Author: RMcase2021

News Release

May 6, 2008

Hartford, CT — Connecticut’s most talented young scientists and engineers will be honored by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering at its 33rd Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on May 21, 2008 at the New Haven Lawn Club in New Haven, Connecticut. Winners of the 2008 Connecticut Science Fair, the 2008 Connecticut Science Challenge, the 2008 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, and the 2008 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 Challenge. 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 director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, Dr. Kelly Brownell, will give the keynote address.

Student winners to be honored include:

The H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence:
Fionia W. Wood, North Haven High School, North Haven, CT
2008 Connecticut Science Fair – 1st Place, Life Sciences-Senior Division
Project: A Numerical Model of Late-Spiking Neurons

Theresa A. Oei, East Catholic High School, Manchester, CT
2008 Connecticut Science Fair – 1st Place, Physical Sciences-Senior Division
Project: Use of Seashells to Detoxify Lead-Contaminated Effluent and Groundwater

Ilya B. Belopolski, New Canaan High School, New Canaan, CT
2008 Connecticut Science Challenge – 1st Place
Project: The Effect of Short-Chain Fatty Acids on Gene Expression in Entamoeba histolytica

2008 Connecticut Science Challenge
1st Place – See H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence award winner

2nd Place: Zachary Weiner, Staples High School, Westport CT
Project: A Detect-and-Verify Framework for Specific Face Detection

Honorable Mention: George Hansel, Greenwich High School
Project: Quantification of Photosynthetic Biomass: An Autoflourescence and Laser Scattering Approach

2008 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
1st Place: Rebecca Reed, Newtown High School, Newtown, CT
Project: Neural Network Activated Muscle Response

2nd Place: Antonella Lisanti, Staples High School, Westport, CT
Project: Selection of Optimal 5’ Exons to Enhance pre-mRNA Splicing

3rd Place: Eliza McNitt, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
Project: Tracing the Migration of Pesticides Through the Production of Southwestern Connecticut Honey

4th Place: Ilya Belopolski, New Canaan High School, New Canaan, CT
Project: Short Chain Fatty Acid-Dependent Regulation of mRNA Translation in Entamoeba histolytica

5th PLACE: Priyanka Nakka, E. O. Smith High School, Storrs, CT
Project: Improving Low-Temperature Performance of Biodiesel

2008 Connecticut Invention Convention

Mystic Middle School, Mystic, CT: Joseph Charles & Devin White
Our Lady of the Assumption School, Fairfield, CT: Alexandra Chrupcala & Anthony Feher
Assumption School, Manchester, CT: Michelle Giola
Two Rivers Magnet Middle School, East Hartford, CT: Michael Hathaway
Pomfret Community School, Pomfret Center, CT: Kelly Huhtanen
Torrington Middle School, Torrington, CT: Stephanie Jacquemin, Nicole Kozlak & Matt O’Leary
Lyme/Old Lyme Middle School, Old Lyme, CT: Alex Kashtan
St. Joseph School, Thompson, CT: Ryan Kelly
St. Ann School, Bridgeport, CT: Timothy Pelletier
Talcott Mountain Academy, Avon, CT: Brooks Reavill
Newtown Middle School, Newtown CT: Jill Theile

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

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The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was chartered by the General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well being. For more information about the Academy, please see www.ctcase.org.

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May 14, 2008

Hartford, CT — Three outstanding young Connecticut scientists will be awarded the H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence at the 33stAnnual Meeting and Dinner of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering on May 21, 2008, at the New Haven Lawn Club in New Haven, CT.

The award, created by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering with the sponsorship of Gerber Scientific, Inc., is in recognition of 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.

As an inventor and as founder, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board and President for Gerber Scientific, Inc., Mr. Gerber was a leader for nearly half a century in inventing and producing factory automation equipment designed to solve global manufacturing problems. An elected member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, Mr. Gerber received the National Medal of Technology in 1994 followed by the Connecticut Medal of Technology in 1995.

