Sciences at Southern Get Dynamic New Home; Local Companies Help Along the Way

Students attending Southern Connecticut State University this semester are the first to use the campus’ new Academic Science & Laboratory Building, opened this fall, with local companies playing an integral role from design and construction to providing scientific equipment for the new facility. Officials say Southern's ongoing expansion of its science programs has been greatly enhanced with the construction of the 103,608-square-foot, four-level academic and laboratory science building. Situated adjacent to Jennings Hall, the existing home for the sciences on the New Haven campus, the new building extends the university’s capacity to educate more students in the STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The new science building also features a high-performance computing lab for research in theoretical science, bioinformatics, and computer science, two aquaria, and six rooftop telescope stations.  A collaboration between Southern and PerkinElmer, based in Massachusetts and with offices in Shelton, has also provided a boost. Equipment includes several analytical instruments to improve research capabilities and provide students with opportunities to do cutting-edge work.

Configured in the shape of an “L,” the new building works in concert with two pre-existing science buildings — Jennings and Morrill halls — to enclose a new “science enclave.” With very visible scientific displays and instrumentation inside and outside the building, the new center has quickly assumed a symbolic as well as actual role for the sciences on campus.

Embracing innovative sustainable design, it houses teaching and research training laboratories for nanotechnology, physics and optics, the earth sciences, the environmental sciences, cancer research, astronomy, molecular biology and chemistry.

“Built to the latest standards in sustainability, this signature building will truly enhance our ability to foster the next generation of Connecticut scientists,” Southern president Mary A. Papazian said at last month’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Werth Center for Marine and Coastal Studies –named in honor of the Werth family following a $3 million gift from the Werth Family Foundation -- is housed on the second floor.  The center will have several new labs, including an analytic lab (where mercury levels can be determined) and a sediment coastal science lab (where levels of sediment can be tested).

The Center for Nanotechnology will be located on the ground floor, where the laboratory space is designed to isolate the building's vibrations -- considered important when dealing with microscopic materials.  A saltwater aquaria room with a touch tank is featured in the new building, providing a “centerpiece of outreach to area schools and the community.”

The building includes expanded wings for Earth Science, Environmental Science, Molecular Biology, Chemistry, and Physics teaching and research laboratories.  There are scientific displays throughout, illustrating the research interests of faculty and the students, including a replica of a nanotube — a focal point in the center of the building.  Rain water collection, which is being used to water the science quad and faculty garden was also integrated into the design. Designed for LEED Silver certification, many sustainable design features can be seen throughout the building’s footprint.

PerkinElmer delivered instruments and services “designed to help improve human and environmental health,” Christine Broadbridge, SCSU’s director of science, technology, engineering and math initiatives, recently told the Fairfield County Business Journal. “At Southern, we are proud to have a strong relationship with PerkinElmer, an important leader of business and science here in Connecticut.”

Ted Gresik, senior director of PerkinElmer, expressed his appreciation in being given the opportunity to work with Southern and accelerating its science through access to its innovative technologies.  At the ribbon-cutting, he said “We recognize the opportunity for Southern Connecticut State University and Perkin Elmer to work together on research, and technology initiatives toward developing programs where students can acquire a diverse set of scientific and technical skills which will facilitate a transition to career opportunities within the science industry.”

Plans for the new Academic Science & Laboratory Building at Southern began back in 2007 with a comprehensive 10-year capital improvement plan, dubbed CSUS 2020, for upgrading the four institutions of the Connecticut State University System.  Approved by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. M. Jodi Rell, the plan was developed during the administration of Chancellor David G. Carter.  It included upgrades and repairs to existing facilities, as well as construction of a new Visual & Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University, which opened in September 2014, a new academic and classroom building at Central Connecticut State University, which opened two years ago, and a Fine Arts Instructional Center at Eastern Connecticut State University, scheduled to open early next year.

The Science Building at Southern was designed by Centerbrook Architect and Planners of Centerbrook, CT, with construction by FIP Construction of Farmington.  (see video about the Academic Science & Laboratory Building)

Questions on Synthetic Turf Continue as New High School Field Opens in Connecticut

Construction of a new, synthetic-surface football field to replace the grass field that had developed drainage problems at Bloomfield High School was driven by concern over player safety.  The conditions on the old field, which had not been renovated in more than a decade, had become dangerous and led to player injuries, according to school officials. But the $1.3 renovation of the field and adjacent track, completed this year and which saw students on the field for the first time last month with the start of football season, has renewed questions first raised months ago locally, and which remain in the news nationally.

