Closing the Loop and Empowering Students
The College of Engineering and the Innovation Shop are excited to announce an annual fundraiser for the Innovation Shop here at the College of Engineering.
To keep this momentum going, we launched the 2025-26 Innovation Shop Annual Fundraiser with a goal of raising $50,000.
Why This Initiative?
The Innovation Shop’s mission is to empower student innovators through experiential learning. With a cutting-edge space designed to foster academic and research projects, the Innovation Shop supports the departments, faculty, staff, and students at the College of Engineering.
About Our Team
Comprised of four individuals spanning backgrounds in engineering, medical devices, accounting, architecture, precision machining, electronics and more, students can gain skills in varied fields on their way to a complete engineering education.

Anthony Beatty
Mechanical Engineer
anthony.beatty@uconn.edu

Peter Glaude
Manufacturing Engineer
peter.glaude@uconn.edu

Joe Luciani
Design & Manufacturing Instructor
joseph.luciani@uconn.edu

Ken Premo
Electrical Engineer
kenneth.premo@uconn.edu
About Our Space
The Innovation Shop is composed of a 6,000-square foot space with key manufacturing equipment like CNC mills, 3D printers, and welding tools. Students and Innovation Shop employees proceed through the space from ideation, prototyping, and finally creation.
What's Happening @
Engineering News
- Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin Delivers Keynote Address at the Advanced Therapies in Orthopaedics (ATiO) Foundation Annual Meeting November 2, 2026Laurencin spoke on Regenerative Engineering at the 2026 ATiO Conference in Berlin, Germany.
- UConn to Advise Greece on Energy Resilience and Safety October 29, 2026The Alexandroupolis region of Greece has become an important gateway for natural gas supply to southeastern and central Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. UConn will provide expertise to ensure energy resilience, environmental safety, and economic development for the region
- Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin Named UConn Engineering Faculty Innovator of the Year October 27, 2026The award recognizes Laurencin’s technological innovations with significant real-world impact.
- Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin Delivers Keynote Address at the National Academy of Inventors 15th Annual Conference October 26, 2026Laurencin Gives Talk on Regenerative Engineering with a Book Signing at Los Angeles Conference.
Community News
- Strengthening Mathematics Recovery in Connecticut: Research-Informed Priorities for Local Districts October 30, 2026Researchers with the Neag School’s Center for Education Policy Analysis, Research, and Evaluation prepared the following research brief regarding post-pandemic mathematics recovery in ConnecticutMikala Kane '26 MA
- Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin Named UConn Engineering Faculty Innovator of the Year October 27, 2026The award recognizes Laurencin’s technological innovations with significant real-world impact.Sara Capozzi
- IDEA Grants Allow Sisters to Share Passion October 26, 2026'UConn helped me realize I can be a STEM student, but that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to be creative and have fun hobbies. You get to be multidisciplined here. It’s encouraged'Kimberly Phillips
- UConn’s Queer Science Conference Challenges Stereotypes, Inspires Students October 22, 2026UConn hosts fifth annual event for high schoolersMac Murray