September 2013

Inside this Issue

Features

• Welcome to our 10th Edition
• From the Chair of the Board,
  Dr. Thomas F. Kelly
• News & Events
• Link Fellows/Interns/Scholars, where are they now?

Meet this Year's Fellowship Recipients

• Energy
• Simulation and Training
• Ocean Engineering
• SmithsonianFellows

THE LINK FOUNDATION

NEWS OF INTEREST AND UPDATES FOR 2013

CELEBRATIONS:

The Link Foundation Celebrates 60 Years of Philanthropy, 1953-2013, with a special lecture and reception held at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University entitled, “An Opportunity to Develop Your Genius": A Homecoming Celebrating 60 Years of the Link Foundation and 40 Years of Summer Interns at Harbor Branch

The celebratory lecture and reception was held on Wednesday, March 6, 2013, at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, and was part of the HBOI Ocean Science Lecture Series. Dr. Andrew M. Clark, 1979 Link Summer Intern at Harbor Branch and current Link Foundation Trustee, and Dr. Dennis Hanisak, Research Professor and Director of Education at HBOI/FAU, were the speakers. Others in attendance for the celebration included a number of past summer interns and one of the very first Link Fellows, Dr. George Walsh, class of 1964, and Douglas

Briggs one of the first Link summer interns in 1967, and his son, David, who was also a Link summer intern in 2009.

The Harbor Branch Summer Intern Program was launched in 1974 with support from the Link Foundation. Over the past 40 years, the program has become the longest running education program at HBOI/FAU and has hosted 539 competitively selected college and university students for this 10-week summer research experience where they have the opportunity to work alongside Harbor Branch mentors to gain vital hands-on experience in their chosen field.

The Link Foundation, established in 1953 to perpetuate and enhance technical leadership in simulation and training, energy resources development and conservation, and ocean engineering and instrumentation, grew the Harbor Branch summer Intern Program out of its practice of providing summer scholarships to undergraduate students. Over the years, the summer intern program has attracted sponsorship from other organizations, most notably the Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation. The Link Foundation is pleased to continue to support the intern program while also supporting other organizations and PhD fellowship programs consistent with the founders’ interests. This lecture provided the opportunity to meet some of the first interns and learn about the shared history of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University and the Link Foundation and to celebrate these significant milestones.

 

Marilyn C. Link Awarded Honorary Doctorate from the State University of New York at Binghamton

On May 17, 2013, Marilyn C. Link was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the State University of New York at Binghamton during their Doctoral Hooding Ceremony which took place at 3 p.m. in the Events Center at Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY. There were many close friends and colleagues at her side to see her honored including Eleanor Sexton, friend; Sally Darrah, cousin; Erik Joh, friend and trustee of the Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation; Cheryl Dimick, former Office Administrator (2004-2008) of the Link Foundation; Maureen White, former Office Administrator (1999-2004) of the Link Foundation and her husband, Harrison White; and current Link Foundation Trustees, Special Advisors, and their spouses.

The honorary degree citation, which was presented to Marilyn C. Link by President Stenger, read:

“Pioneering pilot, educator, philanthropist, and managing director of an oceanographic institute, your illustrious career has given you a breadth of experience and inspired generations of students at Binghamton University and other educational organizations. Through your commitment to the protection of the natural environment and generous support of research activity and scholarships, you have impacted the lives of countless individuals, and serve as a model citizen for our faculty, staff and students. For all of these accomplishments, as well as those to come, the State University of New York is proud to present you with the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.”
State University of New York at Binghamton – May 17, 2013

You may see Marilyn C. Link’s humorous, humble, and well-received acceptance speech, given in Marilyn’s true grace and style, at http://youtu.be/P5AddJUnjuI

The Link Foundation Board is delighted to see Marilyn C. Link honored in this way, and especially during the 60th year anniversary of the Link Foundation. It is extra special since Edwin A. Link, Marilyn’s brother and founder in 1953, along with his wife, Marion C. Link, of the Link Foundation had been honored with an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1981 from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Edwin A. Link (1904-1981) was presented with the honorary doctorate in recognition of his invention of the Link Flight Simulator and for his underwater exploration.

