2024 News & Media Coverage
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2024 Keynote Speakers
Topher White, B.A. Physics
opher White is a Conservation Technologist and the Founder of enviro-tech startups Rainforest Connection and Squibbon. As an inventor, field engineer and social entrepreneur, he has been honored with such titles as World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Rolex Laureate, National Geographic Explorer, Draper-Richards-Kaplan Fellow and an IEEE Engineering Hero.
Rainforest Connection (RFCx) is the world’s foremost creator and deployer of acoustic technology for environmental protection and high-definition biodiversity monitoring. Squibbon, founded in 2022, employs the sounds of sub-urban biodiversity for consumer-facing and enterprise-facing applications, re-defining the concept of Nature-as-a-Service.
Educated primarily in Physics, software development and science communication, his latter career has been defined by rugged field engineering, environmental advocacy and bio-acoustic design. He received a degree in Physics at Kenyon College before going on to work for years at SLAC National Accelerator Lab (High Energy Physics) and the ITER Organization (Nuclear Fusion Power) in France. Topher served as CEO of Rainforest Connection from its founding in 2013 until 2022, growing an idea into a far-flung company, operating in 26 countries. Today, he serves as Chair of Rainforest Connection and CEO of Squibbon.
2024 KEYNOTE
How Listening Leads to Change: What Can We See in Nature’s Sounds?
Everywhere on Earth, night and day, our living planet overflows with exuberant natural noise. Life itself murmurs, chirps and roars, expressing and asserting itself boldy and richly with sound. In the tropical rainforest, a cacophony of animal voices reveals the private lives of creatures of all types and sizes, as well as their feelings and codependence. Unfortunately, this symphony also all too often uncovers environmental threats that, if unchecked, promise to disrupt and destroy these ecosystems before we’ve even begun to understand them.
At WISHfest, Topher White, Conservation Technologist, will tell the story of how sound may be the most exciting tool available today to connect each one of us to the surreal and powerful dramas underway in the furthest reaches of our planet, as well as in our own backyards.
This most familiar of human senses — now combined with new technology and alternative approaches — promises to extend our “hearing” well beyond what our ears can recognize, and to soon give us the first true glimpses of ideas, feelings and philosophies of animals.
Harvey Hubbell
Harvey Hubbell V is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and social entrepreneur whose lean-forward approach to creating educational and socially conscious media is defined by literally seeing the world through a different lens. Hubbell wasn’t officially diagnosed with the learning difference dyslexia until his 50s (during the making of his film Dislecksia: The Movie), but not much was known about the diagnosis when he was in school. He struggled tremendously while learning to read and write, a struggle he vowed to make his life’s work.
2024 Reed Fellow
The Reed Fellow plays a vital role in the development of WISHfest and participates in a fireside chat with our keynote speaker(s).
Arash E. Zaghi, Ph.D., PE, SE
Arash Zaghi is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut. In 2009, he received his Ph.D. in civil Eengineering from the University of Nevada, Reno. After he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at age 33, he began engineering education research aimed at highlighting the importance of neurodiversity for the creativity of our nation’s engineering workforce by promoting a fundamentally strength-based perspective toward diversity. He started his engineering education research endeavor through an NSF RIGEE grant in 2014. The promising findings of this research and the encouraging feedback of the student community motivated him to pursue this line of research in his NSF CAREER award in 2017. Since then, he has built a coalition within the university to expand this work through multiple NSF-funded research grants including IUSE/PFE: RED titled “Innovation Beyond Accommodation: Leveraging Neurodiversity for Engineering Innovation”. Because of the importance of neurodiversity at all levels of education, he expanded his work to graduate STEM education through an NSF IGE grant. In addition, he recently received his Mid-CAREER award through which, in a radically novel approach, he will take on ambitious, transdisciplinary research integrating artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and education research to advance a personalized tool to enhance the participation of middle-school students with dyslexia in STEM disciplines. His efforts on promoting neurodiversity in engineering has been twice recognized by Prism Magazine of the American Society of Engineering Education.
2024 Exhibits
Waterbury Promise’s mission is to increase college aspirations, reduce financial barriers, and inspire every student in Waterbury toward post-secondary education and completion.
Committed to building a library that connects with our community of learners, invests in our skills and expertise, and uses resources to promote the creative exchange of ideas at UConn and beyond.