Back in March, on the brink of Board of Education approval of the new track and field, concerns were raised about the safety of the proposed turf.  Published reports indicate that “some members expressed concerns over synthetic fields having been linked to carcinogens.”  Board Chairman Donald Harris told The Hartford Courant that BSC Group, the company that was hired to install the field, put those concerns to rest.  "We are fully supportive because there are no carcinogenic concerns," he said.

In recent months, however, questions have continued elsewhere about sand and rubber-pellet based fields, driven in part by a University of Washington women’s soccer coach who complied statistics of players who became ill, and NBC News reporting of her data.  That has spurred members of Congress to call for an independent federal investigation into crumb rubber, citing lingering health questions surrounding the small rubber shreds used as artificial turf.

There have been dozens of studies that have found there to be no elevated health concerns, including a study by Connecticut’s health officials, but questions persist.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who has been described as leading the effort, first became concerned about the artificial surface when his children were playing on the crumb-rubber athletic fields.  “I became concerned as a parent, as much as a public official, ten years ago, and at first was somewhat skeptical, but now very firmly believe that we need an authoritative, real study about what's in these fields," Blumenthal told ABC News this month.  He is calling for an independent investigation of the safety of the rubber pellets used in synthetic turf.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, a former Connecticut Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, told ABC News “there is no evidence yet that is making these links, but it doesn’t mean we’re dismissing the concerns.”

The pellets made from ground-up discarded tires are used as turf on more than 10,000 athletic fields and playgrounds around the country, according to the Synthetic Turf Council.

Boston-based BSC Group, with offices in Worcester, West Yarmouth and Glastonbury, was hired to construct the new synthetic turf field in Bloomfield.  The company was founded in 1965, and is a multi-disciplinary firm with expertise in a range of areas including structural engineering, landscape architecture, environmental permitting, ecological sciences and site engineering.  The work at Bloomfield High School renovation included a resurfaced six-lane track, installation of the synthetic turf field and improved drainage.  The football team began play on the field this season.

In Connecticut, like elsewhere around the nation, artificial turf fields have become a popular alternative to natural grass fields. The state Department of Public Health (DPH) website points out that “the advantages of these fields include less maintenance costs, ability to withstand intense use and no need for pesticides.”  To address public safety concerns, four Connecticut state agencies collaborated in 2010 to evaluate the potential exposures and risks from athletic use of artificial turf fields, the DPH website explains.

A two year, comprehensive investigation of releases from five fields during active play was conducted by the Connecticut departments of Public Health, Energy and Environmental Protection, University of Connecticut Health Center, and The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. The study was peer-reviewed by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.  The overall conclusion of the report, according to the DPH website, is that “use of outdoor artificial turf fields does not represent a significant health risk.”

Gary Ginsberg, a toxicologist with the state Department of Public Health who worked on the states risk assessment study, told The Hartford Courant recently that he has no concerns about his own children playing on artificial fields.  “None at all.”

Landing People on Mars, Searching for Life in the Universe: Topics at SCSU Forum

Two of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) -- the human exploration of Mars and the search for Earth-like planets outside the solar system -- will be the subject of a forum on Monday, Nov. 16, at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). The forum, which is free and open to the public, will be attended by hundreds of high school students, SCSU students and faculty, and members of the community.  It is being held just two months after new findings from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provided the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars.

The program, “Missions Possible: A Manned Flight to Mars; Finding ‘New Earths’ in the Milky Way Galaxy,” is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Lyman Center for the Performing Arts on Southern’s campus.

Steve Howell, project scientist for the Kepler Mission, will be the keynote speaker. Kepler has identified more than 1,000 planets that are in a “habitable zone,” – an area that is neither too close nor too far away from their suns to support life. Most recently, a planet dubbed “Earth’s older, larger cousin,” named Kepler-452(b), was found 1,400 light years away.

Jennifer Stern, a space scientist for NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will speak about the plausibility of human exploration of Mars, as well as what the recent discovery of water on the planet suggests for the possibility of life existing on its surface. She is a member of the science team for the Mars Science Laboratory Rover Curiosity, which landed on Mars in August 2012.

“It took multiple spacecraft over several years to solve this mystery, and now we know there is liquid water on the surface of this cold, desert planet,” Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, said recently. “It seems that the more we study Mars, the more we learn how life could be supported and where there are resources to support life in the future.”

