Hospital Outreach Program, New Website and Video Advance Mission of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut began in 1988 as a way for seriously ill children, including those with cancer, to “raise a little hell,” as founder Paul Newman described it – a time and place when kids could simply be kids, without being self-conscious about their ongoing medical needs.  Twenty-seven years later, it is much more than a summer camp, offering a robust range of programs year round, in Connecticut and beyond. To tell that story, and increase public awareness of the array of programs available to children with acute medical needs, the Camp has launched a newly redesigned website (www.holeinthewallgangcamp.org) that eases navigation through the various program offerings, and produced a new video that highlights the range of activities and impact.

Among the programs highlighted is the less widely known Hospital Outreach Program (HOP), one of a number of programs that have blossomed in recent years to extend the mission and impact of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp into communities to reach more children.

Through one-on-one interactions and group activities, HOP “brings Camp’s unique summer programming and spirit to hospitals and clinics. Whether working bedside, in playrooms or outpatient clinic settings, our interactions and activities with children and families include arts & crafts projects, and interactive games specifically adapted for use in the medical setting, as well as other Camp-inspired programming and events. Just like at Camp, all interactions are guided by the child’s choice and are child-driven,” the website explains.

Responding to the fact that children in the hospital often feel isolated, fearful, stressed, and uncertain because of their illnesses, the Hospital Outreach Program “brings the hopeful, playful spirit of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp to children, families, and their caregivers in the hospital setting, at no cost, year-round on a weekly basis.”

The HOP program has expanded to 35 medical facilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  The Connecticut programs are offered at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, Yale-New Haven Hospital, Yale Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinic in Trumbull, and the Yale-New Haven Hospital’s Bridgeport Campus.

The HOP Specialists that provide one-on-one sessions visits “have a bachelor’s degree, excellent kid skills, experience developing fun and exciting programming and knowledge of hospitals systems. They attend both a HOP and Hospital Orientation and receive regular opportunities for professional development,” the website points out.

At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) last fall, the facility was “transformed into Downtown Camp” for a week, as nearly 30 Camp staff and volunteers and more than 60 CHOP volunteers provided five full days of Camp programming. In all, there were “approximately 800 healing experiences with children and families throughout the week, bringing the safety, respect and love of Camp to many families” in Philadelphia.

Building on the success of the week, the Hospital Outreach teach is looking ahead to similar events across the network of partner hospitals.

Among the other programs offered during the year, in addition to the centerpiece Camp experience, are CampOut, which brings the Camp experience to campers in their own hometowns, weekend programs in Ashford in fall and spring, and Hero’s Journey for campers who have aged out of the summer program.  In addition, programs are offered for parents, caregivers and siblings of children participating in The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

http://youtu.be/P2516LEl6AM

Yale, UConn Among Top 100 in R&D Expenditures, Federal Data Shows

Yale University and the University of Connecticut both rank in the top 100 higher education institutions in the level of expenditures for research and development (R&D), according to data compiled by the National Science Foundation. Yale ranked at #21 and UConn at #86 in the rankings for fiscal year 2013, in the Higher Education Research and Development Survey compiled by the NSF and the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.

The top 10 institutions are Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), University of Washington (Seattle), University of Wisconsin (Madison), University of California (San Diego), University of California (San Francisco), Harvard, Duke, University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and University of California (Los Angeles).

Among local colleges and universities in addition to Yale and UConn, nine other institutions in Connecticut appeared in the national rankings, including  Fairfield University at #343 and Wesleyan University at#348.  Southern Connecticut State University ranked #522, Connecticut College ranked #531,  University of Hartford ranked #535,Trinity College ranked #536 and Central Connecticut State University at #552.  In addition, University of New Haven ranked #575, and Quinnipiac University #611 in the analysis that reported 645 higher education institution R&D expenditures.

The Higher Education Research and Development Survey is the primary source of information on R&D expenditures at U.S. colleges and universities, according to the NSF website.

The survey collects information on R&D expenditures by field of research and source of funds and also gathers information on types of research and expenses and headcounts of R&D personnel. The survey is an annual census of institutions that expended at least $150,000 in separately budgeted R&D during the fiscal year.

UConn’s R&D expenditures, $242,251,000 in fiscal year 2013 according to the data, has increased from $215,098,000 in 2004.  At Yale University, R&D spending has nearly doubled - growing from $423,664,000 to $788,784,000 during the same period.