 

OTHER NEWS

Link Foundation Trustees, Special Advisors, and guests visit Roberson Museum and Science Center, Binghamton, NY

On May 18, 2013, Link Foundation board members, spouses, and invited guests had the privilege and opportunity to visit the Roberson Museum and Science Center, Binghamton, NY, where they received a guided tour of the newly renovated Link exhibit entitled, “Vision and Innovation: The Legacy of Edwin A. Link.” This state-of-the-art exhibit is a wonderful tribute to Edwin A. Link and will allow countless visitors to Roberson Museum and Science Center to learn more about the important contributions and innovations of Edwin A. Link and the importance of the Link legacy in the Southern Tier.

 

Meet This Year’s Link Fellowship Recipients

Energy Resources Development and Conservation – to find out more about their research, please visit http://www.binghamton.edu/linkfoundation/newsltr/2013/energy.html

 

 

 

Advanced Simulation and Training – to find out more about their research, please visit http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/newsltr/2013/sim.html

 

 

Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation – to find out more about their research, please visit http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/newsltr/2013/ocean.html

 

 

 

Smithsonian Fellows – to find out more about their research, please visit http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/newsltr/2013/SmithsonianFellows.html

 

 

 

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University’s Summer Interns Present their Research on July 25, 2013

This past summer, 19 interns from 9 post-secondary institutions in six states and in Poland, participated in the 2013 Summer Intern Program at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, where they had the opportunity to carry out research projects in ocean engineering and optics, the health of the Indian River Lagoon and coral, aquaculture and drug discovery. During their 10-week internship, the interns had the privilege to work alongside a Harbor Branch faculty mentor on their projects probing issues such as improving the quality of undersea laser imaging, assessing the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the Indian River Lagoon, and determining which marine natural products might help fight diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis. At the end of this highly competitive internship, each intern produced a written report and gave an oral presentation on their project to an audience including Harbor Branch faculty and staff, friends of Harbor Branch, program sponsors, and family on July 25, 2013.

Dr. Dennis Hanisak, Harbor Branch research professor and coordinator of the program, describes the internship as “a hands-on opportunity for students to work and learn alongside experienced professionals and ‘test drive’ the career for which they are preparing themselves in college.” This internship can help shape the course of a life, as shown by the many alumni who have gone on to successful careers in marine science and technology.

The Internship Program, now in its 40th year, is funded primarily by the Link Foundation, with additional support from the Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation. This year, the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology joined the Link Foundation and the Skelly Foundation with funding for this program.

 

The Link Foundation is happy to present the 2013 Harbor Branch/FAU Summer Interns which were supported by the Link Foundation:

Alex Spina, Florida Atlantic University

Roy Becker, Florida Atlantic University

Jason Peck, University of Rhode Island

Marcin Dziemianowicz, Bialystok University of Technology

Stephanie Jocis, United States Coast Guard Academy

Joseph Brooker, University of South Florida

Carlie Perricone, Florida Atlantic University

Andrew Kessler, Florida Atlantic University

Jeffrey Dobbs, Florida Atlantic University

Pedro Lara, Florida Atlantic University

Susan Cheng, Centenary College

Erika Chu, Centenary College

Claire Robinson, Florida Atlantic University

Ashley Taylor, Florida Atlantic University

Dr. Andrew M. Clark, Link Foundation Trustee, was a Harbor Branch Summer Intern in 1979. You may read more about Dr. Clark on our web link, “Board of Trustees and Special Advisors,” found at http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/trustees.html .

 

History of the Harbor Branch/FAU Summer Intern Program

Authored by Dr. M. Dennis Hanisak, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University

In 1974, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, then called Harbor Branch Foundation and only three years old at the time, began a summer internship program for college students, launched with funding from the Link Foundation. At the time, Ed Link, the inventor who had recently designed and built Harbor Branch's Johnson-Sea-Link manned submersibles, was Vice President of Harbor Branch, and Marilyn C. Link, Ed's sister, was Harbor Branch's first Managing Director. The idea of the intern program was to provide college students an opportunity to further their education and training, outside the traditional classroom setting, in a real-world situation. Working with a mentor on the Harbor Branch staff, each intern developed a project that could be completed in a few weeks and then reported the results to the Harbor Branch community. During that first summer, ten students spent ten weeks working with mentors in the Marine Science and Engineering Divisions. Back in 1974, there were very few such intern opportunities for students interested in marine science or ocean engineering, and the summer intern program quickly became recognized as a successful one.

