Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut

What if the traditional view of depression—a simple imbalance of serotonin—was wrong? In this episode of Learning and Living STEM in Connecticut, host Tanimu Deleon talks with Dr. John Krystal, Chair of Psychiatry at Yale and recipient of the 2026 Connecticut Medal of Technology, to discuss his groundbreaking discovery of ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects and how it changed our understanding...

Josh Geballe, Managing Director of Yale Ventures, joins us to explain how the university turns lab discoveries into real-world impact. From accelerator funds and tech transfer to recent billion-dollar exits anchoring talent in Connecticut, Josh offers a clear-eyed look at how research becomes innovation — and why there's never been a better time to build.

The CASE Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program empowers scientists and engineers to work alongside policymakers tackling complex public issues. In this episode, Stephen Nichols, the CASE Science and Technology Policy Fellow serving with the Connecticut General Assembly, discusses his focus on artificial intelligence policy, data privacy, and other emerging technology issues. Listen, sub...

How do science and engineering shape public policy in Connecticut? This episode explores the CASE Technical Boards, a trusted, nonpartisan resource linking science and engineering to state decision-making. Host Tanimu Deleon is joined by Dr. Kenneth Rosen, Director of the CASE Technical Boards, and Anthony Camilliere, CASE’s liaison to state government, to discuss how technical expertise informs s...

In the latest episode of Learning and Living STEMM in Connecticut , host Tanimu Deleon is joined by guests from the EnergizeCT Green STEP program to explore how it enhances high school education through hands-on workshops in STEM, energy efficiency, and sustainable building practices—helping students discover real pathways into careers in clean energy and environmental innovation.

In the latest episode of Learning and Living STEMM in Connecticut , host Tanimu Deleon is joined by Michael Winter, Chief Scientist at RTX, the parent company of aviation industry-leading divisions Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Michael and Tan discuss Connecticut's role in the aerospace industry today and what technologies are being developed that show promise for future av...

Dr. Thomas Pollard is the Sterling Professor Emeritus of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Professor Emeritus of Cell Biology and of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University, and the recipient of the 2025 Connecticut Medal of Science. In this episode, host Tan Deleon asks Tom to share insights from his 60-year career and research focus on the molecular basis of cellul...

In this latest episode, host Tan Deleon is joined by Pamir Alpay and Michael Crair, principal investigators at QuantumCT, to discuss quantum—what it is and what it isn’t—and how Connecticut is among the leaders in the research and application of quantum technologies.

In this episode, host Tan Deleon is joined by Sarah Maurer, professor of chemistry at Central Connecticut State University, to share insights into the work she is doing on the origins of life, why the public should be aware of abiotic vesicles, how artificial intelligence (AI) has accelerated the discovery and study of abiotic vesicles, and how Sarah knew she wanted to be a scientist while still i...

In this episode, Bernard J. Zahren, an honorary member of the Academy, discusses how his private investment funds, Clean Feet Investors I and II, support sustainability-focused businesses and how his commitment to reducing carbon emissions has led him to build a Zero-Carbon Home. 

In this episode, host Tan Deleon sits down with Connecticut Senator James Maroney and Nick Donofrio to discuss AI – what it is, what we should know about it, what the state is considering for policies and regulations around its use - and their work as the co-chairs of the Joint General Law Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Artificial Intelligence Working Group. 

Tickborne diseases are on the rise, with the Connecticut Department of Public Health reporting about 3,000 cases yearly. After being diagnosed with two tickborne illnesses, Antonia Kolb, a recent graduate of King School in Stamford, developed DETICKT IT, a one-of-a-kind app to help identify ticks and assess their risks. Listen as Antonia shares her experience as a student researcher and what it to...

Water scarcity is a critical issue globally, directly impacting human health, agricultural productivity, and economic development. Listen as Menachem Elimelech, the Sterling Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale University and the recipient of the 2024 Connecticut Medal of Technology, discusses sustainable solutions to the ever-increasing demand for fresh water worldwide.

Host Tan Deleon sits down with Dr. Seema Alim, the 2022-2024 CASE-DEEP Science & Technology Policy Fellow to discuss Dr. Alim’s career and path to becoming the CASE-DEEP Science & Technology Fellow, as well as her work during the fellowship focused on building decarbonization, commercial and industrial benchmarking, and training real estate professionals. 

In this episode of Learning and Living STEMM in Connecticut, Naomi Park, a senior at Greenwich High School, shares her scientific research journey that began in third grade and continues today - bringing her to local and national science competitions, and to being the 2023 Stockholm Junior Water Prize recipient.  

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut, Penny Vlahos, professor and associate head, Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut, joins CASE to talk about the rapid change underway in the Arctic Ocean.  With the projections that by 2040 it will experience its first ice-free September, what will be the impacts of these rapid changes on global and regional cl...

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut, Mike Ambrose returns to continue the conversation on Digital Transformation and the real benefits of DX including reductions in time and costs, as well as improvements in quality.  

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut, Mike Ambrose joins CASE to begin the conversation about Digital Transformation - or DX - and the complexities of product considerations, the importance of data, and concept of the single source of the truth. 

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut, Snigtha Mohanraj, a sophomore at the Engineering & Science University Magnet School in New Haven, shares the inspiration for and research behind her award-winning project, “Implementing Inexpensive Biochar to Remove Contaminants in Water.” 

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut, Professors Christine Broadbridge and Elizabeth Jockusch discuss BioPath, a partnership of UConn and Southern Connecticut State University, bridging the research skills gap for students from underserved and underrepresented populations, and as an initiative to solve the workforce issues within the biotech sector in Connecticut. 

In this episode of Learning & Living STEMM in Connecticut , Drs. Umesh Hanumegowda and Max Lataillade join CASE to discuss the current status of HIV research and treatment, why HIV is a sneaky virus, and how years of HIV research led to a faster response during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In this episode of Living & Learning STEMM in Connecticut, Professors Daniel Bolnick and Jesse Weber share how research into the Three-Spined Stickleback is generating, as well as answering, questions on ecology, immune genetics, and evolution.