Author: Emily Touch

UConn Welcomes School of Medicine’s Class of 2028

On Aug. 23 UConn School of Medicine celebrated its incoming medical students in the Class of 2028 with the traditional annual White Coat Ceremony.

The Class of 2028 has 112 new students selected from over 4,600 applications.  Eighty-one percent of the students are from Connecticut, and 32% earned their undergraduate degrees at the University of Connecticut.

The excitement of the incoming class beginning their four-year medical school journey at UConn Health was in the air and upon the smiling faces of these future doctors-to-be, along with their families, and the School of Medicine faculty set to train them.

One of our own students, Marc Merriman Jr., says “My white coat feels amazing […] I am looking forward to my first interactions with patients. UConn puts a lot of focus on the importance of medical students early-exposure to patient care experiences.” For the last two years before medical school, he’s served as a scholar in the Young Innovative Investigator Program (YIIP). It is a unique and intensive 2-year program of the Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering.

“I like research,” says Merriman who had the exciting opportunity to assist Laurencin and his lab in its major limb regeneration research underway in the Hartford Engineering a Limb Project (HEAL).

Read more on UConn Today.

The Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. Travel Fellowship Award at the World Biomaterials Congress in South Korea

Named in honor of a distinguished member of the Society for Biomaterials, the Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. Travel Fellowship supports underrepresented undergraduate students studying the field of biomaterials.  The Fellowship provides the resources needed to attend the annual meeting of the Society for Biomaterials, and to become a member of the Biomaterials Society. The goal of this initiative is to stimulate/encourage recipients to pursue a career in biomaterials.

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New York Institute of Technology Grants Professor Cato T. Laurencin Honorary Degree

On May 19, 2024, University Professor Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the New York Institute of Technology. As an honored guest of the 63rd commencement ceremony, Laurencin was also a guest speaker at the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. William Blazey, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs announced Dr. Cato T. Laurencin as the keynote speaker, highlighting Laurencin’s achievements. As keynote speaker, Laurencin gave a heartwarming speech for graduates to honor the people in their lives and thank them on raising them so well. Sharing his advice; enjoy yourselves and to remember every day is a gift.

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Royal Academy of Engineering Fellows Meet at World Biomaterials Congress


At the World Biomaterials Congress, Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., united with Royal Academy of Engineering fellows Serena Best, Ph.D., Dame Molly Stevens, Ph.D., and Dame Elizabeth Tanner, D.Phil., Ph.D., while in Daegu, South Korea. An accomplished group, these four have made immense contributions to the field of engineering in Biomedical Materials and Engineering.

The Royal Academy of Engineering, originally called the Fellowship of Engineering, was founded in 1976 and has since then championed excellence in all fields of engineering and honoring the most distinguished engineers within the United Kingdom and around the world.

Laurencin Meet and Greet at the World Biomaterials Congress

At the World Biomaterials Congress in Daegu, South Korea, Springer Nature hosted their own exhibition booth to promote various journals and publications, including Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine, where Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., is editor-in-chief.

As a promotional event for the RETM Journal, Springer Nature held a Meet and Greet reception where guests were able to speak with Dr. Laurencin and ask questions about his work.

ScHOLA2RS House Presents Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. Awards to Three Extraordinary Undergraduate Students

UConn’s ScHOLA2RS House is a Learning Community program dedicated to support the scholastic efforts of male students who identify as African American/Black. At its end of year ceremonies, three bright students were awarded the Cato T. Laurencin Award, which are given to those graduating with the highest GPAs. Funded by the Helen I. Moorehead-Laurencin Family Foundation, the award is presented by UConn Foundation and is endowed through generous gifts from faculty and staff at UConn. The award-winning students this year were Isaiah Harvey, Samuel Agyei, and Jakobi Samuels.

 

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Dr. Cato T. Laurencin of UConn Inducted at the Plastics Hall of Fame Ceremony

On May 5, 2024, Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, University Professor and Chief Executive Officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, was inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame at their ceremony in Orlando, Florida. Laurencin was recognized for his work in pioneering the field of regenerative engineering and utilizing polymeric materials in medical devices, biologics, and pharmaceuticals, helping large numbers of people.

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American Chemical Society Holds Symposium in Honor of University Professor Cato T. Laurencin

On March 19, the American Chemical Society held the Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success Symposium in honor of Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, who is the University Professor, Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, and chief executive officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering at the University of Connecticut. Read more on UConn Today.

The Plastics Hall of Fame to Induct Dr. Cato T. Laurencin

University Professor Cato T. Laurencin, chief executive officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering and the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Connecticut, will be inducted into The Plastics Hall of Fame.

The Plastics Hall of Fame is the ultimate recognition for a lifetime body of work of an individual whose dedication and exceptional achievements have contributed to the growth and prominence of the industry on a global scale. The induction ceremony will take place May 5 in Orlando, Florida.

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Dr. Cato T. Laurencin to Receive Augustus White Founders Award

The J. Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society (JRGOS) has selected Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., to be the first recipient of the Augustus A. White III Founders Award. The award ceremony will be held during the 2024 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting in San Francisco, CA. The JRGOS Augustus White Founders Award “recognizes the recipient’s exceptional contributions to advancing culturally sensitive musculoskeletal care while promoting diversity within Orthopaedics and exemplifying an unswerving commitment to excellence in the field.”

Read more on UConn Today.