of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering

Celebrate, Promote, Inform in Service to CT

Volume 39, 6 /  December 2024

This is the final note of my abbreviated tenure at the helm of CASE. My new position at the University of South Florida in Tampa, starting in the new year, means that Professor Amy Howell of UConn takes on her mantle early. I thank her most sincerely.

CASE is an institutional gem, a multidisciplinary organization that seeks to enhance and support STEMM in our state: education, research, and policy. Drawing on the collective capacity of theoretical and applied scientists from all backgrounds, we offer our services to our state to assist with the tremendous challenges we face. How might the state reopen safely after COVID-19 lockdowns? What are the challenges and benefits to Connecticut businesses seeking to use artificial intelligence? What climatological challenges do we face with planetary warming? What effects would a long tunnel for a Boston-Hartford-New Haven-NYC fast train have on the L.I. Sound? These are just a few of the questions that we have researched and reported on -- or could research -- for our state.

Nurturing STEMM for our K-12 students, working closely with the state legislature on key issues, and recognizing our leaders in science and engineering with CASE awards are vital elements of our mission. We want to do so much more. The revitalization of our Technical Boards is well underway, and the group leaders are now networked into a new action committee headed by CASE Member Ken Rosen. CASE’s 50^th-anniversary annual meeting and dinner are in the planning stages; interested parties can contact our new Executive Director, Jeff Orszak, with any suggestions on this significant event in our history. The growing interest of the state legislature suggests new studies are in the offing. Our organization is fiscally sound, and our fearless leader, Terri Clark, will work closely with her successor, Jeff, to prepare for the next 50 years. (We all owe Terri a debt we can only repay with our deepest thanks.) CASE must articulate the need for capable technical input as our state and country face increasingly complex STEMM-related issues and thus continue the Academy’s service to the people and the state of Connecticut.

I urge the state to continue to engage CASE. As Connecticut is a noted destination for STEMM education, discovery science, and applied engineering, CASE serves as a vehicle to further elevate Connecticut’s leadership in these critical areas.

Sten Vermond, President
CT Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE)
Celebrate, Promote, Inform in Service to CT

Comments about this edition of the Bulletin are welcome via jorszak@ctcase.org.

To learn more about the
Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, please visit ctcase.org.

Science and Engineering Notes from Around Connecticut

The UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Farm Credit East, and the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis recently released an economic impact report that showcases the contributions of the state’s agricultural sector, including 31,000 jobs and $4B to the state’s economy. Despite challenges posed by climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, the agriculture sector continues to grow. Read more.

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture released Farm Transition Grant program guidance for 2025. Funding priorities include projects that increase the availability of livestock processing facilities and utilization of equipment specific to climate-smart, sustainable agricultural practices. Connecticut farmers and agricultural cooperatives are encouraged to apply – applications for grants up to $49K are due no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday, January 10, 2025. Read more.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program awarded $300M in 2023 to 50 projects nationwide to increase the number of farmers that identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). The Connecticut Department of Agriculture is receiving a $2.5M award from the program. Read more.

CASE Member Yupeng Chen, biomedical researcher and associate professor of engineering at the UConn School of Engineering, has received a $1.5M National Institute of Health grant to study the impact of manipulating Messenger RNA (mRNA) and effective biomedicine delivery methods for therapeutic and regenerative treatments for people with arthritis, cancer, tumors, and neurological diseases. Read more.

The BioCT Legislative Breakfast will be held on January 27th in New Haven, focusing this year on the future of the life sciences industry in Connecticut. It is estimated that 250+ industry leaders, legislators, and stakeholders will attend to discuss opportunities and challenges of biotechnology and healthcare in the state. More information and registration: https://lu.ma/jujc3ipw 

CASE Member Kevin Sheth, director of the Center for Brain and Mind Health at Yale University, found in a recent study he co-authored that each five-point increase in a brain care score was associated with a 33% lower risk of late-life depression and a 27% lower composite risk of dementia, stroke, and depression. The study’s brain care score was derived from a 21-point quiz, with the results helping those participating in the study and others who can now take the quiz to understand the importance of daily habits such as sleep, diet, and exercise. Read more.