The recipients of this year’s H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence are 2008 Connecticut Science Fair winners Fiona W. Wood (1st Place, Life Sciences – Senior Division) of North Haven High School and Theresa A. Oei (1st Place, Physical Sciences – Senior Division) of East Catholic High School in Manchester, CT; and the 2008 Connecticut Science Challenge winner Ilya B. Belopolski of New Canaan High School (1st Place).

Wood’s winning Science Fair entry was entitled “A Numerical Model of Late-Spiking Neurons” and Oei’s award was for her project on “Use of Seashells to Detoxify Lead-Contaminated Effluent and Groundwater.” Belopolski, the winner of the Connecticut Science Challenge, won for his project on “The Effect of Short-Chain Fatty Acids on Gene Expression in Entamoeba histolytica.”

Gerber Scientific is the world’s leading supplier of sophisticated automated manufacturing systems for sign making and specialty graphics, apparel and flexible materials, and ophthalmic lens processing. Headquartered in South Windsor, Connecticut, the company operates through four businesses: Gerber Scientific Products, Spandex Ltd., Gerber Technology, and Gerber Coburn.

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The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was chartered by the General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well being. For more information about the Academy, please see www.ctcase.org.

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May 14, 2008

Dr. Kelly Brownell, Director of Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, will present a keynote address at the 33rd Annual Meeting and Dinner of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering on May 21, 2008 at the New Haven Lawn Club in New Haven, CT.

The event will be attended by over 250 members of the Academy, invited guests, and winners of 2008 statewide science competitions. The H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence, created by the Academy and sponsored by Gerber Scientific, Inc., will be awarded to the two first place winners of the 2008 Connecticut Science Fair and the first place winner of the 2008 Connecticut Science Challenge.

In 2006, Time magazine listed Kelly Brownell, Ph.D., among “The World’s 100 Most Influential People” in its special Time 100 issue featuring those “… whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world.” In addition to directing the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Dr. Brownell serves at Yale as Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health and as a professor in the Department of Psychology.

Dr. Brownell was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine in 2006 and served as President of several national organizations, including the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, and the Division of Health Psychology of the American Psychological Association. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the James McKeen Cattell Award from the New York Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Brownell has advised members of congress, governors, world health and nutrition organizations, and media leaders on issues of nutrition, obesity, and public policy. He has published 14 books and more than 300 scientific articles and chapters. One book received the Choice Award for Outstanding Academic Book from the American Library Association, and his paper on “Understanding and Preventing Relapse” published in the American Psychologist was listed as one of the most frequently cited papers in psychology.

Dr. Kelly Brownell is a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

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The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was chartered by the General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well being. For more information about the Academy, please see www.ctcase.org.

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May 12, 2008

Hartford, CT — The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering announces the election of nineteen of Connecticut’s leading experts in science, engineering and technology to membership in the Academy. The newly elected members will be introduced at the Academy’s 33rd Annual Meeting and Dinner on May 21, 2008, at the Peabody Museum New Haven with a dinner and presentations following at the New Haven Lawn Club.