We would highlight opportunities for UConn Waterbury students and faculty to lead the way to climate action and social change by engaging with community energy efficiency audits and opportunities for campus decarbonization, learning about climate justice educations and topics, and exploring funding opportunities for campus projects. Come meet our sustainability leaders and interns at UConn Waterbury campus!
The CAHNR Fellow Program would like to share with students the unique benefits of our program. Our students will share insights into the program’s offerings, including tuition support, and about the value of the internship program and how it has helped them.
Come grab a UConn Newspaper and see what’s new in the world of the University of Connecticut!
Students race against the clock to throw the football in the end zone. They can win various prizes depending on how many successful throws they have, and the difficulty of the hole. We will also give them information on CAPS and RISE and strategies to successfully make it to the endzone in college!
In this station, students will learn basic knowledge about the human brain and how scientists investigate the human brain with real tissue models and neuroimaging tools. Students will see and perform sheep brain dissections as well as learn about the human brain through MRI images. Lastly, students can also create their “fancy brain model” with Play-Doh!
Join The Hubbell Difference Foundation with Hopeville: How to Win the Reading Wars and dive into the impactful documentary filmwork of Seedling.tv. Witness real stories of success and how film can inspire and drive change in literacy education. Be part of the movement to empower communities and make a difference through the power of documentary filmmaking!
Discover sustainable farming and organic produce with Chanticleer Acres! Learn about regenerative agriculture, seed saving, and community food security. Enjoy fresh samples and explore partnerships for a healthier future. Join the green movement with Chanticleer Acres!
Meet the clubs of UConn Waterbury – learn who they are, the activities they host, and have some popcorn!
Our Healthcare Regional Sector Partnershuo hosts a Career Expo via immersive virtual reality, allowing students to undergo virtual healthcare training in five exiciting simulations.
Come and represent UConn Waterbury by getting free swag in the main lobby!
Hug the machine and receive a complimentary Coca-Cola beverage!
Measure your blood pressure and practice CPR skills with students and faculty from Allied Health Sciences.
Take our fun, interactive surveys to discover the endless career possibilities with an English major. Which path best matches your skills, interests, and passions?
Providing meaning services to our great community! City of Waterbury offers a variety of opportunities within each department
Access Rehab Centers, LLC provides physical, occupational, and sppech therapy services in the greater Waterbury area.
Website Design, Digital Marketing/SEO, AI Strategy, Software Development
Dr. Dave Wanik, Academic Director, will give an overview of the exciting developments in the BDA major which is exclusively available at the UConn Regional Campuses. Learn about how businesses are using data science to solve real-world problems! Live code demos.
Spin the wheel, test your knowledge, and discover how public health connects to your everyday choices! From fun trivia to our What’s On Your Plate? activity, you’ll walk away with prizes, practical tips, and a fresh perspective on nutrition and community health!
Explore the effects of cannabis and tobacco on the brain through interactive demos. Learn how nicotine and THC impact the brain’s feel-good chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin, and discover their real influence on mental health and well-being.
Observe a live EEG demonstration; see real-time changes in brain waves, including the brain on TikTok.
Experience the future of science and healing with Virtual Reality our immersive booth, where cutting-edge technology transforms addiction treatment, anxiety relief, and pain management. Step in to see how Virtual Reality creates calming, controlled environments for a safe, drug-free approach to well-being!
How does what we pay attention to shape what we know about our world? Come visit this Psychology booth hosted by Dr. Treadwell’s research lab to try out your skills in attention! Also find out about research happening at the Waterbury campus and how undergraduates are involved.
The virtual dissection of the human body will be demonstrated using the Anatomage.
Initial assessment of any patient begins with the C-ABC assessment and intervention. Demonstration and hands on experience to Stop the Bleed, perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and manage an airway through Intubation.
NSF NRT TRANSCEND Fellows and faculty members sit down with partners from the Neurodiversity Alliance and The Odyssey School, and Keynote Speaker, Jack Horner, to discuss the future of educating neurodiverse students and the role that educational neuroscience can play.
Come by our table to explore the inner work of an early childhood classroom (Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool), explore developmental materials and developmental screenings.
Join us at our interactive booth, where we explore the vital role that communities play in shaping families and development. We invite you to reflect on and share the community influences that have had the biggest impact on your family and personal growth. By adding your response to our Community Corkboard, you’ll contribute to a visual display that illustrates the collective strength, support, and resilience of the Waterbury community.