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Aimee Dowling of Stamford, Vt., is awarded the Biomedical Engineering Department Award for Outstanding Senior at Western New England University on May 21.

College Notes: Summer 2022

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Aimee Dowling of Stamford, Vt., was awarded the Biomedical Engineering Department Award for Outstanding Senior at the 2022 College of Engineering Senior Awards Ceremony held on May 21 at Western New England University. This award, presented by Robert Gettens, department chair and professor of biomedical engineering, is presented to a senior biomedical engineering student who has demonstrated academic success with an outstanding grade point average and has demonstrated professionalism in their studies.
 
Dowling was also welcomed into Tau Beta Pi National Honor Society at the chapter's annual induction ceremony. Tau Beta Pi is a national honor society for engineering students. To be elected, students must demonstrate outstanding scholarship and professional integrity. Dowling graduated with a bachelor of science in engineering in biomedical engineering.
 
 
Two Dalton students who are juniors at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have completed research projects. All undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to addresses an important societal need or issue. The project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people's lives-and make a difference before they graduate.
 
Jacob Borowsky, majoring in aerospace engineering, completed the project titled "Evaluating Gender-Based Disaster Response Training," and James Scalise, majoring in architectural engineering, completed "Developing a BYOD Pilot Application for Tower Bridge."
 
 

Eva Myers, left, poses with other orientation group leaders at Western New England University.
 
Eva Myers of Pittsfield was selected to serve as an orientation group leader for the 2022 Summer Orientation and Registration (SOAR) program at Western New England University in Springfield. 
 
These leaders are students who have consistently modeled solid citizenship and active participation in the university community. They are selected for their strong communication skills, their leadership qualities, and their ability to build relationships with students and families. The help new students transition by providing students and parents with information and structure. SOAR helps set the stage for academic readiness and successful community integration to Western New England University.
 
 

 

Graduations

 
Michaela Defoe of Becket and Abigail Tynan of Pittsfield have graduated from the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Conn. 
 
 
Penny Ankamah and Paul Torra, both of Pittsfield, graduated on June 2 from Springfield Technical Community College.
 
Jamie Boyle of Pownal graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in multidiscipinary studies from Castleton (Vt.) University on Saturday, May 14. This year marked the first in-person, university-wide commencement in three years. Mia Schultz, president of the Rutland Area Branch of the NAACP, encouraged students to become leaders in their communities and push for positive change whenever they can.
 
 
Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y., awarded nearly 800 degrees at its spring commencement in May, including two local students: Nathaniel Aaron Beaupre of Pittsfield, bachelor of science with distinction in mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering minor and DiMaggio Anthony Paris of Lanesborough, bachelor of science with great distinction in mathematics, computer science.
 
Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I., held its commencement ceremony in May. The class of 2022 included Ellie Field of Adams, bachelor of science in public health; Sierra Jamros of Adams, magna cum laude, bachelor of science in legal studies; and Emma Smith of Dalton, magna cum laude, bachelor of arts in psychology.
 
 
The College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y., conferred degrees and certificates to more than 1,600 graduates of the class of 2022. They include Celene Koperek of North Adams, who earned a master of science in education communication sciences and disorders and Julia Esoldi, also of North Adams, who earned a bachelor of science human resource management.
 
The following Williamstown students received bachelor of arts degrees with departmental honors from Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., on Sunday, May 22, in a commencement ceremony concluding the college's 210th year: Jacob Hane, classical languages, magna cum laude; Samuel Dils, literature; William Budington, Africana studies; and Isabelle Bote, art history.
 
 
Pittsfield residents Valerie Goly and Michael Kays have graduated this spring from American International College in Springfield.
 
 
Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology conferred more than 4,300 degrees at all of its campuses in the 2021-2022 academic year. The following local residents received degrees: Ashley Martsen of East Otis, bachelor of science in physics, and Thomas Gorski of Pittsfield, master of science in computing security.
 

Academic Lists & Awards

Jack Pudlo of Dalton, Madeleine Soudant of Great Barrington and Donovan Sawyer of Monterey were named to honors lists for the spring 2022 semester at Nichols College in Dudley.
 
Plymouth (N.H.) State University has named Emma Nardi of Ashley Falls, Michaela Larkin of Cheshire and Troy Brainerd of Dalton to the president's list for the spring 2022 semester. 
 
 
Mary Hines of Pittsfield, who is studying in media and culture, political science, was named to the dean's list at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, for the spring 2022 semester. 
 
Springfield Technical Community College celebrates the accomplishment of the 774 students who were named to the spring 2022 dean's list. They include Elizabeth Lambert of Cheshire, Eugeniu Savaliuc of Lenox and Penny Ankamah, Jennifer Lander and Paul Torra, all of Pittsfield.
 
 
The College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y., has named the following students were named to the spring semester dean's list: Jeffrey Hebert of Dalton, psychology major; Madelyn Bronson and Crystal Moore, both music major from Pittsfield, and Laura Knowlton of Pittsfield, and English major.
 
Quinn Taylor Mongeon of North Adams,a psychology major, has been named to  the honors list for the spring semester at Husson University in Bangor, Maine. 
 