The nineteen newly elected members are:
Michael Accorsi, PhD, Professor & Department Head, Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut; Donald Bossi, PhD, President, Evora, LLC; Troyen Brennan, JD, MD, Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Aetna; Christine Broadbridge, PhD, Professor of Physics, Education Director, Center for Research on Interface Structures and Phenomena, Southern Connecticut State University; Baki Cetegen, PhD, Professor & Department Head, Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut; Jack Elias, MD, Waldemar Von Zedwitz Professor of Medicine & Chair, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, and Chief, Beeson Medical Service, Yale-New Haven Hospital; William Fitzgerald, PhD, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut; Ira Flatow, President/Executive Producer, ScienceFriday, Inc.; Andrew Hamilton, PhD Provost, Benjamin Silliman Professor of Chemistry, Professor, Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University; Kazem Kazerounian, PhD, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut; Diane Krause, PhD, MD, Professor of Laboratory Medicine, Associate Director, Yale Stem Cell Program, Yale University School of Medicine; Harlan Krumholz, MD, Harold H. Hines, Jr. Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology & Public Heath (Cardiology), Professor of Investigative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine; Leo Lefrançois, PhD, Professor of Immunology; University of Connecticut Health Center; Leslie Loew, PhD, Boehringer Ingelheim Chair in Cell Sciences, Professor of Cell Biology, Professor of Computer Science & Engineering, Director, R.D. Berlin Center for Cell Analysis & Modeling, University of Connecticut Health Center; Michael McQuade, PhD, Senior Vice President, Science & Technology, United Technologies Corporation; Nancy Ruddle, PhD, John Rodman Paul Professor of Epidemiology & Public Health and Immunobiology, Yale School of Public Health, Director of Graduate Studies, Yale University School of Medicine; Michael Snyder, PhD, Lewis B. Cullman Professor of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, Professor of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, Director of the Yale Center for Genomics and Proteomics; Mary Tinetti, MD, Gladys Phillips Crowfoot Professor of Medicine, Professor of Epidemiology & Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, Director of the Yale Program on Aging, Director of the Yale Hartford Foundation Center of Excellence in Aging, Director of the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center; Charles Yarish, PhD, Professor of Biology, University of Connecticut.

Election to the Academy is on the basis of scientific and engineering distinction achieved through significant contributions in theory or applications, as demonstrated by original published books and papers, patents, the pioneering of new and developing fields and innovative products, outstanding leadership of nationally recognized technical teams, and external professional awards in recognition of scientific and engineering excellence. By statute, the Academy’s membership is limited to 250 individuals.

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The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was chartered by the General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well being. For more information about the Academy, please see www.ctcase.org.

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March 18, 2008

Hartford, CT — The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) released a report today entitled “A Needs-Based Analysis of the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) Facilities Plan.” CASE and its Study Consultant, Tripp Umbach, a nationally recognized healthcare consultant, reported the findings and recommendations of the study on March 18, 2008, at a Briefing for the Appropriations, Commerce, Finance, Revenue & Bonding, Higher Education & Employment Advancement, and Public Health Committees of the Connecticut General Assembly

In legislation adopted in 2007, the Connecticut General Assembly named CASE to conduct this study. The study was commissioned as a result of a proposal presented to the General Assembly by UCHC to construct a 352-bed hospital to replace the aging 224-bed John Dempsey Hospital (JDH) that met with concern about the financial implications for hospitals in the Greater Hartford area.

Guiding themes that emerged through the study process included

−     Commitment to a common vision and mission between UCHC and its clinical hospital partners for academic medicine (medical and dental education, clinical care, and biomedical research)
−     Awareness of historical perspectives
−     Development of sustainable, effective collaborative relationships
−     Access to state-of-the-art clinical care facilities
−     Accountability to the General Assembly

The study’s key findings are as follows:

−     UCHC has strong impact on state’s economy.
−     Current relationships between UCHC and regional partners are neither sufficiently defined nor adequately enough developed to fully support an ability to achieve excellence in medical education. It is also noted that for over 50 years, UConn has not been able to develop an adequate affiliation with any of the region’s hospitals to serve as a primary teaching affiliate, other than with the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for pediatrics.
−     Existing JDH facilities are outdated and too small to support goal of achieving excellence in academic medicine; continuation of status quo jeopardizes goal of UCHC excellence in medical education explicitly.
−     Additional licensed beds in Greater Hartford region are not needed at this time although staffed hospital beds in the region would be required by 2015 to meet expected needs.
−     It is expected that the education and research missions of UCHC will continue to require State financial support.

