8: Jeff Rasmussen & Eric Kaufman

Elle Ouimet is a professor of anthropology and leads many interdisciplinary studies. Her work brings together diverse sets of individuals to solve the world’s biggest challenges, including climate change and racial microaggressions.

Franklin Chang-Diaz is a UConn alumnus, former NASA astronaut and current CEO of Ad Astra Rocket Company. Born in Costa Rica, Chang-Diaz came to the US with a one-way ticket and a dream of going to space; this is the story of how he got there.

Cathy Schlund-Vials is a professor of English and the Director of the Asian and American Studies Institute at UConn. Her work presents the untold histories and forces that shape immigrant and refugee identity.

Mark Urban is a professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and is an active voice for climate change advocacy. His work leverages understanding how species adapt to changing environments to predict how they will behave in a climate change ridden future.

Bart Roccoberton Jr. is a professor of puppet arts and an internationally recognized puppeteer/puppet arts advocate. As Director, Bart has brought UConn’s puppet arts program to be one of the nation's best.

Jeffrey Ogbar is a professor of history and director of the center for the study of popular music. His work investigates concepts of black nationalism, social justice, and the sociopolitical evolution of hip-hop.

Michael Lynch is a professor of philosophy and the author of Know-It-All Society: Truth and Arrogance in Political Culture. His current work highlights the psychosocial phenomena plaguing political discourse and presents remedies for our faulted behavior.

David Miller is a professor emeritus of psychology and an innovator of multimedia. In 37 years at UConn, he taught and inspired more than 30,000 students by pushing the boundaries of education and creativity.

Jessica Rouge is a professor of chemistry and an inspirational early career scientist. Her lab, which merges the fields of chemistry, biology, and material sciences, works to produce novel nucleic acid nanoparticles for patient-specific therapeutics.

Jeff Rasmussen and Eric Kaufman are veterans of the US Army and are accomplished UConn undergrads. Jeff, a Beckman Scholar in neurobiology, and Eric, an accelerated Masters of Education student, attribute much of their success to their Army training.