Over the next forty years this education program, Harbor Branch's oldest, has continued and prospered and has become a special one to our scientists and engineers who are invigorated by the young talent of the interns each year. From 1974 to 2013, there have been 539 summer interns at Harbor Branch/FAU. These interns have come from over 150 universities and colleges from 35 states and 11 foreign countries. The interns have benefitted from the opportunity to work one-on-one with over 100 mentors, all Harbor Branch/FAU staff members. The Link Foundation has supported about 63% of the interns. Another 11% have been funded by the Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation, which has been providing major support for interns in marine biomedical research since 1996. Most Harbor Branch/FAU interns go on to professional careers, with nearly half receiving an MS degree and about 1/6 earning a PhD.

For more information on the Harbor Branch/FAU Summer Intern programs, including application material, please visit: http://www.fau.edu/hboi/education/internships/index.php .

 

Link Foundation Distinguished Scholar Awards at Indian River State College

The Link Foundation has had a significant impact at Indian River State College (IRSC) by providing Distinguished Scholar Awards, totaling over $235,000, to over 79 highly qualified IRSC graduates since 1999. These transfer scholarships enable highly qualified Associate in Arts (AA) graduates of IRSC each year to continue their education in the fields of marine science, engineering, oceanography, physics, mathematics, energy research, or simulation training. These prestigious scholarships are presented annually to students who attained a 3.5 or higher cumulative grade point average at Indian River State College, and are admitted to an accredited upper-division program.

We are delighted to share recent notes from some of the Link Foundation Distinguished Scholars:

I would like to thank the Link Foundation for their financial support of my education. I received a Link transfer scholarship as an Associate Degree in engineering graduate from Indian River State College in December 2009. I graduated from the University of Central Florida December 14, 2012, with a Bachelor’s of Science, Aerospace Engineering, Cum Laude, with a 3.78 GPA. I had received a job offer from Boeing in November 2012 and, directly after graduation, moved my family (wife and child) to Oklahoma City where I now work on the Presidential Airlift program as a Systems Engineer. I now manage modernization projects on the C-32A, or what is commonly called “Air Force Two.” I could not have achieved this without the support of the Link Foundation Scholarship and wanted to take the time to let them know it really makes a difference. – Mark R. Bennett

I am writing to thank you for your generous contribution which has made the Link Foundation Distinguished Scholar Award Transfer Scholarship available to me. I am currently a junior at the University of Florida where I am on track to graduate in the spring of 2015 with dual bachelor’s degrees in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. Upon graduation, I plan on working for the United States Department of Defense designing equipment which will help keep the men and women of our armed forces safer. When I began college, I resolved that I would not take out student loans but instead would rely on scholarships and my own income to finance my education. As you can imagine, this makes me incredibly grateful for your generous support. Being awarded with this scholarship has enabled me to focus more on my studies and will greatly help me as I continue my education. – Mark Becker

I am writing to thank you for picking me as one of the applicants who received the Link Foundation Distinguished Scholar Award Transfer Scholarship. I look forward to continuing my studies at the University of Florida starting in the fall of 2013. This scholarship gives me the opportunity to realize all my ambitions and goals, not only as a successful student but also as a productive citizen who will bring answers to real world problems that I will encounter as an engineer. All of this will be possible because of the scholarship which will give me the opportunity to concentrate on all my academic endeavors. For this assistance and honor, I am most grateful. – Jose V. Hernandez

I would like to thank you for your kindness and benevolence. I truly appreciate having had the opportunity to apply for the Link Foundation Distinguished Scholar Award Transfer Scholarship, and even more so that I was awarded this scholarship. This scholarship will help me pay for college when I attend the University of Florida. With the rising cost of college, scholarships like this one are becoming even more important to students. This is especially true when one looks not only at tuition but also books, housing, and the other necessary cost of attendance. Once again, I greatly appreciate and thank you for this scholarship. I look forward to attending the University of Florida’s College of Engineering even more so now that the financial stress has been lessened. – Justin T. Lahman