Such R&D spending often is seen as a gauge of innovation in a state, because research can turn into technology transfer or new companies and the quality of research can attract top students, the Bangor Daily News has reported.

Overall across the country, university spending on research and development in all fields totaled $67.2 billion in FY 2013, according to data from the NSF Higher Education Research and Development Survey.

When adjusted for inflation, higher education R&D increased by less than half a percent in FY 2013 from the previous year, according to NSF. Officials noted that the overall amount represents the reported totals from 891 degree-granting institutions that spent at least $150,000 in R&D in the previous fiscal year.

The published survey results include the 645 institutions that reported at least $1 million in R&D during their previous fiscal year and who contributed 99.8 percent of the total R&D expenditures reported in FY 2013.  The data was released by the NSF in late February 2015.

Note:  this article was revised to include a number of Connecticut institutions inadvertently omitted in initial publication.

CT Organization Leads Efforts to Increase Awareness of Rare Disesases

Rare Disease Day, observed on February 28, is an annual awareness day dedicated to elevating public understanding of rare diseases and calling attention to the special challenges faced by patients and the community. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a disease is rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 people.  Nearly 1 in 10 Americans live with a rare disease—affecting 30 million people—and two-thirds of these patients are children. There are more than 7,000 rare diseases and only approximately 450 FDA-approved medical treatments.  Many rare diseases are chronic and life-threatening.

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), with national headquarters in Danbury and offices in Washington D.C. and Massachusetts, is a federation of voluntary health organizations dedicated to helping people with rare "orphan" diseases and assisting the organizations that serve them. NORD is committed to the identification, treatment, and cure of rare disorders through programs of education, advocacy, research, and service.

Rare Disease Day takes place every year on the last day of February (February 28 or February 29 in a leap year)—the rarest date on the calendar—to underscore the nature of rare diseases and what patients face.

In Connecticut this year, the Morgan Leary Vaughan Fund, Inc. (Morgan’s Fund), an all-volunteer public charity dedicated to Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), will be holding a public awareness event on February 28 in Stratford. The organization’s inaugural event, Illumin8ing Rare, is designed to provide “a moment of reflection and appreciation for all those who have been directly affected by a rare disease,” organizers say, adding “it is an opportunity to celebrate survivors and to share tributes to those who are no longer with us.”

Morgan’s Fund mission is to promote public awareness about NEC and the potentially devastating effects it can have on preemies and their families, and to advance research to prevent, diagnose, treat, and ultimately, cure NEC. Named after Morgan, it celebrates his survival, courage and strength. Morgan and his twin brother were born at 28 weeks, nearly three months early and each weighing less than 2.5 pounds. At four days old, Morgan developed NEC and lost approximately 20 percent of his small intestine. Morgan not only survived but has also thrived since his bout with NEC. The fund is his family’s way of paying it forward.

NEC is an inflammatory disease that leads to necrosis (death) of the intestine. It is predominately due to prematurity and its statistics are startling. NEC is the second leading cause of death in premature infants. NEC is the 10th leading cause of infant death overall. NEC is a rare disease — occurring in approximately 25,000 babies per year in the United States. Despite extensive study, the cause of NEC is uncertain.

Earler this week, the UConn School of Medicine Disabilities Interest Group hosted a Rare Diseases Awareness Event on February 25th at the University of Connecticut Health Center, celebrating individuals who have rare diseases and the many researchers and physicians who are fighting to find cures for these conditions.

To raise awareness nationwide this year, NORD is coordinating a new social media campaign, #1in10, to highlight the 1 in 10 Americans living with a rare disease.  “It’s astounding that there are just as many Americans living with a rare disease as there are people who are left-handed,” said Lisa Phelps, director of marketing and community relations at NORD. “We are launching this campaign to help raise important awareness for this major public health issue and the need for safe, new treatments.”

To help support the #1in10 campaign, NORD has launched the Instagram account, @rarediseasedayUS.  Instagrammers are invited to tag @rarediseasedayUS in their photos and celebrations to share what’s happening now for Rare Disease Day.  Instragram members are invited to use the official Rare Disease Day hashtags #RDD2015 and #RareDiseaseDay and follow Rare Disease Day on Facebook (/RareDiseaseDay.US) and Twitter (@RareDayUS).