 
American International College in Springfield has named the following students to the spring 2022 dean's list: Nicole Gamberoni, Valerie Goly and Michael Kays, all of Pittsfield, and Abigail Wells of Windsor.
 
Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I, has named the following students to spring dean's list students: Julia Haddad and Sara Curry, both of Pittsfield; Charles Merselis of Williamstown, and Arianna Poirier of Windsor.
 
Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y., has named the following students to its honors lists for the spring semester: 
 
President's list: Hannah Fuller of Cheshire; Shelby Tinker and Madison Tinker, both of Great Barrington; and Sofia Bock and Nick Hall, both of Pittsfield.
 
Dean's list: Benjamin Shultis of Great Barrington, Marley Buffis of Hancock, Elizabeth Paglier of Lanesborough, and Loren Benoit, Chanze Filippi, Nicole Forman, Sophia-marie Groves, Hannah LaPointe and Haley Mazzeo, all of Pittsfield.
 
 
Springfield College has named the following students to the dean's list for spring 2022: Riley Robinson of Adams; Karly Bazonski of Dalton; Kayla Cerveira of Lanesborough; Ian Benoit, Mary Lee, Sierra Murray, Jasmyn Roark-Somersall and Luke Whitehouse, all of Pittsfield; and Katherine Bernardy, Hannah Gilooly, Grace Sanchez and Finnian Welch, all of Williamstown.
 
 
The following local residents have been named to the dean's list at Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology for the spring 2022 semester: Zachery Tatro of Clarksburg; Alex Currie of Dalton; Ashley Martsen of East Otis; Nick Soldato and Kevin Laporte, both of Pittsfield; Shaun Thornton of Washington, and Andrew Dorrell of West Stockbridge.
 
Kyle Brogan of Dalton and Daisy Dominguez of Pittsfield were named to the spring 2022 dean's list at the State University of New York at Delhi.
 
The following students have earned spring semester dean's list honors at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I.: Jamie Barthe and Sierra Jamros, both of Adams; Mathew Fortin, Fred Sears, Autumn Sheldon and Emma Smith, all of Dalton; Audrey Belanger and Ryan Goodell, both of North Adams; Maddy Tobin and Norah Miller, both of Pittsfield, and Gray Miller of Williamstown
 
 
Julia Butler of Hancock was named to the dean's list for the spring 2022 semester at Ithaca (N.Y.) College.
 
Victoria Witherell of Cheshire has earned a spot on the dean's list for spring 2022 at Goodwin University in East Hartford, Conn.
 
The College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee has named the following students to the dean's list for the spring 2022 semester: Alexis Desroches and Jessica Charron, both of Adams; Savannah Morehouse of Cheshire; Riley Andersen and Gabrielle Lusignan, both of Dalton; Sarah Fortini of the town of Florida; Cami Smachetti of Lenox; Kyle Hutson of Monterey; Lakeria Darkins and Cady Denning, both of North Adams; Megan Keyes of Readsboro, Vt.; Zachery Barnes, Danielle Collette, Rachel D'Avella, Rachael Fenn, Liam Fitzgibbons, Jill Hersey, Emily Maffuccio, Tomeka Parslow, Trinity Peets, Madison Quinn and Whitney Zapotitla, all of Pittsfield, and Jonathan Bailey of Windsor. 
 
 
 

 


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State Fire Marshal: New Tracking Tool Identifies 50 Lithium-Ion Battery Fires

STOW, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services' new tool for tracking lithium-ion battery fires has helped to identify 50 such incidents in the past six months, more than double the annual average detected by a national fire data reporting system, said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine.
 
The Department of Fire Services launched its Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Investigative Checklist on Oct. 13, 2023. It immediately went into use by the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal's office, and local fire departments were urged to adopt it as well. 
 
Developed by the DFS Fire Safety Division, the checklist can be used by fire investigators to gather basic information about fires in which lithium-ion batteries played a part. That information is then entered into a database to identify patterns and trends.
 
"We knew anecdotally that lithium-ion batteries were involved in more fires than the existing data suggested," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "In just the past six months, investigators using this simple checklist have revealed many more incidents than we've seen in prior years."
 
Prior to the checklist, the state's fire service relied on battery fire data reported to the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System (MFIRS), a state-level tool that mirrors and feeds into the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). NFIRS tracks battery fires but does not specifically gather data on the types of batteries involved. Some fields do not require the detailed information that Massachusetts officials were seeking, and some fires may be coded according to the type of device involved rather than the type of battery. Moreover, MFIRS reports sometimes take weeks or months to be completed and uploaded.
 
"Investigators using the Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Checklist are getting us better data faster," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "The tool is helpful, but the people using it are the key to its success."
 
From 2019 to 2023, an average of 19.4 lithium-ion battery fires per year were reported to MFIRS – less than half the number identified by investigators using the checklist over the past six months. The increase since last fall could be due to the growing number of consumer devices powered by these batteries, increased attention by local fire investigators, or other factors, State Fire Marshal Davine said. For example, fires that started with another item but impinged upon a battery-powered device, causing it to go into thermal runaway, might not be categorized as a battery fire in MFIRS or NFIRS.
 
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