I am writing this letter to thank you so much for the 2013-2014 Link Foundation Distinguished Scholar Award Transfer Scholarship in the amount of $3,000.00. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for this amazing opportunity. I am extremely honored to have been chosen as a recipient for this scholarship. I appreciate your support to help me pursue my college education, and I guarantee that you will not regret assisting me. This is really meaningful to my family as well as to me. I really cannot thank you enough, so I will show you through my academic success instead. Once again, thank you for your generosity. I am absolutely fortunate to have been selected. – Griselda Ruan

Words cannot express my gratitude for your generous donation. You helped me out immensely with this scholarship and for that I am eternally grateful. I plan on using these funds to continue my goal of becoming an engineer, thank you so much! - Max Webber

Thank you so much for the past financial aid. Your support made my last two years at the University of Florida possible and I am eternally grateful. I plan to continue in the college of engineering and just want to express my deep appreciation for what you have done for me and, I am sure, for many others. – Mikaela Maher

I am sure that I will not be able to truly express my gratitude. This scholarship means more to me than you can know. I have just cried with relief knowing that because of this I can continue. I will honor this scholarship by working very hard. Your kindness and generosity inspires me to want to one day do this for someone else in my position. The greatest accomplishment I can achieve would to one day be a scholarship donor. This opportunity warms my heart and makes me believe in the good in people. Thank you for this chance to follow my dream. - Kristy Conwey

 

Link Summer Science Explorations Camp at Kopernik Observatory

The Link Foundation has been supporting the Link Summer Science Exploration Camp held at Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal, NY, for 19 years. This week-long camp offers hands-on, high-tech adventures in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in a fun and nurturing environment and provides students with the opportunity to learn more about the world and the universe around them. The Link Summer Science day camp encourages students to view Edwin A. Link as a role model and someone who was dedicated to life-long learning in science, technology, exploration, and creative problem-solving. As part of the summer curriculum, the students visit the permanent Link exhibit at Roberson Museum and Science Center, Binghamton, NY, where they take a guided tour and learn more about Edwin A. Link and the “Blue Box.” Throughout the Link Summer Science Exploration program, students are encouraged to make a mark on their world, like Edwin A. Link.

We are pleased to share comments from some summer 2013 camp attendees:

“This camp is an excellent experience and you learn a lot. It was so incredible this year I am going to come back for the two-week experience. They always have topics that are incredibly interesting and speakers who make the activities even better. The people and staff are great.”

“I really enjoyed studying the planets and stars in the sky for the first time!!! I even got to photograph Saturn on my phone! That was Awesome! I loved the activities.”

 

The Edwin A. Link and Marion C. Link Scholarship Fund

The Link family, the Link Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. Stuart McCarty (Mr. McCarty was a former Link Foundation Trustee and Special Advisor), established the endowed Edwin A. and Marion C. Link Scholarship Fund in 2007. This fund is administered by The Community Foundation for South Central New York, Inc.

This scholarship is awarded annually to Binghamton, NY, High School seniors who are residents of Broome County, and have demonstrated a commitment to engineering, with special consideration to those students who have evidenced an interest in energy, simulation, marine science or aeronautical or ocean engineering. Beginning in 2013, there will be two annual scholarships awarded with one scholarship awarded to a Binghamton High School student and one to a Seton Catholic High School student who meets the award’s criteria. The students must have at least a 3.0 GPA, or its equivalent, and have been active in community and/or extracurricular activities. The $2,000 scholarship awards are non-renewable and are to be applied to tuition expenses for the first and second semester of the awardees’ freshman year at a qualified accredited college or university.

The 2013 scholarships were presented to Eve Arnold, from Seton Catholic High School. Eve is attending Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY to study Chemical Engineering. The second award recipient is Katarzyna Nowacki from Binghamton High School. Katarzyna was in the top 10% of her Binghamton High School graduating class. Katarzyna is attending Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL to study Marine Biology.