The study’s recommendations are intended to be useful in shaping and motivating discussions with a goal of developing a productive regional environment for academic medicine. The Study Committee recommends that

−     Efforts should be immediately focused on UCHC formalizing and strengthening its relationships with clinical care hospital partners, as this will provide the best opportunity for meeting the full range of UCHC’s clinical needs while simultaneously increasing opportunity and reducing or eliminating possible negative financial impact on the regional hospitals.

−     Additionally, the JDH facilities within the UCHC complex should not be renovated for hospital use, but instead should be renovated to support the Center’s research and academic mission. Several scenarios regarding the construction of new clinical facilities on the UCHC campus should be considered. The Study Committee believes that there is a market for inpatient and/or outpatient clinical healthcare facilities on the UCHC campus, with a decision on the type of clinical facilities to be constructed determined by UCHC through the selection of a clinical care hospital partner. The selected partner would be provided a ground lease on the UCHC campus to construct the clinical facilities that it would operate and manage. It is noted that if the decision is to construct an inpatient hospital facility, the existing licensed beds currently allocated to JDH and those beds that the selected partner could reallocate to a new hospital under its existing license will likely be sufficient for new clinical facilities on the UCHC campus without seeking any increase in the total number of licensed beds of the two existing hospitals. The elimination of UCHC as a clinical care provider and competitor with the regional hospitals will remove a significant obstacle to developing sustainable partner relationships. Having clinical facilities in close proximity to UCHC’s principal academic and research base, along with that of the principal hospital of the selected hospital operating partner, will be an important asset to UCHC and its faculty in achieving their educational and research goals.

Importantly, the Study Committee considered two options in the process of the development of its recommendations. The Study Committee believes that its recommended option will not only provide UCHC the best opportunity to be fully recognized as an asset to the healthcare systems of the Greater Hartford region and the state, but also offer the potential for significant growth in economic impact. The other option considered by the committee provides for the construction of a new teaching hospital, either of similar size, 352 beds, or larger than that proposed by UCHC, with the state owning and operating the facility. This option adds additional hospital beds to the Greater Hartford region that cannot be justified based on the current Bed Analysis and could result in possible negative financial impacts to the regional hospitals. This option solves UCHC’s current hospital facility needs, but does not address its need for the development of strong regional clinical care partnerships.

Action Plan: A Two-Step Process
The Study Committee suggests a two-step process for implementing its recommendations, and calls for an independent monitor, named by the General Assembly, to report on the progress and outcomes of the process and to ensure that the best interests of the state are taken into consideration.

−     The first step provides a two-month period wherein the UCHC and regional hospital partners would develop a vision and set of guiding principles for establishing affiliation agreements between UCHC and hospital partners.

−     The second step, to take place over a six-month period, involves the UCHC conducting an RFP/RFQ process to select and articulate the detailed working relationships with hospital partners, while taking into consideration the needs of stakeholders: the UCHC, regional hospitals and the residents of Connecticut. This process should also address the nature and type of clinical facilities and services to be provided on the UCHC campus.

The study process put in place by the General Assembly has encouraged renewed discussions between UCHC and several regional hospitals. It is in the best interest of UCHC and the regional hospitals to develop a system that will enable UCHC to flourish as a comprehensive academic health center of excellence for the benefit of the region and the state. However, the Study Committee also strongly suggests that the General Assembly establish, as recommended, a workable, but aggressive, timetable to reach a successful conclusion to UCHC’s selection of its clinical hospital partners and the articulation of these relationships in affiliation agreements, as well as the selection of a clinical partner to construct, own and operate new clinical facilities on the UCHC campus.

Further, it is suggested that in developing the vision of academic medicine, consideration should be given to building upon UCHC’s innovative 1st and 2nd year common curriculum for its dental and medical school students. There exists the opportunity to consider the development of a new approach to the clinical education of medical students that focuses on inter-professional education by placing medical students in teams with other healthcare professionals during their clinical rotations. Through the promotion of teamwork and inter-professional training, students will be able to be trained in a clinical environment that is characteristic of the current healthcare delivery system. If this is accomplished, UCHC and the Greater Hartford region would be at the cutting edge of training for the next generation of healthcare professionals.