A new State Climate Policy Dashboard, operated by Climate Xchange, tracks 65+ policies across all 50 states and is the most comprehensive publicly available climate policy database. The platform compiles states’ progress across policy areas and identifies opportunities for new legislation. Read more.

Consider signing up for the Connecticut Data Collaborative monthly newsletter. The December 2024 issue includes an analysis of the state’s 2024 election results, a list of resources from the 2024 CTData Conference, and notice of a call for applications for the 2025 cohort of Hartford Youth Data Fellows (Applications due Jan. 10). To read more/sign-up: https://www.ctdata.org/

In May 2023, the National Science Foundation awarded QuantumCT a $1 million planning grant in its Regional Innovation Engines contest. Now QuantumCT is part of round two, which includes 71 teams competing to receive up to $160M. CASE Member Pamir Alpay, UConn’s vice president for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, said, “Being selected to advance is a significant step for QuantumCT and for the future of Connecticut’s innovation ecosystem.” Partners include UConn, Yale University, Connecticut Innovations, and the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. Read more.

Pratt & Whitney received a $1.31B contract from the US Navy to continue maturing its Engine Core Upgrade for the F-35 fighter’s F135 engine. If the program goes according to predictions, the first operational engine should fly in 2029. Read more.

A Connecticut Science Center exhibit celebrates the sixteen Connecticut-made products that were contenders for the Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut challenge, and after more than 115,000 votes were cast from August to October, General Dynamics Electric Boat’s Virginia-Class Submarine was announced as the first-ever Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut at the 2024 Manufacturing Summit. Read more.

JC Zhao, Dean of the UConn College of Engineering and a Member of the National Academy of Engineering announced the creation of the Connecticut Power Electronics Center of Excellence (CONPEX), furthering the College’s efforts to advance research and education in power electronics ranging from semiconductor materials to systems. CASE Member Ali Bazzi, the Madonna Professor in Power Engineering within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been named the director. Read more.

CASE Member Daniel Burkey, UConn associate dean for undergraduate education and diversity, was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Fellow is the highest grade of AIChE membership available and is granted only through election by the AIChE Board of Directors. Burkey was recognized for his leadership in engineering education, both in research and in service. Read more.

Snigtha Mohanraj, a senior at the Engineering and Science University Magnet School in Hamden and CASE podcast guest, was awarded the 2024 Youth Innovation and Leadership award at the 19th Annual Women of Innovation® Awards hosted by the CT Technology Council. CASE member Caroline Dealy, Associate Professor, Depts. of Orthodontics and Biomedical Engineering, School of Dental Medicine, was nominated for Academic Innovation and Leadership. Read more.

The publication of “Hydrogen Fueling Stations for Airports, in Both Gaseous and Liquid Form,” published by SAE International® and EUROCAE, serves as the first worldwide hydrogen station guidelines for the aerospace industry, defining performance targets and safety limits to enable hydrogen as an accessible fuel for various commercial aircraft, and marks a significant step forward for the aviation industry’s transition to hydrogen. Read more.

At the October UConn Forum, “Economic Engine of a Thriving Connecticut,” UConn President and CASE Member Radenka Maric presented a proclamation from Gov. Ned Lamont to Professor Emeritus and CASE Member Lee Langston, for his outstanding contributions to the field of engineering and contributions to the state. Langston’s career included being on the team that developed the fuel cells that powered Apollo 11 to the moon and the team that helped install the first solar panels at the White House during the Carter Administration. He joined the university in 1977 as a chemical engineering professor, serving as interim dean of the School of Engineering, and his work pioneered gas turbine technologies that are now used worldwide, including at UConn’s Cogeneration (CoGen) Central Utility Plant. Read more.

