ABOUT

The Connecticut Academy
of Science and Engineering

The Connecticut Academy is a non-profit, 501(c)3 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.

The Vision of the Academy is to foster an environment in Connecticut where scientific and technological creativity can thrive and contribute to Connecticut becoming a leading place in the country to live, work, and produce for all its citizens, who will continue to enjoy an economic well- being and high quality of life.

Our Mission is to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the State of Connecticut and promote its application to human welfare and economic well-being.

2023

Annual Meeting Sponsors

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSOR

TABLE SPONSORS

WELCOME

John Kadow
CASE President

Welcome to the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering’s website for the 48th Annual Meeting and Dinner held May 24, 2023, at the Woodwinds in Branford. I am pleased we were able to join together – members and guests – to celebrate excellence in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine in our state. We gratefully thank our sponsors and attendees for their generous support, which made this celebration possible.

This website provides those unable to attend and others revisiting the celebration with information about our new members, honorary members, the 2023 Connecticut Medal of Science awardee, the Middle and High School student STEM awardees, the Academy’s Fellowship Program, and the keynote presenter. We encourage you to explore and share the site with your colleagues, friends, and family.

John-Kadow

John Kadow

Vice President, Head of Medicinal Chemistry, Alphina Therapeutics

CASE Member - Elected 2015

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PROGRAM

48th Annual Meeting and Dinner

  • Reception: Meet the winners of Connecticut Science and Engineering Competitions
  • Welcoming Remarks
  • 2023 Connecticut Medal of Science
  • Academy Activities
  • New Members of the Academy
  • Keynote Speaker
  • Student Science & Engineering Competition Awards Ceremony

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Why Science Matters: From the Pandemic and Beyond

Click to download the slide deck

Albert Ko

Dr. Albert Icksang Ko is the Raj and Indra Nooyi Professor of Public Health at the Yale School of Public Health and a Collaborating Researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian Ministry of Health. His research centers on the health problems that have emerged as a consequence of rapid urbanization and social inequity. Dr. Ko coordinates a research program in Brazil, which focuses on delineating the role of social marginalization, urban ecology, and climate in the emergence of infectious disease threats in slum communities and informal settlements. He and his team have mobilized research capacity to develop and implement community-based interventions to epidemics of meningitis, leptospirosis, dengue, Zika virus infection and associated birth defects, and the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Ko is also Program Director of the Fogarty/NIH Global Health Equity Scholars Program which provides research training opportunities for US and LMIC post and pre-doctoral fellows at collaborating international sites. He is a member of the WHO R&D Taskforce for Zika Virus and R&D Blueprint Working Group. During the pandemic, he served with Indra Nooyi as co-chair of Governor Lamont’s Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group. Dr. Ko continues to advise the Governor and the State on its pandemic prevention and control plan, in addition to supporting the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in its COVID-19 response in Brazil.

Albert I. Ko

Albert I. Ko

Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
Yale School of Public Health

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NEW CASE MEMBERS

The Bylaws of the Academy provide that members must live or work in Connecticut and are to be elected by the current members on the basis of their accomplishments in science, engineering, and/or technology. Specifically, scientists and engineers may be considered for membership on the basis of fulfillment of either or both of the following criteria:

  • Scientific distinction achieved through significant original contribution in theory or application;
  • Unusual accomplishments in the pioneering of new and developing fields of applied science and technology.

In addition, members of the national academies are automatically considered for membership by resolution of the Council.

THE 2023 NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMY

Abraham

Bruce Abraham

Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
General Dynamics Applied Physical Sciences

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Addy

Nii Addy

Albert E. Kent Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology
Yale School of Medicine

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Aspnes

James Aspnes

Harold W. Cheel Professor of Computer Science, Department of Computer Science
Yale University

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Batista

Victor Batista

John Gamble Kirkwood Professor of Chemistry
Yale University

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Bewersdorf

Joerg Bewersdorf

Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Cell Biology, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Professor of Physics
Yale School of Medicine

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Cheng-300

Lin Cheng

Professor of Engineering
Trinity College

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Dodge Kafka

Kimberly L. Dodge-Kafka

Professor, Department of Cell Biology
UConn Health

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Carlos Fernandez-Hernando

Carlos Fernández-Hernando

Anthony N. Brady Professor of Comparative Medicine and of Pathology and Director of the Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program
Yale School of Medicine

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Fong

Guo-Hua Fong

Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Center for Vascular Biology
UConn Health

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Herzberg

Amir Herzberg

Comcast Endowed Professor for Security Innovation, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
UConn School of Engineering

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Horvath

Tamas Horvath

Jean and David W. Wallace Professor of Comparative Medicine and Professor of Neuroscience and of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Health
Yale School of Medicine