For more information about Rare Disease Day, go to www.rarediseaseday.us. or visit NORD’s website, www.rarediseases.org.

http://youtu.be/DpIt8vH6xC8

Norwalk is First in Connecticut to Approve Concussion Program for All Youth Sports

Norwalk has become the  first community in Connecticut to approve a city-wide concussion program for all youth sports, according to city officials.  The Norwalk Common Council, on the recommendation of its Recreation & Parks Committee, approved the new concussion guidelines this week, modeled after The Concussion Aware and Prepared Program (CAPP). Officials said the guidelines will apply to organized youth sports programs using Norwalk recreation facilities. The guidelines are intended to “plug the loophole that exists” in the current Connecticut Concussion Law which protects only public middle and high school athletes who play for school-sponsored teams, officials said.

“It is important that our children are protected and that parents and coaches have the information they need to keep them safe,” said Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling. “Norwalk is proud to be a leader in providing these updated guidelines for all leagues who play on our public fields. We aim to make youth sports as safe as possible."

Last month, Connecticut’s Task Force on Youth Athletics and Concussions, staffed by the State Commission on Children, reported the results of their mandated study of  "occurrences of concussions in youth athletics” and issued recommendations for possible legislative initiatives.  The 21-member Task Force noted that “there exists within the State of Connecticut the need for guidelines in the arena of non-scholastic youth athletics,” indicating that private clubs and public recreation teams are examples of “non-scholastic” youth athletics.

The Norwalk Guidelines apply to any youth up to age 19 who participates in any organized sporting or athletic event or activity either conducted by the City of Norwalk or permitted to take place on any property or facility owned by the City of Norwalk. Activities including practices, training, performances, scrimmage, games and other organized competitions involving athletic activities such as sports and dance. With a population of just over 85,000, Norwalk is Connecticut’s sixth largest city, and has the third largest population in Fairfield County.

Former Norwalk Junior Lacrosse and RCA Soccer Coach, Katherine Snedaker, now Executive Director of the non-profit, PinkConcussions.com , and advocacy organization Sports CAPP.com which developed The Concussion Aware & Prepared Program, said, “our mission with these new guidelines is to help youth sports leagues update their policies with best practices, and increase safety for our kids while lowering personal liability for our coaches and city.”  The Concussion Aware and Prepared Program, which uses free online materials from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is designed to provide up-to-date information regarding concussions for youth coaches and their staffs, parents and youth players and is available in English and Spanish.

“Hopefully this program will be a model for the rest of state,’’ Snedaker said. “Parents will now know their young children will have some of the same protections that benefit public middle and high school athletes.”  In Norwalk, the newly approved guidelines had received support for the Norwalk Youth Football and Cheer, Norwalk Junior Soccer Association, Norwalk Cal Ripkin Baseball, Norwalk Little League and Norwalk Junior Lacrosse, according to the SportsCAPP website.

The Sports CAPP program recommends five components that should be included in every concussion program. They are:

• Pre-Season Education and Training for coaches, parents and players to be able to recognize signs and symptoms of a concussion.
• Plan for Athlete’s Removal from Play for a suspected concussion by coach or athletic trainer or parent
• Communicating with Parents and Healthcare Providers after an injury
• Plan for Return-to-Play for the player who is 100% symptom free, has been cleared in writing by an MD, and has returned to a full academic schedule at school
• Injury Reporting and Data Collection for all occurrences of concussions at the end of each sport season, or such other date as may be mandated by the principal, sports team president or other leader.

The new guidelines for school programs in Connecticut approved by the State Board of Education (SBE) in January, will go into effect July 1, 2015, requiring that:

• Prior to taking part in athletic activities high school athletes and their parents or guardians will be required to read materials, watch videos, or attend in-person training regarding the school district’s concussion plan.
• Parents and guardians must sign an informed consent form that includes a summary of the district’s concussion plan.
• Coaches must complete training to recognize the signs and symptoms of concussions and learn how to get appropriate medical treatment for students.

The new State Department of Education “Concussion Education Plan and Guidelines for Connecticut Schools” indicates that “concussions can cause a wide range of functional short- or long-term changes affecting thinking (memory and reasoning); sensation (touch, taste and smell); language (communication , expression and understanding); or emotions (depression, anxiety, personality changes, aggression, acting out, and social inappropriateness).”  It points out that “athletes should rest their bodies and brains until they are no longer experiencing any symptoms of concussion.  Physical and cognitive exertion, such as homework, playing video games, texting, using a computer or watching TV may worsen symptoms.”

