbers
The Effect of Chordwise Roughness Location on Lift and Drag of the Clark Y-15 Airfoil at Low Reynolds Numbers
Mr. Jonathan Gilson, Pratt & Whitney and Dr. Paul Slaboch, University of Hartford
Mr. Jonathan Gilson, Pratt & Whitney and Dr. Paul Slaboch, University of Hartford
Dishi Saxena
Dishi Saxena
The Roles of Linker Histone H2A.Z, and HMG-BOZ Protein HMO1 in Non-homologous End Joining and Chromosomal Stability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
The Roles of Linker Histone H2A.Z, and HMG-BOZ Protein HMO1 in Non-homologous End Joining and Chromosomal Stability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Dr. Scott Holmes and Gwen MacDonough, Wesleyan University, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Dr. Scott Holmes and Gwen MacDonough, Wesleyan University, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Greyson Sayers
Greyson Sayers
Psychological and Social Sequelae of Sports-related Concussion in College Athletes
Psychological and Social Sequelae of Sports-related Concussion in College Athletes
Dr. Molly Helt, PhD., Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College.
Dr. Molly Helt, PhD., Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College.
Taraksh Singh
Taraksh Singh
Designing and Manufacturing a Wing Optimized for High-Endurance Mars Flight
Designing and Manufacturing a Wing Optimized for High-Endurance Mars Flight
Dr. Vito Moreno, Professor in Residence, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering
Dr. Vito Moreno, Professor in Residence, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering
Afraz Sohail
Afraz Sohail
Using Tabular Models and Textual Embeddings to improve Motion Prediction
Using Tabular Models and Textual Embeddings to improve Motion Prediction
Dr. Derek Aguiar, School of Computing, University of Connecticut
Dr. Derek Aguiar, School of Computing, University of Connecticut
Anya Srivastava
Anya Srivastava
Experimental Validation of Computation Tools for Nanobody Affinity Maturation
Experimental Validation of Computation Tools for Nanobody Affinity Maturation
Dr. Yongku P. Cho, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Department at University of Connecticut
Ashlyn Steger
Ashlyn Steger
Investigating Intrinsic Enrichments Effect on Rat Welfare
Investigating Intrinsic Enrichments Effect on Rat Welfare
Dr. Allison Kaufman at UConn and the Virginia Living Museum
Dr. Allison Kaufman at UConn and the Virginia Living Museum
Eva Suarez
Eva Suarez
Post-translational Modifications of Sperm Proteins During Sperm Capacitation
Post-translational Modifications of Sperm Proteins During Sperm Capacitation
Dr. Maria Gracia Gervasi, Assistant Professor of Reproductive Physiology
Dr. Maria Gracia Gervasi, Assistant Professor of Reproductive Physiology
Layla Tempestilli
Layla Tempestilli
Tracking Differentiation in U20S and SAOS-2 Osteosarcoma Cells Using Early and Late Markers
Tracking Differentiation in U20S and SAOS-2 Osteosarcoma Cells Using Early and Late Markers
Dr. Marc Hansen, Professor of Medicine, Department of Genetics and Genome Science, UConn Health
Aanshi Thumar
Aanshi Thumar
A Usability Evaluation of the LookUpTrials Mobile Application to Improve Oncology Clinical Trial Participation
A Usability Evaluation of the LookUpTrials Mobile Application to Improve Oncology Clinical Trial Participation
Dr. Tony Hung, Medical Oncologist and Clinical Informatics Executive, Hartford HealthCare
Dr. Tony Hung, Medical Oncologist and Clinical Informatics Executive, Hartford HealthCare
Experiment Poster
Jacob Weiner
Jacob Weiner
Determining Quantum Transmission Security Via Secret Key Length Through The Creation And Use Of A Simulation
Dr. Walter Krawec Associate Professor of Computer Science, UConn Department of Computer Science
Dr. Walter Krawec Associate Professor of Computer Science, UConn Department of Computer Science
Report abuse