UConn Today – SeaSol Technologies, a startup that is converting seaweed into compostable food packaging to replace plastic, was the grand prize winner at the Wolff New Venture Competition last week.
CEO Yidan Zhang, a UConn Ph.D. candidate, was exuberant at receiving the top award, which includes $30,000 prize and $5,000 in pro-bono services from Wolff Financial Group.
UConn Today – Connecticut’s manufacturing sector remains a powerful economic engine, supporting thousands of jobs and driving innovation in aerospace, defense, health care, and beyond.
Last year, the state’s manufacturers generated more than $34 billion in output, approximately 12% of the state’s gross state product. Connecticut is home to more than 4,500 manufacturing companies and more than 153,000 people work in the industry in our state, according to the latest data.
UConn Today – Professor Gerlinde Berger-Walliser, head of the Marketing Department, was featured in the quarterly issue of the International Child Art Foundation’s ChildArt Magazine.
In the interview Berger-Walliser, an associate professor of business law in the School of Business, talked about growing up in a small town in Germany and loving music from a very young age.
UConn Today – As an undergraduate, Isabella Williams ’25 received internship offers from all of the Big Four accounting firms, a very rare accomplishment.
She accepted an internship at PwC and is now an associate in the company’s Investigations & Forensics sector, based in Boston. There she found both a professional challenge and very welcoming colleagues.
UConn Today – If you ask U.S. Army Major (Ret.) Henry H. Washington III ’21 EBV about the experiences that set him up for success as a youngster, he will credit three things:
Today he is the Founder and CEO of the Henry H. Washington 3 Foundation, which serves to better the lives of children, teens and young adults in metro Atlanta. The foundation offers a wide range of services, but is particularly focused on helping youth find a career path, stay out of trouble, and serve the community.
UConn Today – In the United States alone, more than 130 million MRIs and CT scans were performed in 2023. And while those medical images are very valuable tools in identifying, or ruling out, serious health problems, they are not without risk.
While the majority of patients experience no adverse effects, the contrast dyes used in the process can cause allergic reactions, and can trigger kidney damage in those with pre-existing kidney disease. The concern is greatest among people requiring multiple scans.
Pragati Rout, a doctoral candidate, and her mentor, chemistry professor Greg Sotzing, have found a plant-based alternative that is safe, effective, and free of allergic reaction. They’ve created a company, called 404 Inc., to market the medical innovation, as well as other consumer products.
UConn Today – UConn’s Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI) has received the Outstanding Contributions to Venture Creation Award at the 2025 Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Conference in Calgary, Canada.
The award honors a university center that demonstrates excellence in supporting the launch and growth of startups through innovative programs such as competitions, incubators, and accelerators. Selection is based on program impact, outcomes, and community engagement.
UConn Today – When you visit your favorite sandwich, donut, or pizza shop next year, UConn Ph.D. candidate Yidan Zhang hopes you’ll be leaving with more than just good food. She wants you to also get a healthier food wrapper to carry it home.
Zhang is CEO of a startup called SeaSol Technologies, Inc. (DBA SeaSol), which is converting seaweed into a functional coating that makes food packaging compostable and high performance. The SeaSol team has developed a low-cost process that pares down the seaweed conversion process from 14 steps to one.
UConn Today – Connecticut Wealth Management (CTWM), a prominent investment adviser based in Farmington, has partnered with the School of Business to launch the school’s first-ever student wealth management cohort.
The program, which officially debuted on Thursday, Oct. 2, has already drawn interest from 110 students eager to learn more about becoming financial advisors. The wealth management field is growing rapidly and expected to bring double-digit job growth over the next decade.
UConn Today – For many expectant parents, the countdown to the arrival of a new family member is filled with anticipation. They need to select a name, paint a nursery, stock up on diapers, and prepare for sleepless nights ahead.
Everyone hopes for a smooth and easy delivery, and no one champions that more than Dr. Andrea Shields. Shields is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UConn Health and the program director for the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship at the School of Medicine. She is working hard to decrease the risks that come with pregnancy and childbirth.