The study report is available on the Academy’s website at: www.ctcase.org

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The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was chartered by the General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well being. For more information about the Academy, please see www.ctcase.org.

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May 22, 2007

Evening To Feature Keynote Address by Dr. Robert D. Ballard, Student Award Presentations

What: 32nd Annual Meeting and Student Awards Presentations Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering

When: Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 6 pm to 9:30 pm

Where: Hilton Mystic Hotel, Mystic, Connecticut
***Reception will be held at the Mystic Aquarium (across the street) from 6pm – 7pm

Who: Dr. Robert D. Ballard, Keynote Speaker
President, Institute for Exploration

Why: To highlight advances in science and technology in Connecticut and to honor the state’s most talented young scientists and engineers. Winners of the 2007 Connecticut Science Fair, the 2007 Connecticut Science Challenge, the 2007 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, and the 2007 Connecticut Invention Convention will be recognized during the evening ceremonies. The H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence, established by the Academy 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 Challenge.

Twenty-six newly elected members of the Academy also will be introduced.

###

The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was chartered by the General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well being. For more information about the Academy, please see www.ctcase.org.

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May 22, 2007

Hartford, CT — Connecticut’s most talented young scientists and engineers will be honored by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering at its 32nd Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on May 22, 2007 at the Hilton Mystic Hotel in Mystic, Connecticut. Winners of the 2007 Connecticut Science Fair, the 2007 Connecticut Science Challenge, the 2007 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, and the 2007 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 Challenge. 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 of the Institute for Exploration, Dr. Robert D. Ballard will give the keynote address that will focus on his most recent work in deep water archaeology and the use of tele-presence technology in the Nation’s new Ocean Exploration program.

Student winners to be honored include:

The H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence:
Russell L. Slater, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
2007 Connecticut Science Fair – 1st Place, Life Sciences-Senior Division
Project: Medicated Hydrophilic Wound Dressings

George J. Hansel, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
2007 Connecticut Science Fair – 1st Place, Physical Sciences-Senior Division
Project: New Techniques in Fluorescence Microscopy

Miles C. Lubin, Staples High School, Westport, CT
2007 Connecticut Science Challenge – 1st Place
Project: A Parametric Statistics-based Heuristic for Finding the Nearest Neighbor in Metric Space

2007 Connecticut Science Challenge
1st Place – See H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence award winner

2nd Place: Sophie Cai, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield, CT
Project: A Novel Technique for Revealing Serial and Parallel Mechanisms in Visual Processing
Honorable Mention: Ayesha Samant, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT
Project: A Potential Breakthrough in Treating Depression: The Impact of Structure and Pore Size on the Controlled Release of Fluorescein Isothionate from Poly (ethylene co-vinyl-acetate) Matrices

2007 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
1st Place: Antonella Lisanti, Staples High School, Westport, CT
Project: Images of Active Galactic Nuclei in the MUSYC Survey

2nd Place: Tatiana Cooke, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
Project: Population Survival of Ced-3 Deficient C. elegans in a Soil Environment

3rd Place: Mary Keneally, New Canaan High School, New Canaan, CT
Project: Haptoglobin-Related Protein in Chimpanzees

4th Place: Willie Mandeville, New Milford High School, New Milford, CT
Project: Applying the Lotka-Volterra Model of Interspecific Competition to Invasive Plant Infiltration

5th PLACE: Andrew Taylor, Newtown High School, Sandy Hook, CT
Project: The Stimulation, Fabrication and Testing of Novel Metamaterial at a Near-Infrared Frequency

