Fellows for 2026 – 2027

Catherine Bayden

Catherine Bayden – Class of 2030 – Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing

Catherine Bayden is a first-year nursing student at UConn with a passion for patient education and research. As an EMT, she has gained valuable hands-on clinical experience in emergency care, complemented by laboratory research at the Yale School of Medicine. Passionate about science communication and service, Catherine also teaches visitors at the Yale Peabody Museum and has led STEM programs for young learners. She is excited to collaborate across nursing and engineering disciplines to build creative tools that improve patient outcomes, and she looks forward to eventually pursuing a master's degree in nursing. 

Lora Bosnjak

Lora Bosnjak – Class of 2028 – College of Engineerin

Lora Bosnjak is a third-year undergraduate student at UConn, majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Engineering Management. She serves as Co-President of the College of Engineering Tour Guides and works closely with the Vergano Institute of Inclusion. She also is the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for her sorority. This past summer, she had the opportunity to intern with UMass Chan Medical School through the NIH SURP program. Here, she conducted fundamental research on membrane trafficking proteins that aimed to study the mechanisms and phases of endocytosis. She is excited to learn about the bridge between healthcare and business as well as work alongside the other NursEng Fellows to innovate healthcare technology. In the future, Lora hopes to either pursue a PhD or MBA with the aim of advancing research and launching a Bio-tech company.

Abigail DiLieto

Abigail DiLieto – Class of 2029 – Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing

Abigail DiLieto is a second-year nursing student at UConn from New York. She has always been enthusiastic about medicine and the years of innovation that have curated our healthcare system. At UConn, she is a part of the Student Nurses’ Association and has been a part of an antibiotic research team with fellow nursing students. Additionally, she has volunteered at Northwell Health’s Mather Hospital and is hoping to become a CNA next summer. In her academic future, she hopes to go back to school to become a CRNA and use innovative expertise to its largest potential. Abby is excited to open up to a creative aspect of technology and apply that knowledge into healthcare.

Emma Huynh

Emma Huynh – Class of 2030 – Elisabeth DeLuca School of Nursing

Emma Huynh is a first-year nursing student at the University of Connecticut where she is a member of the Honors program and the Stem Scholar community. This past summer, she worked as an ophthalmic technician where she provided direct care to patients at Highland Ophthalmology Associates. Through this fellowship, Emma is excited to work with others in prototyping a medical device that meaningfully benefits those in need. As an aspiring CRNA, she hopes to find ways to make healthcare more accessible, affordable, and equitable. 

Ali Mohamednoor

Ali Mohamednoor – Class of 2029 – College of Engineering

Ali Mohamednoor is a sophomore studying Management and Engineering for Manufacturing at UConn. He conducts undergraduate research on heat transfer and phase change in glass fiber processing and recently joined UConn’s Innovation Shop as a Student Facility Monitoring Assistant. Through the NursEng Innovation Fellowship, he looks forward to learning from nursing students and understanding the healthcare challenges that engineering can help address. He is eager to develop and test ideas alongside his teammates, with particular attention to what patients and healthcare professionals need from a practical solution.

Priya Shinde

Priya Shinde – College of Engineering

Priya Shinde is a dual degree student studying Molecular Cell Biology and Chemical Engineering. She is interested in healthcare technology and making medicinal technology accessible to different communities. She is also interested in emergency and aerospace medicine and is a certified EMT and Hospice volunteer. She hopes to understand the dynamics of healthcare equity to one day create solutions for equitable healthcare. Outside of classes she is also a member of MedicZero, STEM Scholars, Paint Club, and Canine Companions. She is also excited to work with nursing students to create real products focusing on better quality for more people.

Yelsi Vega – Class of 2029 – College of Engineering

Yelsi Vega is a second-year Mechanical Engineering student at UConn. She is a part of the Honors Learning Community, Social Media Chair for the Mexican Student Association, and a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. The summer before her sophomore year, she served as a Summer Bridge Coach, mentoring incoming freshman during a five-week program designed to help STEM students transition from high school to college. She hopes to use her degree to help develop healthcare technologies that can improve people's everyday lives. She is excited to work in a team and help create solutions to benefit everyone.