The New Haven Gateway Terminal received $34M from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fund the purchase and deployment of zero-emission cargo handling equipment with supporting charging infrastructure, with solar generation and energy storage infrastructure to power the mobile equipment. In addition, the Connecticut Port Authority at the New London Pier received $5M for green technology and to reduce emissions. Read more.

CASE Member Mark Urban, the Arden Chair of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UConn, has found that if greenhouse gas emissions are not slowed or stopped and global temperatures rise 5.4°C by the end of this century, up to a third of all species alive today could go extinct. Chain-reaction extinctions could occur, and some species groups, such as amphibians, are at much higher risk than others. Read more.

UConn has received a five-year $10M grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lead the Environmental Justice Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center (EJ-TCTAC). The center will help communities throughout New England as they face evolving environmental challenges. “With the EPA’s generous support, we are proud to extend our expertise and resourcefulness to support environmental justice throughout the cities, towns, and Tribes of New England,” said CASE Member Pamir Alpay, UConn Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. Read more.

As mosquitoes and mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue fever spread across the world, a key strategy to prevent these illnesses may be dissuading the insects from biting their victims in the first place. In a new study, Yale researchers, including CASE Member John Carlson, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, have shown how different neurons in mosquitoes encode tastes and how they influence biting, feeding, and egg-laying — and reveal new insights into why some humans might be more enticing to mosquitoes than others. Read more.

The UConn Indoor Air Quality Initiative received $11.5M in state support to deploy air filter technology to every public school classroom across the state. Although the do-it-yourself “Corsi-Rosenthal” devices are created simply with just $60 of hardware store materials, they have been shown to be more effective than commercial HEPA filters. In just 60 minutes of use, the filter effectively removes over 99% of airborne viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19. Read more.

CASE Member Mark Gurvich has earned the Lifetime Achievement in Innovation Award from the Connecticut Science Center. A Senior Technical Fellow at Collins Aerospace, Gurvich is a recognized structural analysis expert with over 100 issued and pending patents that address critical issues of aircraft and rotorcraft structures, including their innovative designs, manufacturing methods, and characterization approaches. Read more.

During a test at Sikorsky’s Stratford headquarters, a Black Hawk helicopter, controlled remotely via a tablet computer, demonstrated autonomous flight technology for fighting wildfires. After taking off, it was able to identify the location and size of a fire and accurately drop water to suppress the flames. “Wildland firefighters in the field could deploy helicopters to search and attack wildfires before they spread out of control,” said CASE Member Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations. Read more.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded Connecticut $291M for railroad improvements at five projects across the state. The grants, funded through the Northeast Corridor (NEC) Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program, will go towards track improvement, signal upgrades, mobility enhancements across the network, bridge replacement studies, and the Hartford Station relocation project. Read more.

During FY24, a record 32.8M people rode Amtrak – a 15 percent increase from the previous year – and ticket revenue increased 9 percent to $2.5B. Amtrak’s goal of doubling ridership to 66M by 2040 has been enhanced by route expansion, new train service, and major investments in infrastructure. Read more.

The Aerospace Supply Chain Resiliency Task Force of the US Department of Transportation recently released a report identifying and assessing risks to U.S. aerospace supply chains. The report identified and addressed four major risk categories that threaten the aerospace supply chain: workforce, critical resources, global interdependence, legislation, statutes, regulation, and policy. It also provides best practices and recommendations to mitigate those risks. Read more.

Items that appear in the In Brief section are compiled from previously
published sources including newspaper accounts and press releases.  

The following is excerpted from press releases and other news reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (nationalacademies.org).

The National Academies convened an expert committee to assess the current use of racial and ethnic categories in biomedical research, review existing guidance for researchers, and provide new guidance for future use. The resulting report outlines nine actionable recommendations and associated resources for advancing the responsible use of race and ethnicity, including how to decide whether to use race and ethnicity in different research contexts, characterize and disclose limitations of datasets that include racial and ethnic information, identify factors to investigate instead of or alongside race and ethnicity; include overlooked populations in analysis; and support sustained community engagement. Read more.

