Bruce Edgren, chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration at the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy, has been named a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow. He will be attached to U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s office where he will be working on health and health finance issues with the West Virginia Democrat, who serves on the Health Subcommittee on Finance and the Commerce Committee.
As one of eight health professionals selected for this competitive fellowship, Dr. Edgren will spend a year in Washington, D.C. working in congressional offices with key responsibilities for health legislation and programs.
Dr. Edgren joined the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy in 2009. Previously, he was associated with Maple & Main Consulting, LLC in Farmington, a private consulting firm he founded that provided expertise for the pharmaceutical industry and pharmacy benefit companies. In addition, Dr. Edgren has held academic appointments at Michigan State University School of Medicine, Ferris State University (Mich.), and the University of Minnesota at both St. Paul Children’s Hospital and the Minneapolis Children’s Medical Center.
Architect gains green roles
Eddie Widofsky, an associate with Amenta/Emma Architects in Hartford, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization that promotes the design and construction of sustainable and high performance buildings.
The council hosts workshops, seminars and training sessions throughout the state.
In addition, Widofsky has also been appointed chair of the council’s Green Schools Advocacy Committee, which he has served on since 2009. The committee provides specific outreach and services to school districts throughout the state.
Tech educator honored
State officials and manufacturing leaders gathered Jan. 24 to honor the work of David J. Tuttle, department head for manufacturing technology at Platt Technical High School in Milford.
The New Haven Manufacturers Association recognized Tuttle for achieving certification from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills for Platt’s manufacturing program. The institute sets skills standards for the industry, certifies individual skills against the standards, and accredits training programs that meet its requirements.
“The NIMS accreditation identifies our program as one of only a few in the nation with the highest overall success,” Tuttle said.
Robert Klancko, co-chair of the Workforce Enhancement Committee of the New Haven Manufacturers Association, said NIMS certification is a milestone in Tuttle’s longtime dedication to improving manufacturing education in Connecticut.
“What he’s been able to accomplish is fabulous both for the students and for their potential employers,” Klancko said.
Nivea Torres, interim superintendent of the Connecticut Technical High School System, said that “Platt continues to set the standard” for the state’s efforts to produce a skilled manufacturing workforce for the 21st century.
Tuttle also received a gubernatorial citation and a legislative citation at the Graduate Club in New Haven.
