Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame to Honor Pawcatuck's Joan Sienkiewicz

In addition to inducting Jennifer Lawton, Marian Salzman, and Beatrix Farrand at its 21st Annual Induction Ceremony & Celebration, “Shaping Our World: Women in Design & Innovation,” on October 29, 2014, the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame (CWHF) will recognize a group of Design & Innovation Honorees for 2014. Joan M. Sienkiewicz of Pawcatuck is one of those Honorees.

Joan M. Sienkiewicz is Program Supervisor at General Dynamics Electric Boat where she has worked for 35 years on design and construction of Ohio- and Virginia-class submarines, leading the effort to establish the first local area network and forward-end electronics system based on commercial off-the-shelf equipment. An experienced naval architect and marine engineer, she currently designs combat weapons systems and oversees forward-end electronics integration in Virginia-class submarines. Sienkiewicz has received numerous awards, including the 2002 Electric Boat Manufacturing Excellence Award, the 2006 Naval Sea Systems Command Logistics Team of the Year Award, and the 2009 Department of Defense Enterprise Architecture Achievement Award. She chairs Electric Boat’s Principal Engineer & Engineering Specialist Committee where she encourages professional development and is an associate member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. Sienkiewicz holds a B.S. in naval architecture and marine engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an EMBA from the University of New Haven.

“Whether in research and development or discovery and invention, this year’s honorees vividly demonstrate the many ways women are shaping our world,” says Katherine Wiltshire, executive director of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame. “In fields ranging from fashion design to naval architecture, their leadership and achievements influence the present and set the stage for the future, inspiring new generations to reach their full potential.”

The other Design & Innovation Honorees for 2014 are:

Biree Andemariam, M.D.
Assistant Professor, UConn Health Center
Award-winning hematologist leading research and treatment of blood disorders including sickle cell disease and hemophilia, with particular attention to their impact on women’s health

Rondelynn Bell & Naimah Spann
Co-Founders, NIRO
Innovative fashion designers and founders of an after-school program and experiential learning curriculum for young people

Marian Chertow, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Industrial Environmental Management, Yale University
Business and environment expert specializing in industrial symbiosis, industrial ecology and waste management strategies

Theresa Muenkel Christy
Fellow, Otis Elevator Company
Multiple patent holder and award-winning designer of vertical transportation configurations for some of the world’s most recognizable structures

Erin Duffy, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer, Melinta Therapeutics
Computational chemist developing next-generation antibiotics and leading expert on the structure and function of bacterial ribosomes and the effect of antibiotics on their ribosomal targets

Katherine Emery
CEO & Founder, The Walker Group & Founder, reSET
Cutting-edge information technology leader and founder of New England’s largest woman-owned technology services firm, tireless advocate for Connecticut as a hub for social enterprise

Sandra Diana Ingä, Ph.D.
PK-12 STEM Director, Hartford Public Schools
Recognized STEM educator, leader and mentor in Hartford Public Schools, developing multiple STEM initiatives including co-chairing design and implementation of a Blue Ribbon K-8 STEM magnet school

Mariko Masuoka
Principal, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Leader in environmentally-friendly building design and award-winning LEED designer of academic and commercial building projects in Connecticut and beyond

Anabella Villalobos, Ph.D.
Head of Neuroscience Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer
Innovative drug discovery researcher and author of multiple patents and publications, developing leading-edge therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia

Made possible by platinum sponsor Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. and other distinguished sponsors, the CWHF’s 21st Annual Induction Ceremony & Celebration will take place on Wednesday, October 29, 2014, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. Illustrating the vital role women play in designing the world around us and fueling our continued progress with innovative ideas, this year’s Inductees are: Jennifer Lawton, respected technologist, entrepreneur, and pioneer in the 3D printing industry; Marian Salzman, thought leader in public relations, among the world’s top five trendspotters; and Beatrix Farrand (1872-1959), nationally renowned landscape architect. Click to learn more about the event and purchase tickets.

The Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame is an educational outreach organization whose mission is to honor publicly the achievement of Connecticut women, preserve their stories, educate the public and inspire the continued achievements of women and girls. Founded in 1994 in Hartford, Connecticut, the Hall fills the void that traditional curricula still fail to address and today stands as the state’s premier source for women’s history with 106 Inductees. These women’s lives and accomplishments are celebrated and documented through a wide spectrum of innovative statewide programs offered free of charge to Connecticut citizens. Historically, the CWHF web site has been a learning tool attracting international, national and local researchers, teachers and students. The CWHF’s website, www.cwhf.org, is a “Virtual Hall” where visitors can explore its educational resources. To join the CWHF via social media, find and like ctwomen on Facebook, and follow @ctwomen on Twitter and @womeninct on Instagram.