This article is an excerpt from the Winter 2026 Talcott Continuum newsletter. Download the full newsletter.
Last fall, we announced the launch of the Talcott Mountain Research Institute (TMRI). Today, we are pleased to share that the vision is already taking shape in meaningful and exciting ways.
TMRI 2026 Summer Program
Applications are now open for the TMRI 2026 Summer Program, a four-week, non-residential, immersive research experience designed for advanced high school students who are eager to engage with questions across the STEM disciplines. Structured as an authentic research apprenticeship, the program places students in small groups led by Faculty Research Mentors—scientists, mathematicians, and engineers who are actively engaged in research.
Throughout the program, students participate in sustained research, faculty-led discussions, field trips and community activities, and shared inquiry with peers who are similarly curious and motivated. Our goal is to invite students into the habits, uncertainty, creativity, and excitement of real research.
We seek students from high schools of all types who thrive on curiosity, challenge, and deep dives into STEM. If you know a student eager to pursue meaningful STEM exploration, we encourage you to share this opportunity.
Learn more and apply at talcottmountainresearch.org.
TMRI 2026 Faculty Research Mentors
We are honored to welcome an extraordinary group of scholars who will guide students during the 2026 Summer Program:
- Solaleh Miar, PhD – Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University of Hartford
- Xin Shen, PhD – Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Hartford
- Per Sebastian Skardal, PhD – Marjorie V. and Robert W. Butcher Distinguished Professor of Applied Mathematics, Trinity College
- Olivia Soliman, PhD – Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Hartford
- Michael West, PhD – Astronomer, (formerly) Lowell Observatory
- Jay White, PhD – Director, Talcott Mountain Research Institute
Together, these mentors represent an intellectual breadth that reflects TMRI’s interdisciplinary spirit and ambition.
On the Shoulders of Giants Lecture Series
In addition to launching student research initiatives, TMRI is expanding its public engagement through the “On the Shoulders of Giants” (OSG) Lecture Series.
Hosted at the Talcott Mountain Science Planetarium, OSG invites leading STEM scholars and creative thinkers into conversation with the intellectually curious public. Each lecture offers insight not only into a field of discovery, but into the deeper human work of asking questions, testing ideas, and interrogating nature.
Upcoming Lectures
Here’s Looking at You: The Invention Behind the Camera in Your Pocket
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 | 6:30 PM
Talcott Mountain Science Planetarium
Reception to Follow
Featuring Dr. Eric R. Fossum
John H. Krehbiel, Sr. Professor for Emerging Technologies
Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College
Tickets are available here.
Wired for Wonder: Neurodiversity and the Future of Scientific Discovery
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 | 6:30 PM
Talcott Mountain Science Planetarium
Reception to Follow
Featuring Dr. Keivan G. Stassun
Stevenson Professor of Physics & Astronomy
Director, Vanderbilt Initiative in Data-intensive Astrophysics (VIDA)
Director, Frist Center for Autism & Innovation
Vanderbilt University
Learn more about OSG Lectures at talcottmountainresearch.org.
Join Us in Building What Comes Next
TMRI is building something intentional and enduring: a place where students encounter authentic research, where distinguished scholars engage the public, and where curiosity is treated as a serious and transformative force.
We invite you to explore the growing work of the TMRI by visiting talcottmountainresearch.org or contacting Dr. Jay White at jwhite@tmsc.org if you have questions.
Your involvement matters. Whether you engage as a partner, advocate, mentor, or supporter, you help shape what TMRI will become. With your continued support, TMRI will extend Talcott Mountain’s longstanding commitment to empowering advanced and curious learners through STEM education, research, and outreach.