Women Of Innovation

2008 Awards

The Story

2008 Award Winners
2008 Planning Committee

2008 Finalists' Bios & pictures

The Jana Moak Scholarship

Official Press Releases
Great event pictures!

January 30, 2008, Women of Innovation: Erin Lavik (Presented the Academic Innovation & Leadership Award) , DeCarol Davis (Collegian), Suzan DeGarmo (Large Business), Diane Jorkasky (Research), Anshika Kaushik (Youth), Sheenah Mische (Community), Kristin Muschett, (Small Business), Deborah Moss (Entrepreneurial)

The Connecticut Technology Council held its fourth annual Women of Innovation Awards Dinner on January 30, 2008.

Eight innovative, outstanding women across Connecticut were honored January 30 during the fourth annual Women of Innovation awards dinner at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. The awards program, sponsored by the Connecticut Technology Council, recognizes women in the workforce who are innovators, role models and leaders in the technology, science and engineering fields. Students at both the high school and college level are also recognized.

“Each year, we are in awe of award winners' outstanding accomplishments,” said Matthew Nemerson, president and CEO of the Connecticut Technology Council. “Connecticut has an extraordinary pool of at its technology companies. We are proud to offer an awards program that honors exceptional innovators and leaders and provides them with a professional network of other women who strive for excellence.”

Keynote speaker Sigal Zarmi, CIO and quality officer of GE Corporate Financial Services, addressed the crowd of approximately 550 attendees. Her speech focused on bridging the curiosity gap in the U.S. and urged audience members to help by supporting the state’s education system, breaking down existing stereotypes of scientists and other innovators as “nerds” and acting as a mentor to friends, colleagues and students with a passion for innovation.

“I believe that the deficiency in basic science and math education in the U.S. compared with other countries is a result of a serious curiosity gap,” said Zarmi. “If students are not interested in figuring out how things work in their classes, they are probably not going to be interested in how to make a product better, or how to invent a new processor, or develop a new way of making a life-saving drug. We should all do a much better job of promoting curiosity, as curiosity leads to innovation.”

The 2008 Women of Innovation winners by category:

Academic Innovation and Leadership

Erin Lavik, assistant professor of biomedical engineering
Yale University, New Haven

In 2003, Dr. Lavik came to Yale, where she works with a team of graduate and undergraduate students to develop new paradigms to promote the repair of spinal cord injury, retinal diseases and glaucoma. She also teaches classes, including Stem Cells: Science and Politics and Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, in which students make and test artificial arteries. Dr. Lavik resides in Branford.

 

Collegian Innovation and Leadership

DeCarol Davis, cadet and student
U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London

Davis is currently studying electrical engineering and received the Commandant Undergraduate Award 2005-2006 for academic excellence. She is president of the Sustainability Club and, in 2006, initiated and designed a recycling program for 1,000 cadets in barracks housing at the academy. In her spare time, Davis devised an engineering outreach program for the children of New London that revolves around a play she wrote and directed entitled “The Little Engineer: A Play for Children that Adults Should See.” Davis lives in New London.

 

Community Innovation and Leadership

Sheenah Mische, director of Translational Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals (BIPI), Ridgefield

After a career in academia, Dr. Sheenah Mische joined BIPI, developing protein, genomic and bio-informatic capabilities. In 2006, she became director of Translational Sciences, a cutting-edge department whose mission is to leverage emerging technologies and in-house expertise for drug discovery. Dr. Mische is an active volunteer in her community, contributing to many local science education initiatives and programs. She represents BIPI in a number of educational initiatives: MIT's Center for Biomedical Innovation, working with academic and pharmaceutical representatives to design an educational curriculum, and with the Connecticut United for Research Excellence (CURE) Biobus, where she is currently serving as chair for the Educational Programs Board. Sheenah represented BIPI on Governor Rell's CONNvene Working Committee to improve interest and achievement for Pre-K to grade 16 students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. Dr. Mische lives in Ridgefield.

Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership

Deborah Moss, chairman and founder, Avālence, LLC, Milford

Deborah Moss’ company, Avālence, is founded on renewable energy solutions. Her talented engineering team has developed reliable and cost-effective hydrogen-generating equipment to provide emission-free fuel. Requiring only water and power as feedstock, the "Hydrofiller," a novel power plant solution, utilizes renewable energy to produce hydrogen gas by electrolysis. The hydrogen gas is used for transportation fueling and in industrial settings for premium power and extended backup power applications. Moss is also co-founder of E-Magazine, an independent environmentally-conscious consumer magazine published by her husband in Norwalk. Moss resides in Westport.

 

Large Business Innovation and Leadership

Suzan DeGarmo, lead survivability engineer, Sikorsky Aircraft-UTC, Stratford

Suzan DeGarmo has nearly six years of experience in rotorcraft design, vulnerability analysis and qualification of ballistic components and armor. She is the vulnerability project lead for the CH148 Maritime Helicopter and UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter with specific oversight to ballistic qualification. Prior to joining Sikorsky, she worked for Boeing as the AH-64 vulnerability lead. DeGarmo has been instrumental to a number of Live Fire Test and Evaluation programs, the Joint Aircraft Survivability Program, Joint Combat Assessment Team and the Army Aircraft Shootdown Assessment Team. DeGarmo resides in Stratford.

Research Innovation and Leadership

Diane Jorkasky, vice president of Global Clinical Research Operations, Pfizer, Inc., New London

As vice president of Global Clinical Research Operations for Pfizer, Diane Jorkasky is responsible for ensuring that all exploratory development, clinical pharmacology, translational medicine and clinical technology studies are conducted in accordance with Good Clinical Practices standards. She has been instrumental in providing the leadership and the vision of Pfizer's Clinical Research Units (CRUs), which have radically transformed the conduct of Phase I trials using technology, new business process and harmonized business practices. The Clinical Research Operations group she leads has been deemed a Center of Excellence. In her role as leader of the Operation Excellence Board for Development, she has increased drug development efficiency and speed. Jorkasky resides in Old Lyme.