NASA is developing the capabilities needed to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 and Mars in the 2030s – goals outlined in the bipartisan NASA Authorization Act of 2010 and in the U.S. National Space Policy, also issued in 2010.  While a human landing is challenging, the development of a reliable return flight is a more difficult technologically hurdle. The colonization of the Red Planet is also being considered by some, but would require means to deal with the planet’s thin atmosphere, lack of oxygen and barren cold weather.

As part of the preliminary preparation for such a flight, the nation’s space agency is working with a military laboratory at the submarine base in Groton to measure how teams cope with stress during month-long simulations of space flight.  The Navy research that piqued NASA's interest started about five years ago when the Groton-based Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory, at the request of the submarine force, began examining ways to make tactical teams work together better, the Associated Press reported earlier this year.

In addition to the featured speakers,  a panel discussion will follow, to include:

• Elliott Horch, SCSU professor of physics and a noted astrophysicist, has developed a cutting-edge camera for the National Science Foundation that is used on telescopes to dramatically improve the clarity of cosmic images and has been used as part of the Kepler Mission.
• Jim Fullmer, SCSU associate professor of earth science; and a veteran astronomer whose expertise includes understanding the weather on celestial bodies, such as Mars.
• Tabetha Boyajian, post-doctoral fellow at Yale University and a member of the citizen astronomy organization, “Planet Hunters.” Boyajian is the lead author of a recent article published in a scientific journal about the lack of conclusive evidence that a natural cause was responsible for a dimming of light in front of a faraway star. It has led some – including many in the scientific community – to believe the dimming is caused by a superstructure orbiting around that star, perhaps created by an advanced alien civilization, though Boyajian said it is still only a longshot possibility.

A question-and-answer period will conclude the program.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDb3UZPoTpc

Safety in Sharing the Road Urged for Drivers, Cyclists, Pedestrians

Bike Walk Connecticut, the statewide organization that works for active transportation and making Connecticut a better place to bike and walk, has released a new brochure to remind drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians on the rules for sharing the road, as the organization prepares for its annual fundraising dinner and awards ceremony. Entitled Give Respect, Get Respect:  Share the Road, Connecticut, the brochure is available for download at www.bikewalkct.org. Connecticut's roads are traveled by walkers, runners, and cyclists who are welcome and expected to use the roads for transportation, fitness, and recreation, the organization emphasizes.

Marking the launch of the new Share the Road campaign, this year's featured speaker is Colleen Kelly Alexander.  Bike Walk Connecticut officials describe her remarkable story:  After undergoing brain surgery in 2007 for a chiari malformation, Colleen overcame a lupus and cryoglobulinemia diagnosis in 2009, pushing forward to become a successful, competitive triathlete. In 2011, while on a routine bike ride, she was run over by a freight truck. Crushed, ripped apart and bleeding out, she flatlined twice, spent five weeks in a coma and has since endured over twenty surgeries. Defying diagnoses, dire predictions and death, Colleen stunned doctors by bucking the odds and coming back to run more than 50 races and complete 15 triathlons, including 4 half Ironman events since her trauma. Colleen and husband Sean Alexander were elected to the Bike Walk Connecticut board of directors in 2015.  

The annual event will be held November 20 at Central Connecticut State University.  Proceeds fund Bike Walk Connecticut's work to make Connecticut "a great place to bike and walk."  Regarding the Share the Road initiative, Bike Walk Connecticut officials point out that "with common courtesy, common sense, and respect for the rules to share the road, Connecticut's roads can be safer for everyone."  The brochure urges state residents to “please do your part whether you're driving, cycling, walking, or running.”  The brochure includes the following guidelines:

For Drivers:

• Please slow down.  Obey speed limits.  A pedestrian hit by a car going 40 mph has an 85% chance of being killed.  At 20 mph the risk is 5%.  Drive at a speed that's safe for all.
• Expect cyclists, walkers, runners and others on the road.
• Yield to pedestrians at or in any crosswalk.  It's been the law since 1978, but it's not widely observed in Connecticut.  Every intersection is a crosswalk, even if it's not marked.  "Yield" means slow down or stop.
• Come to a complete stop at stop signs and red lights.  Be vigilant at intersections.
• Signal your turns and look both ways before changing lanes, turning, and at driveways.
• Expect the unexpected around curves and over hills, where visibility is limited.
• Let cyclists ride as far to the right as is safe.  Cyclists should ride as far to the right as they judge to be safe.  Give them space to avoid hazards like potholes, debris and drain grates.
• Expect cyclists in the travel lane.  Cyclists may ride in or near the middle of the travel lane when it's not safe to ride on the far right side of the road.  Cyclists should ride in the travel lane to avoid hazards and when the road is too narrow for cars and bikes to proceed safely side by side.
• Pass with care.  Give cyclists at least 3 feet.  It's the law since 2008.  Keep at least 3 feet of space between your vehicle and a cyclist.  You may cross the center line to pass a cyclist if it's safe.
• Mind the door zone.  Check for approaching cyclists before opening your car door so you don't hit them.
• Avoid distracted driving, aggressive driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• 2014 Vulnerable User Law Mandates $1000 Fine.  Connecticut requires a fine of up to $1000 on drivers who cause the death or serious injury of a pedestrian, cyclist or other vulnerable road user who used reasonable care.

