Published on Hartford Courant / February 22, 2017
Dan Haar
Yale continues to dominate the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering with 11 of the 24 inductees in 2017, though that’s less than last year, when the university and medical center in New Haven claimed 13 of 23 inductees.
This year’s list of scientists and engineers receiving the lifetime achievement honor includes six newly elected members from United Technologies Corp., including Pratt & Whitney; five from UConn; one from Eversource; and one from Wesleyan.
The list includes the engineer in charge of the Eversource electric power grid in Connecticut; a clinically trained midwife and epidemiologist at the Yale School of Nursing who has made major contributions to screening and prevention of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases; and a Pratt coatings expert with 42 patents who has helped create more efficient jet engines.
The academy, chartered by the General Assembly in 1976 and modeled after the national academies of science, engineering and medicine, conducts research in the public interest in addition to honoring achievements. It can have as many as 400 members; they must live or work in Connecticut.
The academy is seeking nominations, due March 11, for the 2017 Connecticut Medal of Science, which is given in alternate years with the Connecticut Medal of Technology.
Last year’s recipient of the medal of technology was Cato T. Laurencin, a professor at UConn, an orthopedic surgeon, materials scientist, inventor and entrepreneur, and a former head of UConn Health and dean of the medical school. He was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation last year at the White House.
Nominations may be made to Richard Strauss, executive director of the academy, at (860) 571-7135; rstrauss@ctcase.org.
New members will be introduced, and the medal of science conferred, at the academy’s annual meeting and dinner on May 22 at UConn’s Rome ballroom.
New members are:
•Kenneth B. Bowes, vice president of engineering, Eversource Energy
•Claudio Bruno, research professor, mechanical engineering, University of Connecticut
•David B. Carter, senior vice president, engineering, Pratt & Whitney
•Frederick M. Cohan, professor of biology and environmental studies, Wesleyan University
•Robert M. Darling, principal research scientist, United Technologies Research Center
•Alan M. Finn, research fellow, United Technologies Research Center
•Alison P. Galvani, Burnett and Stender Families professor of epidemiology (microbial diseases) and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology; director of the Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis, Yale School of Public Health
•Puxian Gao, professor, materials science and engineering, University of Connecticut
•Jonathon Howard, Eugene Higgins professor, molecular biophysics & biochemistry, Yale University
•Mark R. Jaworowski, fellow, physical sciences department, United Technologies Research Center
•Ann E. Kurth, Dean & Linda Koch Lorimer professor, Yale School of Nursing
•Andre Levchenko, John C. Malone professor & director, Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University
•Baikun Li, professor, civil and environmental engineering, University of Connecticut
•Alexander J. Majewski, fellow, UTC Aerospace System
•Michael J. Maloney, manager, structural alloys, hot section materials and coatings, Pratt & Whitney
•Jordan Peccia, professor, chemical and environmental engineering, Yale University
•Peter A. Raymond, professor of ecosystem ecology, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
•Philip E. Rubin, senior adviser to the president and chief executive officer emeritus, Yale University
•Alexander C. Russell, professor and director of graduate studies, Computer Science and Engineering Department, University of Connecticut
•Zhong Shao, professor, computer science, Yale University
•Frederick J. Sigworth, professor, cellular and molecular physiology with joint appointments in biomedical engineering and molecular biophysics and biochemistry, Yale University
•David C. Steffens, professor & chair, psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
•Hugh S. Taylor, Anita O’Keeffe Young professor of women’s health and chair, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine & Yale-New Haven Hospital
•Sandra L. Wolin, professor of cell biology and molecular biophysics and biochemistry; director,Yale Center for RNA Science and Medicine, Yale School of Medicine