Small Business Innovation and Leadership

Kristin Muschett, president and CEO, HABCO, Inc., Glastonbury

Kristin Muschett has navigated the challenges of providing testing and support equipment for military and commercial aerospace for more than 20 years. Her entrepreneurial leadership doubled HABCO’s revenues over the past five years, created new engineering and skilled manufacturing jobs, expanded the product line from one to 22 standard products, penetrated the fuel cell, automotive and medical industries, and brought the state of Connecticut national recognition in 2007 when HABCO became the 11th company in the nation – and the first in Connecticut – to receive the Space Flight Awareness Award from NASA’s biggest partner in human space operations. Muschett lives in South Glastonbury.

Youth Innovation and Leadership

Anshika Kaushik, student, Fairfield Ludlowe High School, Fairfield

Anshika Kaushik is a high school senior and president of the Student Representative Council and debate team. The summer before her junior year, she worked in two labs at Washington University in St. Louis. One lab conducted research on collagen, and the other researched women and drug abuse and initiated a study on AIDS in India. In 2007, she was selected for the Columbia Science Honors Program and is currently working on an independent study project about Alzheimer’s disease.

 

The Jana Moak Award

Anshika Kaushik, the Youth Innovation and Leadership Award winner was awarded a $1,500 Jana Moak Scholarship, in honor of the 2006 Women of Innovation award winner and member of the Connecticut Technology Council Board of Directors who passed away in 2007.
 
These winners were nominated by their peers and selected from more than 100 nominees by a panel of judges based on their professional experience, history of innovation, ability to think creatively and solve problems and demonstration of leadership. Students were judged on inventiveness and accomplishment in science and technology and academic achievement.

Our 2008 winners are true pioneers in the technology, science and engineering fields,” said Beth Alquist, chair of the planning committee for the Women of Innovation awards program. “Their perseverance and fearless attitudes have resulted in outstanding achievement and established them as esteemed role models to their peers and women interested in pursuing a career in the sciences.”

 

The 2008 finalists:

We also honor the full class of 2008 finalists, each and every one is an outstanding woman working in Science and technology.

Sandra Anagnostakis, Agricultural Scientist
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Community Innovation and Leadership
Sandra Anagnostakis has built a distnguished career in agronomy recognized for excellent science, extensive public outreach, and generosity in mentoring. Known around the world as the expert on all things chestnut sampled many parts of the country before settling in Connecticut to work at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in 1966, and has concentrated on solving problems of diseases of trees in the state. She is familiar to many people in the state from the lectures she gives for the public at meetings, and tours of plantings of trees. From innovative use of biological control methods to breeding trees for resistance, she has made great progress in returning chestnut trees to the forests and selecting chestnuts for superior orchard trees to augment the income of land owners in the state.

Linda Bergemann, Principal Engineer, Technical Leader
General Dynamics Electric Boat

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Linda Bergemann has been in engineering management for 22 of her 32 years at Electric Boat Corporation. She is recognized as a leader who motivates her engineering and design teams to utilize new technologies and innovative concepts to solve complex problems. In her early years as an engineer, Linda developed tooling and fixtures to fabricate ships’ main machinery foundations, steel bows and special propulsion features. Ms. Bergemann has in recent years single-handedly pulled together and deployed a manufacturing engineering organization of 58 engineers and designers at Electric Boat. Linda brings her creative thinking and considerable construction experience, including an excellent grasp of the project finance and scheduling, to bear ensuring that projects succeed.

BJ Bormann, Sr. VP, Business Development and Licensing
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
BJ Bormann received her BS (Fairfield University) and Ph.D. (University of Connecticut Health Center) in the state of Connecticut. Upon receiving her Ph.D., BJ has worked at the Yale University School of Medicine, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and at Pfizer Inc. in New London. BJ recently re-joined Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals as a senior vice president for Licensing and Business Development. BJ is also currently a member of the Executive Board of CBIA and a consultant to Paperboy Ventures. BJ lives in Old Lyme with her husband Scott and her two teenage daughters Ashton and Colbey.

Rebecca Boyd, Senior Director and Head, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Clinical Pharmacology
Pfizer Global Research and Development

Research Innovation and Leadership
A native of Canada, Rebecca Boyd obtained her Pharmacy degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a PhD degree from the University of California-San Francisco. Her career in the pharmaceutical industry began at Parke-Davis in Ann Arbor, MI, where she joined the Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism department in 1989. After Parke-Davis was acquired by Pfizer in 2000, the group in which she worked evolved into what is now Clinical Pharmacology. Rebecca relocated to Connecticut in 2007 to become Head of the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Clinical Pharmacology group at Pfizer. She lives in East Lyme with her husband and son.

Victoria Brennan, Dept. Chair, Science and Math Departments
Mitchell College

Academic Innovation and Leadership
Dr. Victoria Brennan is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Science and Mathematics Department at Mitchell College. She holds a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She has promoted science literacy through her activities at the college and in the community. She has designed science courses for majors and non-majors using the principles of Universal Design for Instruction (UDI), incorporating service learning activities, such as an on-going invasive plant project and an annual Mitchell Earth Day event, to stimulate student interest in the sciences. She developed two new programs for the college, a B.A. program in Environmental Studies and an A.S. program in Pre-Allied Health and as chair of the General Education Committee strengthened the science and math requirements for Mitchell graduates. In the community she has served She developed an agreement between the local magnet school and Mitchell College to offer college-level science courses to qualified high school students. Dr. Brennan lives in New London with her husband, Dr. Garrett T. Brennan and her two daughters.

Molly Brewer, Associate Professor
University of CT Health Center

Research Innovation and Leadership

Molly A. Brewer, DVM, M.D., MS, is the director of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Connecticut Health Center, where she also is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her M.D. is from the College of Medicine at the State University of New York at Syracuse, and she had a Galloway fellowship at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a board certified fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at the UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She completed an MS in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Her clinical and research interests are ovarian cancer and she has devoted 12 years to developing better technology to improve the early detection of ovarian cancer. She believes strongly in prevention and promotes both risk assessment and early detection to eradicate cancers, particularly ovarian cancer.