For Cyclists:

Bike Walk Connecticut urges all cyclists to be good ambassadors for cycling and always follow these rules to share the road in Connecticut. Cyclists who follow the rules of the road are visible, predictable, safer, and earn respect from other road users.

• Follow the rules of the road.  Obey stop signs and traffic signals.  Ride on the right in the direction of traffic.  Riding on sidewalks is prohibited in many Connecticut towns.
• Ride as far to the right as is safe.  If there's no bike lane, ride in the travel lane when necessary for your safety.  The extreme right edge of the road isn't always the safest place to ride.  Riding in the travel lane makes it easier for drivers to see you and reduces the chance that a driver may pass too close.
• Be visible.  Always ride with lights at night.  Wear bright clothes during the day and reflective materials at night.  For night riding, Connecticut requires a headlight visible from at least 500 feet and a red tail light visible from 600 feet.
• Be predictable.  Ride in a straight, predictable manner.  Don't weave, swerve, or stop suddenly.
• Signal all turns.  Use proper hand signals in advance to tell others where you are going.
• Ride single file in traffic.  You may ride two abreast if traffic can pass you safely.  Common courtesy usually requires riding single file in traffic, except when passing others.
• Stay out of the "door zone."  Ride 3-4 feet away from parked cars so you don't get hit by an opening car door.
• Alert others that you're approaching or passing.  Allow plenty of space when passing others.  Cyclists must yield to pedestrians in or at crosswalks.
• Don't ride distracted.  Distracted riding is dangerous riding.  Wait to use your cellphone until you're off the road.  Riding with headphones is unsafe if you're distracted and can't hear other road users.
• Wear a helmet correctly on every ride.

For Pedestrians:

• Be aware.  Watch for cars that are turning, at driveways, or backing up.  Never assume a driver sees you or will stop or slow down at an intersection.
• Use sidewalks.  No sidewalk?  Walk facing traffic.
• Use crosswalks and obey crosswalk signals.  No Crosswalk?  Yield to Traffic.
• Be Alert.  Don't be distracted by devices that take your eyes and ears off the road, especially at intersections.  Distracted walking is dangerous walking.
• Be Visible.
• Wear Bright, Reflective Clothing. 
• Runners are Pedestrians Too.  Like walkers, runners should run against traffic, cross at crosswalks whenever available, and obey crosswalk signals.

Driver Distraction Continues Almost 30 Seconds After Text is Sent, Research Reveals

Groundbreaking research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reveals that the distraction drivers experience using voice activated technology - or their smartphones - to make a call, change music or send a text can linger for almost 30 seconds after the task is complete. “This should be a wakeup call to anyone who feels safe texting while sitting at a red light”, says AAA spokesperson Amy Parmenter. “Just because you can hit the gas when the light turns green, doesn’t mean you’re good to go.”

Researchers studying various push-to-talk technologies found that potentially unsafe levels of mental distraction lasted for as long as 27 seconds after completing a task in the worst-performing systems. And, at the 25 MPH speed limit in the study, drivers traveled the length of nearly three football fields during this time. Using the least distracting systems, drivers still remained impaired for more than 15 seconds.

The researchers discovered the residual effects of mental distraction while comparing the voice activated technology in ten 2015 vehicles and three types of smart phones. The analysis found that all systems studied increased mental distraction to potentially unsafe levels.

“Automakers often promote everything their connected cars can do, but this research paints a frightening picture of what drivers can’t do if they use the popular features” Parmenter says. “Hands free does not mean risk free. It’s that simple”.

