Author: RMcase2021

News Release

April 5, 2022

East Hartford – Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering will hold its 47th Annual Meeting virtually on Thursday, May 26, 2022, from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm.

To join us in celebrating science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine talent in our state, register today at https://registration.caseannualmeeting.org/

 

PROGRAM

6:30 p.m. – Reception
Meet middle and high school awardees

7:00 p.m. – Meeting
Welcoming Remarks: Christine Broadbridge, President
Agenda: John Kadow, Vice President/President-Elect
2022 New Members and Honorary Member
Sponsor Recognition
Bestowing of 2022 CT Medal of Technology

Keynote Address
“Why Science? Motivation for the Ages”
Craig Crews, John C. Malone Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University

8:30 p.m. 
Adjourn to Explore the Annual Meeting Website
2022 New Members of the Academy
2022 CT Medal of Technology
Honorary Member:  Dawn Hocevar, BioCT
CASE Science and Technology Policy Fellowship

Connecticut Student Science & Engineering Competitions
Connecticut Invention Convention
Connecticut Junior Science & Humanities Symposium
Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair

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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.

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February 21, 2022

East Hartford, CT —The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) announces the election of 35 of Connecticut’s leading experts in science, engineering, mathematics, medicine, and technology to membership in the Academy. The new members will be introduced at the Academy’s 47th Annual Meeting to be held virtually on May 26, 2022.

The 35 newly elected members are:

  • Hisham Alnajjar, Dean, College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture; Director, Engineering Application Center; University of Hartford
  • Mostafa Analoui, Executive Director, Technology Commercialization Services, UConn
  • Ibrahim Baggili, Elder Family Endowed Chair and Director Connecticut Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science, University of New Haven
  • Anton M. Bennett, Dorys McConnell Duberg Professor of Pharmacology and Professor of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine
  • Tania Bhatia-Kashyap, Director, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, Applied Research and Technology, Collins Aerospace
  • Daniel Bolnick, Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UConn
  • Kristen Brennand, Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
  • Susan Busch, Professor of Public Health (Health Policy and Management) and Professor in the Institution for Social and Policy Studies, Yale School of Public Health
  • Lieping Chen, United Technologies Corporation Professor in Cancer Research, Professor of Immunobiology, Medicine (Medical Oncology) and Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine
  • Ted Cohen, Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases); Co-director, Public Health Modeling Concentration, Yale School of Public Health
  • Cindy A. Crusto, Professor of Psychiatry; Deputy Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Yale School of Medicine
  • Vishwa D. Dixit, Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Comparative Medicine and Immunology, Yale School of Medicine
  • Julie Dorsey, Frederick W. Beinecke Professor of Computer Science, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science
  • Michael Fischer, Professor of Computer Science, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science
  • Joel E. Gelernter, Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Genetics and of Neuroscience; Director, Division of Human Genetics (Psychiatry), Yale School of Medicine
  • Valentina Greco, Carolyn Walch Slayman Professor of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine
  • Ofer Harel, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Affairs; Professor of Statistics, UConn
  • Rainer Hebert, Professor; Director of Pratt & Whitney Additive Manufacturing Center, Associate Director of the Institute of Materials Science, UConn School of Engineering
  • Amy Justice, CNH Long Professor of Medicine and Public Health, Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine
  • Barbara I. Kazmierczak, Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation M.D.-Ph.D. Program Director and Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine
  • Stephen King, Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health
  • Sangamesh G. Kumbar, Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery, Biomedical Engineering, UConn Health
  • Michael Loewenberg, Professor of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Technology
  • Pedro J.P. Mendes, Professor of Cell Biology and Director, Richard D. Berlin Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, UConn School of Medicine
  • Mu-Ping Nieh, Professor, Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UConn School of Engineering and Institute of Materials Science, UConn
  • Marcella Nunez-Smith, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Public Health, and Management; Inaugural Associate Dean for Health Equity Research; Founding Director of the Equity Research and Innovation Center (ERIC), Yale School of Medicine
  • Saad B. Omer, Director, Yale Institute for Global Health; Associate Dean (Global Health Research), Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Yale School of Medicine; Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health
  • Vineet Sahasrabudhe, Director, Engineering Sciences and Systems Engineering, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company
  • Brian R. Smith, Professor of Laboratory Medicine, of Biomedical Engineering, of Medicine (Hematology) and of Pediatrics; Deputy Dean for Clinical and Translational Research, Yale School of Medicine
  • Francis Starr, Foss Professor of Physics, Wesleyan University
  • Yajaira Suárez, Deputy Chair and Anthony N. Brady Associate Professor of Comparative Medicine (with Tenure), Yale School of Medicine
  • Carolyn Teschke, Professor and Interim Department Head, Molecular and Cell Biology, and Chemistry, UConn
  • Mark C. Urban, Arden Professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Director, Center of Biological Risk; Director, Team-TERRA; Co-leader, UConn@COP, UConn
  • Epapandi Vlahos, Professor, Marine Sciences, UConn
  • David L. Wagner, Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UConn

