Donyeil Hoy is a Ph.D. candidate in UConn’s Biomedical Engineering department and a Graduate Research Assistant in the Self-Assembling Functional Nanomaterials Lab under Mu-Ping Nieh, Ph.D..
Hoy’s accomplishments have been recognized by the university as well as a national program. He is a recipient of the prestigious UConn’s Giolas Harriott Fellowship in addition to the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
Outside of JLLA, Hoy is a demonstrated leader, as a member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and former parliamentarian in the Graduate Student Senate (GSS). He says inclusivity and diversity are integral aspects of his leadership style.
“One of the reasons joined [JLLA] is that leadership skills are not always prioritized within the engineering community, so we need a space to develop ourselves.”
During his tenure as a student, Hoy says he has met individuals whose skills are endemic to their field, and not transferable. JLLA’s approach is more holistic in that the curriculum is designed to be transferable to any industry or role.
“It is a shame when you see knowledgeable people who fail to mentor students and effectively share their abilities,” says Hoy. “We are more prepared as leaders after going through the JLLA curriculum.”
Some of Hoy’s other talents outside of engineering include gardening, cooking and writing. He especially enjoys being able to incorporate these skills by growing produce he can cook with.