of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering

Celebrate, Promote, Inform in Service to Connecticut

Volume 40, 4 /  August 2025

As summer draws to a close here in Connecticut, I hope this message finds you enjoying a well-earned pause – whether that means time with family, traveling, or time to recharge. At the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE), summer is a season for reflection and preparation – and this year, it has also been a time of deep concern.

Across the country, proposed federal budget reductions threaten to reshape the very landscape of scientific research. Cuts of roughly 40% for the NIH, 55% for the NSF, 25% for NOAA, and more than 50% for the EPA have been put forward. These are not abstract percentages – in Connecticut alone, NIH funding last year brought nearly $787 million to our institutions, supporting over 6,800 jobs and fueling more than $1.7 billion in economic activity. Imagine what a 40% reduction could mean for Connecticut’s universities, hospitals, companies, and the communities they serve.

Basic research is the engine that drives innovation, economic growth, and discovery. Without it, we risk losing our competitive edge to other states, even other nations, eager to welcome leading talent and groundbreaking ideas. This is not a partisan issue, as there is broad support for science in our national legislature. Connecticut state leaders, universities, industries, community organizations, and CASE have an opportunity to work together to amplify the message that federal investment in research is an investment in America’s future.

Here at the Academy, one of our most vital roles is to connect people with ideas. Looking ahead to the fall, we are preparing new initiatives to deepen our engagement and expand our collaborative projects with policymakers, industry leaders, educators, and the public. We cannot control the federal budget, but we can make sure that Connecticut’s talent, impact, and potential are impossible to ignore. These efforts will rely on our members’ participation, ideas, and commitment to the Academy’s mission. Your active engagement makes us a trusted resource and a vibrant network of knowledge.

August may be a time of summer slowdown for some, but for CASE, it is also a season of preparation and possibility. As a community, we can ensure that Connecticut remains at the forefront of innovation and discovery. I look forward to working together to make the second half of 2025 even more impactful than the first.

Wishing you a productive and inspired autumn,

Amy R. Howell, President
Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE)
Celebrate, Promote, Inform in Service to Connecticut

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

Your dedication and involvement with the Academy help establish a community of Science, Engineering, Technology, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) experts, both here in Connecticut and across the country.

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

Science and Engineering Notes from Around Connecticut

CASE member Kumar Venkitanarayanan, a professor of animal science, has been appointed interim dean for the UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR). Venkitanarayanan is an expert in egg and poultry meat safety—his research focuses on developing innovative, organic antimicrobials to combat foodborne pathogens amid increasing antibiotic resistance. Read more.

Two important pieces of legislation promote growth in Connecticut’s agricultural sector. The “CT Farm Bill” (Public Act 25-152) introduces a new tax credit for farmers’ investments in eligible machinery, equipment, and buildings, while Public Act 25-141 establishes a land access grant program within the Connecticut Department of Agriculture to help farmers access land better. Read more.

Researchers at Yale Cancer Center (YCC) and Yale School of Medicine (YSM) are jointly developing a clinical trial for patients with metastatic breast cancer that will personalize treatment plans in near real-time. Using tumor biopsies, blood samples, high-resolution imaging, and medical records to monitor changes in a patient’s cancer will help direct therapy decisions as the trial progresses and tumors evolve. CASE Member Eric Winer, Alfred Gilman Professor of Pharmacology, professor of medicine (Medical Oncology), and director of Yale Cancer Center, is among the six principal investigators of the study. The research will take place across 15 institutions within the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium and is supported by up to a $28 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. Read more.

In a new study, Yale researchers developed a method that has the potential to cure cystic fibrosis in the womb. CASE members Mark Saltzman, the Goizueta Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering and professor of cellular and molecular physiology and dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine, and Peter Glazer, the Robert E. Hunter Professor of Therapeutic Radiology and chair of the department of therapeutic radiology at YSM, along with Prof. Marie Egan and several Yale colleagues, are using in utero gene editing to deliver corrective genetic material via nanoparticles to treat – and potentially someday cure – the disease. Read more. 

To our immune system, naked RNA signals a viral or bacterial invasion and triggers an immune response. However, our own cells also contain RNA. So, how does our immune system distinguish our RNA from that of harmful invaders? This is precisely what CASE Member Vijay Rathinam, a professor of immunology, and his colleagues at the UConn School of Medicine and Boston Children’s Hospital aimed to explain in their recent research, published in the August 6^th
issue of Nature. Read more.

