(SPARKILL, NY – February 16, 2022) – St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) is proud to announce that its recently formed STEM Advisory Board held their inaugural meeting last evening. Composed of faculty, alumni, recognized industry leaders, and, most importantly, current STAC students, the STEM Advisory Board will help further the advancement of the “STEM@STAC” offerings.
STAC President Ken Daly said, “Having benefited from a strong STEM education and successful career in a STEM-related field, I know firsthand the value of a strong STEM education. The combined experience of our new STEM Advisory Board will help further our mission of providing a leading edge, transformative education designed to prepare our students for career success in a changing world.”
STAC’s School of STEM was launched last year on Earth Day as a reorganization of the prior School of Arts and Sciences, at which time we also relaunched our School of Arts and Social Sciences. Under the leadership of its first Dean, Dr. Bianca Wentzell — STEM@STAC provides an engaging, multi-disciplinary, experiential education that cultivates curiosity and critical thinking across a diverse portfolio of majors including biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, exercise science, forensic science, mathematics, medical technology, and physics. The School of STEM has numerous partnerships with prestigious institutions for students to continue their studies upon graduation.
The STEM Advisory Board will be led by Robert Catell, Chairman of the Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center and the National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium, and former Chairman and CEO of KeySpan. “I am delighted to chair the STEM Advisory Board to ensure that STAC students benefit from emerging industry thinking and are provided real-world experiences and opportunities. I greatly value the talents of our Advisory Board members and appreciate their leadership and engagement with the students,” added Robert Catell.
STEM Advisory Board Members include:
● Robert Catell, Chair – Chairman, Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center and National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium, Former Chairman and CEO, KeySpan
● Kenneth Daly – President, St. Thomas Aquinas College
● Steve Bjornson – VP & COO of Vaccine Research & Development at Pfizer
● Orville Cocking – VP of Operations at Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc.
● Lugduni DesRosiers ’20 – St. Thomas Aquinas College Alumnus, Software Engineer at Google
● Hasan Dewan – CIO of Our Crowd, St. Thomas Aquinas College Board of Trustees
● Jason Doling – VP of Communities and Partnerships at New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
● Thomas Flood – VP of Institutional Advancement at St. Thomas Aquinas College
● Rob Hornberger ’20 – St. Thomas Aquinas College Alumnus, Medical Student at Rowan University
● Andrew Lee – Faculty Representative, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at St. Thomas Aquinas College
● David Manning – Director of Stakeholder Relations/External Affairs at Brookhaven National Laboratory
● Maureen Mulhern – Director of Career Development at St. Thomas Aquinas College
● Carlos Nouel – VP of Transformation Programs, National Grid
● John Park – Director of Laboratory Services at The Valley Hospital
● Joe Riggio – Founder and President of Varsity House Gym
● Yacov Shamash – Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Stony Brook University
● Jennifer Stevens – Current Student Representative, Class of 2024 Forensic Science major, Lacrosse Player, Honors Program Member at St. Thomas Aquinas College
● Margie Turrin – Director of Educational Field Programs at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
● Bianca Wentzell – Dean of the School of STEM, Assistant Professor of Biology at St. Thomas Aquinas College
“As our STEM offerings expand, we acknowledge the critical importance of framing the academic experience within the context of real-world experience. Our new Advisory Board will bring industry best practices, market needs and trends, and critical insights that will directly benefit our students,” said Dr. Bianca Wentzell, STAC Dean of the School of STEM. “The Advisory Board will also serve as an incubator for opportunities such as career partnerships and experiential learning programs.”