Sandra J. Downey will serve as interim executive vice president of the Office for Industry Collaboration (OIC) within the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (Syracuse CoE). Downey succeeds John J. Vasselli, who will leave the Syracuse CoE OIC on Aug. 4 to begin a position at Carrier Corp.
Downey is an accomplished scientist, manager, and entrepreneur. She served in a succession of positions at Carrier Corp. in Syracuse from 1992 to 2001, including directing Carrier's worldwide materials research and manufacturing technology group. Since 2002, Downey has been president of a start-up firm, Materials Testing and Consulting. Downey will lead the Syracuse OIC for a three-month period beginning Aug. 1.
"We are thrilled that Sandy will join the Syracuse CoE team on an interim basis in the critical role of leading our Office for Industry Collaboration," says Lee Davis, chairman of the board of the Syracuse CoE. "Sandy has been involved in our initiative for more than five years, representing companies large and small."
"The Syracuse CoE is a very exciting and important initiative for our community," says Downey. "The team has made great progress in a short time. I very much look forward to working with local companies and establishing partnerships that create jobs and yield economic benefits for generations to come."
"Sandy knows us well and will help us maintain momentum in engaging local companies in our activities while we search for a person to fill the OIC position over a longer term," says Edward A. Bogucz, executive director of the Syracuse CoE.
Downey earned a B.S. degree in chemical engineering and M.S. and Ph.D degrees in metallurgy at the University of Connecticut. Prior to moving to Central New York in 1999, she was senior scientist at Ciba Geigy Corp. in Ardsely, N.Y. Downey is a member of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the New York Farm Bureau and several other professional groups.
Syracuse CoE is a federation of more than 70 firms and institutions that collaborate to create innovations to improve built and urban environments. Partners in the Syracuse CoE collaborate in research, development and education projects relating to clean and renewable energy, indoor environmental quality, human health and performance, healthy buildings and water resources.
The Syracuse CoE OIC leads the initiative to promote economic development in the cluster of energy and environmental systems firms located in the 12-county region at the center of Upstate New York. The Syracuse CoE OIC is an independent nonprofit corporation charted by New York State in 2000.
For more information about the Syracuse CoE, visit http://www.syracusecoe.org.