Jeanette A. Brown, Executive Director
Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority                                                                

Community Innovation and Leadership
Jeanette Brown is Executive Director of the Stamford WPCA and an adjunct professor of environmental engineering at Manhattan College. She is a registered Professional Engineer in Connecticut and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer. She is responsible for the operation of a 24 MGD advanced wastewater treatment plant and the collection system. She has been involved in several research projects which have benefited the wastewater industry. She is currently managing a waste to energy research project which is the first of its kind in the nation and quite possibly the world. This research is being funded through the EPA and Department of Energy.

Sally Cohn, EVP Continuity Planning Services
CAPS Business Recovery Services

Small Business Innovation and Leadership
Sally Cohn is a highly-educated entrepreneur and information technology professional. She has a BA degree in Sociology from City College and a Masters Degree in Information Systems from Pace University. In her field, Sally has attained the highest level of certification; Master Certified Business Continuity Professional. Sally is part owner of CAPS Business Recovery Services, a full service provider of business continuity and disaster recovery consulting, facilities and software. She is also part owner of Recovery Planner.com, where she inspired the creation of, and assisted in, the development of a web-based business recovery software package being used globally by such companies as Hewlett Packard.

Elizabeth Cole, College Student
Franklin & Marshall College

Collegian Innovation and Leadership
Elizabeth Cole is a junior at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. She is an Environmental Studies major and Geosciences minor, hopefully attending graduate school to receive her masters in Geosciences. When not busy doing homework or working at the school library, she enjoys her involvement in a variety of campus activities. She is on the Campus Sustainability Committee as a representative of the Junior Class. The committee is responsible for overseeing sustainability on and around campus. She is president of the Environmental Action Alliance, a student organization devoted to increasing environmental consciousness on campus. This summer, she will be doing research in Colorado with a geology professor.

DeCarol Davis, Cadet/College Student
U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Collegian Innovation and Leadership
DeCarol A. Davis is currently studying Electrical Engineering at the United States Coast Guard Academy and ranked at the top of her class with a 3.96 cumulative GPA. She has received the Commandant Undergraduate Award 2005-2006 for academic excellence. Davis, a starter on the women’s basketball team, was recognized as the 2007 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year and named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I college division women’s basketball first team. Currently, Davis participates in the Drama Club, Film Club, and the Glee Club Choir and is a member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers and Alpha Lambda Delta. Davis is President of the Sustainability Club and in 2006, initiated and designed a recycling program for 1000 cadets in barracks housing at the Academy. She was selected to work in the Science and Systems Division at Lawrence Livermore Labs during the summer of 2007. Davis was recently selected as a 2007 Truman Scholar and a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.

Suzan DeGarmo, Lead Survivability Engineer
Sikorsky Aircraft

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Suzan DeGarmo has nearly six years of experience in rotorcraft design, vulnerability analysis and qualification of ballistic components and armor. She is the Vulnerability Project Lead for the CH148 Maritime Helicopter and UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter with specific oversight to ballistic qualification. Prior to joining Sikorsky, she worked for Boeing as the AH-64 Vulnerability Lead. Suzan has been instrumental to a number of Live Fire Test and Evaluation programs, the Joint Aircraft Survivability Program, Joint Combat Assessment Team and the Army Aircraft Shootdown Assessment Team. She has served on both the AIAA Survivability Technical Committee and the AHS Operations Technical Committee. Ms. DeGarmo received her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and M.S. in Technical Management both from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Business Administration from Northcentral University.

Malgorzata (Gosia) Dymerska, High School Student
Consolidated School District of New Britain

Youth Innovation and Leadership
Malgorzata (Gosia) Dymerska, 18, is a senior at New Britain High School. She is the student leader of her high school’s robotics team. She led the team to victory in the 2007 Connecticut’s BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science andTechnology) Robotics Competition, and helped her team advance to South’s BEST in Auburn, AL. She currently directs the process of building a solar car as part of the Dell-Winston School Challenge.
Besides being the Class of 2008 Valedictorian, she volunteers at the Hospital of Central Connecticut, tutors in math, and is involved in multiple school clubs and extracurricular activities. While attending theWomen’s Technology Program at MIT last summer she became interested in mechanical engineering and plans to major in it in college.

Katrina Ellison, College Student
M.I.T.

Collegian Innovation and Leadership
Katrina Ellison is a sophomore in mechanical engineering at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology. As a member of Biodiesel@MIT, she submitted a proposal in late 2006 to replace the diesel fuel in the school's shuttle buses with biodiesel produced by recycling used vegetable oil (UVO) from campus dining halls. The proposal won $30,000 from the 2007 GE/mtvU Ecomagination contest and was featured on mtvU. Katrina also has a 4.6/5.0 GPA and is a starting player on the varsity volleyball team, which finished the season ranked #1 in New England.

Katherine Emery, President
Walker Systems Support

Community Innovation and Leadership
Kate Emery started Walker Systems Support at 23, a company that is now one of Connecticut’s largest professional IT consulting firms. In 2004 Kate founded the Global Harmony Institute as an incubator for positive change, providing people with inspiration, resources, and connections to take action on local and global issues. Kate developed the Stakeholder Business Model to formalize her belief that business should be conducted for the benefit of all. Restructuring Walker has meant committing to transparency, social responsibility, and splitting profits equally between employees, community, and investors.
Kate graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor’s in Management, and from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Masters in Computer Science. She is an award-winning artist and lives in Farmington with her husband and son.

