September 2020
We are happy to announce that Dr. Shelley D. Dionne was unanimously appointed Chair and Trustee of the Link Foundation Board effective July 1, 2020. She was preceded by immediate past Chair, Dr. Thomas F. Kelly who faithfully served as Chair and Trustee since 2000. Prior to this appointment, Shelley served as Special Advisor to the Link Foundation, a position she held since 2017. She currently serves as Associate Dean of the School of Management and Professor of Organizational Behavior and Leadership at Binghamton University and is the Associate Director of the School's nationally recognized Center for Leadership Studies. She has received several honors and awards including the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the School of Management's Corning Research Award, and Excellence in Teaching Award. She has received funding from the National Science Foundation and the Army Research Institute to study leadership and collective dynamics. Dr. Dionne holds a BS degree in Nutrition from Rochester Institute of Technology, and an MBA and PhD in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from Binghamton University.
We are also happy to announce that Mr. Lenny Genna was unanimously appointed as Trustee of the Link Foundation Board effective July 1, 2020. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Genna served as Special Advisor to the Link Foundation, a position he held since being appointed to the Board in 2013. Mr. Genna currently serves as President of the Military Training Sector within the L3 Harris Technologies Corporation. This sector includes Link Training and Simulation headquartered in Arlington, Texas. Mr. Genna has held this position since 2010, and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Link, a world leader in total training systems for military applications. Mr. Genna began his career with Link in Binghamton, N.Y., in 1986 and held a series of increasingly responsible positions prior to moving to Arlington, Texas in 1999 to serve as Link's Director of Engineering. Mr. Genna holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Clarkson University.
Dr. Dionne and Mr. Genna join three other Trustees and twelve Special Advisors who form the leadership team to guide and expand the Link legacy, and enhance the mission of the Link Foundation.
In March 2020, the unprecedented pandemic drastically disrupted normal operating procedures for the U.S. and significantly impacted the Link Foundation and some of the important programs we support.
The Link Foundation's annual dinner, scheduled mid-March in Vero Beach, FL, was cancelled and our March Board meeting which was to be held at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, was conducted by teleconference.
Two significant programs the Link Foundation supports, the Link Foundation/Smithsonian Institution 12-week Graduate Fellowships, and the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University 10-week Link Summer Intern program, cancelled their programs this summer.
Many of our 2019 Link Fellows faced significant challenges as their labs were shut down and they had to find new ways to complete their projects and research.
The Link Summer Science Exploration camp at Kopernik Observatory and Science Center, Vestal, NY, reimagined their in-person camps and virtually conducted the camps with great success.
We look forward to 2021, and trust the pandemic will be at a manageable level allowing both the Link Foundation Board to proceed with the annual dinner and Board meeting in mid-March in Florida, and the other important programs to proceed as planned.
Energy Resources Development and Conservation - to find out more about their research and other projects supported by the Link Foundation, please visit http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/newsltr/2020/energy.html
Name: Prajwal Prakash Adiga
Department: Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering
School: Oregon State University
Project: Selective oxidation of sea water using earth abundant electrodes
Research Advisor: Dr. Kelsey Stoerzinger
Name: Will Gorman
Department: Energy and Resources Group
School: University of California, Berkeley
Project: Electric reliability, distributed energy resources (DERs), and the impact of consumer preferences in California
Research Advisors: Dr. Duncan Callaway
Name: Elizabeth Hann
Department: Botany and Plant Sciences
School: University of of California, Riverside
Project: A combination electrochemical-biological system for the production of liquid fuel from CO2
Research Advisors: Dr. Robert Jinkerson
Modeling, Simulation and Training - to find out more about their research and other projects supported by the Link Foundation, please visit http://www.binghamton.edu/link- foundation/newsltr/2020/sim.html
Name: Ali Ebrahimi
School: Johns Hopkins University
Research Topic Design and simulation of intelligent control algorithms for bimanual robot-assisted retinal surgery training system
Research Advisor: Dr. Iulian Iordachita
Name: Gaojian Huang
School: Purdue University
Research Topic: Using advanced driving simulation and vibrotactile cues to train older drivers to interact with next-generation autonomous vehicles