Under the state guidelines for schools, coaches must immediately remove any student participating in athletic activity who exhibits symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion or who is diagnosed with a concussion. Parents or legal guardians must be notified as soon as possible and no later than 24 hours after such removal. Before a student can return to any team activities, a licensed health care professional trained in evaluating concussions must provide written clearance.

http://youtu.be/Sno_0Jd8GuA

http://youtu.be/OFQcZHkLPuk

Newman’s Own, Wholesome Wave Collaborate to Further Nutrition, Access to Healthy Food

As part of a $10 million three-year commitment to support food access and nutrition initiatives, Newman’s Own Foundation is forming a Nutrition Cohort of six nonprofits and a research university. The goal of the Nutrition Cohort is to help to improve health among children and families in under-served communities through fresh food access and nutrition education. Among the six organizations selected is Wholesome Wave, located in Bridgeport, which has been awarded a three-year $900,000 grant.

Newman’s Own Foundation will work with the Nutrition Cohort to share practices, coordinate efforts, and brainstorm ideas for improving nutrition during an annual in-person convening and subsequent discussions, official said. The grant to Wholesome Wave will be used to expand its Double Value Coupon Program and Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program, as well as study the collective impact of these programs.

“Our support for these nonprofits represents an investment in the value of collaboration,” said Bob Forrester, President and CEO, Newman’s Own Foundation, based in Westport. “Working together, these organizations can combine their collective knowledge, experience, and networks. We look forward to seeing if we can move the needle on issues like food insecurity, childhood obesity, and the related costs to individuals and community health.”

In addition to Wholesome Wave, the cohort organizations are: Fair Food Network (Ann Arbor, MI), FoodCorps, Inc. (New York, NY), The Food Trust (Philadelphia, PA), National Farm to School Network (Chicago, IL), and Wellness in the Schools (New York, NY).  The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston will provide research support by evaluating the Cohort’s impact.

Wholesome Wave strives to create a vibrant, just and sustainable food system, according to the organization’s website. “By making fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables affordable and available,” they “enable underserved community members to make healthier food choices.”  Officials point out that “innovative initiatives are improving health outcomes among low-income families, generating additional revenue for small and mid-sized farm businesses and bolstering local and regional economies.”

In addition to Bridgeport, Wholesome Wave operates in two dozen states and Washington, D.C.  Nationwide, the organization works in collaboration with more than 70 community-based partners, reaching 40,000 underserved community members and their families, as well as thousands of farmers, according to data provided by the organization.  Wholesome Wave focuses in four areas:

• Increase Affordability and Access to Healthy, Locally Grown Food
• Improve Health Outcomes
• Bolster Local and Regional Economies
• Generate Revenue for Small & Mid-Sized Farms

“We are incredibly grateful to Newman’s Own Foundation for this three year grant, and for the opportunity to work with a cohort of organizations whose missions align with ours. This funding will allow Wholesome Wave to continue its work to increase affordable access and improve health for all consumers, regardless of income,” says Wholesome Wave CEO, Michel Nischan, noting that qualitative and quantitative data collected through rigorous evaluation is used by Wholesome Wave to advance local, state and federal policy that increases affordable access to local and regional foods and improves health.

Newman’s Own Foundation will work with the Nutrition Cohort over a three-year period to coordinate efforts and brainstorm ideas for improving nutrition. More information about the Nutrition Cohort is available at www.newmansownfoundation.org.; about Wholesome Wave at www.wholesomewave.org

Will Olympic Footprint Extend into Connecticut? State Officials Offer Possibilities to Planners; April 2 Public Forum in Springfield

Should Boston be selected in 2017 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2024 Olympic Summer Games, Massachusetts may not be the only northeast city to host Olympic events. Published reports indicate that venues outside the Bay State are being actively considered, and Connecticut’s Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) is among the organizations reaching out to express interest.  Network coverage of the 2024 Olympic Games would come from NBC Sports - which has facilities based in Stamford, Connecticut - under an agreement between the network and the IOC signed last year.  

The official Boston 2024 website indicates that “there may be opportunities for preliminary rounds of certain events in other states.” The Boston Globe has reported that bid organizers have “held high-level conversations” with cities in addition to Boston about hosting events, including New York and Washington.  There are no indications that talks with Connecticut officials are underway.

Connecticut officials – and residents – may have an opportunity to weigh in when Boston 2024 holds a community meeting in Springfield, MA, on April 2 - one of 20 such sessions being held around the state of Massachusetts over the next few months, and the nearest location to Connecticut.  The community meetings begin in Lowell on March 11.  There does not appear to be a requirement that speakers be Massachusetts residents.