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Huckins

Laura Huckins

Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Yale School of Medicine

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Kleinstein

Steven Kleinstein

Anthony N. Brady Professor of Pathology
Yale School of Medicine

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Muschen

Markus Müschen

Arthur H. and Isabel Bunker Professor of Medicine (Hematology) and Professor of Immunobiology; Director, Center of Molecular and Cellular Oncology; Chief, Cellular and Molecular Oncology
Yale School of Medicine

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Nukavarapu

Syam Nukavarapu

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Orthopaedic Surgery
UConn School of Engineering

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Paul Papas

Associate Director
Raytheon Technologies Research Center

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Petrakis

Ismene Petrakis

Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine; Chief of Psychiatry
VA Connecticut Healthcare System

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Pettigrew

Melinda Pettigrew

Anna M. R. Lauder Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases); Interim Dean
Yale School of Public Health

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Pober

Jordan Pober

Bayer Professor of Translational Medicine and Professor of Immunobiology, Pathology and Dermatology; Director, Human and Translational Immunology Program
Yale School of Medicine

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Protsailo

Lesia Protsailo

Senior Director, Defense Programs
Raytheon Technologies Research Center

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Rinebold

Joel Rinebold

Director of Energy Initiative
Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology

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Roby

Anne Roby

Executive Vice President, Management Committee
Linde (ret.)

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Segerson

Kathleen Segerson

Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, Department of Economics
UConn

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Shin

Dong-Guk Shin

Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
UConn School of Engineering

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Siver

Peter Siver

Charles and Sarah P. Becker ’27 Professor of Botany and Environmental Studies
Connecticut College

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Sun

Ellen Sun

Senior Director of Strategic Technologies and Partnerships
Raytheon Technologies Research Center

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Tamayol

Ali Tamayol

Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
UConn School of Engineering

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Christopher Thornberg

Senior Technical Fellow, Engineering and Technology
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company

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Tulyani

Sonia Tulyani

Executive Director, Materials and Processes Engineering
Pratt & Whitney

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Willett

Peter Willett

Centennial Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering
UConn School of Engineering

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Winter

Michael Winter

Senior Fellow, Advanced Technology
Pratt & Whitney

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Xu

C. Shan Xu

Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Cellular & Molecular Physiology
Yale School of Medicine

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Yan

Jun Yan

Professor of Statistics and Research Fellow, Institute of Public Health
UConn

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Zaghi

Arash E. Zaghi

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
UConn School of Engineering

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Zhou

Beiyan Zhou

Professor of Immunology
UConn Health

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HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

The Academy created the category of Honorary Membership in 2009 to recognize individuals not otherwise eligible for membership. Honorary nominees are considered on the basis of outstanding service to the Academy through participation and/or activities in support of the Academy’s vision and mission.

Honorary members are nominated and designated after a 2/3rds vote of the Academy’s Council. Selection of Honorary Members is limited to no more than two individuals per year. Honorary Members shall be entitled to all privileges of membership, except voting and holding elective office.

Andrew Bramante

Andrew Bramante

Science Research Teacher & Director
Greenwich High School

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Bernard-J.-Zahren-

Bernard J. Zahren

Owner and founder of Zahren Financial Co., LLC Manager of Clean Feet Investors I, LLC

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2023 Connecticut
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.

Modeled after the National Medal of Science, 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 Technology.

This award is bestowed by the state of Connecticut, with the assistance of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

Akiko Iwasaki, Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Professor of Dermatology and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases), Yale School of Medicine, and an Investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Connecticut Medal of Science.

“I am delighted that Dr. Iwasaki has been selected to receive the 2023 Connecticut Medal of Science,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “Her groundbreaking research has led to major advancements in the field of immunology, and her contributions to the understanding of the human immune system’s response to viral infections have been invaluable, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her achievements are a testament to the talent and dedication of Connecticut’s scientific community, and I am proud that she calls our state home.”

Akiko Iwasaki

Dr. Iwasaki is recognized for her major discoveries in the areas of innate sensing of viruses, and instruction of adaptive anti-viral immunity. She has laid the foundation for key concepts in viral immunity and introduced innovative approaches in vaccine design to combat COVID-19. Dr. Iwasaki currently leads investigations into the pathophysiology of long COVID, including Co-Lead Investigator for the Yale LISTEN Study. The medal-bestowing ceremony will be scheduled at a time to be determined and the honor will be shared with members and guests at CASE’s 48th Annual Meeting and Dinner, to be held May 24, 2023, at the Woodwinds in Branford.

Dr. Iwasaki’s discoveries have resulted in paradigm shifts in our understanding of the immune response to infection and vaccine design. She is an expert on immune responses to viruses that occur at mucosal sites of host entry and has made key contributions to our understanding of how the host detects viruses, innate host defense mechanisms, generation of specific acquired immune responses, and design of new and improved vaccine strategies. Her two-stage vaccination strategy called “prime and pull” informed the development of a vaccine currently in a clinical trial to treat women with precancerous lesions in the cervix to prevent cervical cancer.