Yale researchers, led by CASE Member Peter Glazer, the Robert E. Hunter Professor of Therapeutic Radiology and Genetics at Yale School of Medicine, have developed a novel antibody-RNA therapy for resistant cancers. The specially engineered antibody, combined with a type of RNA that stimulates an innate immune response, can target tumors and penetrate to destroy stubborn diseased cells in pancreatic, brain, and skin cancers. Read more.

New collaborative research between UConn Health and The Jackson Laboratory uncovers the most elusive and difficult-to-sequence regions of the genome across populations worldwide. The study reveals how hidden DNA variations influence everything from digestion and immune response to muscle control—possibly explaining why some diseases affect certain populations more than others. “With our health, anything that deals with susceptibility to diseases is a combination of what genes we have and the environment we’re interacting with,” said CASE Member Charles Lee, the Robert Alvine Family Endowed Chair and a JAX geneticist. “If you don’t have your complete genetic information, how are you going to get a complete picture of your health and your susceptibility to disease?” Read more.

A cybersecurity breach impacted the PowerSchool Student Information System, exposing contact details, including personal and medical information, for students and parents across several Connecticut districts such as Ridgefield, Milford, and East Hartford. Read more.

CTDOT announced on June 4, 2025, plans to upgrade the Advanced Traffic Management System across Hartford and surrounding areas by improving fiber-optic connectivity, CCTV cameras, and variable message signs for real-time traffic updates. Read more.

A developer has been selected to lead a privately developed, transit-oriented, mixed-use community at New Haven’s Union Station. The $316.1M project will transform underused state-owned land at Union Station into a development centered around two 16-story towers, providing new housing, retail, and jobs just steps from rail, bus, and bike connections. The project will include 470 new apartments, with 118 affordable units, over 28,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, 26,000 square feet of residential amenities, and 294 parking spaces to serve both tenants and transit users. Read more.

Connecticut’s aerospace industry is thriving, creating jobs and drawing investments as both historic companies and new entrants drive economic growth across the state. In 2023, Connecticut ranked sixth nationally for aerospace employment, and with ongoing investments, workforce training, and technological innovation, that ranking could improve even more. Read more.

Plans to develop one of New England’s largest battery storage facilities on a plot of land in Killingly have fallen through after the developer withdrew its application to build the 325-megawatt facility. The decision was made after town officials expressed concerns about the proposed facility, particularly the fire risk, and asked the developers for more details. Read more.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced that QuantumCT is a semifinalist in its highly competitive NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program. QuantumCT is one of only 29 teams nationwide to advance to the next stage of the competition. Read more.

CASE Member W. Mark Saltzman, a disease treatment and prevention pioneer, was recently named the Sterling Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Yale University. A Sterling Professorship is the highest academic honor a Yale faculty member can earn. Saltzman joined the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science faculty in 2002 and became the founding chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2003. Saltzman’s research has been influential in the fields of controlled drug delivery and tissue engineering. Read more.

CASE Member Luyi Sun, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Connecticut, has been named a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor for the 2024–2025 academic year. This honor is the highest the university awards to faculty and recognizes outstanding achievement in research, teaching, and service. Read more.

The study of the “very small” in quantum mechanics is one of the research areas that has brought significant recognition to Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), which has been named a Carnegie R2 research institution. The R2 designation will enhance researchers' efforts, as SCSU is the only R2 university in Connecticut. The R2 status offers greater visibility and credibility when collaborating with R1 schools like Yale and UConn. "We have a unique mission, where it’s not just doing the research, it’s engaging the students in the research,” said CASE Member Christine Broadbridge, physics professor and executive director of Research and Innovation at Southern. “The other piece is attracting more students, getting the word out to students that there is a place like Southern,” where research opportunities are comparable to those at R1 schools. Read more.

Ken Savage has made the Guinness Book of World Records for his nearly 55-year career teaching science at Westbrook High School. As of June 30^th, his final day of teaching, Mr. Savage spent 54 years and 289 days teaching biology, anatomy, physics, marine biology, and small animal studies, giving him the longest career for a male science teacher. During this last school year, he taught a third-generation student from the same family. Read more.