Research Advisor: Dr. Stephen Robinson
Name: Julia Juliano
School: University Southern California
Research Topic: Neural mechanisms of head-mounted display virtual reality motor learning and transfer to the real world
Research Advisor: Dr. William Warren
Name: Christopher Yang
School: Johns Hopkins University
Project: Investigating the computations underlying complex motor skill learning
Research Advisor: Dr. Adrian Haith
Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation - to find out more about their research and other projects supported by the Link Foundation, please visit http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/newsltr/2020/ocean.html
Name: Nadia Cohen
Department: College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
School: Oregon State University
Project: A Robotic Lander to Study Ice-Ocean Interactions at a Near-vertical Glacier Face
Research Advisor: Dr. Jonathan Nash
Name: Gyeong Sung Kim
Department: Mechanical Engineering
School: University of Maryland, College Park (UMD)
Project: Wave-powered heat pump desalination system
Research Advisor: Dr. Reinhard Radermacher
Name: Leo Liu
Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
School: University of Virginia
Project: Improving the Swimming Capability of Ray-Inspired Underwater Vehicles by Harnessing Ground/Surface Effects
Research Advisor: Dr. Daniel B. Quinn
Name: Lina Taenzer
Department: Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry (WHOI) and Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (MIT)
School: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Project: Development and Validation of a Deep-Sea Chemiluminescent Sensor for Measuring Reactive Intermediates
Research Advisor: Dr. Colleen Hansel and Dr. Scott Wankel
Smithsonian Fellows - Since the pandemic forced the cancellation of this year's program, we look forward to reporting to you in 2021 when we hope that the program will be able to proceed safely. You can access information about the 2019 Fellows and their research at http://www.binghamton.edu/link-foundation/newsltr/2019/SmithsonianFellows.html
Over the last 47 years, the Harbor Branch Summer Intern Program has hosted 662 college and university students from around the world. The 2020 Summer Intern program was cancelled due to the pandemic, but we hope that next year the program will be able to proceed safely.
Dr. Andrew M. Clark, Link Foundation Trustee, was a Harbor Branch Summer Intern in 1979. You can learn 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 last forty-six years this education program, Harbor Branch's oldest, has continued and prospered and has become a special one to scientists and engineers who are invigorated by the young talent of the interns each year. From 1974 to 2019, there have been 662 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 66% of the interns. Another 12% 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/internship.php .
Link Foundation Supports Promising High School Students in Florida
Since 1974, the Link Foundation has supported promising undergraduate and graduate students through the Harbor Branch Summer Intern Program. Less well known is that the Link Foundation has also been encouraging high school students to pursue their future degrees in Engineering and related fields thorough a scholarship program, also administered by FAU (Florida Atlantic University) Harbor Branch, since 1974. This initiative was pioneered by Clayton Link. Over the years, approximately 106 students have benefitted from these scholarships and the resulting recognition that follows.
Currently up to three scholarships at $1,000 each are awarded to senior high school graduates to be used at the college/university of the recipient's choice in the state of Florida. The selection of the recipients is facilitated by partnerships with three science and engineering fairs. Two of these are in the counties most immediately associated with the Harbor Branch community: The Indian River County and St. Lucie County Regional Science and Engineering Fairs, while the third opportunity is state-wide, via the Science and Engineering Fair administered by the Florida Foundation for Future Scientists.
Selection criteria for these scholarships include:
1) Students must be a senior in an accredited Florida High School
2) Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA
3) Students must have an acceptable score on a national college entrance test (i.e. SAT, PSAT, ACT)
4) Students must have a project on the basis of merit as the best in one of these disciplines:
a) Marine BiologyThese scholarships are presented in memory of E. Clayton Link, son of the Founders, and Albert D. Stover.
b) Ocean Engineering
c) Energy Conservation and Research
d) Oceanography
e) Aviation.
In 2020, one student was selected for the scholarship. Jade Butler, a graduating senior from Vero Beach High School, was the recipient at the 28th Indian River Regional Science and Engineering Fair, held in Vero Beach, FL in January. Jade plans to major in Civil Engineering at the University of Central Florida.