Last month, CT by the Numbers reported that in-car electronics that allow drivers to listen to, read and send text messages while at the wheel may be skirting the spirit, if not the letter, of Connecticut law.  In Connecticut, Public Act 10-109, enacted in 2010, states that “no person shall operate a motor vehicle … while using a hand-held mobile telephone to engage in a call or while using a mobile electronic device while such vehicle is in motion. An operator of a motor vehicle who types, sends or reads a text message with a hand-held mobile telephone or mobile electronic device while such vehicle is in motion shall be in violation of this section.”

In the AAA study, researchers rated driver distraction on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being relatively safe, about equal to listening to the radio, and 5 being highly challenging in such a way as to overload the driver’s attention. The best performing system was the Chevy Equinox with a cognitive distraction rating of 2.4, while the worst performing system was the Mazda 6 with a cognitive distraction rating of 4.6.

The systems that performed best generally had fewer errors, required less time on task and were relatively easy to use.  The researchers also studied voice activated smartphone technology and found that Google Now outperformed Apple Siri and Microsoft Cortana but, they say, all were dangerously distracting with ratings of 3.1, 3.4 and 3.8 respectively.

Dr. David Strayer and Dr. Joel Cooper of the University of Utah conducted the research. A total of 257 drivers ages 21-70 participated in the study of 2015 model-year vehicles, while 65 additional drivers ages 21-68 tested the three phone systems. Over the last two weeks, AAA has shared its findings with policymakers, safety advocates and manufacturers in hopes of improving the safety of future technology.

Fledgling "Businesses with Impact" Recognized, Receive Funds to Propel Start-Up

When reSET, the Social Enterprise Trust, whose mission is advancing the social enterprise sector, revealed the winners of its annual Impact Challenge last week, the top award recipient was FRESH Farm Aquaponics, with Movia Robotics, Planet Fuel Beverage Company, Hartford Prints! and Parrot MD rounding out the top five. While the businesses may not be household names, they do represent an increasing number of start-up businesses that are not only seeking a foothold in their respective industries, but are looking to contribute to their community – locally or globally – along the way.

Based in Hartford, FRESH Farm Aquaponics is devoted to providing “the best quality aquaponic food to our community sustainably, teaching a new generation with aquaponics, and engaging the community to develop a local food ecosystem.” The company proclaims “expect from us the best produce available locally, year round in the Hartford County area. You will also see us engaging local schools in pioneering aquaponic experiments from elementary schools to universities.” (see video below)

Planet Fuel is a sustainable lifestyle beverate brand for teens and tweens.  The company's goal is to inspire young people to realize the power of consumer choices to effect social and environmental change.

MOVIA Robotics provides an innovative approach in educating children with autism to "form connections inside the world we live in today." The company uses robots and develops "our own software based on interactions with therapists and children."

Now in its fifth year, the reSET Impact Challenge recognizes the most innovative and impactful early stage ventures and start-ups from all industries throughout New England.  The event, held at The Society Room of Hartford, saw a record, sellout crowd of 300 in attendance.

Diamond Level - $20,000 + Professional Services Package (1 Winner)

FRESH Farm Aquaponics (http://www.freshfarmct.org)

Gold Level - $10,000 + Professional Services Package (2 Winners)

Movia Robotics (www.moviarobotics.com)

Planet Fuel Beverage Company (http://www.planetfuel.com)

Silver - $5,000 + Professional Services Package (2 Winners)

Hartford Prints! (hartfordprints.com)

Parrot MD (parrotmd.org)

People’s Choice - $1,500 + Professional Services Package (1 Winner)

BookBugs (www.bookbugs.net) 

Investor’s Choice - $1,500 (1 Winner)

Send Help Back Home (www.sendhelptoday.com)

Bronze - $500 (7 Winners)

Asarasi, Inc. (www.asarasi.com)

Beautiful Day / Providence Granola Project (www.providencegranola.com)

BookBugs (www.bookbugs.net)

Daily General Counsel (www.dailygeneralcounsel.com)

Dream See Do (https://www.dreamseedo.org)

Hugo & Hoby (www.hugoandhoby.com)

LOTUS Alliance LLC (www.lotusalliance.org)

The five awards judges - Sherrell Dorsey of Uber and Triple Pundit, Adam Dotson of Ironwood Capital, Claire Leonardi, an advisor to reSET's Social Enterprise Investment Fund and former CEO of Connnecticut Innovations, Anthony Price of LootScout and Paul Witinski of Ironwood Capital - narrowed down more than 100 applicants to 12 honorees.  The People’s Choice winner was selected via more than 1,800 online votes.

