Paxton Tomko ’24 is a molecular and cell biology major and her faculty mentor is Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology/Microbiology Geo Santiago-Martínez. In the fall, she will be starting a master’s in oceanography at UConn Avery Point, working with Professor of Marine Sciences Pieter Visscher. Tomko’s research interests are in geobiology and astrobiology and is interested in stromatolites as biosignatures and the role that methanogens play in microbial mats.

Learn more about NSF-GRFP and UConn's recipients

2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) Awards have been announced. Of the 50 recipients, 13 are Molecular and Cell Biology majors! These students were selected from a strong group of applicants representing diverse areas of academic inquiry.

The UConn Department of Molecular and Cell Biology is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 graduate and undergraduate student summer fellowships. These distinguished fellowships are made possible by some very generous donors and are offered on a competitive basis to the most highly qualified students. Congratulations to all the awardees!

Claire M. Berg Graduate Fellowship in Genetics
Danielle Arsenault
Katelyn DeNegre
Samantha Peterson

 Arthur Chovnick Graduate Fellowship in Genetics
Michelle Neitzey 

Richard C. Crain, Jr. Memorial Fellowship
Ashley Reed
Richard Whitehead

 Cross-Disciplinary Fellowship in MCB and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Michael Griffith

 Dr. Edward A. and Dr. Lamia H. Khairallah Graduate Fellowship
Josette Nammour (MCB)
Michael Samulevich (Pharm)
Aniket Wahane (Pharm)
Hangyu (Isabella) Wu (Pharm)

 Jean Lucas-Lenard Special Summer Fellowship in Molecular Cell Biology
Trevor Hunter

 Jean Lucas-Lenard Special Summer Fellowship in Biochemistry
Camille Pearce
Morgan Wagner

 Philip I. Marcus Graduate Student Fellowship in Virology
Ian Barron

 Pfizer Summer Fellowship in Molecular and Cell Biology
Alyssa Coulter
Daniel Phillips
Kaylah Samuelson

 Antonio H. & Marjorie J. Romano Graduate Education Fellowship
Sarah Pasqualetti
Caroline Vieira Da Silva

 Todd M. Schuster Award in Molecular and Cell Biology
Jolie Atwood
Ryan Frier

 Biohaven Pharmaceuticals Fellowship
Giancarlo Montovano
Nadine Lebek
Sophia Gosselin
Jacob Kellermeier

UConn had 10 students named to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program in 2023-24, a record-setting number for the school.

Among the recipients is Stephanie Schofield ('23 CLAS). Stephanie earned her UConn undergraduate degree in molecular and cell biology with a minor in psychological sciences. She is spending 2023-24 at the Institute of Human Genetics at Heidelberg University, working with Magdalena Laugsch of the Heidelberg Institute for Human Genetics. She and Laugsch are studying the genetics behind hereditary neurodevelopmental disorders, with a focus on early embryonic human neural crest cell development. Schofield is planning to pursue a career in genetic counseling.

Josette Nammour, Robinson Lab, received the Fall 2023 MCB Travel Award for her Research in Progress seminar entitled Altered Guanine Nucleotide Binding of BipA Negates Actin Pedestal Formation in EHEC. Congratulations to Josette!