Suffolk Opens State-of-The-Art STEM Building, Unveiling of The National Grid Center for Workforce and Energy Innovation

Suffolk County Community College’s New STEM Building

June 1, 2023

Suffolk County Community College’s new, 26,000 square foot, two-story, state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) building — The Renewable Energy STEM center — opened today with a celebratory ribbon cutting featuring area high school students, elected officials, business leaders, scientific and robotics presentations, and the unveiling of The National Grid Center for Workforce and Energy Innovation. The building sits on the Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood. The high school students from Central Islip, Brentwood and Bay Shore participated in STEM related activities as well as informative panels about STEM careers.

“This beautiful new building will help Suffolk County Community College prepare a new generation of graduates for the demands of the STEM economy,” College President Dr. Edward Bonahue, said.  “We are grateful for the generosity of our County and State sponsors and National Grid for their significant support of our mission to prepare students for service in our regional energy workforce.  National Grid’s Project C program supports our mission and vision for Suffolk’s workforce future.”

Suffolk County Community College Board of Trustees Chair E. Christopher Murray said, “The new STEM building is a symbol of our commitment to excellence in STEM education. We are excited to see what our students will accomplish in this state-of-the-art facility.”

“As I leave the college’s Board of Trustees following 12 years of past service, I am delighted that one of my last acts is participating in today’s ribbon cutting, an event that looks to a sustainable future for the students of Suffolk County Community College and, indeed, a sustainable future for all of Long Island’s citizens,” said Suffolk County Community College Board of Trustees Vice Chair Jim Morgo.

“This new state of the art building is a win-win for county residents looking to further their education in the STEM field at Suffolk County Community College,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “I would like to extend my thanks to College President Dr. Edward Bonahue for always doing what’s best for his students and to National Grid and New York State for partnering with us on this initiative. It is always a pleasure to put forth a collaborative effort in providing clean and energy efficient facilities that benefit our residents.”

“I am excited to join with SCCC in celebrating the opening of the new, net-zero energy, STEM building, funded by New York State and Suffolk County.  This state-of-the-art facility will provide students with cutting-edge resources to excel in science, technology, engineering, and math.  It showcases renewable energy and offers training in renewable energy systems, while accommodating over 1,600 students in various STEM disciplines.  It represents our commitment to innovation, workforce development, and a sustainable future,” said Assemblyman Fred Thiele who was instrumental in garnering state funding for the building with now retired New York State Senator Kenneth LaValle.

“I am proud to have helped secure the state funding for this building, which will provide Suffolk County Community College students with the resources they need to succeed in the 21st century economy,” former New York State Senator and Chair of the State Senate Select Committee on Higher Education Kenneth P. LaValle said. “This building will help prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, and it will ensure that Suffolk County remains a leader in innovation and economic development.”

“It is essential as leaders in the public and private sector, that we work together to create educational and workforce opportunities that keep our highly educated students on Long Island. We look forward to having this incredible STEM center here in Brentwood in the Town of Islip, home to one of Suffolk County Community College’s premier campuses,” said Islip Town Supervisor and alumna Angie Carpenter.

The $21.3 million building — funded by New York State and Suffolk County — provides students with a new facility to learn chemistry, physics, engineering, math and other workforce initiatives, provides a showcase for the merits of renewable energy, and a facility where the installation, repair and maintenance of renewable energy systems can be taught as well as house laboratories and classrooms. The building will also be used for renewable energy training and other STEM related courses and certificate programs.

“National Grid is proud to partner with Suffolk Community College on this beautiful building and we are honored it has our name on it,” said Melanie Littlejohn, Vice President for New York Customer and Community Management at National Grid. We are committed to higher education and creating the clean energy workforce of the future. We are excited to announce the ‘National Grid Scholarship for Excellence in Renewable Energy Workforce Development,’ and we believe this will propel students to help develop a clean, sustainable, and equitable energy future.”

The National Grid Center for Workforce and Energy Education is supported by a generous $250,000 gift from National Grid that includes a National Grid Workforce and Energy Innovation Endowed Scholarship, part of a series of donations from National Grid including a campus beautification mural near the new STEM building, and solar trees – solar powered recharging stations with tables and seating — on the college’s Ammerman and Grant campuses. Solar Trees provide students and faculty with opportunities to better understand energy innovation on our campuses and throughout our community, said Dr. Sylvia A. Diaz, executive director of the Suffolk Community College Foundation.

The net zero energy building – the energy required to illuminate, heat, cool and ventilate the building will be equal to or less than the energy produced from renewable sources – will potentially be home to more than 1,600 STEM students taking courses in subjects including Biology; Computer Science: Information Technology; Cybersecurity; Environmental Science; Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning/Refrigeration and Marine Biology among others.

The completely electric building’s high-tech green roof has a 468 solar panel array that can generate 208 kW of power and will generate as much power as it consumes over the course of a year — pulling power from the grid on high-energy consumption days and feeding power back to the grid on others. The building’s geothermal exchange system will reduce the energy needed to both heat and cool the building. 

