Hartford, CT — Connecticut’s most talented young scientists and engineers will be honored by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering at its 30th Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on May 26, 2005 at the Rocky Hill Marriott in Rocky Hill. Winners of the 2005 Connecticut Science Fair, the 2005 Connecticut Talent Search, the 2005 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, and the 2005 Connecticut Invention Convention will be recognized during the evening ceremonies.

The 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 Connecticut Science Talent Search. 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.

The President and CEO of the Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration, Dr. Theodore S. Sergi will give the keynote address, entitled “Progress and Plans for the Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration.”

Student winners to be honored include:

The H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence:

Shane E. Mulligan, Staples High School, Westport, CT
2005 Connecticut Science Fair – 1st Place, Life Sciences-Senior Division
Project Title: “The Construction of a Self-Assembling DNA Nanohexagon Capable of Protein Storage and Release”

Raj G. Ranade, East Lyme High School, East Lyme, CT
2005 Connecticut Science Fair – 1st Place, Physical Sciences-Senior Division
Project Title: “A Computer Simulation Model for Identification of Optimal Process Parameters for a Non-Adiatbatic Plug Flow Reactor”

Stephen H. Ingraham, New Fairfield High School, New Fairfield, CT
2005 Connecticut Science Talent Search – 1st Place
Project Title: “Superluminal Electromagnetic Wave Propagation in the Near-Field”

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

2nd Place – Elizabeth G. Mandeville, New Milford High School, New Milford, CT
Project: “A Paleolimnological Analysis of the Creation and Development of Candlewood Lake”

2004 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
1st Place: Nina Lintermans, Staples High School, Westport, CT
Project: “Global Warming: Analysis and Modeling of Bird Migratory Patterns as a Predictive Tool”

2nd Place: Elizabeth G. Mandeville, New Milford High School, New Milford, CT
Project: “Phycological Communities in a Seasonally Frozen Lake as a Planetary Analogue”

3rd Place: Anu Nellissery, Simsbury High School, Simsbury, CT
Project: “A Glycine to Aspartic Acid Mutation in the Major Capsid Protein, VP5, Interferes with the Assembly of HSV-1 Capsids”

4th Place: Thomas Erickson, E.O. Smith High School, Storrs, CT
Project: “Simple Artificial Intelligence to Accomplish Complex Tasks”

5th Place: Silvia Puma, Darien High School, Darien, CT
Project: “Role of Erbb2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase in M.leprae-Induced Schwann Cell Signaling and Fate”

2004 Connecticut Invention Convention

Sarah Banker, Mystic Middle School
Daniel Bergeron, Torrington Middle School
Ian Cannon, Two Rivers Magnet Middle School
Eric Churchill, Portland Middle School
Michael Cowee, Two Rivers Magnet Middle School
Kafele Foster, Lewis Fox Middle School
Alex Gioia, Torrington Middle School
Courtney Holmes, Torrington Middle School
Kayla Langenheim, Torrington Middle School
Matthew Lee, Talcott Mountain Academy
Calvin Linderman, Old Lyme Middle School
Brent Longobucco, Torrington Middle School
Eric Maglio, Two Rivers Magnet Middle School
Alessandra Massameno, Torrington Middle School
Dylan McDougall, Portland Middle School

Sixteen newly elected members of the Academy will also be recognized during the evening