CETA Celebrates Opening of Manufacturing Metrology Lab

Participating in a ribbon-cutting for the new Manufacturing Metrology Lab were (l-r): CETA Dean Lou Manzione, Professor Chittaranjan Sahay, Jesse Boyer of Pratt & Whitney, and J. Michael McQuade of United Technologies Corp.

McQuade (left) and Sahay unveil the plaque outside the new lab, which is located in Dana Hall.

CETA alumnus Kip Dixon (center) demonstrates a piece of equipment in the new lab to Prof. Sahay (left) and Assistant Provost Fred Sweitzer.

About 40 executives from the region’s top manufacturing firms and several political leaders joined with faculty and staff of the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA) on Aug. 24 to celebrate the opening of CETA's new Manufacturing Metrology Lab in Dana Hall.

"The University of Hartford is launching its new Manufacturing Metrology Lab to address critical skill shortages in this enabling technology," said CETA Dean Lou Manzione. "Metrology is the technology of automated precision measurements of complex manufactured parts that can be used to assure rigorous specifications have been attained. It is an enabler of global supply chains since specifications and parts can be exchanged worldwide.

"At the University of Hartford, we have collaborated closely with our regional partners such as Pratt & Whitney to build this state-of-the-art laboratory and prepare our students to assume leadership positions in the development of a world class manufacturing base," Manzione added.

J. Michael McQuade, senior vice president, science and technology, at United Technologies Corp., spoke at the opening event and echoed Dean Manzione’s comments about the critical need for the Manufacturing Metrology Lab. “Pratt & Whitney plans to begin building jet engines at a rate that we haven’t seen since the 1980s, but that has created a workforce capacity problem,” McQuade said, noting that to build this next generation of jet engines will require a manufacturing workforce that has the necessary high-quality training.

That training will be offered in a four-course “Certificate in Manufacturing Metrology” program offered by the University and centered in the new Manufacturing Metrology Lab. The lab and the certificate program “are really emblematic of a partnership that goes back a long way," McQuade said, noting that there are more than 200 Pratt & Whtiney employees who have graduated from CETA.

Also celebrating the new lab and the need it will fill in training the Connecticut manufacturing workforce of the future were State Senators Gary LeBeau and Steve Cassano. “This partnership helps us resolve one of the key dilemmas facing Connecticut — local companies are turning down contracts because they don’t have enough workers to be able to fulfill them, and yet we have an unemployment rate of eight percent,” said Cassano.

“We have the brain power here to do quality manufacturing work and we need to keep it. We need to keep it going and growing,” said LeBeau.

After the remarks, which included congratulations from a representative of U.S. Rep. John Larson, guests were given a demonstration of some of the equipment, provided by such firms as Nikon, Zygo, Faro Arm, and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), in the new Manufacturing Metrology Lab. The morning-long program concluded with a panel discussion on workforce development featuring representatives of government, industry and workers.

Source: http://www.hartford.edu/daily/Article/View/13326

CETA to Open Manufacturing Metrology Lab

The College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA) will celebrate the opening of its new Manufacturing Metrology Lab with a series of special events on Friday, Aug. 24.

"The University of Hartford is launching its new Manufacturing Metrology Lab to address critical skill shortages in this enabling technology," said CETA Dean Lou Manzione. "Metrology is the technology of automated precision measurements of complex manufactured parts that can be used to assure rigorous specifications have been attained. It is an enabler of global supply chains since specifications and parts can be exchanged worldwide.
"At the University of Hartford, we have collaborated closely with our regional partners such as Pratt & Whitney to build this state-of-the-art laboratory and prepare our students to assume leadership positions in the development of a world class manufacturing base," Manzione added.

The Aug. 24 events will begin at 9 a.m. with a continental breakfast in United Technologies (UT) Hall, Room 320. At 9:30 a.m., opening remarks will be delivered by State Sen. Gary LeBeau; Dr. J. Michael McQuade, senior vice president, science and technology, at United Technologies Corp.; and Congressman John Larson, D-Conn.
At 10 a.m., guests will walk to the new Manufacturing Metrology Lab in Dana 102, for a ribbon-cutting and plaque unveiling, as well as tours of the facility and discussions on several topics.
At 10:50 a.m., there will be a panel discussion on workforce development in UT 320.

Download a complete schedule of the day's events.

Two Men's Soccer Players Enjoy Eventful Summer Seasons

 

 

8/6/2012 12:55:00 PM

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – With the start of the 2012 University of Hartford men's soccer season right around the corner, Anthony Santaga and Connor Yeaney each found success on the pitch at the national level representing their teams from Wisconsin and Georgia, respectively.

Santaga, who enters his junior season at Hartford after transferring from UW-Green Bay for the 2011 campaign, helped the Madison 56ers Soccer Club to a third place finish in the National Premier Soccer League during the summer. The squad first captured the Midwest Title in Cleveland, Ohio and went on to represent the region in the Final Four Tournament held in San Diego, Calif. After falling in the semifinal game to the East region, the 56ers earned third place after scoring a 3-2 triumph over the West champions.

A native of the Badger State who hails from Green Bay, Santaga finished his inaugural season with the Hawks ranked second in scoring with 17 points. His six goals were a team-best number, tying his counterpart David Bernhardsson who also transferred to Hartford from UW-Green Bay prior to last year's campaign.

