The Connecticut Medal of Science and the Connecticut Medal of Technology were first conceived in 1991, when then-Senate majority leader John Larsen introduced a bill to initiate an annual state award "for scholarship achievement in science and technology." The bill was enacted by the General Assembly, and early in 1993, the state Department of Higher Education and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering -- the designated architects and administrators of the awards -- set the process in motion.

Unlike their federal counterparts, the state medals are designed to laud individuals, not teams or entire corporations. The work the awards honor must also have a "clear association with Connecticut," meaning it must have been performed in the state, at least in its final stages, or in a company or institution closely affiliated with the state.

Beginning with the 2004 Medal of Technology, the medals will be awarded bi-annually in alternate years.

Criteria for the 2008 Connecticut
Medal of Technology

Criteria for the 2009 Connecticut
Medal of Science

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Steven L. Suib
2011 Recipient
Connecticut Medal of Science

Steven M. Suib University of Connecticut Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and head, Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut

Dr. Steven L. Suib is honored with the Connecticut Medal of Science for his outstanding impact on the field of catalysis and materials science over the past 30 years. Suib is a University of Connecticut Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and head of the University’s chemistry department. Suib’s work focuses on catalysis and materials science and involves the synthesis of novel porous semiconductors used to make new chemicals for use in lithium batteries, oil spills, and other applications.

Suib and his team at UConn are investigating the creation of synthetic fuels using carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas—and water, research that could contribute to both reduced greenhouse gases and the development of alternative energy sources. His research team is working closely with VeruTEK Technologies, Inc., a Connecticut company, to clean up contaminated industrial and commercial properties and landfills using microemulsion catalysis that converts hazardous and toxic compounds into harmless materials. Dr. Suib’s other current research involves synthesizing high temperature ceramic fiber composites used for aircraft engine parts.

Over the years, Suib has collaborated with industrial researchers in Connecticut such as United Technologies Research Center, Pratt and Whitney, Hamilton Standard, Olin, Yardney Technical Products, Pfizer, ATM, APSI, Rogers Corporation, Uniroyal, Crompton and others. He is also the Head of the Pratt Center of Excellence in Ceramic Chemistry. Dr. Suib has supervised more than 100 Ph.D. students, and among these, nearly 50 serve in research positions in Connecticut industries.

Suib graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia with a double major in geology and chemistry. He earned a PhD in chemistry at the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana, and completed coursework equivalent to a master’s degree in geology. He holds nineteen U.S. patents and his work has been honored with national awards from the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemists.

Click here to learn more about Steven Suib and his work.