CBIA Receives Science Center STEM Award

CBIA’s Education & Workforce Partnership was honored April 25 with a 2017 STEM Achievement Award from the Connecticut Science Center’s Women in Science Committee.

The award recognizes the partnership’s achievements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

STEM Award: CBIA’s Andrea Comer with Connecticut Science Center president and CEO Matt Fleury.

Andrea Comer, the partnership’s vice president for workforce strategies, said she was “thrilled” to accept the award.

“Thanks to our incredible team for their hard work,” Comer said.

The partnership team includes Lisa Buongiorno, Shari Cousins, Jennifer Duggan, Deb Presbie, Dayl Walker, and Therese Wallace.

The partnership works on a variety of projects with member businesses and other organizations to strengthen the talent pipeline by providing Connecticut manufacturers with the next generation of skilled workers.

The partnership also works directly with two Hartford schools, the Academy of Engineering & Green Technology and Rawson Lighthouse School.

The partnership helped create the academy at Hartford High School with support from United Technologies.

The team organizes real-world internships for students at CBIA member businesses, offers project-based learning experiences, and incorporates access to businesses through its advisory board.

At Rawson, the partnership administers an education grant to develop resources to support and improve academic outcomes.

The partnership works with the Connecticut Community Colleges’ College of Technology’s Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing to promote manufacturing as a viable career for high school and community college students.

Claudine Phaire of Sikorsky (a Lockheed Martin company) received the Petit Family Foundation Women in Science Leadership Award.

UTC Aerospace Systems’ Carolyn Begnoche was recognized with the individual STEM Achievement Award.