17th Annual Connecticut Women of Innovation Awards Will Be Oct.14

The Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) and Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) will present the 17th annual Women of Innovation® awards, which recognize and celebrate women throughout Connecticut for their achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), on Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 5:00 PM.

The prestigious awards are earned by women innovators, role models and leaders in STEM. This year’s finalists are the scientists, researchers, academics, manufacturers, student leaders, entrepreneurs, and technicians who are catalysts for scientific advancement throughout Connecticut.

There are 36 outstanding finalists in 10 categories in this year’s 17th annual awards program. They are now part of the growing network of over 800 Women of Innovation® award honorees through the years, advancing in STEM disciplines across Connecticut. The finalists were announced this summer. A complete list of the finalists for Women of Innovation® Awards – and a glimpse of their outstanding accomplishments - can be seen at www.womenofinnovation.org.

Women of Innovation® finalists are nominated by their peers, coworkers, and mentors and are selected based on their professional experience, history of innovation, ability to think creatively and solve problems and demonstration of leadership. Exceptional women in STEM pursuing technology studies at the high school, undergraduate and graduate level are also among the finalists and were selected based on inventiveness and accomplishments in science and technology, independent research, as well as academic achievement and community service.

“We are incredibly fortunate in Connecticut to have extraordinarily talented women throughout the STEM disciplines. These brilliant women are an indispensable catalyst in Connecticut’s economic comeback,” says Giovanni Tomasi, President/Chief Technology Officer of RSL Fiber Systems and Board Chair of CTC.

“The WOI program is incredibly inspiring because it really shines a light on women in academia, research, and small companies,” says Jacquelynn Garofano, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer of CCAT. “Many of these women do not receive enough recognition. There is so much innovation happening across our state and these awards provide a place for everyone to celebrate together.”

Nominations for the 17th annual Women of Innovation® Awards were accepted in the following categories of Innovation and Leadership: Youth, Collegian, Secondary Academic, Postsecondary Academic, Research, Community, Entrepreneurial, Small/Medium Business and Large Business. An award will also be given for Inspiring STEM Equitability, presented to an individual for promoting equality and diversity in STEM.

Winners in each of the 10 categories - remarkable women leading Connecticut’s future in STEM across a wide range of professions and pursuits - will be announced on Oct. 14 at the virtual awards ceremony, to be emceed by News 8 Anchor/Reporter Sarah Cody. Learn more at www.womenofinnovation.org.

“As these finalists demonstrate, women in STEM in Connecticut are leading innovation, achieving breakthroughs, and encouraging girls to do that and more,” Tomasi added. “Connecticut’s economy is expanding and becoming more robust in great part by achieving and sustaining leadership in STEM. These are the people whose contributions are critical in our state’s renaissance.”

The highly anticipated awards event is sponsored by Medtronic, Pfizer, Sonalyst, UConn, Goodroot, and Arvinas. Media sponsors include WTNH News 8, Hearst CT Media, Hartford Business Journal and New Haven BIZ, and The River 105.9 / iHeart Media. For sponsorship information, contact Maureen Lord at mlord@ct.org.

All accepted nominees had to meet the following minimum requirements: currently working or studying in Connecticut, demonstrate strong leadership abilities, and serving or previously served as a mentor, either short or long term, peer mentor, career mentor or life mentor. Nominees must also meet the specific requirements of the award for which they were nominated.

The Connecticut Technology Council is a statewide, member-based trade association focused on uniting and growing Connecticut's technology community by connecting leaders, driving public policy, and providing needed resources to growing tech companies. The CTC works together with members and the community at large to advance Connecticut's reputation as a technology state.

The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, validates, demonstrates, and encourages the adoption of leading-edge technologies into global industrial companies and the advanced manufacturing supply chain, while also providing the training and education necessary to utilize the capability of these advancements and drive efficiency.

For more information, go to www.womenofinnovation.org.