Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration

MYSTIC, Conn. – As more women enter the sciences, and these careers increasingly become the careers of tomorrow, women from across Connecticut will be discussing challenges and opportunities for women in these fields at the Connecticut Technology Council’s sixth annual Women of Innovation Awards Program on January 20 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville.

The awards program recognizes women – those in the workforce and students – across Connecticut who are innovators, role models and leaders in their technology professions or fields of study.

Dr. Tracy Romano, a 2008 Women of Innovation finalist and senior vice president of research and zoological operations at Mystic Aquarium, a division of Sea Research Foundation, Inc., is one of three women who have been selected to sit on the panel and discuss ways in which more women can be trained for leadership roles, challenges facing women in the sciences, the importance of mentoring and future possibilities and opportunities for women in these fields.

“Dr. Romano’s impressive career credentials and ability to knowledgeably articulate her views on women in technology issues made her a natural choice for the panel,” said Mike Scricca of the Connecticut Technology Council and one of the panel discussion organizers.

In her position at Sea Research Foundation, Dr. Romano oversees the animal collection and programs in animal care and husbandry, research, animal rescue and exhibits. Currently, her research focuses on studying the health of beluga whales in the wild and in the aquarium setting. She regularly travels to Point Lay, Alaska, to collect blood samples to monitor the belugas’ health and determine whether climate change is having an impact on their well-being. This data will be compared to that of the endangered beluga population in Cook Inlet, Alaska, with the three belugas at Mystic Aquarium serving as a baseline. All of this data will help Dr. Romano better understand belugas’ health and how they respond to environmental change, including human-related factors.

Susan Froshauer, Ph.D., president and CEO of Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in New Haven, and Robin Bray, corporate pilot, Flight Operations for United Technologies Corp., will join Dr. Romano on the panel. Emmy-award winning TV journalist Diane Smith will serve as moderator.

Visit ct.org to learn more about the Women of Innovation Awards Program and to purchase tickets to the awards ceremony on January 20 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Contact Mike Scricca at (860 289-0878, ext. 334 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with questions regarding the awards program.

About Sea Research Foundation, Inc.
Mystic Aquarium, Institute for Exploration and Immersion Learning are divisions of Sea Research Foundation, Inc., a private, non-profit 501©3organization. The mission of Sea Research is to inspire people to care for and protect our ocean planet through education, research and exploration.

About the Connecticut Technology Council
The Connecticut Technology Council is the state’s industry association for the technology sector. CTC’s mission is to “connect people, ideas and opportunities to the global technology and innovation community.” CTC provides members with business assistance and specialized programs, in addition to promoting and supporting public policies that position Connecticut to have a globally recognized “culture of innovation” that helps attract great ideas and entrepreneurs to in turn develop new jobs and wealth for the state.

This press release was published on January 15, 2010.