Professor Diego Cerrai (Assistant Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering & Interim Director of the Eversource Energy Center), along with four other UConn faculty members, received the prestigious CAREER Awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF) during the 2025 cycle. The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a competitive award honoring early-career scientists and providing them with funding to support the continuation of their career.
In the News
A team of CT experts are perfecting new strategies to make trees more resilient. Here’s how. (Hartford Courant)
A team at Great Mountain Forests (GMF) in the Litchfield Hills, which span more than 6,000 acres across Norfolk and Canaan, is testing a new forest management method called pre-commercial trimming. The method removes competing trees in dense, young forest stands (areas of dense canopy growth where young trees must compete for water, sunlight, and nutrients). The GMF team, supported by a sustainability grant from the Connecticut Land Conservation Council, have been practicing the technique in three stands, keeping the trees that are more resilient to climate change and disease as well as the most diverse trees possible. Results demonstrated an increase in not only more resilient trees but also regeneration due to more light reaching the forest floor. The team says that replicating the practice across New England can make trees more resilient to various stressors, including climate change.
Tech Showcase Celebrates UConn’s Economic, Innovative Impact (UConn Today)
UConn’s debut Tech Showcase highlighted Connecticut’s bright future of innovation and industry while paying tribute to an infrastructure built on manufacturing and security. The Showcase, hosted by UConn’s Technology Commercialization Services (TCS), was held at UConn Tech Park (Innovation Partnership Building) and drew nearly 200 visitors. The event celebrated Connecticut’s industrial history, economic recovery from recession, and promising new trends such as quantum technology and artificial intelligence.
Emmanouil Anagnostou Named Fellow of the American Meterological Society (UConn Today)
IoEE Executive Director Emmanouil “Manos” Anagnostou (Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Eversource Energy Endowed Chair of Environmental Engineering) is honored for contributions to remote sensing hydrology, hydrometeorology, and environmental engineering. The American Meteorological Society (AMS) Fellowship is a high honor for individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of atmospheric and related sciences.
UConn researchers harness AI to sharpen weather forecasts (FOX61)
Marina Astitha, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UConn, was interviewed recently by FOX61 about her team’s development of a new AI program designed to remove errors in weather forecasting based on previous storm data. The program would supplement existing weather forecasting models used by meteorologists to help them adjust their forecasts in regard to wind or snow storms, a frequent occurrence in Connecticut. The goal is to create a cycle where the AI program can help improve the original models, making them more accurate.