Anne Evans, President & CEO
EER Limited

Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership
Anne Evans founded and heads five small international companies, all tire industry related, with offices in Connecticut, Europe and South America. Anne’s experience in the global tire industry began in 1978 and includes retailing, wholesaling, retreading, importing, exporting, waste tire recycling, thermal recovery development and management, consulting, and serving as an expert witness in U.S. courts. On the invitation of the British government in 1989 Anne founded Elm Energy & Recycling (UK) Limited, an $80 million waste tires to electricity plant, to help alleviate Britain’s national problem of scrap tires. She is an acknowledged global scrap tire recycling innovator and expert.

Dana Flavin, Founder / CEO
The Foundation for Collaborative Medicine and Research

Research Innovation and Leadership
Dr. Dana F. Flavin is the President and co-founder of the Foundation for Collaborative Medicine and Research. Her expertise includes doctoral disciplines in chemistry, pharmacology, biochemistry and medicine with aspecialty in biochemical pharmacology and internal medicine. She held the position of lead toxicologist at the FDA, and has successfully developed new therapies in cancer and other diseases. Her numerous medical and scientific publications are found in top international journals. She has been living and doing research in Germany and Austria forthe past twenty years and is now living in Greenwich since September running her foundation and sharing her valuable knowledge with the general public. Dr. Flavin is an advisor to her colleagues at the National Cancer Institutes in Germany, Austria, Italy and the United States, as well as a tremendous resource for information to colleagues internationally.

Carolyn Foster, Senior Associate Director
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Dr. Carolyn Foster leads the Competitive Technical Intelligence (CTI) group at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals (BIPI). Before joining BIPI, she had a career in drug discovery at Roche and Schering Plough. At BIPI, Dr. Foster significantly streamlined the CTI function. She led the team that designed the CTI Database that serves as a communication tool for the global CTI team. In addition, she started an innovative intern program that allows BIPI scientists to expand their horizons and develop their careers by learning the techniques of competitive intelligence. The intern alumni function as a network of experts who collect competitive information, a true win-win situation. Dr. Foster was elected a Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences in 1997.

Denise Fudge, Quality Engineer II
CUNO Inc. a 3M Company

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Denise Fudge is a Quality Engineer at CUNO, a 3M Company. She has managed many of the technical aspects for several CUNO projects while supporting the development and production launch of several new products and transitioning from her previous role as Product Development Engineer. Denise recently received the highest level of recognition in the 3M global organization, Gold Individual Quality Achievement Award. Denise is repeatedly called upon to offer her technical expertise and leadership skills to improve products and the manufacturing processes. She has served on several Six Sigma and factory cost reduction projects, and championed the use of “Moldflow” analysis to improve plastic component designs.

Megan Gebhardt, Business Performance Manager
Pfizer, Inc.

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Megan Gebhardt is a Business Performance Manager for Global Operations at Pfizer. Megan holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Geotechnical Engineering. She has 10 years of progressive experience in engineering consulting, construction management, and validation, with the last five years of her career specializing in the Pharmaceutical Industry. In her current role, Megan analyzes the operational metrics and manages the $750 million dollar expense budget for the capital, maintenance, and energy portfolio for Pfizer's non-manufacturing sites worldwide and is based out of New London. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the New England Chapter of International Pharmaceutical Society of Engineers.

Marguerite Gildea, Manager of Clinical Operations
Pratt & Whitney

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Meg Gildea is a Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner in occupational health with a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania. She has many years of clinical nursing experience with the last 11 years in corporate occupational health management. Currently the Manager of Clinical Operations at Pratt & Whitney, she leads the strategic planning to effectively prevent and manage employee injuries and to maximize employee health and productivity. Her professional memberships include: Connecticut Women in Healthcare Management, Connecticut Advanced Practice Nurses, and is a board member of both the VNA Health Care, Inc. and the Connecticut Association of Occupational Health Nurses. During her free time Meg enjoys hiking, reading, and cinema.

Monica Goldstein, EVP
RecoveryPlanner.com, Inc

Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership
Monica Goldstein is co-founder and Executive Vice President of RecoveryPlanner.com and CAPS Business Recovery Services (“CAPS”), both successful disaster recovery and business continuity companies. CAPS have been helping companies to survive since 1995 by providing alternate sites, which are now located in Connecticut, Georgia and NJ. Born from CAPS’ business continuity planning practice, in 1999 Monica co-founded RecoveryPlanner.com, a web-based business continuity software company. Today, the RecoveryPlanner software has been adopted by global leaders in such industries as finance, healthcare, manufacturing and technology and is servicing hundreds of thousands of users in companies all over the U.S. and internationally.

Christine Grygon, Executive Director
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals

Research Innovation and Leadership
Chris Grygon is Executive Director of the Biologics/Biomolecular Sciences department at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., a position she has held since May 2006. She is responsible for the discovery of new protein therapeutics in collaboration with Boehringer’s therapeutic area biology groups in North America and biopharmaceuticals manufacturing groups in Europe. Her team has also been instrumental in enabling specialized molecular biology and biophysics technology platforms to facilitate innovative drug discovery research for BI worldwide. Prior to 2006, she was Associate Director of Biophysics and lab leader in the Analytical Sciences department at BI.
Chris obtained her B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Delaware and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from Princeton University. She is co-chair of a task force on Women in Science and Technology Leadership at BI and is active in their diversity and women’s leadership programs.

Mallika Gummalla, Principal Engineer
United Technologies Research Center

Research Innovation and Leadership
Mallika Gummalla is a Principal Engineer at United Technologies Research Center. She leads a team of researchers, with focus on innovation, to advance fuel cell technology and enable high fuel efficiency transportation vehicles. She received her Bachelor of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India and Ph. D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, both in chemical engineering. Her technical expertise is in the area of modeling and analysis of complex chemical systems, such as combustion, membrane separations and fuel cells. Her scientific contributions include patents, several publications and conference presentations.

