��«����Ƶ

When Norah Nyangau (PhDIntPhys’25) immigrated to the U.S. from Kenya as a child, playing sports helped her navigate cultural and language barriers with her peers. Years later, this early passion sparked a curiosity for rehabilitation and movement — and eventually led her to CU ��«����Ƶ, where she’s working toward a doctoral degree in integrative physiology as part of the Curci PhD Scholars Program cohort.

The Curci Foundation established the Curci PhD Scholars Program at CU ��«����Ƶ in 2022. The goal is to bring together and financially support doctoral students from around the world to pursue research and advance life sciences at CU ��«����Ƶ. 

After her initial childhood inspiration, Norah’s interest in rehabilitation grew throughout her education. She became especially interested in how rehabilitation improves the quality of life for individuals with physical disabilities. CU ��«����Ƶ’s integrative physiology graduate program appealed to her because of its highly innovative and holistic approach to research.

“I knew I wanted to be in a program that fosters rigorous research training and collaborations with local clinical centers,” she said.

Selected to join the Curci PhD Scholars Program in 2023, Norah received a full scholarship to pursue her work and a stipend to cover living expenses. Norah said that the fellowship was a game changer, helping her find a path to continue her education while allowing her to devote more time to research. 

She shared that she can now build a solid foundation to support her dissertation work and future career. After completing her PhD, she hopes to work with vulnerable communities to improve the quality of life for individuals with mobility limitations.

“Growing up in a developing country has provided me with the compassion and desire to work within communities that are often disadvantaged and under-resourced,” Norah said. “I hope that in my future career, I can contribute innovative solutions that push the field forward in improving rehabilitation outcomes.” 

Connecting research and community 

As part of the Curci PhD Scholars Program, students meet monthly to connect and learn from each other. Each month, one scholar shares their research with their peers — and they also take time for a bit of fun. 

In October, Negar Rahimi (PhDIntPhys’25), a second-year PhD student from Iran, presented her research on the ability of machine-learning algorithms to evaluate data and make accurate predictions. Her fellow scholars asked questions and shared insights from their own research, which led to an engaging conversation.

After the presentation, the scholars switched gears to carve pumpkins and socialize. The program emphasizes building personal connections and sharing new cultural experiences by infusing fun activities into the monthly meetings.

“From monthly catch-up meetings in which we share our personal and research progresses to celebrating the holidays together, the fellowship has provided a sense of community that has eased the hardships of relocating to a new environment,” Norah said.

PhD program grows international student involvement

In 2022, the Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation made a $1.9 million gift to CU ��«����Ƶ to support two cohorts of six incoming graduate students for the first two years of their PhD education in molecular, cellular and developmental biology, integrative physiology, biochemistry, or psychology and neuroscience. The Curci PhD Scholars Program covers the cost of attendance, allowing students to focus on their research. After two successful years, a third cohort joined the program this fall. The Curci Foundation has granted a continued commitment of $500,000 annually to add six new scholars to the program. 

The program aims to award two-thirds of the scholarships to international students, helping to break down barriers and expand recruitment in the life sciences graduate program for students who usually are not eligible for U.S. scholarships.

Bolstered by the power of philanthropy, scholars like Norah can positively impact CU ��«����Ƶ and the world through their research while building lasting connections. 

“Along with providing the resources to succeed, I am also connected with other scholars who share similar experiences as international students and provide that sense of belonging,” said Norah. 

“I am grateful for the support I received as I assimilated to the new environment, which was paramount in establishing a sturdy footing for me to flourish.”