September 2017
September 2017
Dear Friend of the Link Foundation:
During the past summer the Link Foundation completed its 44th year of supporting truly outstanding ocean science and engineering students from around the nation to engage in a 10-week Summer Internship Program at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. There are 617 “alumni” of this program who have gone forward into distinguished careers in the sciences. Many of you will recall that Ed Link worked with Seward Johnson in the early 1970s to establish Harbor Branch as one of the nation’s outstanding centers for Marine Science and Ocean Engineering. This summer Audrey Sellepack, from Binghamton, New York, where Ed did much of his path-breaking work in simulation, engaged in a project titled, “An Estuary at Your Fingertips: Connecting the Community to Environmental Data .” Audrey’s experience at Harbor Branch has strengthened her determination to pursue a PhD degree in this field.
Now with regard to PhD students, some of the most outstanding ones in the sciences and engineering in the US and Canada, such as Samuel Schorr of Stanford University, are being supported by the Link Foundation. His pioneering research is aimed at exploring and developing fingertip haptics to further enable medical virtual reality training. In fact, over the past year 13 Link Fellows were supported by the Link Foundation to pursue ground-breaking research in energy resources development and conservation; modeling, simulation and training; or ocean engineering and instrumentation through their Link Fellowship award. Link Fellowships in these fields of Ed and Marion Link’s endeavors include a prestigious and substantial grant to assure that their important research is completed.
In the years ahead the future of humankind will depend, to a major extent, upon the development of new energy sources and simulation models, as well as our capabilities to access the ocean resources; thus, the significance of the Link Foundation’s important, current work is underscored.
The Board of the Link Foundation was reminded of its roots at its March meeting which was held at the headquarters of L3 Technologies, Link Simulation and Training Division in Arlington, Texas. It was hosted by our board member, Lenny Genna, who is the President of this firm. Seeing the success of this company and observing some of the most modern simulators that are being produced, reminded all of us on the board of our responsibilities to use the resources of the Link Foundation to advance knowledge in simulation as well as in Ed and Marion’s other chosen fields.
We appreciate all that so many of the friends of the Link Foundation have done to advance work in these endeavors and encourage the Link Foundation to implement its purpose.
Sincerely,
Thomas F. Kelly, PhD
Chair of the Link Foundation
Board of Trustees and Special Advisors