 

Tracy Hall, Sr. Continuity Planner & Trainer

CAPS Business Recovery Services

Community Innovation and Leadership

Tracy Hall is a Sr. Continuity Planner & Trainer at CAPS Business Recovery Services. In that role, she focuses on the development and management of Business Continuity Plans for organizations spanning multiple industries. Tracy is certified on RecoveryPlanner.com software, an interactive Business Continuity tool, and plays an integral part in translating customer requirements into software upgrades. She is involved in several trade organizations and is an active member of the Corporate Volunteer Council (CVC) through the Valley United Way and is the CAPS coordinator for several volunteer projects throughout the course of each year.  These projects include food and clothing drives benefiting the local non-profit organizations in the Valley, a “Back to School” supply drive and an annual Week of Caring project.

Diane Jorkasky, Vice President of Global Clinical Research Operations
Pfizer, Inc.

Research Innovation and Leadership
Dr. Diane Jorkasky is a 20 year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry with experience in Phase 1 through Phase 4 clinical research. Currently she is Vice President of Global Clinical Research Operations and is leader of the Operational Excellence Board for Development at Pfizer Global Research and Development in New London. In this role, Dr. Jorkasky is responsible for ensuring that all exploratory development, clinical pharmacology, translational medicine and clinical technology studies are conducted and reported. She is also responsible for the three Pfizer Clinical Research Units located in the U.S., Europe and Asia. In her role as leader of the Operation Excellence Board for Development, she has accepted the responsibility to drive improvements in Pfizer’s drug development process to gain great efficiencies in performance from Phase 1 to LOE.

Kim Kalajainen, Vice President,& Chief Information Officer
Lawrence & Memorial Hospital

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Kim Kalajainen is currently Vice President & Chief Information Officer for Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London. Prior to her position at L&M, she was the Chief Information Officer at Rutland Regional Medical Center in Rutland,VT. Kim also spent 10 years in information technology consulting with Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen Business Consulting. She is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and has a Masters of Science degree in Managing Innovation and Information Technology from Champlain College. Kim also holds a Six Sigma green belt certification from Villanova University.

Dana Kaplinski, Transportation Product Manager
UTC Power

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Dana Kaplinski is a Transportation Product Manager at UTC Power responsible for creating a hybrid strategy to promote UTC fuel cells in worldwide fleet vehicle markets. The first application of this strategy is expected in 2009 when four fuel cell buses begin operating in the Hartford area. Prior to joining UTC Power, Dana was Assistant Chief Engineer for General Motors’ 2-Mode, Rear Wheel Drive Strong Hybrid System introduced in the 2008 Hybrid Chevrolet Tahoe. Dana has a MBA from Michigan State University and a Master of Mechanical Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering both from Cornell University. She lives in Simsbury with her husband and three children.

Anshika Kaushik, High School Student
Fairfield Ludlowe HS

Youth Innovation and Leadership
Anshika Kaushik is a high school student at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. She is the president of Student Representative Council and the debate team. Last summer she took classes about anatomy at Brown University. The summer before junior year, she worked in two labs at Washington University in St. Louis. One lab was conducting research on collagen and the other was researching women and drug abuse and started a study about AIDS in India. This year she was selected for the Columbia Science Honors Program and took a class on Neurobiology and Brain Degradation there. She is an AP Scholar with Distinction, and is working on an independent study project about Alzheimer’s disease.

Lea Kennard, Senior Methods Engineer
Pratt & Whitney

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Lea Kenard is a Sr. Methods Engineer at Pratt & Whitney’s Rapid Prototype Casting Laboratory. Her career there includes senior casting engineer, business project manager, export and intellectual properties representative, casting school instructor, and leader for various strategic sourcing casting commodity activities.  She is involved in many innovative and new technologies which is evident from her authoring of three fully issued and six pending patents.  In addition, she has presented at an annual casting conference and has been on two teams which were finalists for the prestigious P&W Leadership Award of which one was awarded the Quality Process & Products Roadmap Focus recognition.  Lea holds a BS in Ceramic Engineering and is pursuing her MS for Metals Engineering.

Liisa Kuhn, Assistant Professor
University of CT Health Center

Research Innovation and Leadership
Liisa Kuhn, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of reconstructive sciences in the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Skeletal Development at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Dr. Kuhn as been with the UConn Health Center since 2002. Before that she was director of development for ETEX Corporation in Boston. Her Ph.D. is from the University of California-Santa Barbara. Dr. Kuhn’s research focus is on the use of calcium phosphate for targeted, less toxic delivery of chemotherapy. She also is studying how to improve bone growth around dental implants. She also teaches classes on biomaterials and tissue engineering.

Jeanne Larsen, Manager, Software Engineering
Hamilton Sundstrand

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Jeanne Larsen is the manager of Software Engineering for the Air Management Systems Division of Hamilton Sundstrand. Jeanne leads a diverse group of software controls engineers developing critical software for the world’s largest and most complex aircraft, including the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787. She has over 20 years experience in aviation software and is the leader of the Software Engineering Process Group providing technical leadership and direction for the entire Connecticut-based Hamilton Sundstrand community. Jeanne is also an active member of the international safety committee that writes the regulations for the aerospace software community.

Erin Lavik, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Yale University

Academic Innovation and Leadership
Erin Lavik received her bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees from MIT in Materials Science and Engineering. Her graduate work involved developing novel polymer scaffolds to direct spinal cord repair. Dr. Lavik came to Yale in 2003 and is an assistant professor. She works with a team of fantastic graduate and undergraduate students to develop new paradigms to promote repair following spinal cord injury, retinal diseases, and glaucoma. She teaches classes including Stem Cells: Science and Politics, Biomaterials, and Tissue Engineering where the students make and test artificial arteries. In her free time, she writes plays.

Heewon Lee, Associate Director, Chemcial Development and Head of Analytical Process Research Group
Boehringering Ingelheim Pharmaceutical

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Dr. Heewon Lee obtained her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry from Seoul National University in Korea. She received her Ph.D. degree with Professor D. Lubman in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Michigan. After conducting post-doctoral research at the Research Triangle Institute and North Carolina State University, Dr. Lee worked at ArQule for two years. She joined Boehringer Ingelheim in 2000. She is Associate Director in charge of Analytical Research Group in the Chemical Development Department.