UConn College of Engineering researchers are exploring methods to extract lithium from various sources, including brines and seawater. Lithium has become a highly valuable, in-demand resource in energy storage and sustainability, as it is the essential material in the cathode and electrolyte of lithium-ion batteries. This is especially important with the rise of electric vehicles and common electronic devices like phones and laptops. Read more.

In July, Governor Ned Lamont signed two new environmental laws aimed at making Connecticut greener and better prepared for climate change. One law focuses on enhancing energy efficiency, creating green jobs, and supporting clean technologies like solar canopies and heat pumps. The other law improves flood and climate emergency planning, requires homeowners to be informed about flood insurance, and limits the use of certain pesticides. During the signing, speakers emphasized that action is urgent and that preventing damage from climate change will cost much less than fixing it later. Read more.

To meet demand, a longtime Rhode Island composter—Earth Care Farm— is expanding into Connecticut by buying an abandoned quarry in Sterling to turn it into a soil farm. Earth Care Farm has been converting zoo and stable manure, wood chips, leaves, straw shavings, seaweed, fish guts, coffee grounds, and food scraps into soil for the past fifty years. Read more.

The Connecticut Mosquito Management Program is warning residents about the rising risk of West Nile virus (WNV) infection this season. So far, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has identified WNV-infected mosquitoes in 21 towns. Read more.

The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” 2025 report shows that, despite decades of successful efforts to cut down on air pollution sources, 46% of Americans—156.1 million people—live in areas that fail to meet standards for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution, including Connecticut. Additionally, after several years of reporting that the country’s worst air quality issues are increasingly found in western states, the report reveals that the geographic spread of air pollution is shifting to the East. Read more.

The Connecticut Technology Council will recognize 46 women for their achievements in STEM fields at the 20th annual Women of Innovation Awards on October 28th. Nominees include scientists, researchers, academics, manufacturers, student leaders, entrepreneurs, and technicians who are advancing science and business growth. CASE member Clara Fang, professor and chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Biomedical Engineering at the College of Engineering, Technology & Architecture, University of Hartford, is nominated as a 2025 Woman of Innovation. Read more.

The University of New Haven has appointed Paul Lavoie, the state’s current chief manufacturing officer, as the first vice president of innovation and applied technology. He will oversee the development of the University’s new Research and Development (R&D) Park. The R&D Park will provide companies direct access to student talent, advanced research, and innovative opportunities. Read more.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is introducing new technology to improve safety in work zones. It removes the flagger from the roadway without eliminating their role. Read more.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation has begun construction of a new train station in Naugatuck, advancing the plan to modernize the entire Waterbury Branch Line and encourage downtown redevelopment. Scheduled to open in summer 2027, the new station will feature a 350-foot-long high-level platform with a snow melt system and ADA-compliant access via an elevator and stair tower. This project is part of a larger CTDOT initiative to upgrade all six stations on Metro-North’s Waterbury Branch Line. Read more.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an update to the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) that will allow all types of transportation infrastructure projects to finance their costs through the legislation. The policy change would permit any TIFIA project to cover up to 49 percent of eligible costs. Currently, most are limited to 33 percent, and these caps and limits pose challenges for many projects. Read more.

Traffic deaths in Connecticut have decreased in the first half of the year. There have been 110 traffic-related deaths through June 25, a 31% drop from last year’s 160 at this time. Last year finished with 310 traffic fatalities statewide, down from a peak of 367 in 2022, but it still shows a five-year trend of over 300 fatalities. 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).

Nanotechnology, the science and technology of objects and phenomena at the 1-100 nm length scales, serves as a prime example of how the United States has used national science and technology policy to lead in the highly competitive global research landscape. Two decades after the authorization of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, or NNI, the U.S. can point to multiple Nobel Prizes and a variety of technologies that are the envy of the world. This report evaluates the current state of nanotechnology, emphasizing its impact on U.S. economic prosperity and national security, and then considers whether and how the NNI should continue providing recommendations to maintain and grow the nanotechnology infrastructure, including human capital, advanced tools, and shared facilities, so that the nation's nanotechnology innovation and discovery stay at the forefront globally. Read more. 

