Angel Reed
Angel Reed is a first-year PhD student working with Dr. Eva Lefkowitz, specializing in romantic relationships (specifically queer relationships). In Spring 2025, they graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama (UA) with a B.S. in Human Development and Psychology. As an undergraduate, they became passionate about researching romantic relationships and the various factors that encourage or discourage relationship success. Angel’s undergraduate thesis focused on plurisexual individuals (people attracted to multiple genders), and how different perceptions of their relationships are associated with their satisfaction. They presented this research at the UA Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Conference (URCA). Additionally, although Angel’s focus is romantic relationships, they have a strong interest in child development and positive parenting. They presented a project concerning children’s trust when learning and decision-making at both URCA and at the 2024 Cognitive Development Society Conference in Pasadena, CA.
Angel has an in-press article at the UA Journal of Science and Health, and is working on two other soon-to-be-submitted manuscripts. They continue to collaborate on three other projects at UA remotely from Connecticut. At UConn, they plan to build upon the ideas in their undergraduate thesis, and study how one’s views about their relationship are associated with their personal happiness and relationship satisfaction. They are especially interested in the power of perception over reality, and plan to examine how perceptions of one’s relationship differ when comparing self-perceptions to perceptions of individuals outside the relationship (and whether these differences impact relationship success). Angel’s long-term goal is to become a university professor and continue their research, including establishing a lab where they can introduce undergraduates to research.
Angel grew up in Los Angeles before moving to Alabama and looks forward to experiencing New England with their fiancé. In their free time, Angel enjoys going to the movies, playing video games, petting their tuxedo cat, Enyo, and collecting vintage oddities to decorate their apartment.
Chizobam "Chizzy" Nweke
Chizzy is an HDFS PhD student who first joined the program in 2023. He was born in Southeastern Nigeria and holds a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, a medical degree from Igbinedion University, and a master’s degree in HDFS from the UConn. Before coming to UConn, Chizzy worked as a general medical practitioner in Nigeria and as a clinical instructor at St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada.
Chizzy’s interest in gerontology can be traced to his time working as a medical practitioner. During his clinical encounters with older patients, he often found these patients’ problems unique and misunderstood. These, plus an eagerness to work with his UConn advisor, Dr. Candi Nwakasi, drew him to UConn. His research centers focuses on psychosocial and sociocultural drivers of health, with a particular emphasis on cancer survivorship and cognitive health. As an aspiring academic, Chizzy hopes to champion efforts to modify the curriculum in the medical, allied, and other affiliated health sciences, toward an acceptance and normalization of a healthcare delivery model that is holistic and caters to the needs of all people irrespective of their age bracket.
Chizzy loves sports, mainly soccer and track and field events. He also enjoys watching TV shows, cooking, and gardening.