Antonio H. and Marjorie J. Romano Graduate Education Fund Helps Microbiology Students so they can Continue their Research in the Summer.

November 9, 2022

Marjorie “Jean” Romano ’77 MA wanted to both honor her late husband and support graduate students conducting summer research. Jean-and-Antonio-Romano

So, she decided to set up a bequest that will supplement a scholarship that she and her husband, Antonio, a UConn biology professor and CLAS dean, established several years ago. Her planned gift will support the Antonio H. & Marjorie J. Romano Graduate Education Fund.

Traditional support for graduate students, including teaching assistantships and external grants, usually provides funding only for the school year. The fellowship provides funding for microbiology students so they can continue their research uninterrupted throughout the summer.

“The scholarship helps students concentrate on research through the summer break,” Jean explains. “Previously, many students had to leave and work at Domino’s or someplace else for the summer. It really bothered Tony to see a student who had been right on the edge of doing something really promising lose their scholarship funding and have to take off for the summer.”

Her planned gift will honor Tony’s legacy at UConn.

“I think it’s important to carry Tony’s name and passion on through the university,” Jean says. “I want to leave that for UConn.”

See full article at UConn Foundation

MCB Assistant Professor Milligan-McClellan Receives Science Diversity Leadership Award

October 27, 2022

MCB Assistant Professor Kat Milligan-McClellan has been awarded a Science Diversity Leadership Award from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). The award is a result of a partnership between CZI and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Science Diversity Leadership Program. The program aims to recognize and further the leadership of excellent biomedical researchers who — through their outreach, mentoring, teaching, and leadership — have a record of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in their scientific fields.

Milligan-McClellan’s project, entitled “Identifying Life Events that Lead to Inflammation in the Host in a Multi-population, Longitudinal Study”, will engage Alaska Native and historically excluded students in science to investigate why the microbiota, which affects inflammation in the host, is different over time and across populations.

New Leadership in MCB

September 9, 2022

Dr. Carolyn Teschke has accepted the role of MCB department head and will serve in that position for the next five years.  She is joined in the new administrative structure by Dr. Victoria Robinson, who will serve as Associate head for Graduate Research and Education, and Dr. Daniel Gage, who will serve as Associate head for Undergraduate Research and Education.

Carol Teschke

Dr. Carolyn Teschke, Professor and Department Head

Robinson

Dr. Victoria Robinson, Associate Professor and Associate Department Head of Graduate Research and Education

Dan Gage

Dr. Daniel Gage, Professor and Associate Head of Undergraduate Research and Education

MCB Welcomes new Assistant Professor, Michel Santiago-Martinez (Geo)

August 30, 2022

Michel Giovanni Santiago-Martinez (Geo) has joined the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology as an assistant professor. Santiago-Martinez is a microbiologist from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and The Pennsylvania State University. He is interested in the ecophysiology of archaea and anaerobic bacteria, and how energy status influences their ability to resist environmental stress conditions, such as exposure to oxygen and nutritional starvation. His research goal is to understand the function of anaerobic microorganisms in biogeochemical cycles and host-associated microbiomes. He is also interested in bringing up-to-date knowledge of archaea to the classrooms and outreach activities, as well as promoting more inclusive science through mentoring activities and service initiatives.

Dr. Jelena Erceg receives R35 MIRA Award to Fund Research on Genome Folding and Regulation

August 16, 2022

Assistant Professor Jelena Erceg (Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS & Institute for Systems Genomics, joint appointment also with the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, UConn Health) has received a prestigious R35 Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). This award will support research in the Erceg Lab on genome folding and regulation over the next 5 years.

The title of the funded project is “Genome Folding and Regulation in Diploid Multicellular Organisms”

About the research and why it is important

MIRA provides support for the research in an investigator's laboratory that falls within the mission of NIGMS. The goal of MIRA is to increase the efficiency of NIGMS funding by providing investigators with greater stability and flexibility, thereby enhancing scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs. The program will also help distribute funding more widely among the nation's highly talented and promising investigators.