Dr. Iwasaki earned a BS in Biochemistry, with a minor in Physics, and a PhD in Immunology, all from the University of Toronto, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. In 2022, she was awarded a Sterling Professorship, the highest academic honor professors receive at Yale University.

She is an elected member of the council for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the American Association of Immunologists (AAI), and an elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organization, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Microbiology, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences, and CASE. Iwasaki has received multiple awards to date, including the Inspiring Yale Award, the Seymour & Vivian Milstein Award for Excellence in Interferon and Cytokine Research, the Charles W. Bohmafalk Teaching Award, AAI’s Thermo Fisher Meritorious Career Award, and BD Biosciences Investigator Award, to name a few. For more, see Dr. Iwasaki’s Yale profile.

Dr. Iwasaki and her husband, fellow Yale faculty member Ruslan Mezhitov, have two children and reside in Connecticut.

Iwasaki-300-wide

Akiko Iwasaki

Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Professor of Dermatology and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases), Yale School of Medicine

Investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute

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STUDENT AWARDS

The Connecticut Invention Convention

The Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC) is a program that seeks to provide the students of Connecticut with opportunities to develop critical-thinking and creative problem-solving skills through invention and innovation, instilling the spirit of ingenuity in students today and for the rest of their lives.

The Academy recognizes the following 15 grade-level 7 and 8 students who participated in CIC with certificates of recognition and a $50 certificate for the purchase of scientific equipment, books, or other science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics-related materials. Funding for the Academy’s awards is provided by Academy Member contributions.

Maxwell Anstett

John Read Middle School, Grade 7

Fishstalker

Jhose Ashitha

Illing Middle School, Grade 7

SAFE POOL

Jade Collins

John Read Middle School, Grade 8

Double It Up

Rhea Doshi

Talcott Mountain Academy of Science, Mathematics & Technology, Grade 8

CocoPure Water Filter

Jonah Filardi

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, Grade 7

Instru-Clean

Levi Gatti

Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy, Grade 7

The Velcro Shelf

Nicolo Girasoli

Bolton Center School, Grade 8

The Garden Bot

F. Woods Goss

Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, Grade 7

Robot Reporter

Anthony Joszczyk

Renbrook School, Grade 7

Pool Saver

Mohnish Maheshwari

Irving A. Robbins Middle School, Grade 8

The Hat Visor (HV)

Isabella Merlo

Interdistrict Discovery Magnet School, Grade 8

Multipurpose Sweeper

Wyatt Temple

East Windsor Middle School, Grade 7

I Need More Water Pet Dish

Julianne Twarog

Shelton Intermediate School, Grade 7

Auto-Easy Door Opener

Evin R. Wilson

Stafford Middle School, Grade 8

Snow Snorkel

Blake Zevetchin

Charles H. Borrows STEM Academy, Grade 7

Plant Clipper Cleaner

Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

Connecticut Area Health Education Center Network and UConn Health (under contract with the National Science Teaching Association). CT’s symposium is part of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force sponsored Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.

JSHS is designed to challenge and engage students (grades 9-12) in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Individual students compete for scholarships and recognition by presenting the results of their original research efforts before a panel of judges and an audience of their peers. These symposia are effective in enhancing high school student motivation, stimulating original research, and providing the setting for exciting scientific meetings. Mature scientists have often expressed astonishment at the high level of student accomplishment.

The Academy recognizes the following top five oral presenters and their respective schools. Each winner receives a $250 award, a certificate of recognition from the Academy, and their congressional representative; and the science department of the winner’s school receives a plaque and a $500 donation for supplies and equipment. Funding for the Academy’s awards is provided by Academy Member contributions.

1st Place

Ambika Grover

Greenwich High School, Grade 12

Design of a Novel, Dual-Functioning, Tissue Plasminogen Activator and Factor XI Inhibiting Anticoagulant Therapeutic for Rapid Ischemic Stroke Treatment

2nd Place

Snigtha Mohanraj

Engineering and Science University Magnet School, Grade 10

Implementing Nontoxic Modified Biochar Enhanced Filtration for the Efficient Removal of Emerging Contaminants in an Aqueous Solution

3rd Place

Aditi Gupta

Ridgefield High School, Grade 12

Assessing the Impact of Synthetic Sweeteners on Hunger Perception in Drosophila Melanogaster

4th Place

Naomi Park

Greenwich High School, Grade 11

Concurrent Removal of Rising, Soluble Ocean Carbon Dioxide and Oil-in-Water Contaminants via Multi-Functional Remediation Framework

5th Place

Grace Kistner

Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education Center, Grade 12

Utilizing the Nematocysts of Cassiopea xamachana as a Bioactive Antiproliferative Compound

Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair, Urban School Challenge, Middle School

The Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair, Urban School Challenge Program is designed to increase the participation and success of students in the fair from Connecticut’s priority districts. These students receive additional support through the program, including an opportunity to apply for $500 mini-grant support for transportation, laboratory equipment and/or supplies, field equipment, and display supplies and printing.

