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‘The Angus of Oysters’

Posted on by Claire Hall

UConn Today – When seafood entrepreneur Keegan Jalbert’s startup AccessFlora won the Wolff New Venture Competition on Tuesday night, it took him a few minutes to compose himself.

It’s not every day that a new entrepreneur gets a $40,000 check and $5,000 in pro bono services.

“I had been running on 24 hours of full nerves, and I felt like a tank that is pressure rated. I had surpassed what my body could tolerate,’’ says Jalbert ’23 (CLAS) ’27 MS. “When they announced that I had won the top prize, I was calm at first and then I was crying. And I’m not a crier. The recognition is so powerful.’’

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Ask the Experts – Weining Bao

Posted on by Scott Slater III

Wallethub – Q:Who should try zero-based budgeting?

I think anyone who wants every dollar to have a job should try zero-based budgeting. For example, people with steady income and a clear goal (paying off debt, building savings). Like Just-in-Time (JIT) inventory, it runs best when the flow is predictable.

Q: Who is most likely to struggle with zero-based budgeting?

I have a couple of examples. (1) Irregular earners. Their volatile income is like unreliable supply, and the system needs smoothing before it works. (2) People with no buffer and heavy fixed costs. Any shock could make them go straight to debt, like a JIT line with no safety stock.

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The World is His Oyster

Posted on by Claire Hall

UConn Today – Graduate student Keegan Jalbert ’23 (CLAS) ’27 MS has always been interested in agriculture, food, and innovation. Today he is finding new ways to grow oysters and share his love of seafood with customers who live far from the ocean.

Jalbert is the founder of AccessFlora, a sustainable aquaculture company with a proprietary omega-3 aquafeed for raising oysters in purified water at a hatchery. The outcome is a larger and healthier shellfish that isn’t confined to the coast nor dependent upon favorable ocean conditions.

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National Badminton Champ Thinh Nguyen Finds Joy in Fast, Strategic Play

Posted on by Claire Hall

UConn Today – f you want to know how much Thinh “T’’ Nguyen loves badminton, consider that he and a friend spent $200 for an Uber to travel from Stamford to Storrs to try out for UConn’s Badminton Club.

“It was definitely worth it because I got accepted on Team A my freshman year,’’ said Nguyen, now a junior majoring in data analytics at the Stamford campus.

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UConn Scientists’ Startup Seeks to Advance Women’s Reproductive Healthcare

Posted on by Claire Hall

UConn Today – As a scientist, researcher, and now an entrepreneur, Xingyu Wang Ph.D. ‘22 strongly believes that advanced technology should be used primarily to improve the health and happiness of humankind.

Wang, a post-doctoral researcher, and two of his professors from the College of Engineering, are striving to do that with their newest invention. EVA is a smart-sensing device, embedded in a menstrual pad, that collects data from menstrual blood or vaginal fluid to assess reproductive-health information.

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UConn Wide Receiver, MBA Candidate Drew Kron: Follow Your Passion, Learn from Others, Put Your Head Down and Work Hard

Posted on by Ira Morrison

UConn Today – Determination and resolve are two of the traits that are helping MBA candidate and UConn football wide receiver Drew Kron sprint to the goal line in athletics and beyond. Kron, who earned a bachelor’s degree in 2025 with a major in finance and a minor in real estate, recently spoke to UConn Today about what has helped him prosper both on and off the field.

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Father-Daughter Entrepreneurs Plan to Introduce Refreshing, Non-Alcoholic Beverage for Life on the Water

Posted on by Claire Hall

UConn Today – Father-daughter entrepreneurs Bill Smith ’78 (BUS) and Lindsay Smith are both experienced boaters who love a day of adventure on Long Island Sound or cruising on the ocean.

But an exhilarating day on the water can leave boating enthusiasts dehydrated because of a combination of heat, sun, and wind. To combat it, they’ve created SEAWELL, a sparkling, non-alcoholic juice drink with essential electrolytes, a crisp taste, and only 40 calories per can.

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Author, Career Expert Suzy Welch Shares Formula for a Happy, Productive Work Life at UConn Stamford

Posted on by Claire Hall

UConn Today – During her presentation on Sept. 24 to 70 students, alumni, and other professionals at UConn Stamford, author and career expert Suzy Welch shared a confession.

Her oldest son had always been a great student, an athlete, and had earned a degree from Stanford University. His parents had high expectations of him. He had accepted a job as a consultant, was not overly excited about the position, and ultimately got fired.

“It was not my finest moment as a mother. I lost my cool. I was so frustrated with him,’’ she says. “Where’s the job? Where’s the payoff? Where’s the purpose?,’’ she wondered.

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Undergraduates Create a New Method to Help Warn of Skin Damage During Radiation Therapy

Posted on by Claire Hall

UConn Today – When patients are undergoing radiation therapy for cancer, one of the unwelcome side effects is skin damage, including redness, dryness, tingling, swelling, and peeling.

Radiation dermatitis can progress to more severe skin injury and may contribute to treatment disruptions and reduced quality of life. In its most extreme form, dermatitis can cause permanent changes in skin color, scarring, or even ulcers that appear months or years later.

Some 90 to 95% of patients undergoing radiation experience a skin reaction, and it can be more difficult to detect in people with darker skin.

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