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo told the Associated Press earlier this month that she has spoken with Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker about collaborating and plans to put together her own team to explore how Rhode Island could benefit from Boston's bid.

CRDA, in a January letter to Boston 2024 officials, suggested that a number of Connecticut facilities “could serve for official events, whether preliminary or final; or for practice sites for teams and individuals competing in the Games.”  State officials suggested the Connecticut Convention Center and XL Center in Hartford, Rentschler Field in East Hartford, and the Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven as facilities that could be considered by leaders of the Boston 2024 bid “as you advance your thinking and planning.”

The Globe recently reported that “by following the IOC’s guidelines and taking advantage of existing world-class facilities in other cities, Boston 2024 organizers believe they can avoid the white elephant venues and out-of-control costs that have plagued Olympic hosts for decades.”  Recently adopted IOC guidelines are aimed at reducing costs by host cities and are more amenable to having some events take place outside the immediate Olympic perimeter.

The Globe pointed out that at the most recent Summer Games in London, sailing was held 142 miles southwest of the host city and organizers staged mountain biking an hour’s drive from London. Soccer matches took place at stadiums in several cities, including Cardiff, Coventry, Glasgow, Manchester, and Newcastle, prior to finals in London.

The correspondence from CRDA Executive Director Michael Freimuth includes information about each of the Connecticut venues, and an invitation to “visit the facilities to assess them as a means to meet the demands of the Olympics.”  No word thus far on whether such a tour has been scheduled.  Possible sports at the Connecticut venues, as suggested by CRDA, include badminton, table tennis, wrestling, martial arts, and weightlifting.  Basketball, volleyball and soccer could be additional possibilities, along with tennis.   The Connecticut Tennis Center is described as the fourth largest tennis venue in the world, with seating capacity of 15,000.  Within the past week, options for major renovations or reconstruction of Hartford’s XL Center have been announced, with a decision on how to proceed due later this year.

The Boston 2024 website also notes that “many national Olympic and Paralympic teams will arrive months in advance of the Games to acclimate and train; they may lease facilities at high schools and colleges around the region.”

NBC owns the exclusive U.S. media rights for an unprecedented 11 consecutive Summer and Winter Olympics, a run which began with the 2000 Sydney Games and continues through the 2020 Summer Olympics.  In January 2013, the network opened a state-of-the-art 300,000 square foot facility headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut on a thirty-three acre campus. The facility brought NBC Sports, NBC Sports Network, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports Digital, and NBC Regional Networks all under one roof.  In May 2014, NBC Universal agreed to pay a reported $7.75 billion for the exclusive broadcast rights to the six Olympic Games from 2022 to 2032.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, of Germany, called Boston’s 2024 Olympic bid “very strong” in an interview that aired during NBC’s Super Bowl XLIX pregame show earlier this month.  Boston could face formidable opposition from cities including Paris, Berlin, Rome and Hamburg and when the 102-member IOC votes to choose the host city. The deadline for cities to file bids is September 2015.

Local Election Officials Less Responsive If They Think You’re Latino, Study Finds

The answers vary, depending who is believed to be asking.  In an academic study, researchers have found that individuals thought to be Latino by local election officials receive less responsive and accurate answers to basic questions seeking information about voting.  It is described as the first large-scale field experiment investigating bureaucratic behavior that provides “causal evidence of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity or race by election officials.” The authors, Ariel R. White, Noah L. Nathan and Julie K. Faller, Ph.D. candidates at Harvard University, have published the results of their 2012 study, “What Do I Need to Vote? Bureaucratic Discretion and Discrimination by Local Election Officials,” in the February 2015 issues of American Political Science Review.  The graduate students contacted more than 7,000 elections officials in 48 states (Maine and Alaska were not included) – and asked two questions via email of the people who are responsible for both implementing voter-ID laws in many states and providing election-related information to voters.

“We find that officials provide different information to potential voters of different putative ethnicities,” the authors explained.  “Emails sent from Latino aliases are significantly less likely to receive any response from local election officials than non-Latino white aliases and receive responses of lower quality. This raises concerns about the effect of voter ID laws on access to the franchise and about bias in the provision of services by local bureaucrats more generally.”

The field study, in which fundamental voting-related questions were emailed to election officials, was designed to “isolate the effect of ethnicity on real-world performance” of election officials.  It indicates that the officials are less likely to respond to informational inquiries from individuals thought to be Latino.  Emails from Latino names are roughly five percentage points less likely to receive a reply to a question about voter ID requirements than those from non-Latino whites, the Boston Globe reported.