Past recipients of this award are:

2012 – Alex Palma - Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

2011 – Clara Scholtz - Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

2010 – Steve Maniates - Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY

2009 – Marc Houlihan – Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY

Congratulations to these fine students who, with their academic and community credentials, have promising futures and exemplify the qualities celebrated by the Edwin A. and Marion C. Link Scholarship.

 

ARINC to present award in honor of Edwin A. Link on October 1, 2013

ARINC’s (Aeronautical Radio Inc.) Flight Simulator Engineering and Maintenance Conference will take place at the Trόia Blue Green Hotel, Lisbon, Portugal, September 30 – October 3, 2013. This annual conference attended by flight simulator experts from around the world, identifies technical solutions to engineering and maintenance issues resulting in immediate and long-term savings and increased efficiency for simulator users. An annual award, sponsored by the Flight Simulator Engineering and

Maintenance Conference, will be presented in honor of Edwin A. Link at the opening session of this conference on October 1, 2013.

Over the past thirteen years, ARINC has presented awards in honor of Edwin A. Link to an outstanding member of the simulation community in recognition of their contributions of ideas, leadership and innovation which will benefit the simulation industry. The Edwin A. Link Award has become world-renowned as the simulation industry’s highest award for individual achievement.

Past recipients of this award are:

2012 – Jeff Everett, RSI Visual Systems

2011 – Richard Holmes and Joe Mays, Electronic Image Systems, Inc./Barco Simulation

2010 – Dr. David White, Thales Training and Simulation

2009 – Craig Phillips, Redifun Simulation Inc. (RSI)

2008 – Andy Ramsden, Rockwell Collins

2007 – Joe Biller, L-3 Communications - Link Simulation and Training Division

2005 – Jim Guvernator, Southwest Airlines

2004 – Stuart N. Willmott, CAE SimuFlite

2003 – Dr. John Hunt, General Precision Corporation (formerly Link Aviation, Inc.)

2002 – Kendall W. Neville, The Boeing Company

2001 – Stuart Anderson, Evans & Sutherland

2000 – Joe Depaola, American Airlines

1999 – Wolf-Dieter Hass, Lufthansa Flight Training

 

The Royal Aeronautical Society’s Edwin A. Link Lectures

The Royal Aeronautical Society established the annual Edwin A. Link Lecture Series in 2007 to honor Ed, who is known as the distinguished pioneer of synthetic training. Ed’s remarkable foresight led to the creation of the Link Trainer, or “Blue Box” as it came to be known, the precursor of today’s powerful synthetic training devices, most notably full flight simulators.

Edwin A. Link Lectures have been presented since 2007 as follows:

June 12, 2013 - At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London - Dr. David White, Chief Scientist, L-3 Link, presented the lecture entitled, “What Comes First – The Aeroplane or the Simulator? Thriving & Surviving Through Technical Innovation.” http://aerosociety.com/Assets/Docs/Events/NamedLectures/Ed%20Link%202013.pdf

May 30, 2012 - At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London - Richard “Dick” Eastman OBE, RAeS RAF (retired) presented the lecture entitled, “A Journey Through Flight Simulation.” http://aerosociety.com/Assets/Docs/Events/679/Ed%20Link%202012.pdf

June 8, 2011 – At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London - John Farley OBE, AFC, presented the Lecture entitled, “My 53 Years as a Flight Simulation User.”

June 10, 2010 – At the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London - Marion Broughton, Vice President Avionics from Thales Training and Simulation, UK, gave a talk entitled, “The Downturn Opportunity in the Flight Simulation Industry?”

November 19, 2009 – At the British Embassy in Washington, DC

April 9, 2008 – At the British Embassy in Washington, DC – Mr. Bruce Whitman, President and CEO of FlightSafety International presented the lecture entitled, “The Link Legacy”

November 8, 2007 – The inaugural Edwin A. Link Lecture was presented in London by Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defense Staff of the Royal Aeronautical Society

The RAeS Flight Simulation group believes the Link Trainer represented a milestone in the history of Flight Simulation. Ed Link is generally recognized as the “father of flight simulation.”

It is expected that yearly lectures will continue to be held in London and Washington, DC.

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