Haley Lepo, College Student
Trinity College

Collegian Innovation and Leadership
Haley Lepo is a senior at Trinity College, double majoring in mathematics and mechanical engineering. At Trinity she has maintained a 3.9 GPA and has received many honors, including recently being elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Haley is originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, where she first discovered her love of math in elementary school. When she’s not playing with numbers, she plays clarinet in the Capitol Symphonic Winds in Hartford. She is president of the Trinity College Lions Club and is active in several other campus organizations. Haley looks forward to attending graduate school next fall to study applied mathematics.

Christine Mansfield, President
Discovery Training Services

Community Innovation and Leadership
Christine Mansfield is President and Owner of Discovery Training Services in Wallingford, an independent, woman-owned company certified as an MBE by the State of Connecticut. Christine is a member of the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce and Legislative Committee, CTC, the National Association for Female Executives and other organizations, Christine’s background includes product marketing, education and training management in the banking and association sectors. She holds a BA from Villanova University and MBA from Eastern University. Active in community and educational groups, Christine resides in Wallingford with her husband Martin and three children.

Susan Masino, Professor Neuroscience and Psychology
Trinity College

Academic Innovation and Leadership
Dr. Susan Masino is an Associate Professor at Trinity College, appointed jointly in Neuroscience and Psychology. She teaches courses such as “Neurobiology of Learning and Memory”, and “Drugs and Behavior”. Dr. Masino aims to make science accessible to all, including those with limited background or a hesitance toward science. Recently she initiated a new course titled “The Green Mind”, underscoring interactions between the brain and the environment. Dr. Masino’s research laboratory is focused on adenosine (ah-den-oh-seen), a molecule that plays a dual role in metabolism and brain activity. Her basic research involves students and is aimed toward disorders such as epilepsy, autism, and traumatic brain injury.

Elsie Mathews, Director of Data Operations
Bristol-Myers Squibb

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Elsie Mathews is Director of Data Operations at Bristol-Myers Squibb. She has made instrumental contributions to science and industry throughout Connecticut and worldwide. In 1983, after graduation from the University of Connecticut, she began her career at Yale Medical School in diabetes research. Elsie then joined BioPolymers, a Connecticut start-up biotech firm. BioPolymers pioneered surgical adhesives for cornea transplants, bone repair, and skin replacement for burn patients. In 1990, Elsie earned her Masters Degree in Public Health from the University of Connecticut. In 1991, Elsie joined Bristol-Myers Squibb. She is currently Director of Data Operations, with staff in Brussels, Belgium, Wallingford, Connecticut and Princeton, New Jersey.

Sheenah Mische, Director
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals

Community Innovation and Leadership
Sheenah Mische, who has been with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals since 1998, is currently Director of Translational Sciences. In tha role, she is responsible for leveraging cutting edge technologies for drug discovery. Prior to joining BI, Sheenah was faculty member at The Rockefeller University from 1990-1998, serving as Director of the Protein/DNA Technology Center and the Starr Center for Genotyping. She has served on various international and federal advisory committees, and is an active supporter and participant in science education programs. She received her BS degree in Microbiology from Quinnipiac University, a MS degree in Biochemistry from New York University and her Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology from Yale University.

Deborah Moss, Chairman and Founder
Avalence, LLC

Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership
Deborah Moss, Chair and Founder of Avālence, has always explored opportunities to translate her personal values into action. Avālence is a company founded on renewable energy solutions. Her talented engineering team was tasked to develop reliable and cost-effective hydrogen-generating equipment to provide emission-free fuel. Requiring only water and power as feedstock, the "Hydrofiller", a novel power plant solution, utilizes renewable energy to produce hydrogen gas by electrolysis. The hydrogen gas is used in industrial settings, for premium power and extended backup power applications, and for transportation fueling. With multiple Hydrofiller units now in fabrication and testing, Deborah and her team are turning their dreams into reality.

Deborah has always been concerned about the environment. In 1990 she co-founded an independent, environmentally-conscious consumer magazine called "E-Magazine." This non-profit, award-winning magazine is still published by her husband in Norwalk, CT .

When she joined her family's manufacturing business in 1993 she soon discovered that there was a company history of producing hydrogen generating equipment. It turned out that the engineers had ideas for novel, lower cost systems which complimented Deborah's desire to pursue clean energy solutions. That gave Deborah the impetus to spin off Avālence to commercialize innovative hydrogen fuel systems.

The Avālence design team lead by Deborah Moss, and funded by federal grants (DOE SBIR, FTA) and seed money, designed and invented the Hydrofiller. It is a sophisticated power plant able to generate ultra-high pressure hydrogen fuel without a costly and troublesome compressor which reduces equipment costs and expands the use of renewable power.

Avālence has piloted the Hydrofiller with several early adopter companies because of a growing interest to develop clean, renewable technologies. The Hydrofiller, not only produces emission-free fuel, but the electricity used to power the Hydrofiller can be clean and renewable as well. The Hydrofiller electrolyzer can be hooked up to solar, wind etc. provide the power necessary to create the high-pressure hydrogen

Kristin Muschett, Chief Executive Officer
HABCO, Inc.

Small Business Innovation and Leadership
Kristin Muschett, CEO and owner of HABCO, Inc. since 1998, has navigated the challenges of providing testing and support equipment for military and commercial aerospace for over 20 years. Her entrepreneurial leadership doubled HABCO’s revenues over the past five years, created new engineering and skilled manufacturing jobs, expanded the product line from one to 22 standard products, penetrated the fuel cell, automotive and medical industries, and brought the state of Connecticut national recognition in 2007 when HABCO became the 11th company in the nation, and the first in Connecticut, to receive the Space Flight Awareness Award from the Unite Space Alliance, NASA’s biggest partner in human space operations. A graduate of the University of Hartford, Ms. Muschett is a member of the Aerospace Components Manufacturers group and serves on the board of directors for CBIA and the Glastonbury Education Foundation.