The experiment was designed to determine if “street-level bureaucrats discriminate in the services they provide to constituents.”  The results provide “strong evidence” that they do.  The study concluded that “the responses that Latino emailers received to voter ID questions were less likely to be accurate and were more likely to be non-informative.”  The results “suggest that bias from street-level bureaucrats can occur even when there are not clear strategic reasons for officials to discriminate on the basis of ethnicity.”

The study, just prior to the 2012 election, also indicated that “we find no evidence that whether local officials are elected or appointed, partisan or nonpartisan, or members of specific political parties influences the extent of bias.”

Significantly, given recent court decisions that have rolled back oversight of elections in certain jurisdictions around the country, the study authors indicate that “consistent with the claim that enhanced monitoring reduces discrimination, we find no evidence of bias against Latinos in jurisdictions subject to federal regulation under the Voting Rights Act.”

“These findings have important implications for debates about voter ID laws, and indeed for any changes to voting requirements or election administration,” the authors emphasize in the study’s conclusion.  “Our results indicate that changes to existing voting regulations are likely to differentially increase information costs for Latino voters because public officials are less responsive to their requests for information.”

The 14-page study report also suggests that:

• There is “some evidence that officials respond at lower rates to Latinos, even when asked a question”
• “Public officials can be biased even in exceptionally low cost interactions” such as when only a single word answer (“No”) is necessary
• “If minority voters are less able to acquire information about ID requirements and more likely to be asked for ID at the polls, this could manifest in lower voting rates. This may be greatest where officials are not monitored to prevent discrimination.”

The researchers suggest that future research could “expand the use of experimental methods to examine the presence of bias in service delivery in many other aspects of local administration in the United States” – from” trash collection and snow plowing to the management of welfare offices.”  They raise the question as to whether “similar ethnic or racial biases may affect the quality of services delivered in these other arenas.”

Connecticut's Mechanical Engineers Honored for Driving Innovation, Advancing Technology

A quick glance at the program book for the evening suggested this was not your typical awards ceremony.  The “detailed schedule” in the program featured a level of precision not often seen – the specific time that each speaker would reach the podium was listed… 8:17 Hartford Steam Boiler, 8:23 United Technologies Aerospace Systems, 8:34 Westinghouse Electric, and so on. This was the Awards Banquet of the Hartford Section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) – a night highlighting Connecticut’s longstanding role as a state of innovation and preeminent engineering expertise, and the people on the front lines – so the exactness was understandable.

A standing-room-only gathering of engineers from some of the region’s largest corporate names, joined by nearly 50 engineering students from area colleges – honored lifelong achievement, recent initiatives to advance new technologies and significant contributions to the field.  The ceremonies were held at the Society Room in Hartford.

Among the corporations presenting awards were Alstom, Belcan Engineering, Firstlight and Power, Hartford Steam Boiler, Pratt & Whitney, United Technologies Aerospace Systems, Westinghouse Electric.  Awards were also given to four veteran engineering faculty members at Central Connecticut State University, University of Hartford and University of Connecticut.

Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-5^th District), recalling that her father and grandfather were engineers, said in opening remarks that among the nation’s challenges is a “failure to invest consistently and robustly in research.”  Describing Connecticut as “the home of innovation in engineering,” Esty said that engineers provide “the inspiration to solve the world’s problems.”

The annual event, held days ahead of National Engineers Week, is part of an effort “to raise public awareness of the profession’s positive contributions to improving society and quality of life,” and highlight “the importance of a technical education and a high level of math, science and technology literacy.”

The Hartford Section of ASME, with approximately 800 members, is among the largest in the nation.  Connecticut has two other ASME sections, geographically focused in New Haven and Fairfield County.  The not-for-profit professional organization’s mission, in part, is to “serve diverse global communities by advancing, disseminating and applying engineering knowledge.”  That mission was evident as the work of each award recipient was highlighted.

Amy Ericson, Alstom U.S. Country President, noted that her company has 93,000 employees in 100 countries – and that Windsor, Connecticut is their largest U.S. location.  “We’re very committed to the United States, and to Connecticut,” she said.  The three Alstom honorees – Manager of Performance Design Engineering Danny Gelbar, Head of Global Performance Scott Herman and Consulting Engineer Rahul Terdalkar – recalled Alsom’s predecessors, ABB and Combustion Engineering, well-known names in Connecticut’s heritage.  They also looked ahead to the impact of innovations developed in Connecticut.  Alstom equipment can be found in one of every two U.S. power plants, 40 percent of all power grids and the nation’s busiest rail transportation systems.