The building has new classrooms, meeting rooms and lab study space and includes:

– The National Grid Center for Workforce and Energy Education

– an open symposium center with seating for 300 and computer and network accessibility.

– Biology lab and support lab

– Cybersecurity Lab

–  Multi-use lab for solar technology and other programs

– Computer Lab

– Two Multi-use Classroom/Labs

–  Conference Room

Source: Suffolk County Community College

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Meet Alumnus Cliff Brutus: Mechanical Engineer, Project Manager, and Life-Long Learner.

Brutus standing next to a warm radiofrequency cavity he helped design for the LEReC experiment at RHIC.

Newswise — Jean Clifford (Cliff) Brutus, an engineer at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, has a cool job—literally. He’s developing components to keep particle beams circulating in the Lab’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) cool.

As particles called ions circulate around the 2.4-mile circumference collider, they have a tendency to heat up and spread out. That spreading can be a problem for scientists trying to steer the ions into head-on collisions for nuclear physics experiments at this DOE Office of Science user facility.

“Keeping the beams cool and tightly bunched maximizes the rate of collisions and therefore the amount of data scientists can use to make discoveries,” Brutus said.

Some of the cooling strategies being implemented at RHIC can also be adapted for the construction of the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC)—a facility that will collide electrons with ions to reveal the particles within these building blocks of matter. When completed early in the next decade, the EIC will be the only particle collider of its kind in the world. 

“Research and development (R&D) had always piqued my interest,” Brutus said. “But helping design components for this unique facility—where scientists from around the world will make discoveries for decades to come—is exceptional and tops the list of ideal career paths I could take as a mechanical engineer.”

Early Engineering Interest

Brutus took an interest in engineering from a young age. Growing up in Haiti, he recalls how he and his brother shared a passion for motorsport.

“My brother Christian wanted to buy an all-terrain vehicle, but my parents were against it,” Brutus said. “So, he decided to build one on his own. As a supportive brother, I helped him with the fabrication process.”

Once he inherited the go-kart a few years later, Brutus dove deeper into learning how it worked and how to fix it—gaining hands-on design, building, and maintenance experience that he still uses on the job today.

After moving to Long Island in 2006 to finish high school, Brutus drew on these experiences to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. He had aimed to study at Stony Brook University (SBU) but was rejected when he first applied to their highly competitive mechanical engineering program.

“I was devastated, and I started to become doubtful about my future,” he said. 

Instead, Brutus attended Suffolk County Community College (SCCC). At Suffolk, he became heavily involved in the school’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program. After one year, he earned a STEM scholarship and transferred to his program of choice at SBU.

The community college detour turned out to be “one of the best paths I could take at the time,” Brutus said. “The STEM program at SCCC gave me an edge with a scholarship and a large network that I still keep in touch with.”

Internship to Full-Time Job

That same network led to an internship at Brookhaven Lab in 2009. As an intern of the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program, Brutus learned all about particle collider and accelerator technologies while working under Joseph Tuozzolo, now the Technical Systems Division Director for the EIC.

“Cliff was a can-do type of intern,” said Tuozzolo. “He was always on-time and attentive, and willing to consider alternatives to improve his projects.”

Brutus went on to intern for General Electric (GE) Transportation in 2010. Despite being offered a full-time job at GE, Brutus felt a strong desire to complete a master’s degree at SBU in 2012 and return to Brookhaven Lab.

“I reached back out to Joseph, saying that I was interested in coming back because it was the most impactful internship I had,” said Brutus. He returned to Brookhaven, first under a co-op position in 2011, and transitioned to a full-time engineer position in 2012.

“I was very happy that he considered BNL after finishing his master’s,” said Tuozzolo. “He hit the ground running when he came on board and has always strived to go faster.

At Brookhaven, Brutus has been designing, fabricating, testing, and commissioning accelerator components for the Coherent Electron Cooling (CeC) and Low Energy RHIC Electron Cooling (LEReC) experiments, which aim to improve the performance of RHIC and the EIC.  

“The types of equipment used in a particle accelerator are complex,” said Brutus. “As a mechanical engineer working in such a facility, you get involved in all aspects. We help design electron sources, radiofrequency (RF) cavities, magnets, diagnostics devices, cryogenic systems, control systems, and more.”

Brutus uses an array of tools, including computer software that models accelerator components in three-dimensions and performs engineering design analyses through electromagnetic, thermal, and structural simulations.

“There are many technical challenges when working with superconducting materials operating at a temperature of 2 Kelvin (-456 degrees Fahrenheit),” he said. 

Brutus is also responsible for the overall planning, scheduling, and operational support for the experiments he leads as a Project Engineer, keeping his projects within budget, on-schedule, and meeting physicists’ expectations.

“You could spend several months having meetings and designing a project on a computer,” he noted. “Many times, we have several design iterations going back and forth between what the physicists want and what can actually be manufactured.”

“But when we finally build, install and commission projects, it is very rewarding and exciting to see your design being used for scientific research,” he said.

