Connecticut College of Technology students from Tunxis Community College were among CT Community College students, faculty and alumni who received awards and presented at sessions focused on advanced technological education during the American Association of Community Colleges and National Science Foundation’s (NSF) joint National Advanced Techological Education (ATE) Principal InvestigatorsConference 2018, held Oct. 23-25 in Washington, D.C.

Tunxis professor Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch, director of the College of Technology and executive director of the Regional Center forNext Generation Manufacturing, presented at two workshops on creating a cutting-edge advanced manufacturing workforce and attracting industry and investment partners, and on managing NSF ATE grants.

During the conference, Tunxis Community College recent graduates were among six Connecticut Community College students in the College of Technology who received the “Advanced Technological Education Student Award for Excellence” awarded through a competitive application process, at an invitation-only breakfast. Tunxis graduates are listed alphabetically with their towns of residence:

• Jessie Gutaukas (Bristol)

• Dhrumil Shah (Newington)

The award recipients also presented their research projects at the ATE Student Poster Session. Tunxis graduates Gutaukas and Shah were part of a team that developed a prosthetic arm, which aims to use innovative technologies to create an affordable and modular prosthetic arm to improve quality of life for families in need. 

Tunxis alumna Hilda Arguelles, a senior structures discipline manager at Pratt & Whitney, was chosen to participate in a panel “Celebrating 25 Years of Preparing Students to Join America’s Skilled Technical Workforce,”in which she discussed her pathway through Tunxis and Central Connecticut StateUniversity, and her experience being mentored by Wosczyna-Birch. She also received a recognition award from the NSF as an accomplished ATE alumna. Arguelles works in Global Services Engineering, where she lends her technical expertise and leadership in support of P&W’s aftermarket customers. She has over 17years of experience developing, evaluating and implementing repairs for commercial and military engines.

Faculty from the CT College of Technology and
Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing also shared recent
initiatives, impacts and best practices with conference attendees. COT’s Wendy
Robicheau and John Birch, with other CT College of Technology instructors,
presented “Building A Mechatronics-Friendly Community from K-to-Gray” at a
Synergy Meeting with national colleagues on best practices for establishing
mechatronics programs at community colleges.

The Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (RCNGM) is one of seven National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education Centers in the United States. It is led by the College of Technology at Tunxis CommunityCollege, a consortium of all 12 CT Community Colleges and eight public and private universities that was formed through CT legislation in 1995 to establish seamless transfer pathways in engineering and technology. For more information on the College of Technology, contact Karen Wosczyna-Birch at860.723.0608, or [email protected].

Tunxis Community College offers more than 70 associate degrees and certificates, including 12 associate degrees with manufacturing, science, engineering and technology emphases. Tunxis is also a recipient of a $2.8 million NationalScience Foundation grant that established the College of Technology’s RegionalCenter for Next Generation Manufacturing, an NSF Center of Excellence, and one of seven National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological EducationCenters in the United States. For more information on programs at Tunxis, call860.773.1490, or visit tunxis.edu.