10 Questions with Dean Burkey

Welcome to our special alumni episode of 10 Questions! for June 2026! Salay Quaranta is a materials scientist and global manufacturing executive whose career bridges advanced lasers, capital equipment, and high‑performance industrial systems. Trained in materials behavior, microstructure, and process innovation, she has guided engineering, product, and commercial teams across aerospace, medical an...

Welcome to the May episode of 10 Questions! My guest this month is Wyeth Haddock, a senior Materials Science and Engineering student with an interest in material structure and behavior. Wyeth has filled many roles throughout his undergraduate journey. In the classroom, he has mentored students as a teaching assistant in the classroom and lab for the past four semesters. Outside of the classroom, h...

Nichole is a senior Computer Science major at UConn with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence, where she has built a strong foundation in both technical and analytical problem-solving. She’s a co-founder of ColorStack at UConn, where she works to create a supportive community for underrepresented students in tech and create opportunities for growth, mentorship, and career advancement. She’s...

March's 10 Questions is now live! This month, I sit down with Brendan Barnett . Brendan is a 3+1 BSE/MS student in Computer Science and Engineering with a minor in math and a concentration in algorithms. Starting in fast food, he's built his way to internships at Microsoft, Palantir, Pratt & Whitney, Bentley Systems, and ReferWell. After graduation, he'll be joining SpaceX to wo...

Today's guest seeks to improve our medicine, both on Earth and in space. Max Landolina is a 4th year PhD Candidate in the Biomedical Engineering Department and a T32 Doctoral Fellow in the Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering. His research searches for the answer to stiff, damaged, and achy joints: a reliable way to regrow them.  Using a novel nanomaterial scaffold, he has...

Welcome to the New Year and a New Episode of 10 Questions! This month, we welcome MDE Junior Molly Deptula. Molly is a third-year student in Multidisciplinary Engineering, concentrated in Entertainment Engineering and minoring in Electronics and Systems. Entertainment engineering, a collaboration with the College of Engineering and the School of Fine Arts, combines her love of technical tinkering...

Welcome to the December episode of 10 Questions! My guest this month is Lakshita Ganesh Kumar. Lakshita is a third-year dual-degree Computer Science Engineering and Statistics student at UConn and the founder of Stylistic, a fashion and self-confidence platform she designed, engineered, and launched entirely on her own. She’s grown Stylistic through hands-on user research, machine learning develop...

Today’s guest is Lucia Scotti. Lucia is a senior getting her dual degree in civil engineering and Italian and has spent her time at UConn trying it all. She’s the Vice President of the Society of Women Engineers, a researcher in the Crumbling Concrete Lab, and a longtime leader at the UConn Lodewick Visitor Center. She’s had internships in construction management and structural engineering and rec...

Today’s guest is someone who thrives on turning the impossible into possible. Meet Krish Bhuva, a junior at UConn whose journey has been defined by reimagining limits—whether in the lab or in the workshop. On one side, Krish is pushing the boundaries of materials science, working in Dr. Dupuy’s lab to engineer ceramics that behave more like metals. Imagine ceramics—normally brittle and breakable—s...

Welcome to the first full episode of 10 Questions! Today’s guest is the definition of a powerhouse student. Adeline Smith is a Senior biomedical engineering major at UConn who has turned her college years into a masterclass in passion and impact. She’s the president of the Society of Women Engineers, a researcher in two labs, a teaching assistant, and even a student ambassador for MATLAB. On top o...

Hey everyone - get ready to hear what is going on in UConn Engineering from the mouths of our students! If you're curious about what our students are working on inside and outside of the classroom, then give a listen and get inspired. Our first full-length episode will drop once the semester gets rolling, so subscribe now so you won't miss a beat.