Among the faculty award recipients was Dr. Alfred A. Gates, Professor of Engineering at Central Connecticut State University, whose two decades at the university have been a steady stream of technical innovation and teaching.  Gates noted that CCSU has just become the first university in the United States to receive a Certificate of Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration  to “fly unmanned aircraft in the wire zone,” within feet of electric lines.  The FAA has closely regulated such authorizations to assure public safety, conducting a comprehensive operational and technical review on each application.  Approval, after a nearly year-long review, reflects Gates record of skill and accomplishment in engineering and testing such devices.

The University of Hartford’s Leo T. Smith, a member of the engineering faculty since 1978, and UConn School of Engineering professor Nejat Olgac, a faculty member since 1981, were also honored.  Each program highlighted its recent growth, with CCSU’s program increasing to 300 students in just under a decade.

State Rep. Lonnie Reed (D-Branford), co-chair of the state legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee, saluted the “sense of buoyancy and possibility” that engineers embody, and the “solution-oriented optimism” that they bring to technical challenges.  She recalled her years as a television news reporter and the inspiring excitement of covering NASA space shuttle missions and the “failure is not an option” approach that permeated the space program, noting Connecticut’s significant contributions to those initiatives.

Honorees included Shaila Kambli, Chief Engineer, Systems and Software Engineering, at Belcan; Peter A. Goodell, Supervisor Code Services at HSB Global Standards; Tadry Domagala, Chief Project Engineer at UTC Aerospace Systems; Edward Hathaway, Senior Engineer at First Light; and Michael Foster of Westinghouse.  The Pratt & Whitney award recipients were Jesse Boyer, Fellow, Additive Manufacturing; Christopher L. Dyer, Deputy Director, Cold Section Engineering; Matthew R. Feulner, Discipline Manager of Operability, Propulsion Systems Analysis; David P. Houston, Manager of Cor Structures, Mechanical Disciplines; Katherine A. Knapp Carney, CIPT Leader, Next Generation Product Family Programs; John P. Virtue, Jr., Discipline Chief for Aero Thermal Fluids, Compressor Heat Transfer; and Ryan Walsh, Validation Manager, PW1100G-JM Engine Program.  It was the 29th annual awards ceremony; the Engineer's Night chairman and emcee was Aaron Danenberg of Belcan Engineering.

http://youtu.be/iPmdZJhVUfk

Connecticut, New England Have Lowest Church Attendance, Survey Says

Connecticut residents rank #41 in the nation in regular church attendance, according to a new survey.  The state had plenty of company from New England neighbors at the bottom of the list.  The bottom four slots were occupied by New England states – Vermont at #50, New Hampshire at #49, Maine at #48 and Massachusetts at #47. Rhode Island ranked at #34. In the survey by the Gallup organization throughout 2014, slightly more than half of Utah residents say they attend religious services every week, more than any other state in the union. Residents in the four Southern states of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas are the next most likely to be frequent church attendees, with 45 percent to 47 percent reporting weekly attendance.

At the other end of the spectrum is Vermont, where 17 percent of residents say they attend religious services every week.  In Connecticut, 25 percent say they attend religious services weekly.  In addition, 19 percent say they attend nearly weekly or monthly, and 54 percent say they seldom or never attend religious services.

The results are based on Gallup Daily tracking interviews throughout 2014 with 177,030 U.S. adults, and reflect those who say "at least once a week" when asked, "How often do you attend church, synagogue or mosque -- at least once a week, almost every week, about once a month, seldom or never?"

Church attendance self-reports are estimates, Gallup notes, and “may not reflect precise week in and week out attendance, but provide an important measure of the way in which Americans view their personal, underlying religiosity.”

Gallup concludes that “within the U.S. there are stark geographic differences in religiosity. In some states of the union -- Utah and Southern states -- roughly half of residents report attending religious services weekly, while in others -- mostly in the Northeast and the West -- a fourth or less of residents attend weekly.”

Ten of the 12 states with the highest self-reported religious service attendance are in the South, along with Utah and Oklahoma, according to the Gallup survey. “The strong religious culture in the South reflects a variety of factors, including history, cultural norms and the fact that these states have high Protestant and black populations -- both of which are above average in their self-reported religious service attendance,” Gallup noted in an analysis of the data.

