University of Connecticut student Tyler Ackley of Groton has been named a 2018 University Scholar. He is one of just 25 students to receive this distinction, one that is among the top academic honors bestowed by UConn.

Ackley, who will graduate in 2019 with a Pharm.D. degree, participated in the 2016 Technology Incubation Program summer program, developing a project titled “Soluble Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Isoforms: Functional Roles and Potential Therapeutic Application in Rheumatoid Arthritis.”

Last summer, he applied for competitive project funding and earned the Karl A. Nieforth Pharmacy Student Research Award, one of the school’s highest honors.

The ultimate goal of Ackley’s research is to provide a way of managing the effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis using a targeted approach that does not rely on the powerful immuno-suppressant medications that are currently prescribed.

Ackley earned his BS in Pharmacy Studies magna cum laude and a BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology summa cum laude in the spring of 2017.

“My plan is to get a Ph.D. in immunology or biochemistry and to eventually have a career in education where I can both teach and do research,” he said.

Ackley is the son of Alan and Lisa Ackley. He graduated from Robert E. Fitch High School in 2013.