Brenda Nuhfer, General Manager
Hamilton Sundstrand - UTC

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Brenda Nuhfer has over 20 years of managerial and technical experience in the aerospace industry. She is currently the General Manager for Pratt & Whitney Canada programs, with responsibility for product development , operations, and program management. Recent achievements include the implementation of an engine control system for a Very Light Jet (VLJ), a new category of aircraft that promises to revolutionize the aerospace industry. Previously, she was the software engineering manager and leader of the Software Engineering Process Group, achieving a Capability Maturity Model (CMM) rating of Level 4. She was also on the curriculum advisory board for the University of Connecticut. Brenda has a BS in Computer Science Engineering from the University of Connecticut and a Masters of Management from Rennsalear Polytechnic Institute.

Judith Otton, Principal
Advanced Decisions

Small Business Innovation and Leadership
Judi Otton has spent more than 20 years in the software industry as an entrepreneur, a software development executive, a project manager, a programmer and a hardware designer. She is currently a principal with Advanced Decisions, Inc., assisting Fast 50 and mid-size companies to build better software in better ways. At Dictaphone, Transcentive and ESPN, Judi’s teams and departments developed outstanding customer-oriented software. Judi has published several articles on software development, she maintains a blog and speaks on software process improvement efforts. Judi holds a Bachelors Degree in Engineering, a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA.

Erica Pehmoeller, High School Student
Southington High School

Youth Innovation and Leadership
Erica Pehmoeller is a senior at Southington High school and is part of the pre-engineering, Project Lead the Way program. Her freshman year project combined solar power, LEDs, and a mailbox to create a light-up display for night use. She has progressed to her senior project, which is solving the problem: “Don’t you hate it when the surrounding high temperatures impair your working capabilities?” She started a colorguard at one of the town’s middle schools her sophomore year and has been the head instructor since then. She hopes to become a materials engineer, specializing in ceramics.

Teresa Piliouras, President
Albright Associates, Inc.

Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership
Teresa Piliouras is a child advocate, educator, and industry consultant. Dr. Piliouras is President and Founder of Albright Associates, a company whose mission is to protect and safeguard individual privacy and safety in the new digital age. Albright Associates’ flagship product -- netSafeID™ -- is designed to protect the safety and anonymity of Internet users, especially children, using secure and anonymous data collection and exchange protocols. Prior to Albright Associates, Dr. Piliouras was co-founder of TCR, Inc., a consulting company specializing in data mining and artificial intelligence. She also held senior management and technical positions at Accenture, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pitney Bowes, and PepsiCo. Dr. Piliouras holds a B.S. from the University of Illinois, a M.B.A. from Iona College, and a Ph.D. from Polytechnic University. She is the author of numerous books and publications, including the "CRC Handbook of Modern Telecommunications." Dr. Piliouras is an adjunct professor at Polytechnic University teaching graduate courses in computer and management science.

Gerri Potash, Vice President, Advisory Services
Nerac, Inc.

Small Business Innovation and Leadership

Gerri Potash is Nerac's Vice President of Research and Advisory Services. She currently assists client companies by drawing from her 16+ years of experience guiding medical device and pharmaceutical clients over research and development hurdles. As a medical device professional, she developed and executed quality program strategies for pharmaceutical and medical device companies as well strategies to achieve regulatory approval on specific products. At Nerac, Ms. Potash also serves in an analytical capacity to help Nerac's 3,000+ clients around the world consider new technologies, and revisions to existing products and designs. She is a member of the Patent Information Users Group (PIUG) and the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP), conducting seminars for each of these organizations at local and broader levels.
Ms Potash is a University of Connecticut graduate.

Beth Rafferty, Engineering Supervisor, Overhaul and Repair Availabilities
General Dynamics Electric Boat

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Beth Rafferty Supervises the Structural Engineering, Internal and External Structures Preservation, and URO MRC Group at Electric Boat. This group consists of 14 engineers and planners who support the preplanning and execution of overhaul and repair availabilities on commissioned naval ships. Her group is responsible for developing the detailed technical requirements and technical work documents used by the trades to perform overhauls. She has positioned herself as the leading authority on preservation matters in the overhaul and repair business at EB. Ms Rafferty's knowledge and training along with the increased knowledge and expertise of her group in the preservation area has greatly enhanced the company's contract compliance. This past year Ms Rafferty was assigned as the acting Manager for all overhaul and repair personnel supporting work on a ship offsite at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia.

Sarah Raskin, Director and Associate Professor
Trinity College

Academic Innovation and Leadership
Sarah Raskin, Ph.D. is a Board Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Trinity College. She has published articles investigating cognitive functions and rehabilitation for disorders including traumatic brain injury. She is the recipient of the Catherine Bontke Award from the Brain Injury Association of Connecticut for her contribution to brain injury research and the Arthur Hughes Award for Teaching Excellence from Trinity. She co-authored a book entitled “Neurospsychological Management of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury” published by Oxford University Press. She is currently working on a book to be published by Guilford Press entitled “Neuroplasticity and Neurorehabilitation.”

Rebecca Reed, High School Student
Newtown High School

Youth Innovation and Leadership
Rebecca Reed is a senior at Newtown High School. She is a leader in the SOS (Students Offering Support) Club and she is also a member of the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) Club. She plays softball in the spring and loves reading and hiking. Her favorite classes are her AP Physics and Latin 4 classes and she takes Chinese classes at Yale once a week. She has had an interest in science for her whole life. She has done two projects with neural networks in high school and is currently working on a neural network-robotics project. Rebecca plans to pursue artificial intelligence and robotics as a possible career for the future.

