Nobel Laureate Jerome Friedman Inspires Engineering Students To Pursue Their Passion In Mexico City

MEXICO CITY, April 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Professor Jerome Friedman, winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize in physics, inspired more than 3,500 students and faculty, live and via video streaming at Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) in Mexico City today as part of Honeywell's (NYSE: HON) global Honeywell Initiative for Science & Engineering (HISE).

The program, sponsored by Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company's corporate citizenship initiative, aims to inspire students to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and achieve their career goals. Since 2006, the program has benefited thousands of students and teachers around the globe.

Professor Friedman received the Nobel Prize for pioneering research in particle physics that has helped prove the existence of 'quarks,' which is a fundamental building block of matter.

"Honeywell is nurturing great talent globally with this program, and actively contributing to Mexico's next generation engineers who are eager to begin their careers after graduation," said Professor Friedman during his visit to IPN.

The event marks the first time IPN is hosting an HISE event on its campus, and the seventh time the program has been delivered to a university in Mexico. HISE also is delivered to universities in the Czech Republic, China, India, Romania, and the United States.

"With more than 171,000 students in Mexico City and its suburbs, IPN is the country's leading institution in science and technology," said IPN General Director Enrique Fern√°ndez Fassnacht. "This initiative for science and engineering fits into IPN's partnership with Honeywell, and is a critical component in our mission to encourage our students to gain more international experience as they pass from the academic to the professional world."

"At Honeywell, we are blending physical products with software solutions to link people and businesses to the information they need to be more efficient, more productive, and more connected," said Craig Breese, President of Honeywell Mexico. "By offering students the opportunity to learn from a Nobel laureate and interact with Honeywell engineers, we hope to energize IPN students to become tomorrow's great leaders, particularly in science, technology, engineering and math."

The HISE event also included a series of lectures by Professor Friedman, career discussions with Honeywell's top engineers, and informal interactions between the laureate and IPN students.

Honeywell Hometown Solutions supports STEM education around the world by inviting local middle school science and math teachers to the Honeywell Educators at Space Academy in the United States each year. Additionally, middle school students compete in the global Student Automotive Design Challenge (SADC), an annual co-sponsored global program between Honeywell and SAE International that challenges teams of students to research, design, test, and build electric and gear-driven toy cars. Honeywell also closely cooperates with universities through programs such as engineering lectures, collaborative projects, student events, lab visits and internships.

Professor Friedman is an American physicist and an Institute Professor and Professor of Physics Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He has been a member of numerous advisory committees for the U.S. Department of Energy and various laboratories and universities in the United States and abroad. He presently serves on the Boards of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology and the Science and Technology in Society Forum.

The National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), established in Mexico in 1936, is considered the most prestigious public institution of higher technological education in the country. Since its foundation, its objective is to train the engineers and scientists that Mexico needs to advance industrialization and thereby guarantee national development. The mission of IPN is to contribute to the economic and social development of the nation through the integral formation of competent people, research, technological development and innovation. Currently, IPN has more than 178,000 students in 262 educational programs, including high school and middle school, and 20 research centers.

The Honeywell Initiative for Science & Engineering program is part of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company's corporate citizenship initiative, which focuses on five areas of vital importance: Science & Math Education, Family Safety & Security, Housing & Shelter, Habitat & Conservation, and Humanitarian Relief. Together with leading public and non-profit institutions, Honeywell has developed powerful programs to address these needs in the communities it serves. For more information, please visit https://www.honeywell.com/us/en/company/our-communities.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 software-industrial company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace and automotive products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, cars, homes and buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

Honeywell established operations in Mexico in 1936, and currently has more than 17,500 employees in the country, including 15 manufacturing plants, a turbocharger performance testing laboratory, a service center for safety and productivity solutions, a service center Administrative and customer support, as well as five research and development centers.