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Election to CASE 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. CASE was chartered by the Connecticut 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.

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February 10, 2022

In 2022, the Connecticut Medal of Technology, Connecticut’s highest honor for technological achievement in fields crucial to Connecticut’s economic competitiveness, will be awarded.

This Medal recognizes an individual, a team, a company/non-profit, or a division of a company/non-profit for outstanding contributions to the economic, environmental, and social well-being of Connecticut and the nation through the promotion of technology, technological innovation, or the development of the technological workforce.

Two medals will be awarded in 2022, with one medal awarded to an individual and one medal to a team, company/non-profit, or divisions of companies/non-profits.

Modeled after the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the award is bestowed in alternate years with the Connecticut Medal of Science.

 

Nominations are due via email March 14, 2022 – 4:00 p.m. EDT

 

2022 Call For Nominations (nomination criteria, instructions)
2022 CT Medal Nomination Form

 

Please refer all questions regarding the Medals and application process to:

Terri Clark, Executive Director
Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
office:  860-282-4229
cell:  860-754-8191 (preferred)
tclark@ctcase.org

 

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February 9, 2022

East Hartford, CT — The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) is pleased to announce a $432,801 grant award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation that will support an expansion of CASE’s Science and Technology Fellowship Program in Connecticut. The fellowship program provides opportunities for scientists and engineers to engage with and support policymakers as they navigate increasingly complex policy issues in their public service to the state and its residents. Additionally, the program supports scientists and engineers during their fellowship with hands-on learning aimed at improving their ability to effectively communicate with policymakers and the public, ultimately leading to the goal of increasing the pipeline of scientists and engineers with public policy experience.

In 2017, CASE was one of nine states that received planning grants from the California Council for Science and Technology, with support from the Moore Foundation and the Simons Foundation. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) provided the first opportunity to place a CASE Science and Technology Policy Fellow. Following a competitive selection process, Dr. Anna Hagstrom, a recent graduate from Yale University with a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, served as CASE’s inaugural fellow, with her fellowship focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and emerging contaminants. Betsey Wingfield, DEEP’s Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Quality, shared that Dr. Hagstrom’s fellowship provided DEEP with the advantage of a skilled and talented resource on-site. And Betsey “loved the fact that we are working to integrate science and policy – and helping to develop the next generation of environmental leaders.” CASE is currently in the selection process for the next fellowship focused on Building Decarbonization.

“The Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program aligns with CASE’s mission to provide advice on issues of science and technology in public policy that affect the social and economic well-being of the people and the state of Connecticut,” CASE President Christine Caragianis Broadbridge said. “We are grateful to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for their support, which will expand the program and assist CASE to leverage the support to raise additional resources that will sustain the program.”

See more about the Moore Foundation by visiting Moore.org and follow the foundation @MooreFound. Learn more about the CASE Fellowship program and follow the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering page on LinkedIn.

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The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation fosters path-breaking scientific discovery, environmental conservation, patient care improvements, and preservation of the special character of the Bay Area.

The Connecticut Academy of Science & 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.

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January 19, 2022

Sten H. Vermund Elected Vice President of the Connecticut Academy of Science & EngineeringEast Hartford, CT — Sten H. Vermund, MD, PhD, Anna M.R. Lauder Professor of Public Health and Dean, Yale School of Public Health and Professor of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, has been elected Vice President/President-Elect of the Academy. Dean Vermund will serve as Vice President beginning July 1, 2022, as President July 1, 2024, and Immediate Past President July 1, 2026, completing his six-year term June 30, 2028.

