Alyssa Elliott is a graduate student in the  4+1 Environmental Earth Science program. She is also on UConn’s Track and Field team, where she competes in the Heptathlon. On her free time she likes to run, hike, play board games, garden, and read.

 

 

 

Deep Shikha Srivastava is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Chemistry (IMS) at the University of Connecticut, where she researches the synthesis, nano-architecture, and application of conductive polymers and graphene-based composites. Her current work involves the synthesis of graphene and h-BN composites using SITM to create materials with tunable electronic properties and superior thermal management for use in electronic and optoelectronic devices. She also works on developing functional nanostructured materials from graphene oxide and butyl acrylate using ATRP and Click chemistry, focusing on synthesis, molecular design, and characterization.

 

 

Evelyn Teran is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Immunology in Dr. Jianbin Ruan’s lab, where she investigates the molecular mechanisms of innate immune signaling, with a particular focus on pyroptosis and inflammation. Her research applies multidisciplinary approaches including cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and X-ray crystallography to uncover how pore-forming Gasdermin proteins drive pyroptosis. This work contributes to developing novel therapeutic strategies for inflammasome-related diseases and microbial infections. Originally from Quito, Ecuador, Evelyn is proud to represent the growing community of Latina women in STEM. After earning her M.S. in Biomedical Science from Rutgers University, she gained industry experience in immunotherapeutic development, holding roles across large pharmaceutical companies and a biotech startup in New Haven, where she learned the dynamics of early-stage innovation. Her diverse background in both academia and industry fuels her vision for translational science. Following her Ph.D., she plans to return to industry to advance immunotherapies while also exploring opportunities in biotech entrepreneurship and venture capital bridging cutting-edge discovery with impactful treatments for patients. Outside of research, Evelyn enjoys rescuing cats, attending concerts, and traveling having explored more than 15 countries worldwide.

 

Faremi Boluwatife is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Biomedical Engineering and a General Electric Graduate Fellow. My academic background encompasses Electrical and Electronics Engineering (BSc, MSc) and Computational Science (MSc, with a focus on AI/ML). My work involves integrating these experiences to develop AI solutions that leverage both novel and existing data, applied across various fields, including health, agriculture, education, energy, and others. In 2020, I transformed a community prototype into a fully automated agricultural sensor system for monitoring soil conditions. Scaling from prototype to market-ready product required me to combine technical design with strategic business decisions, including conducting feasibility assessments, setting pricing strategies, coordinating contractors, managing dynamic supply chains, and adapting to market feedback. This experience taught me how to bridge innovation and implementation, delivering measurable value to end-users. Outside of my PhD, I enjoy studying business models, experimenting with new product ideas (hardware, software, and AI pipelines), and exploring how computers can process human sensory signals (human-computer interaction). I also enjoy playing soccer, often thinking about how technology could enhance performance, training, and fan experience.

 

Gaurav Dutta is a Ph.D. candidate in Animal Science at the University of Connecticut and a veterinarian from India. His research focuses on genomic selection strategies for heat tolerance and female fertility traits in U.S. Holstein cows, building on his Master’s dissertation in functional transcriptome analysis of heat-stressed Indian crossbred dairy cattle. Last summer he interned at the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB), the premier organization for genetic evaluations of dairy cows in US. Beyond research, Gaurav is working on a startup idea; Ridlin (ridlin.com), a startup developing an AI-enabled smart pet collar with multi-sensor integration for real-time health and environmental monitoring. Ridlin is a centralized platform connecting pet parents, businesses, and vets. He also volunteers on the fundraising committee of the American Dairy Science Association- Graduate Student Division. His interests span quantitative genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, product strategy, mentoring and technology-driven solutions for animal health and welfare.

 

Kanghui Ning is a second-year Ph.D. student in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Connecticut. His research centers on developing reliable and interpretable AI systems, with a particular focus on time series analysis. His work has been presented at top-tier conferences in artificial intelligence and data mining, including NeurIPS, KDD, and ICDM. He also brings extensive industry experience, having served as a research scientist intern at ByteDance and Ant Group. Kanghui is passionate about making AI techniques more accessible and applying them to solve real-world problems. He finds great satisfaction in seeing research from the lab translate into meaningful impact in practice. Outside of research, Kanghui enjoys traveling, reading, and engaging in interdisciplinary discussions that connect AI with diverse applications. He is particularly interested in exploring innovative ideas at the intersection of data science and artificial intelligence.

