Indie Major

In this episode, Marie Lavendier explains how she created an individualized major in "Movement Therapy" by combining courses in Psychology, Dance, and Drama. Marie was part of the first cohort of students to graduate with an individualized major in 1976. She describes the work she has done in family therapy, education, and dance instruction, all informed by the groundbreaking interdisciplinary cur...

In this episode, Amira Shatara explains how she created an individualized major in "Sustainability, Cannabis, and Plant Sciences" by combining courses in Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Natural Resources and the Environment; Sociology; Business Administration; and more. She describes her passion for sustainable agriculture and circular economy as well as her h...

In this episode, Izzy Rubin explains how she created an individualized major in "Reproduction and Youth Health" by combining courses in Human Development and Family Sciences; Psychology; and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She describes her passion for public health, advocacy, and issues of equity in healthcare. Episode transcript available at our website: iisp.uconn.edu/indie-major/ Hoste...

Alexis Cordone explains how she created an individualized major in "Religion" by combining courses in English, Anthropology, Sociology, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and more. She graduated from UConn in 2014 and is now an Emergency Physician at Dartmouth Health. She describes her motivation for studying religion as a way to prepare herself to be a more supportive and compassionate doctor in...

Gabby DiSalvo explains how she created an individualized major in "Disability Studies in Media and Food Culture" by combining courses in Journalism, English, Human Rights, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Sociology, Human Development and Family Sciences, Digital Media and Design, and more. She describes her passion for cooking, media, and disability studies, all of which inform her entrepre...

Luca Lloyd explains how he created an individualized major in "The Science of Sales & Social Capital" by combining courses in Communications, Business, Accounting, and more. He describes his longtime entrepreneurial spirit and his involvement the  Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UConn. Episode transcript available at our website: iisp.uconn.edu/indie-major/ Hoste...

Krithika Santhanam created an individualized major called "Health Policy and Racial Disparities" as a double major with "Molecular and Cell Biology," She plans to pursue medical school and become a physician. In this episode, Krithika describes her Honors thesis project, which entailed traveling to India and producing a documentary entitled Beyond Society's Labels: A Foundation on Disability Advoc...

Ahmya McCoy created an individualized major in "Fashion Business Inclusivity Studies" by combining courses in Business Administration , History , and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and by participating in a semester-long Experiential Global Learning Program in Florence, Italy to take specific courses in Fashion. Episode transcript available at our website: iisp.uconn.edu/indie-major/ Hoste...

Kevin Ly explains how he created an individualized major in "International Human Resources" by combining courses in Sociology , Psychology , Geography , Political Science , Business , and more. He describes his experience studying in France for a semester as well as his plans to teach English and pursue graduate studies in Japan. Episode transcript available at our website: iisp.uconn.edu/indie-ma...

Honor Neal explains how she created an individualized major in "Community and Environmental Health" by combining courses in Anthropology , Sociology , Molecular and Cell Biology , Geography , Natural Resources and the Environment , Ecology and Evolutionary Biology , and more. She describes her capstone research project on the social and environmental issues around public transportation in Connecti...

Mariam Vargas explains how she created an individualized major in "International Relations" by combining courses in Political Science ; Human Rights ; Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies ; and more. She describes her research interest in Transitional Justice, sparked by her participation in an international studied program in Kosovo. She also describes being awarded a Rangel Graduate Fellowship...

Alexis Torres completed her individualized major in "Marine Resources and Indigenous Communities" at UConn in 2023. In this episode she explains how she created her major by combining courses in Marine Sciences , Maritime Studies , American Studies , and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology . She also describes her experience as an intern at UConn CIRCA as well as her current position as a Sustainabil...

Nick English explains how he created an individualized major in "Sports Promotion & Entrepreneurship" by combining courses in Communications , Business Administration , Management & Entrepreneurship , Economics , and more. He describes his experiences working with Championship Labs on the UConn campus and with Nclusve , a creative agency that he founded and where he serves as Creative Dire...

Rachel Levy explains how she created an individualized major in "Fashion Engineering and Durability" by combining courses in History , Business Administration , and Communications with an Experiential Global Learning Program in Florence, Italy , where she will take specific courses in Fashion. She describes her experiences working in the trades and her passion for starting a business that produces...

Alexsia Newman explains how she created an individualized major in "Developmental Neuroscience" by combining courses in Physiology & Neurobiology , Human Development & Family Sciences , Psychology , and more. She describes her experiences working as an EMT and as a patient care assistant at CT Children's Hospital as well as her long-term goal to pursue a career in pediatric medicine. Click...

Krista Rogers completed her individualized major in "Japanese Studies" at UConn in 2011. In this episode she explains how she created her major by combining Japanese language courses with courses in History, Linguistics, and Anthropology as well as studying abroad in Tokyo. She describes her experiences teaching English in Japan after college in addition to her current career in pre-professional a...

Justin Guinta explains how he created an individualized major in "Criminal Behavior" by combining courses in Psychology, Sociology, Molecular and Cell Biology, Public Policy, and more. He describes his aspirations to work in Management of Law Enforcement, and he describes some exciting internships and research work he has done in the area of criminal justice. Episode transcript available at our we...

Sydney Seldon explains how she created an individualized major in "Sustainable Communities" by combining courses in Anthropology, Urban Studies, Geography, Communication, and more. She describes the important connections she sees among her individualized major, her Environmental Science major, and her Sustainable Community Food Systems minor. Episode transcript available at our website: iisp.uconn...

Suheera Haq explains how she created an individualized major in "Social Determinants of Reproductive Healthcare" by combining courses in Allied Health, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Nursing, Sociology, and more. She compares her experiences conducting research in Molecular and Cell Biology (her other major) and in Allied Health, two very different but complementary fields of study. Episo...

Kekoa Krautkramer explains how she created an individualized major in "Multimedia Production" by combining courses in Communication, Journalism, and English. She describes her experiences covering UConn sports as a camera operator and editor, writing for the Daily Campus, and spearheading social media strategies for a local business as part of her capstone research project. Episode transcript avai...

Rehana Konate explains how she created an individualized major in "Crime, Law, and Justice" as a complement to her second major in Political Science. She plans to pursue a career in law and to follow her passion to help others and advocate for those whose voices aren’t heard. Episode transcript available at our website: iisp.uconn.edu/indie-major/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

Emily Jajliardo explains how she created an individualized major in "Visual Storytelling for Children" by combining courses from departments like Sociology, Communication, Human Development & Family Sciences, and more! Episode transcript available at our website: iisp.uconn.edu/indie-major/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Garrett Sasseville explains how he created an individualized major in "Integrative Exercise and Physiology" by combining courses from the Kinesiology, Nutritional Sciences, and Physiology and Neurobiology departments. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in physical therapy and hopes to continue working in both clinical and research settings. Episode transcript available at our website: iisp.uconn...

Renee Haddad explains how she created an individualized major in "Creative Writing and Film" after realizing she would be finished with her Math major by the end of her junior year. While these two majors might seem polar opposites at first glance, Renee discusses the ways in which they both appeal to her creative side. Episode transcript available at our website: iisp.uconn.edu/indie-major/ Hoste...

Sophie Takmopoulos explains how her individualized major in "Global Business in Health Innovation" combines her interests in science, health, entrepreneurship, and the creative arts. Episode transcript available at our website: iisp.uconn.edu/indie-major/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.