Since its inception, reSET’s Impact Challenge has awarded more than $180,000 to scaling entrepreneurs. reSET is a nonprofit organization whose mission is advancing the social enterprise sector. Its strategic goals are threefold: to be the “go-to” place for impact entrepreneurs, to make Hartford known as Impact City, and Connecticut the Social Enterprise state.  In addition to providing co-working space, accelerator and mentoring programs, reSET aims to inspire innovation and community collaboration, and to support entrepreneurs in creating market-based solutions to community challenges. reSET’s goal is to meet entrepreneurs wherever they are in their trajectory and to help them take their businesses to the next level.

reSET’s Impact Accelerator recently was a winner of the U.S. Small Business Administration Growth Accelerator Competition, the only Connecticut growth accelerator to receive the award this year.

https://youtu.be/A03RH_htQ88

CT’s Manufacturing Report Card Features Every Grade, From A to F

Connecticut’s report card on Manufacturing and Logistics is a mixed bag, according to data compiled by Indiana’s Ball State University Center for Business and Economic Data.  The state’s grades in nine categories range from an A in the Productivity and Innovation category to an F in Worker Benefit Costs. The other categories were Manufacturing Industry Health, Logistics Industry Health, Human Capital, Tax Climate, Expected Liability Gap, Global Reach and Sector Diversification. Overall the state received one A, one B+, one B, one C+, two C-, two D, and one F. 

Connecticut’s manufacturing industry is 8.1 percent of the state economy, according to the report. The total personal income in Connecticut is $203,703,411,000 and earnings from manufacturing total $16,591,678,000, the report stated.

The state’s top grade was in Productivity and Innovation.  The researchers described that category as “the value of manufactured goods per worker – productivity – as well as firm access to inventions and innovations,” which “is critical to the long-term performance of a firm and the industry as a whole.”  To measure productivity and innovation, they used manufacturing productivity growth, industry research and development expenditures on a per capita basis, and the per capita number of patents issued annually.  Connecticut was one of five states to earn an A; the others were California, Michigan, Texas, and Washington State.

Compared with 2009, Connecticut’s grades improved in the categories of Productivity and Innovation, Manufacturing industry Health, and Logistics Industry Health, and declined in Tax Climate and Human Capital.  In Tax Climate, the state dropped from a D last year to a D- on 2015’s report card. Sector Diversification, which received an A in 2011, dropped to a C the following year, and has been mired at a D in each succeeding year.

The report authors note that “states that concentrate their manufacturing activity in a single sector typically suffer higher volatility in employment and incomes over a business cycle and are also more likely to experience greater effects of structural changes to the economy involving a single sector.

Connecticut’s Tax Climate grade has been a steady D or D- since 2010, after earning a C in 2009.

In the Global Reach category, in which Connecticut received a B+, only South Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, and Delaware received a higher grade.  Connecticut’s grade matched New Hampshire, placing Connecticut in the top six in that category.  The Ball State researchers indicated that “the level of international trade (in both imports and exports) is a robust measure of competitiveness in the production, movement and distribution of consumer durable and non-durable goods.”

The university’s national report provided report cards to all fifty states in each of the categories.

The Center for Business and Economic Research is an economic policy and forecasting research center at Ball State University.  CBER research includes public finance, regional economics, manufacturing, transportation, and energy sector studies.

Aurora Foundation Grants Focus on College Preparedness, College Completion for Region's Girls

The Aurora Foundation, which supports women and girls in Greater Hartford, has awarded a $20,000 grant to Trinity College and four partner organizations to launch Free to Succeed, a pilot program designed to increase higher education opportunities for women being released from prison in Connecticut.  The grant is the largest among ten grants, focused on college preparation and college completion, being provided to ten organizations, totaling $92,000. By forging a collaborative initiative, the Trinity Prison Seminar Series, Capital Community College (CCC), Manchester Community College (MCC), Community Partners in Action, and Judy Dworin Performance Project have created a program providing accessible college-level course offerings, advising, arts engagement, and mentoring for female inmates at York Correctional Institution (YCI), the state’s only prison for women, and pivotal support services after their release to expedite enrollment in associate degree programs at CCC and MCC.

At Trinity, Judy Dworin, professor of theater and dance, emerita, and Sheila Fisher, professor of English and coordinator of the Trinity Prison Seminar Series, were instrumental in developing Free to Succeed, the goal of which is to ensure that participating women, who begin taking college classes while still incarcerated, are able to complete an associate’s degree upon release.