 

 

Zhiqing (Lucy) Li is a third-year Ph.D. student in the department of Civil Engineering. She performs community resilience research with a focus in integration of structural and social vulnerability. She is also a part-time structural engineer who does bridge design. In her free time, she loves to travel, play tennis, and watch sports.

 

 

 

Pamela Gerardo is a graduate student in the Master’s in Energy and Environmental Management program at UConn. Over the past year she has been also working toward completing the requirements to receive a graduate certificate in Sustainable Environmental Planning and Management, also through UConn. Over the past 20+ years, she has been working in the education field in various contexts including as a traveling science enrichment teacher, aquarium educator, tutor, classroom teacher, and substitute teacher. While working part-time in the education field she also raised three kids and homeschooled them for 10 years. Now she is looking to pivot her career to the natural resource planning/ management field.

 

 

Parit Patel is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Public Health at the University of Connecticut, specializing in clinical epidemiology focused on treatment outcomes in depression and mood disorders. His research integrates artificial intelligence with clinical epidemiology to improve mental health interventions, following his MPH from the same institution, where he studied epidemiology and factors affecting depression treatment and suicidality. He earned his medical degree from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Parit currently serves as a Graduate Assistant in UConn’s Department of Psychiatry, supporting clinical trials at the Mood and Anxiety Clinic through data analysis, literature reviews, and publications. He mentors students and collaborates on translating research into solutions. Previously, as a Medical Officer in Kilifi County, Kenya, he provided clinical care, while leading community outreach and policy development. Enthusiastic about biotech entrepreneurship, Parit aims to commercialize health innovations focused on improving health outcomes. He is seeking collaborations to scale epidemiological insights into biotechnological solutions for global health.

 

 

Shan Lu is a second-year Ph.D. student in Environmental Engineering. Her research interests include sustainable resource recovery, advanced sensing technologies, and carbon recycling. Shan’s entrepreneurial interests in marketing lab-scale sensors for healthcare and agriculture, and integrating AI with conventional sensing technologies. Outside of academia, Shan enjoys traveling, playing the piano, and staying active through sports.

 

 

Siman Liu is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Nutritional Sciences, where her research focuses on developing innovative seaweed-fortified yogurt. Prior to graduate school, she worked at a Cornell-affiliated startup, an experience that sparked her passion for bridging science and entrepreneurship. Her work emphasizes the potential of seaweeds—largely farmed in New England and rich in bioactive compounds such as dietary fibers, polyphenols, and minerals – to promote gut health. By integrating seaweed into dairy products, she aims to enhance the nutritional and economic value of both the dairy and aquaculture sectors. Siman was recognized as a Future Leaders for Food and Agriculture (FFAR) fellow, joining o 31 other graduate students across the United States and Canada. Through this program, she is receiving training in leadership, communication, and professional development. Outside of her academic work, Siman hosts a podcast and enjoys listening to podcasts, watching stand-up comedy, and reading psychology books.

 

Sohan Reddy Ganampeta’s journey to the forefront of human-robot interaction is fueled by a deep-seated passion for intelligent systems. His story began with a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering, where initial projects involving robotics and reinforcement learning ignited his fascination. Driven to bridge the gap between machine and emotion, he pursued a Master’s in Data Science, acquiring the critical skills to build the brains behind the bots. This unique fusion of hardware and data expertise brought him to the University of Connecticut, where he is now a Ph.D. student in Electrical Engineering. Today, Sohan is fully immersed in his research on Human-Robot Interaction within Dr. Ashwin Dani’s prestigious Robots and Controls Lab, while also contributing his skills as a Graduate Assistant for Enrichment Programs. His academic journey now culminates in an exciting entrepreneurial venture through the CCEI program. Collaborating with his team, Sohan is channeling his cumulative experience into creating a truly unique embodied AI toy robot. Their goal is to develop a companion that is not just fun to interact with but also serves as a genuine source of emotional support, aiming to push the boundaries of what the relationship between humans and robots can be.