The Academy recognizes the Urban School Challenge – Middle School Winner. The student receives from the Academy a $250 award, a certificate of recognition from the Academy and their congressional representative; and the science department of the winner’s school receives a plaque and a $500 donation for supplies and equipment. Funding support for the program, including the student awards, is provided by Academy Member contributions, including donations to the Academy’s endowment fund.

Ethan Joseph

Engineering and Science University Magnet School, Grade 8

Design and Implementation of a Novel Machine-Learning-Based System Utilizing Feature Extraction for Precise Cervical Cancer Detection via Biopsy Sample

Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair, Urban School Challenge, High School, H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence

The Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair, Urban School Challenge Program is designed to increase the participation and success of students in the fair from Connecticut’s priority districts. These students receive additional support through the program, including an opportunity to apply for $500 mini-grant support for transportation, laboratory equipment and/or supplies, field equipment, and display supplies and printing.

The Academy recognizes the Urban School Challenge – High School Winner with the H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence. This award is a tribute to Joe Gerber’s contributions as a leader in Connecticut business and technology innovation and is meant to serve as an inspiration for Connecticut’s young scientists. Joe Gerber was the recipient of the National Medal of Technology and the Connecticut Medal of Technology, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, and the founder of Gerber Scientific.

The winner receives a $1000 award, a medal, certificates of recognition from the Academy and their congressional representative, and a book on the life of H. Joseph Gerber, “The Inventor’s Dilemma – The Remarkable Life of H. Joseph Gerber,” authored by his son, David Gerber; and the science department of the winner’s school receives a plaque and a $500 donation for supplies and equipment. Funding support for the program, including the student awards, is provided by Academy Member contributions, including donations to the Academy’s endowment fund.

Ana-Lois Davis

Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, Grade 11

Non-Invasive Pre-screening Approach for Early Detection of The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) to Aid in Cervical Cancer Prevention in Underrepresented Demographics

Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair, Life and Physical Sciences, Senior Division, H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence

The H. Joseph Gerber Medal Excellence is awarded to the Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair’s top winners of the Life and Physical Sciences Senior Division.

The H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence is a tribute to Joe Gerber’s contributions as a leader in Connecticut business and technology innovation and is meant to serve as an inspiration for Connecticut’s young scientists. Joe Gerber was the recipient of the National Medal of Technology and the Connecticut Medal of Technology, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, and the founder of Gerber Scientific.

Each eligible student will receive a $1000 award, a symbolic solid silver H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence, certificates of recognition from the Academy and their congressional representative, and a book on the life of H. Joseph Gerber, “The Inventor’s Dilemma – The Remarkable Life of H. Joseph Gerber,” authored by his son, David Gerber; and the science department of the winner’s school receives a plaque and a $500 donation for supplies and equipment. Funding support for the program, including the student awards, is provided by Academy Member contributions, including donations to the Academy’s endowment fund.

Life Science Winner

Yuriy Sandmeier

King School, Grade 12

Knockdown of the essential 23S rRNA methyltransferase, rv3579c, increases the susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis tomacrolides

Physical Science Winner

Jingyuan Zhang

Choate Rosemary Hall, Grade 10

A Self-Stabilizing Haptic Accessibility Mouse for Parkinson’s Disease Sufferers

CASE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY POLICY FELLOWSHIP

In 2017, CASE received one of nine planning grants awarded by the California Council for Science and Technology (CCST) in partnership with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Simons Foundation. The grants supported state-level planning for the implementation of a science and technology policy fellowship program, with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and CCST Policy Fellowship Programs as successful models from which to build. The fellowships provide opportunities for scientists, physicians, and engineers with PhD’s or equivalent terminal degrees to contribute their skills and knowledge to the development of science-related public policies while simultaneously learning about the public policy process.

CASE began the planning phase by establishing a Fellowship Advisory Committee that included representatives from the state government, former and current fellows, CASE Members, and foundations. The committee provided guidance for the development of the program.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) provided the first opportunity to place a CASE Fellow in spring 2019. Dr. Anna Hagstrom served as the Inaugural Fellow and completed her two-year fellowship as a member of DEEP’s emerging contaminants/per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) team. Seema Alim is DEEP’s second fellow and will focus on Building Decarbonization.

Seema Alim, CASE Fellow

Seema Alim, PhD, PE

CASE Science and Technology Policy Fellow
Building Decarbonization

CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

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