“As a member, I am honored to continue working, now as an officer, with such a distinguished and dedicated group of scientists and engineers from the state’s academic, industrial, and public sector communities,” said Dr. Vermund. “A goal is for the Academy to be as useful as possible to its membership, our STEM students, and to the people and government of the state of Connecticut. CASE is a rare resource, almost unique across U.S. states and territories.”

CASE President Christine Caragianis Broadbridge shared her congratulations on behalf of the membership and that, “Dean Vermund’s leadership will ensure the Academy continues well into the future the celebration of our state’s rich and diverse science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medical talent, and our commitment to informing about and promoting science and engineering for the benefit of the state.”

Dr. Vermund has served as Dean of the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) since 2017; his tenure ends in mid-2022. He is a pediatrician and infectious disease epidemiologist focused on diseases of low- and middle-income countries, and on health disparities in the U.S.

Following his human biology undergraduate studies at Stanford University, Dr. Vermund received his M.D. from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and his pediatrics training at Columbia’s Babies Hospital. He then completed a master’s degree at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a diploma from the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene, a Mellon Foundation fellowship in clinical epidemiology at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, and M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in epidemiology from Columbia University.

Dr. Vermund is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the AAAS. He has been recognized with the NIAID/NIH/PHS/DHHS Meritorious Service Award, the DHHS Public Health Service Superior Service Award, the Richardson Award for Perinatal and Pediatric Health Care Research, the Velji Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence in Global Health, the Rosenfield Alumni Award for Excellence in Public Health from Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, among others. He serves on multiple editorial boards including the Journal of the International AIDS Society, Current HIV/AIDS Reports, Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, PLOS ONE, Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

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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.

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December 13, 2021

Dawn Hocevar, Honorary Member, CTCASEEast Hartford, CT — The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering elected Dawn Hocevar, President and Chief Executive Officer, BioCT, an Honorary Member of the Academy. Ms. Hocevar will be recognized at the Academy’s 47th Annual Meeting in May 2022. The Academy’s Governing Council voted to name Dawn an honorary member in recognition of her efforts in support of the Academy’s mission to advise on issues of science and technology that affect the economic and social well-being of the people and the state of Connecticut.

As BioCT’s President and CEO, Ms. Hocevar is a leader for the state of Connecticut’s bioscience industry, including her contributions in strategic planning and the development of partnerships and collaborations critical to the industry’s growth. At BioCT she has been a catalyst, building collaborations with industry, academia, and government. In 2017 Dawn worked with Catherine Smith, who was serving at that time as the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, and the legislature to create a bill requiring the life science industry key stakeholders to develop the state’s ten-year strategic plan to guide investment in the Connecticut bioscience industry. Under Dawn’s leadership, BioCT has become an integral part of the life science industry ecosystem in Connecticut.

BioCT’s mission is to catalyze and accelerate growth in the life sciences with the goal of improving human health, by fostering a rich, innovative ecosystem and promoting Connecticut as a preferred destination for life science exploration and innovation. BioCT is the voice of the life science industry in our state’s capitol and at the federal level.

Dawn sits on the board of the Council of State Bioscience Association (CSBA), affiliated with the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). Prior to BioCT, Dawn served as Women in Bio’s Program Committee Vice-Chair (2011 – 2012), National Chair of Programs and Development (2012 – 2015), and later as the organization’s president and board chair (2017). She spent 20 years at Thermo Fisher Scientific, followed by 10 years at BioSurplus, where she steadily rose in leadership positions within the company until last serving as Vice President for National Business Development.

Honors awarded Dawn in Connecticut include the New Haven BIZ Power Class of 2020 and the Power 25 Class of 2021. Volunteer activities include Junior Achievement and Chair of Fundraising for The San Francisco School. Ms. Hocevar has a BS in Biology and Chemistry from San Jose State University.

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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.

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September 1, 2021

CASE FELLOWSHIP ON BUILDING DECARBONIZATION FOR THE BUREAU OF ENERGY AND
TECHNOLOGY POLICY, CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Rocky Hill, CT – The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) is accepting applications for a Two-Year Science and Technology Policy Fellowship for Building Decarbonization for the Bureau of Energy and Technology Policy, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Hartford, Connecticut, to begin between November 2021 and December 2021. Eligible candidates must have a Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree — or for engineers, a masters in engineering with a minimum of three years of professional experience — in an environmental and/or energy science-related discipline with a focus on building electrification and/or climate solutions; knowledge of net-zero strategies for building decarbonization; experience working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders from the public and private sectors; word processing, spreadsheet, database management skills required; and excellent research, interpersonal and communication skills. Ph.D. candidates will be considered if completion of their Ph.D. is imminent (see the FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION and FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS for more information).