Leah Reimer, Partner
Cantor Colburn LLP

Small Business Innovation and Leadership
Before becoming partner at Cantor Colburn, Connecticut's largest IP law firm, Leah Reimer was a Research Chemist at Eli Lily and DowElanco. With a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Stanford, a J.D. from the University of Connecticut, and impressive experience in both fields, Dr. Reimer is insightful and creative in dealing with complex legal and technical issues for the scientific companies she represents. Her approach is creative and innovative, and is as sophisticated as her clientele. Dr. Reimer provides her clients with exceptional counseling, adding value to her clients' products and services.

Dr. Tracy Romano, Sr. Vice President for Research & Zoological Operations
Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration

Small Business Innovation and Leadership
Tracy Romano, graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Saint Michael’s College, Winooski, VT. In 1993, Tracy received a PhD in Neurobiology and Anatomy from the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. She was awarded a National Research Council fellowship to carry out her postdoctoral studies with the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program in collaboration with the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, CA to study the impact of environmental stressors on the health of bottlenose dolphins. She subsequently established a research laboratory at the Navy facility dedicated to marine mammal neuroimmunology. In May 2004, Tracy moved her research program to the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration. As the Vice President of Research, she has led an exceptional research team dedicated to aquatic animal health research and medicine. Tracy was promoted to Senior Vice President of Research and Zoological Operations in November of 2006.

Cathy Smith, Manager, VIRGINIA Class Submarine Program
General Dynamics Electric Boat

Large Business Innovation and Leadership
Cathy Smith manages a group of 50 engineers focused on maintaining and improving the Virginia Class Submarine Propulsion Plant in the structural and radiation shielding technical areas. She has significant experience leading change, leading people and promoting innovation at Electric Boat. She has a proven track record of being able to highly motivate her staff within a design-build team environment with proven results. This includes over $10 million dollars saved for process, structural and shielding changes. This is an ongoing effort in order to attain a two ship per year contract with the U.S. Navy. Attaining a build rate of two ships per year is a strategic goal for Electric Boat and will benefit the economics of southeastern Connecticut.

Anabella Villalobos, Vice President, Neuroscience and Antibacterials Chemistry Research
Pfizer Global Research and Development

Research Innovation and Leadership
Anabella was born and raised in Panama City, Panama. She obtained her B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Panama in 1981 and her Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry with Professor Lester A. Mitscher at the University of Kansas in July 1987. She was a Fulbright-Hayes Fellow at the University of Kansas from 1981-1983. After spending two years as a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow with Professor Samuel Danishefsky at Yale University, Anabella joined the Groton Laboratories at Pfizer as a Research Scientist in the Neuroscience Medicinal Chemistry group in September 1989. In June 2001, Anabella became the head of Neuroscience Medicinal Chemistry in Groton Discovery. More recently, in March 2007, she assumed responsibility for Antibacterials and Neuroscience Medicinal Chemistry. She has vast experience in the drug discovery and development process and as part of the Neuroscience group she has overseen medicinal chemistry efforts that have resulted in development candidates for depression, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, Alzheimer’s disease and stroke. Anabella has also led multidisciplinary teams that have taken development candidates into Phase I and Phase II studies. She has several publications and patents in the Neuroscience area. Anabella is married to Kevin C. Johnson and has two sons, Derek (16) and Casey (13).

Cheryl Watson, Professor of Biomolecular Sciences
Central Connecticut State University

Academic Innovation and Leadership

Cheryl Watson, Professor of Biomolecular Sciences at Central Connecticut State University, received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Hawaii in 1990. She has studied the functional modulation of membrane proteins in whole animals, isolated organs, and isolated cells. Cheryl is particularly interested in signaling pathways in cardiac and neuronal cells. Students in her laboratory are currently engaged in studying the effects of hormones on cardiac rhythm and the neurotransmitters in the brain. In 2004 Cheryl received the Excellence in Teaching Award from Central Connecticut State University. In 2005 she did her sabbatical research at Boehringer-Ingelheim in Ridgefield, CT where she investigated the causes of cardiac arrhythmias. Cheryl is a reviewer for several national journals and has served on both NIH and NSF study sections within the past year.

 

Karen Zwick, Teacher
Cold Spring School

Academic Innovation and Leadership
Karen Zwick is a classroom teacher and Technology Coordinator at Cold Spring School in New Haven. As Technology Coordinator, she has developed a student Tech Team that provides support for neighboring schools. Karen also provides technology training and consulting for several New Haven schools through The Institute for Educational Innovation, an organization that promotes progressive teaching methods. She has facilitated several teacher-based, collaborative projects to develop local resources for use by Connecticut educators. A project created by her students, A Virtual Guide to the Mill River, received the National Association of Independent School’s Leading Edge Award in 2003.

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2008 PLANNING COMMITTEE

Co-Chairs
Elizabeth Alquist Partner, Day Pitney LLP

Committee Members

Grace  Figureredo, Director, Workforce Diversity, United Technologies Corporation

Maria Gigliotti, Director of Clinical Operations, Panacos Pharmaceuticals Inc
Diane Goldsmith, Dean of Planning, Research and Assessment, Ct. Distance Learning Consortium 
Eileen Hasson, President, The Computer Company
Jeanie Houghton, Vice President Network Finance (Retired), AT&T
Mary Norris, Partner, Wiggin and Dana 
Sondra Schneider, President, Security University
Karen Vogel, President, New Generation Performance Technologies 
Yuling Wu, Director, Systems Labs, Pitney BowesKaren Houseknecht, Vice President, Biology, ASDI, Inc
Deb Santy, SBIR Manager, CCAT
Paige Rasid, Marketing & Operations Manager, Connecticut Technology Council
Lucy Brakoniecki, Gender Equity Specialist, Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund
Colleen Palma, Managing Director - Consulting Services, Partner Communications
Toni Hoover, SVP & Groton-New London Labratories Site Leader, Pfizer Corporation
Becky Giantonio, Pita Communications

Judith Auslander, Senior Fellow, Pitney Bowes