Utah's No. 1 position on the list, Gallup indicated, “is a direct result of that state's 59% Mormon population, as Mormons have the highest religious service attendance of any major religious group in the U.S.”

In Vermont, 71 percent of respondents indicated they “seldom or never” go to religious services.  That percentage was 65 percent in Maine, 63 percent in New Hampshire, 59 percent in Massachusetts, 54 percent in Connecticut and 53 percent in Rhode Island.

More US Cities Seek to Join Stamford in Commitment to Energy, Water Usage Reductions in Commercial Buildings

Efforts are underway this year for seven additional cities, from Albuquerque to Ann Arbor, to follow Stamford and seven others across the nation, in making a long-term commitment to reduce energy and water consumption in commercial buildings and reduce emissions from transportation, while increasing competitiveness in the business environment and owners' returns on investment. The “2030 District” initiative began with Seattle in 2011, grew by two cities in 2012, to four in 2013, and then to eight in 2014 when Stamford joined Seattle, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, and San Francisco as a 2030 District.  Now working towards the designation, in addition to Albuquerque and Ann Arbor, are Detroit, San Antonio, Ithaca, Toronto and Portland.

Across the United States and Canada, 2030 Districts are forming with greater frequency to meet incremental energy, water and vehicle emissions reduction targets for existing buildings and new construction called for by Architecture 2030 in the 2030 Challenge for Planning.  Districts are generally private/public partnerships that commit to dramatic reductions in water consumption and energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as adaptation and resiliency actions that address projected climatic impacts.

The Stamford 2030 District – launched this past  November - is an interdisciplinary public-private-nonprofit collaborative working to create a groundbreaking high performance building district in downtown Stamford.  Leading the way in the Stamford 2030 District are the Business Council of Fairfield County and Connecticut Fund for the Environment. As Stamford is a coastal city, its 2030 District will also implement a proactive vision to ensure resiliency against projected sea-level rise and storm surge.

The Stamford 2030 District – the first in New England - began with 23 founding members, including 11 property owners and 12 prominent professional and community stakeholders committed to meeting the 2030 Districts goals and targets. High performance buildings have proven track records of simultaneously increasing business and property profitability, reducing environmental impacts, and improving occupant health.

Now in the process of assessing the District’s current building performance levels, one-on-one assistance is provided to property owners and managers in benchmarking their buildings.  In addition, a first-time webinar will be held this week, on Wednesday, February 18, with several founding members highlighting best practices and procedures:

• Jay Black of SL Green Realty/Reckson Properties will offer industry perspective through his experience with benchmarking buildings in both NY and CT.
• WegoWise will present an overview of their web-based software that is able to benchmark a portfolio and provide deeper analytics into a buildings’ energy performance to find savings opportunities.
• Steven Winter and Associates will demonstrate how to take benchmarking a step further with tools such as building energy audits to help identify opportunities within the building.
• New Neighborhoods, Inc. will serve as a case study project in Stamford that has contracted with WegoWise for their benchmarking and will share their experience.

Officials indicate that District Members develop realistic, measurable, and innovative strategies to assist district property owners, managers, and tenants in meeting aggressive goals that keep properties and businesses competitive while operating buildings more efficiently, reducing costs, and reducing the environmental impacts of facility construction, operation, and maintenance.

“These collective efforts will establish the Stamford 2030 District as an example of a financially viable, sustainability focused, multi-sector driven effort that maximizes profitability and prosperity for all involved. Through collaboration of diverse stakeholders, leveraging existing and developing new incentives and financing mechanisms, and creating and sharing joint resources, the Stamford 2030 District will prove the business case for healthy and high performing buildings.”

Property owners and managers are voluntarily committing their properties to Stamford 2030 District goals; they are not required to achieve the District goals through legislative mandates or as individuals.

“Stamford is already a business leader in Connecticut. The Stamford 2030 District will make the city a sustainability leader nationwide,” said Megan Saunders, Executive Director of the Stamford 2030 District. With over 170 million square feet of commercial building space (including 6 million thus far in Stamford), 2030 Districts are rapidly emerging as a new model for urban sustainability, officials indicate.

The Stamford 2030 District provides members a roadmap and the support they need to own, manage, and develop high performance buildings by leveraging Community and Professional Stakeholders, market resources, and by creating new tools, partnerships, and opportunities to overcome current market barriers. This type of collaborative action is not only a strategic undertaking to keep Stamford competitive in the year 2030, but also represents a major investment in Stamford's future and reflects the collaborative nature of our region.