This is an opportunity for a scientist/engineer to engage at the nexus of research and policy on a significant energy and technology policy issue.

 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 19, 2021, at 5:00 pm EST

*MIDPOINT REVIEW: Applications received by Oct. 8, 2021 (5:00 pm EDT), will be reviewed by the CASE Fellowship Selection Committee. If a Fellow is selected from this pool of applicants, the CALL FOR APPLICATIONS will be closed prior to the November 19, 2021 Deadline. Changes to the Deadline can be viewed/verified via the following:

 

APPLICATION AND RELEVANT INFORMATION

 

This Fellowship is an opportunity to transform a researcher’s professional path. Some researchers who have completed Fellowships opt to remain in public service, while others return to academia, nonprofits, or industry with a deeper understanding of how science informs policymaking, enhancing their career as researchers, professors, consultants, and leaders from professional organizations, business, and industry.

CASE seeks to identify a diverse pool of candidates, including broad representation from individuals at different career stages, gender, age, race/ethnicity, physical ability, geographic location, and institutional affiliation.

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The Academy is a non-profit institution patterned after the National Academy of Sciences to identify and study issues and technological advancements that are or should be of concern to the state of Connecticut. It was founded in 1976 by a Special Act of the Connecticut General Assembly. For more information about the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering please visit our website at: www.ctcase.org

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May 28, 2021

East Hartford, CT — Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz joined virtually with representatives from Sikorsky to present the company with the 2020 Connecticut Medal of Technology at the 46th Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) Annual Meeting. The medal was awarded for Sikorsky’s X2 Technology™, a generational leap in rotary-wing innovation that enables helicopters to complete tasks traditional helicopters can’t do today. X2 Technology consists of an integrated package of technologies that make X2 aircraft faster, more agile, and more maneuverable than other helicopters.

Participants joining the Lt. Governor in the presentation included Mike Ambrose, Vice President of Engineering and Technology at Sikorsky, and Francis Preli, Vice President, Propulsion & Materials Technologies, Pratt & Whitney, as an immediate past recipient of the medal.

Sikorsky has been a leader in aviation and innovation ever since Igor Sikorsky founded Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation in 1923. Sikorsky helicopters have transported every U.S. president since 1957 and have also fulfilled aviation needs across all branches of the military. In 2004, engineers started work on X2 Technology to overcome the speed and stability limitations of prior helicopters. In 2010, Sikorsky’s X2 Technology Demonstrator reached speeds of 250 knots. Before its final flight, the program was honored with a prestigious Collier Award, which recognizes the greatest achievements in aeronautics or astronautics in America. The X2 Technology Demonstrator is now part of the collection at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

The company’s work then shifted to address the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift needs. Sikorsky’s newest designs, RAIDER X® and the Sikorsky-Boeing DEFIANT X™ are based on X2 Technology and will contend for the Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program and the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program, respectively. The evolution of X2 Technology through each phase of design and flight test has proven the scalability of this game-changing technology. Sikorsky has invested in – and proven – X2 Technology to illustrate its commitment to developing future capabilities that are achievable and affordable – for both military and commercial organizations.

Sikorsky’s engineering and manufacturing expertise is a significant economic force in the state, with currently 8,400 CT-based employees. X2 Technology will directly benefit the state’s economy.

“Connecticut is proud to award the 2020 Connecticut Medal of Technology to Sikorsky,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “Connecticut is home to the nation’s most innovative and talented aerospace and defense manufacturers and suppliers— and companies like Sikorsky keep us competitive by continuously providing exciting new opportunities for top engineering and science graduates from our state’s colleges and universities. Sikorsky is to be congratulated for their ongoing innovations and commitment to the state of Connecticut and our workforce.”

“Ten years ago we set out to build on Sikorsky’s legacy and design a helicopter that would fly at twice the speeds of a traditional rotorcraft,” said Paul Lemmo, Sikorsky President. “Our bright and innovative engineers accomplished that goal with X2 Technology™. I recently witnessed the proven speed and maneuverability of X2 Technology during an S-97 RAIDER® flight demonstration at Redstone Arsenal, and I’m proud of our team’s continued advancements in vertical flight.”

