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Dan Flynn, United Bank’s COO for Wholesale Banking (left), presents HRU’s 2016 Employer of the Year Award to Specialty Bolt & Screw Inc.; accepting the award is Specialty COO Jon Queenin.

Amy Royal, CEO of Royal, P.C. and member of HRU’s board of directors, presents HRU’s 2016 Rookie Employer of the Year Award to Mario Scorza, manager of Friendly’s of the Westfield Shops

Timm Marini (left), president of HUB International, Carol Tourangeau (second from left), and HRU President Don Kozera present HRU’s 2016 Armand Tourangeau Volunteer of the Year Award to Cheryl Rumley of Apex Healthcare.

On Oct. 21, Massachusetts life-science industry leaders, state Senate President Stan Rosenberg, UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, and other dignitaries took part in a launch of the university’s Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS), including a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Harvey Lodish, scientific advisor to Genzyme Inc. and Millennium Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, offered the keynote talk. IALS was initially funded by a $95 million investment by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center together with more than $55 million in investments by the university. To date, more than $20 million in IALS-related sponsored research awards have been secured. The investment in state-of-the-art equipment is designed for use not only by UMass faculty researchers but also industry and academic partners.

A student displays his research project at the event

Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 18 at campus Building 19, which will be renovated and transformed into the Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons, set to open in the fall of 2018.

STCC President John Cook speaks at the groundbreaking, which drew a standing-room-only crowd.

Former STCC President Ira Rubenzahl, left, and Christopher Johnson, STCC board of trustees chairman, stand next to Ann Beha Architects’ depiction of the structure that will bear Rubenzahl’s name

Claire D’Amour Daley, vice president of Corporate Communications for Big Y, recently read to grade 4 students at the Homer School in Springfield as part of the Link to Libraries (LTL) read-aloud programs. The students listened to the story “The Day-Glo Brothers,” and each received a new book to bring home to build their home library as part of the Link to Libraries program. “Having Ms. Daley come to the school, read to the children, and talk about her work and how education made a huge impact on her life is what the Link to Libraries program is about,” said Susan Jaye-Kaplan, LTL president. “Mentoring, reading, and inspiring our students is what is most important.”

Associated Industries of Massachuetts (AIM) handed out four awards on Oct. 20 in a celebration of Western Mass. businesses at the Wood Museum of Springfield History. Pictured above: AIM President Richard Lord presents Cinda Jones, president of W.D. Cowls Inc., with the inaugural AIM Sustainability Award, which was also given to PeoplesBank. Meamwhile, AIM honored Smith & Wesson and Valley Venture Mentors with the 2016 Next Century Award.