Yeaney spent his summer with the Guinnett Soccer Association (GSA) where he helped lead the 93 Phoenix Red Boys, a U19 squad, to a second place national finish. GSA kicked-off the summer by going unbeaten through the Georgia State Cup, scoring 19 goals while conceding just three to earn the state title.

The squad then continued its unbeaten ways in the group stages of the Region III Championships and went on to gain entry to the 2012 Youth Soccer National Championships held in Rock Hill, S.C. After going 2-1 in their group stage games, GSA fell to the Crew from Ohio South and concluded their season as the United States Youth Soccer (USYS) national runners up.

Yeaney was named to the 2011 America East All-Rookie team as a defender. During his debut season, the Marietta, Ga. native netted three goals, third-most on the team, and finished tied for fifth in points with six. Yeaney was one of five Hawks to start and play in all 18 games last season.

The 2012 edition of the Hartford Hawks will make their return to campus on Wednesday for the start of preseason. The squad will commence its fall season by traveling nearly 500 miles to visit West Virginia on Friday, August 25 for its first-ever meeting with the Mountaineers, a team that has advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament the past two years.

Last season, the Hawks finished 8-9-4 overall and were the runners-up of the America East Championships. In addition, the team boasted one of the league's top offenses, totaling 81 points (29 goals, 23 assists) in 21 games. The Hawks led the conference in assist and finished second in goals, goals per game (1.38) and assists per game (1.10).

Source: http://www.hartfordhawks.com/news/2012/8/6/MSOC_0806120235.aspx

Ruthanne Doherty Introduces Young Girls to Science & Technology

Ruthanne Doherty, a senior forward on the University of Hartford women’s basketball team and a biomedical engineering major in the College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture, recently assisted Professor Mary Arico of CETA in a two-week Summer Place course introducing middle school girls to science and technology. Keith Arsenault, a member of the athletic department’s communication staff  put together a short video about the course, which was supported in part by the WELFund and the CT Space Grant, showcasing Ruthanne and Prof. Arico and their efforts.

Click the link below to view the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBQ2-o1wwDE&feature=youtu.be

Nurturing a Passion for Math and Science

By Renata Krach
Intern, Office of Communication 

(l-r) Ketaki Pawar of Rocky Hill and Makrina Nolan of Coventry work on their "mouse trap car."

 
In a second-floor hallway in Dana Hall, three girls kneel next to their creation. With scissors, they make a few last-minute adjustments on the tape holding the frame together. They make sure the attached wheels spin properly, and then carefully spring the mousetrap on top. Snap.

“Oh my God, it actually moved!”

Finally, a scientific breakthrough. The girls successfully created a miniature vehicle powered by a mousetrap.

They, along with 13 other middle school-age girls, are participating in “Mad About Science,” a unique collaboration between the Women’s Education and Leadership Fund (WELFund), Summer Place, and the University’s Office of Community Relations. The program is designed to inspire girls to pursue their love of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and to encourage future female scientists, engineers and mathematicians.

Another Mad About Science participant works on her mouse trap car.

The two-week program began July 23 and will continue through August 3, coinciding with the third session of Summer Place. The 16 participating girls experience hands-on STEM programming in the afternoon and take part in athletics and other Summer Place activities in the morning.
The program is free of charge for the 16 participants, thanks to the generous support of the Connecticut Space Grant Consortium, WELFund, Summer Place and the Office of Community Relations.
“You have to get them interested during middle school in order to get into the advanced math and science programs,” says Mad About Science coordinator Mary Arico, assistant professor in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture. She says that she went to a science camp in her youth, which was held at a community college. “We called it 'nerd camp',” she says, laughing. Her participation gave her the idea to do a similar program at the University of Hartford.
See a video of Arico discussing the "Mad About Science" program.
The girls, who come from towns all around Greater Hartford, eat popsicles as they work. For this activity, they are split into teams of three or four to create mousetrap cars. An impressive collection of building materials litter the tables; everything from LEGO pieces to old CDs, wood and plastic scraps, as well as tape, scissors, and glue, are at their disposal. They constantly modify and repair their creations as needed. Each group’s creation displays a unique concept of “car”: one is shaped like a Formula-1 racer, and another has oversized wheels like a monster truck.
Another team brings their car to the hallway. When asked if it was moving yet, a group member gave a disappointed “no”.

Dissecting chicken legs.

“But it went in a circle,” another adds.
One of the assistants in the program is University of Hartford student Lydia Weitzler, '14, a biomedical engineering major who hopes to work with prosthetics in the future. Her job is to encourage the girls and provide suggestions if their project runs into problems. She says that the girls are doing well. “They’re really enthusiastic about it,” she adds.

“This is my first time going to a summer camp, so I was kind of nervous about like ‘oh, what am I gonna do there?’ but this is a lot of fun,” said Sadhana Venkataraman of Middletown. When asked what they would like to be when they grow up, the girls' answers included “engineer at Pratt & Whitney,” “forensic scientist,” and “I’m not sure yet.”

Source: http://www.hartford.edu/daily/Article/View/13247#