H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence

An Award of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. Sponsored by Gerber Scientific, Inc.

H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence

This award is in recognition of H. Joseph Gerber’s (1924-1996) technical leadership in inventing, developing and commercializing manufacturing automation systems for a wide variety of industries worldwide. An elected member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, Mr. Gerber received the National Medal of Technology in 1994 followed by the Connecticut Medal of Technology in 1995.

Joe Gerber’s contributions to the technological capabilities of manufacturing were the result of a life grounded in genius, and shaped by vision and determination. As an inventor and as founder, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board and President of Gerber Scientific, Inc., Mr. Gerber was a leader for nearly half a century in inventing and producing factory automation equipment designed to solve global manufacturing problems. Mr. Gerber shaped his companies and the industries they served with a vision—of increasing human potential through technology; of eliminating tedious, time-consuming manual tasks through automation that increases productivity; and of creating technology that directly and immediately revolutionized manufacturing for companies both large and small. Today, Joe Gerber’s genius continues to dominate in the manufacture of apparel and flexible materials, signs and commercial graphics, and lenses for eyeglasses.

Mr. Gerber made the following comments upon his receipt of the National Medal of Technology in 1994: “This award is more than a symbol of personal achievement as it is the highlight of a long and productive career for me. It is an affirmation that manufacturing automation has enhanced every aspect of human life and profoundly impacted the standard of living of every person and nation in the world. I am only one of the many who have contributed to our nation’s rich technological heritage and one of the fortunate few to be recognized for his achievements.”

The 2007 H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence was awarded to the winners of the Connecticut Science Talent Search and the Connecticut Science Fair’s Life Sciences and Physical Sciences Senior Divisions. Each of the winners received a solid silver medal and a $1,000 honorarium.

Miles C. Lubin, Staples High School, Westport, CT
Connecticut Science Challenge — 1st Place
Project Title: A Parametric Statistics-based Heuristic for Finding the Nearest Neighbor in Metric Space

Russell L. Slater, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
Connecticut Science Fair — 1st Place, Life Sciences – Senior Division
Project Title: Medicated Hydrophilic Wound Dressings

George J. Hansel, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
Connecticut Science Fair — 1st Place, Physical Sciences – Senior Division
Project Title: New Techniques in Fluorescence Microscopy