Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut

The CASE Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program empowers scientists and engineers to work alongside policymakers tackling complex public issues. In this episode, Stephen Nichols, the CASE Science and Technology Policy Fellow serving with the Connecticut General Assembly, discusses his focus on artificial intelligence policy, data privacy, and other emerging technology issues. Listen, subscribe, and never miss an episode.

How do science and engineering shape public policy in Connecticut? This episode explores the CASE Technical Boards, a trusted, nonpartisan resource linking science and engineering to state decision-making. Host Tanimu Deleon is joined by Dr. Kenneth Rosen, Director of the CASE Technical Boards, and Anthony Camilliere, CASE’s liaison to state government, to discuss how technical expertise informs smarter policy and why it’s important.

In the latest episode of Learning and Living STEMM in Connecticut, host Tanimu Deleon is joined by guests from the EnergizeCT Green STEP program to explore how it enhances high school education through hands-on workshops in STEM, energy efficiency, and sustainable building practices—helping students discover real pathways into careers in clean energy and environmental innovation.

In the latest episode of Learning and Living STEMM in Connecticut, host Tanimu Deleon is joined by Michael Winter, Chief Scientist at RTX, the parent company of aviation industry-leading divisions Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Michael and Tan discuss Connecticut's role in the aerospace industry today and what technologies are being developed that show promise for future aviation applications.

Dr. Thomas Pollard is the Sterling Professor Emeritus of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Professor Emeritus of Cell Biology and of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University, and the recipient of the 2025 Connecticut Medal of Science. In this episode, host Tan Deleon asks Tom to share insights from his 60-year career and research focus on the molecular basis of cellular motility and cytokinesis, and during the discussion, Tom reveals how his research was pivotal to the lifesaving treatment he received for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

In this latest episode, host Tan Deleon is joined by Pamir Alpay and Michael Crair, principal investigators at QuantumCT, to discuss quantum—what it is and what it isn’t—and how Connecticut is among the leaders in the research and application of quantum technologies.

In this episode, host Tan Deleon is joined by Sarah Maurer, professor of chemistry at Central Connecticut State University, to share insights into the work she is doing on the origins of life, why the public should be aware of abiotic vesicles, how artificial intelligence (AI) has accelerated the discovery and study of abiotic vesicles, and how Sarah knew she wanted to be a scientist while still in kindergarten (spoiler alert: Albert Einstein's hairstyle had something to do with it).

In this episode, Bernard J. Zahren, an honorary member of the Academy, discusses how his private investment funds, Clean Feet Investors I and II, support sustainability-focused businesses and how his commitment to reducing carbon emissions has led him to build a Zero-Carbon Home.

In this episode, host Tan Deleon sits down with Connecticut Senator James Maroney and Nick Donofrio to discuss AI – what it is, what we should know about it, what the state is considering for policies and regulations around its use - and their work as the co-chairs of the Joint General Law Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Artificial Intelligence Working Group.

Tickborne diseases are on the rise, with the Connecticut Department of Public Health reporting about 3,000 cases yearly. After being diagnosed with two tickborne illnesses, Antonia Kolb, a recent graduate of King School in Stamford, developed DETICKT IT, a one-of-a-kind app to help identify ticks and assess their risks. Listen as Antonia shares her experience as a student researcher and what it took to create the app. Antonia is joined by her research advisor, Victoria Schulman, to discuss how she navigates the student/advisor relationship and how high school research benefits students.

Water scarcity is a critical issue globally, directly impacting human health, agricultural productivity, and economic development. Listen as Menachem Elimelech, the Sterling Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale University and the recipient of the 2024 Connecticut Medal of Technology, discusses sustainable solutions to the ever-increasing demand for fresh water worldwide.

Host Tan Deleon sits down with Dr. Seema Alim, the 2022-2024 CASE-DEEP Science & Technology Policy Fellow to discuss Dr. Alim’s career and path to becoming the CASE-DEEP Science & Technology Fellow, as well as her work during the fellowship focused on building decarbonization, commercial and industrial benchmarking, and training real estate professionals.

In this episode of Learning and Living STEMM in Connecticut, Naomi Park, a senior at Greenwich High School, shares her scientific research journey that began in third grade and continues today - bringing her to local and national science competitions, and to being the 2023 Stockholm Junior Water Prize recipient.

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut, Penny Vlahos, professor and associate head, Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut, joins CASE to talk about the rapid change underway in the Arctic Ocean. With the projections that by 2040 it will experience its first ice-free September, what will be the impacts of these rapid changes on global and regional climates?

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut, Mike Ambrose returns to continue the conversation on Digital Transformation and the real benefits of DX including reductions in time and costs, as well as improvements in quality.

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut, Mike Ambrose joins CASE to begin the conversation about Digital Transformation - or DX - and the complexities of product considerations, the importance of data, and concept of the single source of the truth.

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut, Snigtha Mohanraj, a sophomore at the Engineering & Science University Magnet School in New Haven, shares the inspiration for and research behind her award-winning project, “Implementing Inexpensive Biochar to Remove Contaminants in Water.”

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut, Professors Christine Broadbridge and Elizabeth Jockusch discuss BioPath, a partnership of UConn and Southern Connecticut State University, bridging the research skills gap for students from underserved and underrepresented populations, and as an initiative to solve the workforce issues within the biotech sector in Connecticut.

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut, Drs. Umesh Hanumegowda and Max Lataillade join CASE to discuss the current status of HIV research and treatment, why HIV is a sneaky virus, and how years of HIV research led to a faster response during the COVID-19 pandemic.