Paying It Forward and Reaping Rewards

Brutus also enjoys opportunities to pay his experiences forward. He mentors SULI students and serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council for the Nuclear and Particle Physics Directorate (NPP) at Brookhaven Lab, where he helps develop initiatives to improve the culture of NPP.

In 2016, Brutus earned his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. And, in 2018, he achieved his life-long goal of becoming a licensed New York State Professional Engineer (PE).

He was featured on the cover of Minority Engineer in 2019 and is a two-time recipient of the Brookhaven Lab Spotlight Award.

In 2021, Brutus was honored as one of Stony Brook University’s 40 Under Forty Award—a recognition of alumni who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their communities. 

“It is a great honor to represent SBU, Brookhaven Science Associates, and my family,” said Brutus. “This is a reflection of my passion to support science and discovery, to help others and the values I believe in.”

Appreciative of the opportunities given to him as a student and as an engineer, he offers this to those just starting out:

“I advise them to always better themselves—as a person, as a leader, and as a collaborator,” he said. “Always challenge your yourself and be willing to learn from your mistakes as well as from others of different backgrounds and cultures in order to grow professionally.”

The SULI program and projects at RHIC and the EIC are funded by the DOE Office of Science (WDTS, NP).

Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.

Follow @BrookhavenLab on Twitter or find us on Facebook.

Source: DOE Science News Source – Newswise, Inc.

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Suffolk County Community College Workforce Development Creates Opportunities For Job Seekers, Workers and Businesses

Photo, top left from left: Gayle Sheridan, Professor; Assistant Academic Chair Communications; Daphne Gordon, Entrepreneurial Assistance Center; Mary Reese, Interim Executive Dean, Eastern Campus; Arlene Jackson, Assistant Dean, Continuing Education; Peter Maritato, Academic Chair, Engineering/Technology; Ben Zwirn, Director of Legislative Affairs; Louis Petrizzo, Executive VP and General Counsel; Donna Ciampa, Interim Executive Dean, Michael J. Grant Campus; David Macholz, Academic Chair, Automotive Technology; Cheryl Shaffer, Associate Dean, Nursing.

Suffolk County Community College leaders gathered at the Suffolk County Legislature’s request to testify before the body’s Education and Labor Committee on July 20 to inform legislators about the college’s many workforce development programs including:

• Manufacturing and the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center and Corporate Training and Entrepreneurial Assistance
• Automotive Technology
• Continuing Education and Chemical Dependency Counseling
• Radio and Television Production
• Nursing
• Culinary Arts & Hospitality
• Cybersecurity, Engineering and Construction Technology

Suffolk County Community College’s Workforce Development helps employees, businesses, and local communities by training and upskilling the labor pool. Businesses can reward and retain highly trained staff and create opportunities for employee advancement and higher wages while supporting growth for the local economy.

Source: Suffolk County Community College

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Suffolk County Community College Alumni Association Congratulates Alex Dzieman ’18

For Immediate Release
June 3, 2020

Suffolk, Cornell and Next Stop Stanford University

Alex Dzieman photo credit: Taylor Snyder

Suffolk County Community College 2018 Engineering graduate and Robert Frey Scholar Alex Dzieman graduated from Cornell University this spring and is headed to Stanford University this fall to pursue a Master of Science in Geomechanics.

While his path is now clear, Dzieman is the first to mention it wasn’t always that way. “I barely graduated,” he said, from Sag Harbor’s Pierson High School in 2014 and took a gap year working construction.

It was during his stints on construction sites that he said “I realized my opportunities would be limited without some type of formal education.”

“Suffolk gave me the opportunity to prove myself academically and allowed me to transfer and succeed in four-year institutions that would have previously rejected me,” Dzieman said.

Dzieman said his path crystallized when he was introduced to Professor Peter Maritato ’77 in his Introduction to Engineering Design class. Maritato’s first assignment had students choose what school they planned to attend after graduating Suffolk and create a plan.

Dzieman’s first choice was California Polytechnic State University, and he ultimately applied to eight engineering schools, including Ivy League, Cornell University. The Cornell application? Dzieman called it a “Hail Mary.”

The Hail Mary? Answered. Dzieman received his Cornell Engineering School acceptance the same day he was awarded a $5,000 Robert Frey Scholarship from Suffolk.

“Alex is an example of a student who focuses and organizes his own education and once again proves that students attending Suffolk County Community College can and will succeed academically as well as professionally.  With his acceptance to Stanford University he is among the top ten percent of bachelor graduating engineers in the nation. As we have had in past, Robert Gibson ’66 NASA space shuttle captain who also attended Suffolk’s Engineering program, Alex will achieve the same and greater results with his career,” said Suffolk’s Academic Chair of Engineering and Technology Peter Maritato.

Dzieman graduated from Suffolk County Community College with an A.S. in Engineering Science. He thanks all that helped him along the way, specifically the Math Learning Center and Physical Science Tutor Center.  “I can’t say enough about them,” he said.

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