The Connecticut Medal of Technology is awarded to individuals, teams, and companies/non-profits or divisions of companies/non-profits for their outstanding contributions to the economic, environmental, and social well-being of Connecticut and the nation through the promotion of technology, technological innovation, or the development of the technological workforce. By highlighting the importance of technological innovation, the Medal also seeks to inspire future generations to prepare for and pursue technical careers to keep Connecticut and the nation at the forefront of global technology and economic leadership. Modeled after the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, this award is bestowed by the state of Connecticut, with the assistance of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, in alternate years with the Connecticut Medal of Science. Visit the CASE Medals Page to see a list of past awardees.

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services.

 

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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 26, 2021

East Hartford, CT — Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz will present the 2020 Connecticut Medal of Technology to Mike Ambrose, Vice President of Engineering and Technology at Sikorsky, and the 2021 Connecticut Medal of Science to Nancy H. Ruddle, John Rodman Paul Professor Emerita, Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases and Immunobiology, Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine. Mr. Ambrose and Professor Ruddle will be present virtually to accept the medals at the 46th Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) Annual Meeting, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Thursday, May 27, 2021. To register for the meeting: https://registration.caseannualmeeting.org/.

Sikorsky was selected as the state’s 2020 technology medalist for its X2 Technology™, a generational leap in rotary wing innovation that enables helicopters to complete tasks traditional helicopters can’t today. X2 Technology consists of an integrated package of technologies that make X2 aircraft faster, more agile and more maneuverable than other helicopters.

Sikorsky has been a leader in aviation and innovation ever since Igor Sikorsky founded Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation in 1923. Sikorsky helicopters have transported every U.S. president since 1957 and have also fulfilled aviation needs across all branches of the military. In 2004, engineers started work on X2 Technology™ to overcome speed and stability limitations of prior helicopters. These limits drove Sikorsky engineers to completely rethink the typical design of a helicopter.

The company’s work then shifted to address the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift needs. Sikorsky’s newest designs, RAIDER X® and the Sikorsky-Boeing DEFIANT X™ are based on X2 Technology and will contend for the Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program and the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program, respectively.

Sikorsky’s engineering and manufacturing expertise is a significant economic force in the state, with currently 8,400 CT-based employees. In addition to X2 Technology’s importance to our military services, Sikorsky’s fielding of the technology will directly benefit the state’s economy.

“Connecticut is proud to award the 2020 Connecticut Medal of Technology to Sikorsky,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “Connecticut is home to the nation’s most innovative and talented aerospace and defense manufacturers and suppliers— and companies like Sikorsky keep us competitive by continuously providing exciting new opportunities for top engineering and science graduates from our state’s colleges and universities. Sikorsky is to be congratulated for their ongoing innovations and commitment to the state of Connecticut and our workforce.”

Professor Nancy H. Ruddle was selected as the state’s 2021 science medalist as a pioneering immunologist who discovered lymphotoxin, an immune signaling molecule or cytokine and demonstrated its roles and mechanisms in cytotoxicity, autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes, and in lymph node development. Her work was fundamental to the understanding of tertiary lymphoid organs, accumulations of lymphoid cells that are damaging in autoimmunity, but can be key to defense against microorganisms and tumors.

Her discoveries have profound implications for the understanding and treating of autoimmune diseases, organ transplantation, and cancer. Before the tools of molecular biology were available, she developed T cell clones and realized that the cytotoxic factor she discovered was a combination of the cytokines lymphotoxin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Lymphotoxin was one of the first cytokines to be discovered; now there are hundreds. Her findings that cytokines can induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) and contribute to autoimmune diseases changed thinking in the field.

“Connecticut has a rich history of being home to some of the nation’s leading scientists who are making revolutionary discoveries that have global impacts,” Governor Ned Lamont said. “Our state’s scientific community reflects our legacy of research and innovation. Professor Ruddle’s paradigm-shifting contributions to our understanding of the immune system, and infectious and autoimmune diseases is a shining example. On behalf of the entire state, I want to thank Professor Ruddle for her more than 50-year career — all of which has been spent in Connecticut — and congratulate her on receiving Connecticut’s highest honor for scientific achievement.”

