In the News

UConn Students in Belem: First Impressions from COP30

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UConn Students in Belem: First Impressions from COP30

Through the UConn@COP program, 12 UConn students attended COP30 (this year’s United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties, commonly referred to as COP) in Belém, Brazil. The conference, attended by word leaders, policymakers, climate researchers, and climate activists, is a transformative experience for students as they strive to become future leaders in climate science and policy. The fellows shared their initial impressions of the conference through blog posts that can be found on the UConn Office of Sustainability website, with some selections shared in an article for UConn Today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Campus Power Plant Hydrogen-Capable and More Efficient Than Ever (UConn Today)

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Campus Power Plant Hydrogen-Capable and More Efficient Than Ever

The University of Connecticut Central Utility Plant, which provides most of the energy used by UConn Storrs, is installing new turbines that can burn hydrogen as well as natural gas. The new turbines could reduce the facility’s carbon emissions by 30%, a key part of the University’s plan to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Read the full article by Kim Krieger on UConn Today

UConn Professors Receive NSF CAREER Awards (UConn Today)

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UConn Researchers Receive NSF CAREER Awards

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.

Read the full article by Anna Zarra Aldrich (OVPR) on UConn Today

A team of CT experts are perfecting new strategies to make trees more resilient. Here’s how. (Hartford Courant)

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A team of CT experts are perfecting new strategies to make trees more resilient. Here's how.

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.

Read the full article by Stephen Underwood on the Hartford Courant

Tech Showcase Celebrates UConn’s Economic, Innovative Impact (UConn Today)

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Tech Showcase Celebrates UConn’s Economic, Innovative Impact

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.

Read the full story by Matt Engelhardt on UConn Today

Emmanouil Anagnostou Named Fellow of the American Meterological Society (UConn Today)

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Emmanouil Anagnostou Named Fellow of the American Meterological Society

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.

Read the full article on UConn Today

UConn researchers harness AI to sharpen weather forecasts (FOX61)

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UConn researchers harness AI to sharpen weather forecasts

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.

Read the full article by Steffen Reals from FOX61