2007 Connecticut Invention Convention
Amity Regional Middle School, Bethany, CT: Jack Dunleavy
Home-Schooled, Woodstock, CT: Elizabeth DeShaw
Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School: Sterlin Feeney
Our Lady of the Assumption School, Fairfield, CT: Theresa Bartomioli and Christopher Costa
Mystic Middle School, Mystic, CT: Thomas Riordan
Newtown Middle School, Newtown, CT: Austin Fuori
Torrington Middle School, Torrington, CT: Nicholas Chiravolo; Rosemarie Day; Christine Keywan; Destiny Lopez; Ryan Nivolo; Tyler Reiff; Nicholas Roberts; Morgan Thulin

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

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May 22, 2007

Dr. Robert D. Ballard, President, Institute for Exploration, Mystic, CT will present a keynote address at the 32nd Annual Meeting and Dinner of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering on May 22, 2007 at the Hilton Mystic Hotel in Mystic, Connecticut. His talk will focus on his most recent work in deep water archaeology and the use of tele-presence technology in the Nation’s new Ocean Exploration program.

The event will be attended by over 250 members of the Academy, invited guests, and winners of 2007 statewide science competitions. The H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence, created by the Academy and sponsored by Gerber Scientific, Inc., will be awarded to the two first place winners of the 2007 Connecticut Science Fair and the first place winner of the 2007 Connecticut Science Challenge.

One of the world’s most accomplished deep-sea explorers, Dr. Ballard is best known for his historic discovery of the RMS Titanic. During his long career, he has conducted more than a hundred deep-sea expeditions dealing with both the natural and human history beneath the sea. He is the author of bestselling books on his discovery of the Titanic and the Bismarck, and the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Explorer’s Club’s Explorer’s Medal, the National Geographic Society’s Hubbard Medal, the Lindbergh Award, the Newcomb Cleveland Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Humanities Medal. He is an explorer-in-residence for the National Geographic Society, president of the Institute for Exploration, director of the newly created Institute for Archaeological Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, and founder of the JASON Project, an award-winning educational program that reaches more than 1.7 million students and 38,000 teachers annually.

Dr. Ballard is now using advanced technology to create a new field of research in deep water archaeology. At the Institute for Exploration’s Challenge of the Deep with its Immersion Program, as well as with his JASON Project, he hopes to inspire young people to pursue learning in science, math, and technology through exploration and discovery. This summer, he will be using satellite and internet technologies to bring thousands of students around the world into direct contact with his team while it is on location in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea.

Dr. Robert D. Ballard is a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

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The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was chartered by the General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well being. For more information about the Academy, please see www.ctcase.org.

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May 18, 2007

Hartford, CT — Three outstanding young Connecticut scientists will be awarded the newly established H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence at the 32nd Annual Meeting and Dinner of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering on May 22, 2007, at the Hilton Mystic Hotel in Mystic, Connecticut.

The award, created by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering with the sponsorship of Gerber Scientific, Inc., is in recognition of 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.

As an inventor and as founder, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board and President for Gerber Scientific, Inc., Mr. Gerber was a leader for nearly half a century in inventing and producing factory automation equipment designed to solve global manufacturing problems. An elected member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, Mr. Gerber received the National Medal of Technology in 1994 followed by the Connecticut Medal of Technology in 1995.

The recipients of this year’s H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence are 2007 Connecticut Science Fair winners Russell L. Slater (1st Place, Life Sciences – Senior Division) and George J. Hansel (1st Place, Physical Sciences – Senior Division) both of Greenwich High School in Greenwich, CT, and the 2007 Connecticut Science Challenge winner Miles C. Lubin of Staples High School in Westport, CT (1st Place).

Slater’s winning Science Fair entry was entitled “Medicated Hydrophillic Wound Dressings” and Hansel’s award was for his project on “New Techniques in Fluorescence Microscopy.” Lubin, the winner of the Connecticut Science Challenge, and also a Semi-finalist in the National Intel Science Talent Search, won for his project on “A Parametric Statistics-based Heuristic for Finding the Nearest Neighbor in Metric Space”

Gerber Scientific is the world’s leading supplier of sophisticated automated manufacturing systems for sign making and specialty graphics, apparel and flexible materials, and ophthalmic lens processing. Headquartered in South Windsor, Connecticut, the company operates through four businesses: Gerber Scientific Products, Spandex Ltd., Gerber Technology, and Gerber Coburn.