The United States is a global leader in biomedical research, producing therapeutic breakthroughs that improve the health of both the nation and the world. The public and private sectors support this progress through funding biomedical research and development. Although the current investment level in pharmaceutical development in the United States is substantial, it does not always produce the desired health outcomes or fully address patient needs. This report highlights that current research prioritization often overlooks disease burden and unmet needs and stresses the importance of a strong, timely, and accessible data system. It also discusses how implementing recommended policy changes could lead to better health results. Read more.

Groundbreaking advances in solar and space physics have provided important insights into the dynamic physical processes on the Sun and its influence on Earth, the near-Earth space environment, other planets in our solar system, and beyond. As we look to the next decade, future discoveries in the field will deepen our understanding of the cosmos and help us prepare for the impact of space weather events on critical systems and humanity. This publication offers a prioritized strategy for basic and applied research to improve scientific knowledge of the heliosphere and the origins of space weather, the Sun's interactions with other bodies in the solar system, and the interplanetary and interstellar mediums. Read more.

The United States generates about 292 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) annually, with approximately 68 percent of it not being recycled or composted. Recycling programs face many challenges today that hinder their stability, effectiveness, and economic viability. However, a well-designed and supported MSW recycling program can provide numerous economic and environmental benefits. This report examines current issues impacting MSW recycling programs and offers recommendations and policy options to guide future efforts. Through various case studies and publicly available data, it analyzes the economic and programmatic costs of recycling and evaluates material-specific recycling strategies. The recommendations focus on policy measures to promote effective, economically sustainable, and environmentally responsible recycling practices. Read more. 

Mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) disorders, including mental illness and substance use disorders, impact every U.S. population group, community, and neighborhood. Currently, infrastructure mainly addresses MEB crises through treatment and recovery rather than preventing them with evidence-based policies and programs. Existing prevention services are underfunded and fragmented. This report emphasizes creating and maintaining a comprehensive prevention infrastructure for MEB disorders overall. Its conclusions and recommendations aim to close research gaps, support an MEB disorder prevention workforce, ensure sufficient data for prevention and reporting, establish clear governance, secure sustainable funding, and implement evidence-based policies. Read more. 

Global demand for animal-derived foods such as meat, eggs, and milk continues to rise, even as arable land and water resources to support animal production decline worldwide. One approach to meeting this growing demand in a resource-limited future is the genetic enhancement of livestock to boost the efficiency and sustainability of animal agriculture. Food-animal breeders are beginning to leverage advances in genomics and biotechnology to make targeted changes in DNA, known as heritable genetic modifications (HGMs), that can be inherited by future generations. This significantly speeds up genetic improvement in populations of food animals. This publication explores the biological basis of potential health risks related to the regulation of HGMs in food animals and considers whether hazards could occur during the development of HGM food animals, the available methods to detect such hazards, and the likelihood that they could cause harm. Read more. 

As scientific problems grow more complex and interdisciplinary, the need for effective, collaborative, and context-sensitive research teams has never been greater. This publication presents an updated, evidence-based roadmap for supporting science teams across a wide variety of domains, disciplines, and organizational structures. It examines how evolving forces - including digital innovation, global disruptions, and the rise of virtual collaboration - are reshaping the way scientific teams form, function, and deliver results. From small interdisciplinary groups to large-scale, distributed multiteam systems, today's science teams require flexible strategies tailored to their goals, environments, and challenges. Read more. 

The visual field is the entire area of space a person can see when their eyes are fixed on a central point. Impairment of the visual field can significantly impact well-being. People with moderate to severe visual field loss may struggle with common tasks like reading, driving, navigating environments, and participating in social activities. Testing for visual field impairment involves a combination of equipment, stimuli, testing patterns, and algorithms. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses these test results to decide if applicants with visual field loss qualify for disability benefits. In response to a request from SSA, the National Academies assembled a committee of experts to review the research and science behind methods for testing visual field impairment. The report they produced examines current and new practices, highlights known limitations, and provides conclusions to guide disability assessments. 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

Amy R. Howell, President
University of Connecticut

Mike Ambrose, Vice President
MH Ambrose Consulting,
Ambro Enterprises LLC

Tanimu Deleon, Secretary
General Dynamics, Electric Boat

Regis Matzie, Treasurer
RAMatzie Nuclear Technology Consulting, LLC

John Kadow, Past President
Alphina Therapeutics

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jeff Orszak

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Kerry Shea

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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