Since 2005, Dworin’s nonprofit organization, Judy Dworin Performance Project (JDPP), has offered comprehensive arts outreach programs for women, children, and families affected by incarceration. The Trinity Prison Seminar Series (TPSS), since 2012, has provided post-secondary credit-bearing courses for women incarcerated at YCI. Prison education outreach efforts at Trinity College provide educational opportunities for Trinity undergraduates to investigate critical issues concerning the correctional system through reading and discussion, as well as through field study.

The Aurora Foundation will also be providing a $15,000 grant to the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) for a new initiative, Inspiring College Readiness & Increasing College Retention for Minority Women in the Greater Hartford area. This new program will provide a stipend for USJ Latina students to complete an internship at either the Connecticut Department of Children and Families or the USJ Gengras Center. It will also provide inspiration to Bulkeley high school girls to hear from the USJ students about exploring careers and remaining in school.

The Urban League of Greater Hartford’s Project Ready College Success Program, GO, GIRLS! leverages an existing program and will pilot its first minority female cohort. This program, which also is to receive a $10,000 grant from Aurora Foundation, “has the potential for being a model to replicate at other Urban Leagues.,” according to the Foundation. The grant will enhance and expand its existing program designed to provide college preparation and retention services to at-risk minority females to increase the likelihood that they will enroll in and succeed in attaining college degrees.

The Women in Transition (WIT) program at Charter Oak State College is an initiative that provides the opportunity for single, underemployed and underserved mothers to earn a college degree on-line. A $10,000 grant from Aurora Foundation will cover the cost of tuition and fees, books and internet service. The Women in Transition Program was established in 1999 by the former President of Charter Oak State College, Dr. Merle Harris.

The Aurora Foundation, which partnered with the Farmington Bank Community Foundation to support Free to Succeed, is currently focusing strategic grant making and community initiatives in the areas of college readiness and retention, based on findings from the organization’s 2014 Aurora Report indicating that college completion is critical to a woman’s economic stability and well-being, as well as that of her family.  Grants are also being provided to the University of Hartford’s Women’s Advancement Initiative, the Hartford region YWCA, Grace Academy, Goodwin College’s Women Investing in Secure Education (WISE) program, and the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford.

The organization’s website stresses that “As we move into our planning for the 2016 grants cycle, we will be increasingly focused on partnering with organizations with programs proven to help females complete their college education, knowing how important a post-secondary degree is to economic self-sufficiency that women seek for themselves and their families.”

Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney will be the keynote speaker at the foundation’s 10th Annual Signature Breakfast on October 16.  The theme is “Driving Change for Women.”

Building Police-Community Connections As Diversity Lags in Hartford

When Governing magazine examined the diversity within local police departments, compared with the communities they serve, Hartford was among the ten cities with the largest disparity.  But two recent programs that have also received national attention underscore the city’s efforts to strengthen relationships between police and the community. The data indicated that Hartford’s police department was 35.3 percent minority, in a city where the population is 84.1 percent minority.  That was the 7^th largest gap in the nation, after Fontana, CA; Edison, NJ; Irving, TX; Grand Prairie TX; Daly City, CA; and Allentown, PA.  Using 2013 data, Governing reviewed 269 local police agencies across the country.

The article points out that “although no national standards regarding diversity levels exist, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies does require accredited agencies to adopt steps to ensure their workforce mirrors their communities.”  It also indicates that “law enforcement experts emphasize that mending fractured relationships with communities takes much more than merely a diverse force.”

Two locally developed programs, one at the Hartford Public Library (HPL) and the other at the Charter Oak Cultural Center, are working at building police-community relationships.

HPL is one of 10 public libraries in the U.S. that have been participating in the American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) initiative since April 2014. The initiative, in collaboration with the nonprofit Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, is an 18-month community engagement training program where libraries learn how to address challenges facing their community.

Hartford’s work was recently featured on the national website of the American Library Association.

Through eight community conversations in Hartford’s North End neighborhood, HPL found that residents’ main concerns were public safety, community violence, and their relationship with the police. In response, a three-session community dialogue on public safety with police and community members was held, led by HPL community engagement director Richard Frieder.  Participants ranged in age from 18 to 87.

During the three sessions, according to published reports, the groups got to know each other; talked about what makes a good neighborhood and what they liked about theirs, what they would like to change, how safe community members feel, and what they believed the residents’ and police officers’ roles were in making the community safe; and figured out how to take action and solve the problems.

Some of the ideas generated include having the police and the community members participate in more activities and learning experiences together, such as block parties and community theater, where they address these issues.  Even though the 18-month project officially ends this month, HPL’s staff hopes to sustain the values and goals they developed.