Ensuring every child is on an optimal trajectory to a healthy and productive adulthood is imperative for the nation's future. Investments in children and families improve child health, health equity, education outcomes, workforce productivity, and cost-effectiveness in public spending. Despite advances in health care, children, especially those from historically marginalized groups, face rising rates of chronic diseases, obesity, and mental health challenges. This publication presents a vision for transforming the child and adolescent healthcare system. It examines how the healthcare system can be better positioned to equitably address the needs of all children and families and leverage community support. Read more. 

Longer trains have more cars, possibly a greater variety of car types and sizes, and more requirements for power distributed across the train compared to shorter manifest trains. This report, from the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, examines the safety challenges arising from the operation of longer freight trains, particularly from the increased use of longer manifest trains that transport a mix of freight in many different types of railcars, and also examines issues such as the impact of increasing freight train length on the frequency and duration of blocked highway-rail grade crossings and the scheduling and efficient operations of Amtrak intercity passenger trains. Read more.

While more than half of all U.S. states have legalized cannabis for adult and/or medical use – including Connecticut – the public health consequences of cannabis policy changes have not been comprehensively evaluated. The National Academies was tasked with reviewing cannabis and cannabinoid availability in the U.S., assessing regulatory frameworks for the industry with an emphasis on equity, and describing the strengths and weaknesses of surveillance systems for cannabis. This report finds that there has been limited federal guidance to states regarding protecting public health, which has led to inconsistent protection across the states, and recommends a strategy to minimize public health harms through stronger federal leadership, a robust research agenda, and more. Read more. 

Our planet is facing many complex environmental challenges, including the loss of biodiversity and rapidly changing climate conditions, driven by intensifying human-nature interactions worldwide. New tools that study life at many scales have the potential to usher in a new era of continental-scale biology (CSB) in which researchers can combine data from various realms, addressing questions on biological processes and patterns. This report sets out a vision for the development of CSB and identifies the research areas that could most benefit from multi-scale approaches. Read more.

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people and people with variations in sex traits (VST) can experience serious health challenges and often have a greater burden of disability or greater morbidity from chronic disease compared with the general population. The National Academies convened a committee of experts to evaluate how contemporary conceptions of sex and gender in medicine and current clinical guidelines impact disability determinations. The resulting report offers conclusions in key areas, including the collection of data on sex and gender identity, disability considerations for the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Listings of Impairments (medical criteria that apply to the evaluation of disability) with sex-specific diagnostic criteria, inclusive language in disability Listings of Impairments, and guidance for adjudicators on assessing disability for TGD applicants and applicants with VSTs. Read more.

The purpose of the Academy is to "provide guidance to the people and the government of the State of Connecticut... in the application of science and engineering to the economic and social welfare." 

OFFICERS OF THE ACADEMY

Sten Vermund, President
Yale School of Public Health

Amy R. Howell, Vice President/President-Elect
University of Connecticut

Tanimu Deleon, Secretary
General Dynamics, Electric Boat

Regis Matzie, Treasurer
RAMatzie Nuclear Technology Consulting, LLC

John Kadow, Past President
Alphina Therapeutics

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Terri Clark

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DESIGNATE
Jeff Orszak

EDITORS
Leon Pintsov, Executive Editor - Engineering
Pitney Bowes, Inc. (ret.)

Mike Genel, Executive Editor - Medicine
Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics
Yale University School of Medicine
CASE President, 2008-2010

Carolyn Teschke, Executive Editor - Science
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
University of Connecticut

COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT
Rebecca Mead, INQ Creative

The Bulletin is published by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, Inc, 222 Pitkin Street, Suite 101, East Hartford, Connecticut, 06108. 860.282.4229, jorszak@ctcase.org. To subscribe, visit ctcase.org.

The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering is a private, nonprofit public service organization established by Special Act No. 76-53 of the Connecticut General Assembly.

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