Hartford, CT — Connecticut’s most talented young scientists and engineers will be honored by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering at its 29th Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on May 25, 2004 at the Rocky Hill Marriott in Rocky Hill. Winners of the 2004 Connecticut Science Fair, the 2004 Connecticut Talent Search, the 2004 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, and the 2004 Connecticut Invention Convention will be recognized during the evening ceremonies, along with the two first place winners of the National Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology, Team Division, Connecticut brothers Jeffrey and Mark Schneider.

The new H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence, established by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering and sponsored by Gerber Scientific, Inc., will be awarded to the two first place winners of the Connecticut Science Fair and the first place winner of the 2004 Connecticut Talent Search. Given for the first time this year, the medal was created to recognize and honor H. Joseph Gerber’s (1924-1996) technical leadership in inventing, developing and commercializing manufacturing automation systems for a wide variety of industries, making those industries more efficient and cost-effective in a worldwide competitive environment.

Academy member and renowned forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee will give the keynote address, entitled “Forensic Science: Utilizing Technology to Solve Crimes.” Currently Connecticut’s Chief Emeritus for the Scientific Services, Dr. Lee was the Commissioner of Public Safety for the State of Connecticut from 1998 to 2000 and served as Chief Criminalist for the State of Connecticut from 1979 to 2000.

Student winners to be honored include:

The H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence:
Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, Brewster High School, Brewster, NY
2004 Connecticut Science Fair – 1st Place, Life Sciences-Senior Division
Project Title: Manipulating Network Topology to Predict Epidemic Outcomes

Stephen Ingraham, New Fairfield High School, New Fairfield, CT
2004 Connecticut Science Fair – 1st Place, Physical Sciences-Senior Division
Project Title: Superluminal Electromagnetic Wave Propagation in the Near Field

Lisa D. Glukhovsky, New Milford High School, New Milford, CT
2004 Connecticut Science Talent Search – 1st Place
Project Title: A Rapid, Accurate Method of Determining the Distance to Near Earth Asteroids

2004 Connecticut Science Talent Search
1st Place – See H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence award winner

2nd Place – Esme B. Cullen, Hopkins School, New Haven, CT (Hometown: Madison)
Project: Microarray Analysis of Borrelia Burgdorferi Gene Expression in MyD88-Deficient Mice

2nd Place – Matthew M. Di Pasquale, Kent School, Kent, CT (Hometown: Westport)
Project Title: Single Electron Devices Using Gold Nanoparticle Monolayers

2004 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
1st Place – Stephen Ingraham, New Fairfield High School, New Fairfield, CT
Project Title: Superluminal Electromagnetic Wave Propagation in the Near Field

2nd Place – Sophie Lintermans, Staples High School, Westport, CT
Project Title: Understanding the Mechanism of Allergy & Asthma by Studying Gene Expression Changes
During T-Cell Activation using Microarrays, Real Time PCR and SiRNA

3rd Place – Pia Ramchandani, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
Project Title: Increasing the Efficacy of Isotope-Dating Using Paleo Corral Analysis

4th Place – Katherine Har, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
Project Title: Determining the Correlation Between the pH Level & the Incidences of Apoptosis for Optimal Production of Glycoprotein 96

5th Place – Mark Schneider, South Windsor High School, South Windsor, CT
Project Title: Development & Application of a Computer Model for the Simulation of the West Nile Virus
Outbreak in Boulder, Colorado, 2003

2004 National Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology
National 1st Place Winner, Team Division, Jeffrey Schneider and Mark Schneider, South Windsor High
School, South Windsor, CT
Project Title: Simulation of the West Nile Virus Using STELLA 7.02

2004 Connecticut Invention Convention
Scott Abramson, Coleytown Middle School; Amanda Cavagnero, Torrington Middle School; Martha Chudy, Mystic Middle School; James Fayal, Mystic Middle School; Michele Fox, Two Rivers Magnet Middle School; Alyssa Frechette, Suffield Middle School; David Hollister, Talcott Mountain Academy; Scott Infusino, Coleytown Middle School; Charles Kniffin, Bedford Middle School; Jamie Lenz, Torrington Middle School; Nicholas Pelletier, Two Rivers Magnet Middle School; Stacy Rakyta, Torrington Middle School; Sam Seifert, Talcott Mountain Academy; Sarah Steinmetz, Coleytown Middle School; Alyssa Zordan, Torrington Middle School

Twenty-seven newly elected members of the Academy will also be recognized during the evening.