At the same time, another initiative in the city was taking root – one which soon reached the pages of The New York Times and the attention of the White House.

The Charter Oak Cultural Center’s Good Vibrations program began with a conversation between Hartford’s police chief, James Rovella, and the Center’s director, Rabbi Donna Berman.  The innovative program, which began earlier this year, sought to pair middle school age students who were at a crossroads in their lives with Hartford police officers to inspire and inform the youths involved as well as helping to change the community's negative perception of police officers.  Nearly two dozen students – and police officers – collaborate on musical instruments, and in composing rap lyrics.  The relationships built, and music made, has been described as transformative. Good Vibrations includes two free courses; a Rap Poetry/CD production class, and a guitar class. All the materials are free, including the guitars, which students get to keep.

Last month, a Hartford police officer and a seventh-grader who participate in the program were honored at the White House as "Champions of Change" for their role in helping to build "bridges between youth and law enforcement, while improving public safety," according to the White House. "During the three-and-a-half month program, officers and youth helped to lift the negative stigma between police and youth through open discussions about racism, crime, government, and family."

One participating middle-schooler told the Times: “I thought police officers were just to catch bad guys and be in a bad tone. But these guys are awesome. They’re always in a good tone with us. They play with us. They tag along in our jokes. They do stuff with us. They help us. They give us advice and everything.”

Early Childhood Data Aims to Helps Pre-K Learners in Hartford, West Hartford Neighborhoods

Long before a child steps into a Kindergarten classroom, they are getting ready for school. How ready they are on day one, and how local policies can influence that preparedness, is the focus of an initiative in Greater Hartford that has proven to be successful in communities around the world. In partnership with the public school districts and municipal leadership of Hartford and West Hartford, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is piloting the use of the Early Development Instrument (EDI) to gauge the learning readiness of incoming Kindergarteners from different neighborhoods.

Recognizing that families and caregivers are the first teachers— and homes and neighborhoods are the first learning environments – the EDI process strives to discern what works best.  The EDI is an assessment that provides population-level data by neighborhood on school readiness, and has been used in over 40 communities in the United States and extensively internationally.

“Positive relationships and supportive environments guide a young child’s development and provide the foundation for future learning and well-being,” said Richard Sussman, director of Early Childhood Investments at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. “While the EDI provides important data, the most impactful aspect of this project is the collective action strategy which encourages parents, residents, and communities to use data to make positive changes to support young children and families in their neighborhoods.”

Last year, after students had been in class for at least three months, Kindergarten teachers in Hartford, West Hartford, and Jumoke Academy filled out a comprehensive questionnaire regarding the social competence; emotional maturity; language and cognitive skills; physical health and well-being; and communication skills of each of their students.  Approximately 2500 kindergarten students were included, representing about 85 percent of the kindergarten-age population of Hartford and West Hartford.

EDI looks at the whole population of children in a neighborhood; it is not a diagnostic tool for individual children or a means to evaluate individual teachers or programs. The process enables local leaders to develop customized solutions designed specifically for their communities. It identifies obstacles facing children in individual neighborhoods and builds improvement strategies around resources that already exist, officials point out.

The Hartford Foundation worked in partnership with Trinity College’s Cities and Suburbs and Schools Project, the Connecticut Data Collaborative, and the University of Connecticut’s Mapping and Geographic Information Center (MAGIC) to analyze and visualize the data to help communities examine outcomes in the context of neighborhoods, socioeconomic and community resources. This information can be accessed by logging on to edi.ctdata.org.

It is hoped that this work will be shared broadly with key stakeholders in the community including local municipal officials to create dialogue that focuses on using limited resources more effectively to support young children and families.

The Foundation has trained community residents and community-based organizations in Hartford to interpret the EDI data and lead discussions in Hartford neighborhood. Several parent-led “community cafés” focused on analyzing neighborhood data have already taken place with a half dozen additional  cafés and follow-up meetings scheduled, to take closer looks at specific data and steps to improve outcomes for young children. 

The Hartford Foundation has developed a brochure in English and Spanish for local residents that explains the background, purpose and methodology of the Early Development Instrument. This brochure can be downloaded at hfpg.org.  At present, over 40 communities nationwide work with UCLA on the EDI project and the university center works with its international colleagues in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom where the instrument is used widely.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. In 2015, the Foundation marks ninety years of grant making in the Greater Hartford region, made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations. It has awarded grants of more than $620 million since its founding in 1925.