Empowering Futures

The Vergnano Institute for Impact is committed to fostering connection and passion in the engineering and STEM fields. Our programs are designed to facilitate the outreach, recruitment, retention, and overall success of all members of the College of Engineering community.

JET: Justice, Empowerment, and Transformation

JET is a customizable, community-based experience designed to walk with faculty in a shared commitment toward an equal and positive experience in the College of Engineering. 

This year-long journey scaffolds for self-reflection, individual action, and collective action to:  

• Examine behaviors, biases and beliefs that lead to unequal experiences in the classroom.  
• Ground teaching, research and service in anti-discriminatory practices  
• Actively change practices that allow discrimination to thrive in higher education.  

Tentative Program Dates for 2025-2026: 

• Applications due Friday September 5, 2025 (Click Here to Apply)
• Cohort activity starts mid to late September 2025

For more information, email lara.chiaverini@uconn.edu

CoE ADVANCE Collective

This is a collaborative space where faculty and staff come together to explore, design, and implement actionable changes that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within their departments. Grounded in the ADVANCE strategic plan, the community focuses on identifying and addressing structural barriers in policies, practices, and culture that impact recruitment, retention, and success of historically marginalized groups. Participants engage with evidence-based strategies and peer support to revise hiring practices, improve mentoring approaches, and build department cultures where all members feel valued and empowered to thrive.

We seek staff and faculty representatives across ALL COE Departments, Units, Centers, and Institutes

For more information, email lara.chiaverini@uconn.edu

PTR Learning Community

The Promotion, Tenure, and Reappointment (PTR) Learning Community is a supportive space for faculty to deepen their understanding of the PTR process to make informed, strategic career decisions. This community centers on transparency, peer learning, and equity, including opportunities to examine department- and college-level policies, clarify expectations, and share best practices for documenting and communicating impact in research, teaching, and service.  

Faculty on any appointment track (tenure, teaching, research) at any stage of the process can join this community

For more information, email lara.chiaverini@uconn.edu

Stamford STEM Faculty Learning Community

This group meets weekly on Wednesdays in person at the Stamford Campus! 

We discuss real-time classroom and pedagogical questions, and collaborate on creating inclusive and memorable experiences for STEM students at Stamford.

For more information, email stephany.santos@uconn.edu