Dennis Hanisak, FAU Harbor Branch Research Professor and Education Director, says: The recipients of the high school scholarships funded by the Link Foundation are always very grateful for the funding and encouragement that goes with these awards. Each of them has clearly demonstrated a strong interest consistent with the high priorities established by the Link Foundation. It is wonderful to be involved with providing such opportunities to creative young engineers and scientists who will hopefully go on to long, productive careers and make a difference in the world.
The Link Foundation has had a significant impact at Indian River State College (IRSC) by providing Distinguished Scholar Awards, totaling over $329,500 to more than 112 highly qualified IRSC graduates since 1999. Each year these transfer scholarships enable highly qualified graduates of IRSC to continue their education in the fields of marine science, engineering, oceanography, physics, or mathematics. The prestigious scholarships are presented annually to students who attained a 2.75 or higher cumulative grade point average at Indian River State College, and are admitted to an accredited upper-division program. The students must maintain an annual 2.75 GPA at the accredited upper-division college or university to maintain their funding.
For 2020-2021, three IRSC graduates were awarded Link Foundation Scholarships. We would like to congratulate the scholarship awardees. They are:
For more information about these scholarships, visit www.irscfoundation.org.
The Link Foundation has been supporting the Link Summer Science Exploration Camp held at Kopernik Observatory & Science Center, Vestal, NY, for 27 years. This year, due to the pandemic, the day camp was conducted online. The week-long STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) was modified to consist of a mix of live presentations, interactive student engagement, and at-home activities (with access to the educator) which provided students the opportunity to learn more about the world and the universe around them.
The 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. Throughout the Link Summer Science Exploration program, students are encouraged to make a mark on their world like Edwin A. Link, inspiring consideration of STEM related careers, even at an early age.
The Link family, the Link Foundation, and the late 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 a Binghamton, NY, High School senior who is a resident of Broome County and who has demonstrated a commitment to engineering, with special consideration given to those who have demonstrated a commitment to engineering, energy, simulation, marine science or aeronautical or ocean engineering. Since 2013 there have been two annual scholarships awarded, one scholarship to a Binghamton High School student and one to a Seton Catholic High School student who meet 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 scholarships 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 2020 scholarships were awarded to Daphne Pufky from Binghamton High School and Keith Tschang from Seton Catholic High School.
Daphne graduated from Binghamton High School in 2020 with an overall GPA of 100.8. While in high school she took AP classes in English and History, and IB classes in History, English, Mandarin Chinese, and Mathematics Analysis. She completed the Project Lead the Way Pre-Education Program. She was a member of the Science Club, the Technology Club, the Art Club, and served as Vice President of the Mathletes. She volunteered as a religious education teacher at her church and also volunteered for Vacation Bible School for several years. Daphne plans to begin her studies at SUNY Broome this fall and will then pursue a BS in Astrophysics.
Keith graduated from Seton Catholic High School in 2020 with a GPA of 100.8, and plans to attend Clarkson University to study Computer Science and Electrical Engineering this fall. While in high school he was a member of the National Honor Society, Mathletes, and Science Olympiad where he served as team captain his senior year. He also participated in cross country and soccer, and volunteered at Lourdes Hospital and the Conklin Presbyterian Church. Keith received the 2019 Clarkson University High School Achievement Award, the 2017-2018 National Youth Leadership Forum nomination, and the 2016 President's Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence.
Last year, the recipients of this award were:
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's (Aeronautical Radio Inc.) presents an annual award in honor of Edwin A. Link at the opening session of the Flight Simulator Engineering and Maintenance Conference (FSEMC). This year's conference, scheduled to take place October 11 - 14, 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The FSEMC leadership is considering conducting virtual meetings in place of the conference. The annual conference is usually attended by more than 300 flight simulator experts from around the world, and identifies technical solutions for engineering and maintenance issues resulting in immediate and long-term savings and increased efficiency for simulator users.
Over the past twenty 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.
The recipient of this award in 2019 was Mark Dransfield, Independent Flight Simulation and Training Device Consultant, UK.
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.
Last year, the Edwin A. Link Lecture was presented on November 12, 2019 at the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters in London. Mike O’Donoghue CBE FRAeS, Chief Executive, General Aviation Safety Council, presented the Edwin A. Link Named Lecture https://www.aerosociety.com/events-calendar/edwin-a-link-named-lecture-2019/
It is expected that the yearly lecture will continue to be held in London or Washington, DC.