The Connecticut Medal of Technology is the state’s honor awarded to individuals, teams, and companies/non-profits or divisions of companies/non-profits for their outstanding contributions to the economic, environmental and social well-being of Connecticut and the nation through the promotion of technology, technological innovation, or the development of the technological workforce. The award is modeled after the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

Modeled after the National Medal of Science, the Connecticut Medal of Science is the state’s highest honor for scientific achievement in fields crucial to Connecticut’s economic competitiveness and social well-being.

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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 24, 2021

East Hartford, CT – Connecticut’s most talented young scientists and engineers will be honored by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) at its 46th Annual Meeting, to be held virtually on Thursday, May 27, 2021, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Students from this year’s Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair, Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, and Connecticut Invention Convention received CASE awards and will be recognized as part of the meeting.

The H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence and Award of Excellence, established by CASE, will be awarded to the top winners of the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair, and the fair’s Urban School Challenge Program. The awards were 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.

This year’s keynote address will be delivered by CASE Member Radenka Maric, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship from the University of Connecticut. Additionally, thirty-two newly elected 2021 members of the Academy will be recognized at the event, along with the thirty-six members elected in 2020. And the state of Connecticut’s Honorable Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz will participate in the ceremony to bestow Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, with the 2020 Connecticut Medal of Technology and Nancy H. Ruddle, John Rodman Paul Professor Emerita, Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases and Immunobiology, Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, with the 2021 Connecticut Medal of Science.

Student winners to be honored are:

The 2021 H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence

Ambika Grover, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT

2021 Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair – 1st Place, Life Sciences-Senior Division; Project: Rapid, Noninvasive, Fluorescence-Based Detection for Elevated Levels of Nitric Oxide in Exhaled Breath, As a Marker for Hazardous PM2.5 Exposure

Autumn Kim, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT

2021 Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair – 1st Place, Physical Sciences-Senior Division; Project: Design of a Fe304/Bentonite/Graphite Coated Polyurethane Sponge for Economical and Eco-Friendly Oil Spill Recovery

2021 H. Joseph Gerber Award of Excellence

Clayton Nyiri, Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Center, Bridgeport, CT

2021 Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair – Urban School Challenge High School Winner; Project: The Social Interactions and Learning Abilities Between Dogfish, Observed Using Two Different Methods of Target Training

2021 Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair – Middle School Winner, Urban School Challenge

Snigtha Mohanraj, Engineering and Science University Magnet School, West Haven, CT; Project: Implementation of Metal-Oxide-Induced Agglomeration and Electromagnetic Filtration for Removal of Microplastics

2021 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

1ST Place: Ambika Grover, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT; Project: Rapid, Noninvasive, Fluorescence-Based Detection for Elevated Levels of Nitric Oxide in Exhaled Breath, As a Marker for Hazardous PM2.5 Exposure

2ND Place: Alexa Nakanishi, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT; Project: Multi Component Fixation Tracking in Gaze Interaction for Rapid, Non-Invasive Diagnosis of Specific Learning Disorders

3RD Place: Kenneth Choi, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield, CT; Project: Constructing General Hamiltonian Ground States on a Quantum Computer Using the Projected Cooling Sensor Algorithm

4TH Place: William Bernfeld, King School, Stamford, CT; Project: Non-Canonical Base Pairing in Self-Assembling DNA Crystals

5TH Place: Sofia Pronina, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT; Project: Rapid, Low-Cost, Visual Lyme Disease Diagnosis via Lab-on-Chip, Chemiluminescent Detection of Borrelia-Induced Antibodies

2021 Connecticut Invention Convention CASE Awardees

  • Emily Leszczynsk, Ashford School
  • Gretchen Kelly, Stafford Middle School
  • Jason Merchant, Southbury Family Tutorial Co-op
  • Jeneika Lugg, Jumoke Academy
  • Jordan Collie, East Granby Middle School
  • Julia Basseto, Assumption Catholic School
  • Lora Piper, Lisbon Central School
  • Nilan Kathir, St. Bridget School
  • Olivia Orthmann, Putnam Middle School
  • Ravindu Karunaratne, Hamden Hall Country Day School
  • Samuel Brittin, Southbury Family Tutorial Co-op
  • Sia Reddy, Talcott Mountain Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology
  • Snigtha, Mohanraj, Engineering and Science University Magnet School
  • Suchita Srinivasan, Dodd Middle School
  • Vaughn Coombs, Tolland Middle School

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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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