###

The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was chartered by the General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well being. For more information about the Academy, please see www.ctcase.org.

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May 18, 2007

Hartford, CT — The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering announces the election of twenty-six of Connecticut’s leading experts in science, engineering and technology to membership in the Academy. The newly elected members will be introduced at the Academy’s 32nd Annual Meeting and Dinner on May 22, 2007, at the Hilton Mystic Hotel, Mystic, Connecticut.

The twenty-six newly elected members are:
Luke Achenie, PhD, Professor of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Connecticut; Judith Auslander, PhD, Senior Fellow & Member of The Technical Ladder, Pitney Bowes; Rajeev Bansal, PhD, Professor and Associate Head of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut; Gene Banucci, PhD, Founder & Chairman of the Board, ATMI, Inc.; Kim Bottomly, PhD, Professor of Immunobiology & Deputy Provost for Science, Technology, and Faculty Development, Yale University School of Medicine; Ann Bucklin, PhD, Head, Department of Marine Sciences & Director of the Marine Sciences and Technology Center, University of Connecticut; Ernesto Canalis, MD, Director of Research, St. Francis Hospital & Professor of Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut; Sten Caspersson, Fellow Engineer; Project Manager, High Temperature Nuclear Power Reactors, Westinghouse Electric Company; Paul Cleary, PhD, C-E A. Winslow Professor and Chair of Epidemiology and Public Health, Chair, Department & Dean, Yale University School of Public Health; Hans Dam, PhD, Professor, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut; Steven Demurjian, PhD, Professor and Associate Department Head, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Connecticut; Menachem Elimelech, PhD, Roberto C. Goizueta Professor of Environmental & Chemical Engineering, and Chairman, Department of Chemical Engineering & Director of The Environmental Engineering Program, Yale University; Steven Girvin, PhD, Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics & Applied Physics, Yale University; Laura Grabel, PhD, Fisk Professor of Natural Sciences, Wesleyan University; Michael Hartnett, PhD, President & CEO, Roller Bearing Company of America; Eric Jordan, PhD, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut; Karl Kissa, PhD, Senior Optical Engineer, JDSU Corporation; Charles Kling, PhD, Consulting Engineer, Westinghouse Electric Company; Marc Lalande, PhD, Chair, Department Of Genetics & Developmental Biology; Associate Dean for Research Planning and Coordination, University of Connecticut Health Center, School of Medicine; Haifan Lin, PhD, Professor of Cell Biology and Director, Yale Stem Cell Program, Yale University School of Medicine; Nejat Olgac, PhD, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut; Sara Rockwell, PhD, Professor, Departments of Therapeutic Radiology and Pharmacology, and Director, Office of Scientific Affairs, Yale University School of Medicine; David Rowe, MD, Director, Center For Regenerative & Skeletal Biology, and Professor, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Biomaterials & Skeletal Development, School of Dental Medicine, and Professor, Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center; George Wisner, President, Wisner Associates; Megan Urry, PhD, Israel Munson Professor of Physics & Astronomy, and Chairperson, Department of Physics, Yale University; Quing Zhu, PhD, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of Connecticut

Election to the Academy is on the basis of scientific and engineering distinction achieved through significant contributions in theory or applications, as demonstrated by original published books and papers, patents, the pioneering of new and developing fields and innovative products, outstanding leadership of nationally recognized technical teams, and external professional awards in recognition of scientific and engineering excellence. By statute, the Academy’s membership is limited to 250 individuals.

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The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was chartered by the General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well being. For more information about the Academy, please see www.ctcase.org.

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