Presenters

Founded by Robert Doornick; President and Chief Operating Officer. International Robotics, Inc. is a 35 year old research company whose primary field of interest lies in the study of Human Behavior In The Presence Of Technology. The science is called Technology-to-People Behavioral Psychology, and the aim of this pioneering field is to foster a greater understanding of how Intelligent Machines of the not-too-distant future will need to mimic human emotions and idiosyncratic behavior in order to ensure their longevity and widespread acceptance as they co-habit with humankind.

An offshoot of this research in technology psychology is the field of Social Robotics. Doornick and his company soon earned a reputation as global leaders in producing and operating well engineered psychologically designed adult-size Robotic personalities which act as Surrogate Communications tools with the Learning Disabled, Autistic, ADHD, Handicapped, Seniors and other Special Needs individuals. As a part of its developmental work in Social Robotics, Doornick and his Robots deliver Motivational Presentations in Schools on the subjects of Science & Technology. Entitled “If You Can Dream”, these presentations are designed to inspire and empower the Students, placing emphasis on wisdom & the creation of fresh solutions for a healthier & more harmonious planet Earth!

Victoria Vanderberg is a native of Mount Vernon, NY.  A graduate of Mount Vernon High School, she attended Lincoln University, in PA and received her Bachelors Degree in Health & Physical Education and Recreation.  While in College, Victoria served as captain of the women’s volleyball team three of her four years.  She also held the position of Goal keeper for the Men’s Soccer Team her freshman year, serving as the only female on the team.

Upon her graduation, Victoria worked as a Physical Education teacher at her Alma Mata, Mount Vernon high school and also was the head coach for the Women’s Varsity Volleyball and Soccer teams.  After three years with Mount Vernon High School Victoria began working as Recreation Therapist, specializing in seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease.

In 2010, Victoria found her way to the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau, where she was offered he position as WWDAY/STEM Project Coordinator. The WWDAY/STEM Program operates throughout the year at Nellie Thornton High School. It's funded through a grant from the Westchester County Office of Workforce Investment/ Westchester/Putnam Workforce Investment Board and has been made possible through a partnership between the City of Mount Vernon Youth Bureau, the Westchester County Executive's Office and the Mount Vernon City School District.

Laura Allen is the Founder and President of Vision Education & Media (VEM). Located in New York City, Laura and her staff work in over 200 schools helping teachers and students use technology in creative and effective ways. In 1998, the YWCA of the USA hired Laura to develop a technology curriculum to help underserved girls ages 9 –stay engaged in learning about science, technology, engineering and math. Laura developed the TechGYRLS curriculum and it is continues to be used nationally by over 85 YWCAs across the country.

Andrew Cave is a 2^nd  year Master of Science Computer Engineering student at NYU-POLY.  His research area is geotechnical engineering.

Roma Hewlett is the Technology Teacher at Woodlands High School in Hartsdale, New York. In 2002, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Pace University in Pleasantville, New York. In 2008, she received an MS in Education, with certification as an Educational Technology Specialist.

Henry S. Manley is a Computer Science teacher and has served as the Roosevelt High School’s FTC and FRC Robotics Coach for the past five years. He has taught Computer Science: Computer repair, JAVA and C++ Programming, and Introduction to Robotic Engineering for the past eleven years. He uses robotics as a tool to increase his students’ interest in Science and mathematics.

Jeanine Meyer worked at IBM as a research staff member in robotics while finishing up her dissertation at NYU. She moved to Pace University in 1993 and then to Purchase College/SUNY in 2000. Jeanine is the author of 5 books; her most recent publication is The Essential Guide to HTML5: Using Games to learn HTML5 and JavaScript, Friends of Ed (Apress) publishers.

Eun Jung (EJ) Park is a multimedia artist at Vision Education and Media. She develops robotic curriculum for kindergarten through middle school and develops LEGO® Mindstorms® projects for K-8 students. In addition, she designs all graphic materials for Vision such as advertisements, brochures and flyers. EJ holds a BA in Visual Communication design from Ewha Women’s University and a Masters degree from the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at New York University. She builds automata, moving sculptures operated by physical mechanisms such as gears, cams and pulleys. She also designs automaton-type DIY projects and kits for kids.

Sam Sangankar is a 2^nd year Master of Science Chemical & Biological Engineering student at NYU-POLY.  His research area is TIRF.

Tony Sottile holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from MSEE-Manhattan College, a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering-BSEE-Manhattan College and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Education from Pace University.  He is a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in New York State.  Currently, he is a Technology Education Teacher at Carmel High School where he teaches the Principles of Engineering and Electricity & Electronics.  Prior to joining Carmel High School faculty he was an engineer for 20 years working for: Sperry, GE, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T.

John Tsipouras is the Manager of fee-based Technology Programs for kindergarten through 8th grade and a Lead Instructor at Vision Education & Media. He coordinates all phases of offsite after-school programs and trains instructors in their new roles. John holds a MS in Educational Technology and a BS in Management Information Systems from Central Connecticut State University. His past work experiences include developing corporate learning software and integrating technology in public school systems in the Greater Hartford area.

Rezwana Uddin is a 1^st year Master of Science Computer Science student at NYU-POLY.  Her research area is computer vision.

Robert Woods is the Educational Consultant for LEGO Education North America for New York City, Long Island, and Connecticut.  He worked for 14 years as a teacher for the NYCBOE before joining the LEGO Education team in 1998.

Casimer DeCusatis is an IBM Distinguished Engineer and technical executive based in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.  He currently serves as Chief Technology Officer for IBM Systems Networking Strategic Alliances, and has played a leading role in developing  data center network and I/O solutions, including extended distance connectivity.  He is an IBM Master Inventor with over 100 patents, and recipient of several industry awards, including the IEEE Kiyo Tomiyasu Award, Sigma Xi Walston Chubb Award for Innovation, the EDN Innovator of the Year Award, the Mensa Research Foundation Copper Black Award for Creative Achievement, and the IEEE/HKN Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer award (including a citation from the President of the United States and an American flag flown in his honor over the U.S. Capitol).  He is co-author of more than 120 technical papers, book chapters, and encyclopedia articles, and editor of the Handbook of Fiber Optic Data Communication (now in its 3^rd edition).  He is a member of the IBM Academy of Technology and co-leader of the Academy study “Innovation Ecosystems”.  Dr. DeCusatis received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, N.Y.) in 1988 and 1990, respectively, and the B.S. degree magna cum laude in the Engineering Science Honors Program from the Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA) in 1986.    He is a Fellow of the IEEE, Optical Society of America, and SPIE (the international optical engineering society), a member of the Order of the Engineer, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, Mensa, and various other professional organizations and honor societies; he was recognized as one of Sigma Xi’s Distinguished Members during their 125^th anniversary celebration.  He also serves as Founder and Director of Hudson Valley FIRST Lego League (http://www.facebook.com/HudsonValleyFLL), which offers over 1,000 students each year the opportunity to pursue their interest in science and technology.