Nathan Alder Collaborates with OVPR to Form UConn’s Business Development for Individual Faculty Researchers Program

April 22, 2026

In an effort to help researchers pivot to industry partnerships to offset funding challenges,  UConn created the “Business Development for Individual Faculty Researchers” (BD-IFR) program. The BD-IFR is a three-way collaborative effort, organized by OVPR Research Development Services Senior Specialist Anna Gault Galjan, OVPR, UConn Tech Park Business Development Manager Michael DiDonato, and molecular and cell biology Professor Nathan Alder. The program is designed to help UConn faculty identify established companies whose products or services align with their own research and to ultimately help them form partnerships to conduct sponsored work.

See full article in UConn Today

MCB’s Milligan-McClellan Receives AAUP Service Excellence Award

Kat Milligan-McClellan, Assistant Professor in Molecular and Cell Biology was awarded the 2026 AAUP Faquir Jain Excellence Award.

The award represents excellence in

  • Service with positive impact on Connecticut citizens, in line with the land-grant mission
  • National/international service contributing to the common good
  • Leadership enhancing UConn’s visibility and student recruitment outcomes
  • Contributions to academic program excellence and productivity
  • Collaborative leadership within the University to support institutional success

Congratulations Dr. Kat!

MCB Summer Fellowships Announced

April 6, 2026

The Department of Molecular and Cell Biology is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 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.

Please join us in congratulating them on their accomplishments and demonstrated academic promise!

Claire M. Berg Graduate Fellowship in Genetics

Akshada Ganesh
Suparna Dutta
Maddy O'Connor

Richard C. Crain, Jr. Memorial Fellowship

Danielle Arsenault
Tristan Evans

Cross-Disciplinary Fellowship in MCB and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Russ Hanson

Jean Lucas-Lenard Special Summer Fellowship in Molecular Cell Biology

Megan Teigen
Trevor Hunter
Jasmine Hall

Jean Lucas-Lenard Special Summer Fellowship in Biochemistry

Dan Philips
Heather Jamieson
Steven Kilmetz
Josette Nammour
Caroline Vieira Da Silva

Philip I. Marcus Graduate Student Fellowship in Virology

Rosie Mirabella

Pfizer Summer Fellowship in Molecular and Cell Biology

Mogan Wagner
Shania Kalladanthyil
Katherine Fleck

Antonio H. & Marjorie J. Romano Graduate Education Fellowship

Jillian Lewis
Camille  Pearce
Josh Berthiaume
Devan Chancey
Helena Heyer-Gray
Maria Lovallo

Todd M. Schuster Award in Molecular and Cell Biology

Jackie Kolor
Areanna Iovene

Biohaven Pharmaceuticals Fellowship

Brenden Griffith
Edward Russell

Carolyn Teschke and Todd Garabedian MCB PhD Dissertation Fellowship

Sarah Pasqualetti

 

 

MCB UGrad Colloquium Submissions now being accepted

January 28, 2026

Submissions are now being accepted for the 12th Annual Undergraduate Research Colloquium in Molecular and Cell Biology.

Graduating senior MCB or Biophysics majors are encouraged to present their research project as a short 15 minute talk. Graduating Biology majors whose project is supervised by an MCB faculty member are also invited to present their work.

If you would like to participate, please e-mail the following information by Tuesday, March 31
to mcboffice@uconn.edu with
MCB Research Colloquium in the subject line.

Student Name:
Major:
Email:
Thesis/presentation Title:
Thesis Research Adviser:
Honors Adviser (if applicable):
Short bio and current research interests:
Availability: **Please provide time slots during which you have classes or labs that would conflict with your ability to participate. Even if you have no conflicts, please indicate this**

The top three MCB presentations will be selected for participation in the All-Biology Symposium and will be eligible for multiple awards.

Colloquium dates:

SESSION I:
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
3:30 - 4:30 PM | BPB 130

SESSION II:
Friday, April 17, 2026
12:30 - 1:30 PM | BPB 130

MCB Seminar: Current Landscape of DEI in Higher Ed

January 21, 2026

Current Landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Ed and UConn’s Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights

Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 3:30 pm, BPB 130

Kathleen Holgerson MPA
Interim Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion
UConn Health
Office for Diversity and Inclusion

Hosted by the MCB Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee

Current Landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Ed and UConn’s Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights

This session will provide context and background on executive orders and other communications from the U.S. Federal Government related to diversity, equity, and inclusion; explore the myriad impacts on higher education; and offer considerations for moving forward in this shifting landscape. In addition, we will cover updates from the University’s Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights - formerly, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Office for Institutional Equity.

About Kathleen Holgerson:

Kathleen Holgerson is the Interim Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion. Prior to this appointment, she was the Director of the Women’s Center for 25 years, having also served as the Associate Director and Coordinator for the Violence Against Women Prevention Program. Kathleen is a two-time alumna of the University and volunteered at the Women’s Center as an undergraduate student.
Kathleen has extensive administrative experience, including staff supervision, budget oversight, and program development. Her work focuses on coalition building; creating opportunities for critical reflection and creative education work; addressing barriers to access related to various forms of oppression at the individual and institutional levels; and promoting equity from an anti-racist feminist perspective.
Kathleen has worked on a variety of University initiatives, served as PI/co-PI on several programmatic and research grants, and her service on the national level includes as the elected Chair of the Anti-White Supremacy Task Force ofthe National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA); co-chairing the Anti-Racism/White Privilege Working Group of the National Women’s Studies Association Women’s Centers Committee (NWSA WCC); and being an external reviewer for Women’s Centers. She co-authored “Where do we enter? How do we stay? The role of consciousness raising in developing Women’s Center professionals.” in University and College Women’s and Gender Equity Centers: The Changing Landscape.

Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights website

UConn complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination, equal opportunity, affirmative action, and providing reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. Contact: Office of Institutional Equity; (860) 486-2943; equity@uconn.edu;
http://www.equity.uconn.edu.
If you require special accommodations to attend/view this event, please contact maria_paula.acosta_bello@uconn.edu or 860-486-4329.

Zweifach to Serve as Head of MCB

December 31, 2025

Adam Zweifach has agreed to serve as head of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology for a five-year term, starting Jan. 1, 2026.  Adam Zweifach

Adam earned his BA in biology from the University of Pennsylvania, his Ph.D. in physiology from Yale University, and completed his postdoctoral training at Stanford University. Before joining UConn in 2006, he was an assistant and associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Most recently, he served as interim head during the fall 2025 semester.