FAIRFIELD, Conn. (June 16, 2016) — On Tuesday, June 6, 2017, Fairfield University held its 21st annual Excellence in Mathematics and Science Awards. Co-sponsored by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, the event recognized 29 juniors from public, private and parochial high schools in Fairfield and New Haven Counties for exceptional aptitude in science and mathematics.
Dean of Fairfield’s School of Engineering Bruce Berdanier, PhD, and Chris Speights, director of mission system integration at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., presented the students with medals and certificates at a lunchtime ceremony held in the University’s Dolan School of Business, where the young scholars mingled with faculty from the School of Engineering, local business leaders, the admissions staff and guests from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.
Pictured: (l-r) Gianfranco Alvarez of Kolbe Cathedral HS, Sara Anwer of Fairfield Warde HS, Bowen Chen of Fairfield Preparatory HS, Ava Corsi of Joseph A. Foran HS, Jackson Delgado of Staples HS, Ana Flores-Munoz of The Bridge Academy in Bridgeport, Alyssa Moore of Bunnell HS, Lindsay Salvati of Notre Dame HS in Fairfield, and Jennifer Zheng of Fairfield Ludlowe HS.
Usman Asif ’08, MS’09, who leads the combat rescue helicopter engineering team at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and guest speaker at the event, said in his remarks: “The future of STEM is bright. The industry is going to be overhauled and there will be plenty of jobs in this sector compared to others.”
Asif also invited students to focus on the three “E’s” — education, experience and exposure.
“Fairfield prepared me well for my career in engineering. I’d say the courses [at Fairfield] even prepared me for things I wasn’t sure I’d ever use, but that are a part of my job now,” he said.
Participating High Schools and award recipients are as follows:
| Gianfranco Alvarez | Kolbe Cathedral HS |
| Sara Anwer | Fairfield Warde HS |
| Ameet Banala | Bethel HS |
| Maria Paula Barbosa | Convent of the Sacred Heart |
| Adam Boczar | Joel Barlow HS |
| Bowen Chen | Fairfield Preparatory HS |
| Xuran Chen | Immaculate HS |
| Ava Corsi | Joseph A. Foran HS |
| Meghan Dana | Derby HS |
| Jackson Delgado | Staples HS |
| Annabel Devault | Academy of Information technology & Engr |
| Ana Flores-Munoz | The Bridge Academy |
| Miranda Holland | Common Ground HS |
| Alex Kane | Hopkins School |
| William Alexander King | Green Farms Academy |
| Forrest Lazzara | Darien HS |
| Jason Liu | King Low Heywood |
| Alyssa Moore | Bunnell HS |
| Brianna Mulloy | Masuk HS |
| Grace Murray | Lauralton Hall |
| Brandon Reid | Wooster Hall |
| Lindsay Salvati | Notre Dame HS |
| Saloni Shah | Trumbull HS |
| Christopher Strong | Henry Abbott Technical HS |
| Neha Swamy | Shelton HS |
| Michelle Woo | Greenwich HS |
| Allen Xue | Newtown HS |
| Kevin Zhao | Amity Regional Sr. HS |
| Jennifer Zheng | Fairfield Ludlowe HS |
Vol.49 No.#175
Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University’s five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The University is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.