Celebration of Technology Awards Banquet

• DAVID GRAHAM (Lockheed Martin) and DOUG HILL (LeMoyne College) – CO-TECHNOLOGISTS OF THE YEAR – A resident of Central New York who has made recent outstanding contributions to advances and improvements in a STEM field, not limited to engineering.
• DOJANA SALAMA (SRC) and ABBAS S. KAZAN (Barton & Loguidice) – CO-YOUNG TECHNOLOGISTs OF THE YEAR – resident of Central New York, 35 years old or less, who has made recent outstanding contributions to advances and improvements in a STEM field.
• MARQUARDT – STEM COMPANY OF THE YEAR – A Central New York STEM company that has made recent outstanding contributions to new or innovative products, processing technologies, or productivity leading to enhanced business.
• DOUGLAS YUNG (Syracuse University) – COLLEGE EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR – An educator who has made outstanding contributions in STEM Education at the college level in Central New York.
• DAVID A. CHIZZONITE (Chittenango School District) – HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR – An educator (Grades 9-12), not necessarily a teacher, who has made outstanding contributions in STEM Education at the high school level in Central New York.
• EMILY MAHANA (Barton & Loguidice) – STEM OUTREACH, INDIVIDUAL – A resident of Central New York who has increased interest in science or technology or expanded opportunities for people with limited access to science or technology.
• ERIE21 (LeMoyne College) – STEM OUTREACH, ORGANIZATION – An organization in Central New York that has increased interest in science or technology or expanded opportunities for people with limited access to science or technology.
• DR. ERIC ALLAN SCHIFF (Syracuse University) – LIFETIME ACHIVEMENT AWARD

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Roger C. Thompson, senior engineering specialist for The Aerospace Corporation’s Mission Analysis and Operations Department.

During his 26-year career at Aerospace, Dr. Thompson has provided support for space situational awareness, collision avoidance, on-orbit breakup analysis and risk assessment, space debris issues, deorbit/reentry prediction, and orbital operations for many programs and space missions. He is one of the corporation’s leading analysts in space traffic management and has represented Aerospace at high-level government and industry meetings where future space policy will be determined. Thompson has experience in uncertainty modeling, probability analysis, pointing and tracking systems, orbit and attitude dynamics, coverage analyses, optimal control systems, structural dynamics, and control of nonlinear systems. He also continues to support real-time launch and on-orbit collision risk assessment, orbit transfer and maneuver planning, orbital and trajectory modeling, and orbit determination.

Dr. Thompson has a Ph.D. and MS in engineering mechanics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, as well as a BS degree in engineering science and mechanics from North Carolina State University. Dr. Thompson is a current and active pilot with 3000 hours and ratings in single engine, instrument airplane, and glider. He has been a docent at National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center since 2003 and at the Glenn Curtiss Museum since 2019.

Schedule of Events:

5:00pm – networking and exhibits (cash bar)

6:00pm – dinner

6:45pm – keynote speaker

7:45pm – presentation of awards

8:45pm – door prizes and wrap-up

9:00pm – see you next time!