Paul Bass Photo
Tuesday’s snow day gave Huân Ngô time to catch up on grading papers and preparing his students for New Haven’s jobs of tomorrow.
The snow itself was no problem.
Five inches?
Ngô laughed. Or more like scoffed.
In Minnesota, where he grew up, “we don’t care about inches,” Ngô said during a conversation on Maple Street on the “Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s “LoveBabz LoveTalk” program.
Ngô and Gunni Tuesday on Maple Street (above) and on their motorcycle travels in warmer weather (below).
Accompanied his trusty Border Collie mix Gunni (short for “Gunnison Colorado,” aka New Haven’s “badass biker mutt”), Ngô had just moved his Honda Fit around the corner from his Pendleton Street home to the even side of Maple to make room for the snow plows. Ngô first saw snow after his family fled to the U.S. from Vietnam, on one of the final 1975 flights out of Ngô Saigon Airport after the Vietcong took control of the nation. (He thinks it might have been the last one.)
“Our first winter in Minnesota, we had a blizzard that was so high, we literally have to go to the second floor to jump into the snow and then shovel our way out. I was 13. I had never seen snow,” Ngô recalled.
“This day is just beautiful,” he noted Tuesday morning, looking out on Maple and Pendleton. “You can’t see the trash in the street!”
Ngô’s work as a scientist and educator took him to several states, eventually to New Haven for a (pre-pandemic) post-doc gig researching infectious disease at Yale’s medical school. Right before Covid-19 arrived he had taken a job teaching science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) career prep for 10th through 12th graders at Career High School.
The job has become a mission: to help young New Haveners find their way to some of those bioscience and health care jobs flooding into town. He’s concerned that they will miss that train. He’s excited about a new “BioLaunch” program (a “game changer”) training New Haveners without college degrees for lab jobs. (Read more about that here.) The STEM curriculum needs upgrading, for starters, he said. The school system needs to connect more with emerging companies as well.
Toward that end, Ngô has his students scheduled to begin a 32-step DNA isolation lab when classes return Wednesday focused on the Ace2 gene, which plays a central role in the spread of Covid-19. With help from equipment donated by Jackson Labs and borrowed from Southern Connecticut State University, they will collect and analyze “a whole DNA genome.” Then Ngô plans to bring them to the Alexion pharmaceutical company labs on College Street to “meet real scientists working on making discoveries from some of the basic techniques they use in the lab.” Click on the above video to watch him describe the project in more detail.
Ngô had another plan for his snow day in addition to class prep: “I’m gonna grab my shovel with my dog, and I want to go to one of my elders’ house whose husband passed away recently. I have a couple of Midwestern neighbors. We usually go and shovel the sidewalk.” The old-school way.
Click on the video to watch the full conversation with Huân Ngô on the “Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s “LoveBabz LoveTalk” program.
Click here to subscribe to WNHH FM’s “LoveBabz LoveTalk” and here to subscribe to other WNHH programs.
Click here and see below for previous“Word on the Street” episodes and write-ups.
Word On Crown Street:“Warehouse Guy” Hops In The Truck
Word On The Street: Ashes Mark New Life Chapter
The Word On County Street: Greg Weighs His Next Move
Surprise Drop-Off Turns Bottle Man East
Word On Boulevard: Love’s On The Menu
Old-School Chainsaw Comes Through
During Dwight Detour, Dominique Discovers Eden
Dreams Flagged on Ellsworth
Word On The Street: ICU Crew Lands At Bella’s
Pizzeria Raises Dough For Turkish Earthquake Victims
Word On Springside: Hot Pile, Cooler Planet
Park Trees Preserved
Word On Winthrop: Mom/Daughter TCBs
Word On Whalley: Wings Rise; Neon Fades
Word On Beers Street: That’s The Drill
Word On The Street: Sisterhood Is Wow-erful
Word On The Street: 1st Step Taken
Word On The Street: New Loos Arrive
Word On The Street: Kash Starts Fresh
Word On The Street: The Gig Cycle Spins
Word On The Street: Dumped Trash Disappears
Word On The Street: Job Interview Awaits
Word On The Street: Callaghan Suits Up
Officer McKernan Refuels For Double Duty
Word On The Street: Fred Keeps Moving
Word On The Street: Mimosa Mania
Word On The Street: Terry Hands Over The Brakes
Safety Hunter Keeps Eye On The Rising Tiers
Leather’s Grandson Returns To The Soil
Jorge Opens A Door
Word On The Street: Dad Awaits The Call
Word On The Street: Bridgette Beats The Sun
Word On The Street:“Blessed,” & Ready For Busy Barber Season
The Word On Brownell Street: Call Luciano
Nana Readies Leaf Bag #32
Word On The Street: Groom Plans Hectic Holiday, Needs Car Back
The Word On Garden Street: Turkey Times Two
Dr. J Clears The Way
Estelita Makes The Journey Back Home
Butts, Burger King Wrappers Vanish At Wendy’s Drive-Thru
Skateboard J Does A 360
Word On The Street: The Banana Vote Emerges
Word On The Street: Sprinkler Heads
Word On Orchard Street: Cheap Gas
Word On The Street: Keep On Truckin’
Martin Readies 1 Last Bridge To Nature
Word on the Street: Call Her“Queen”
Word on the Street: Coach Lance Called It
Word On Dixwell: Scooter Saves Gas
Budding Architect’s Word On The Street: New Haven’s More Laid Back Than Hong Kong
Word On Street:“Smell Good In Your Hood”
Blood (Pressure) Talk Comes To Barber’s Chair
Word On Street: Rizzo Can Stand The Heat
The Tomato Plot Thickens
Without Illusions, Lamont Stewart Makes The Most Of His Morning Walk
Pro-Punk Poet Prof Starts Summer Stretch
Barista Soaks Up New Hometown Flavor
Word On The Street: Park Pre-Work Workout Sets The ToneHomeless, & Working Exit 5
Aldo Salazar Does The Circuit
Brisa Mendoza STEMs The Graduation Tide
Timmy Turner Takes The Long View
Bike To Work Week Pulls Up To State Street Station
He’s Making Sure Soldiers Won’t Be Forgotten
Legion Ave. Rite Aid Closing; Actor Bummed
Word On Church St.: Drugs Are Everywhere
Indoor“Sunrise” Breakfasts Resume For The Hungry & The Homeless
“VillaFame” Has Designs On The World
Cherry Trees & NFTs Blossom In Wooster Square
9th Square Grows On New New Havener
Warbler Watcher Waits In The Woods
Reggie Gibson Makes A Clean Sweep
Sorry, Wooster Street: This New New Havener Has His Eye On Whalley Pie
Demons Stalk Methadone Run
Surveyor Bundles Up
Grandpa Boyd’s Toes Froze
Jay Jordan Shows Up Early For First Day At Mickey D’s
Track Champ Sets Sights On Firehouse
Can Collector Seeks Redemption
Reborn Stetson Library Opens Its Doors
Mom Prays To Pause Violence
Commuter Rolls With Switch To Train
Word on the Street: Math
Word At The Barber Shop: Ukraine Needs Our Help
Word On The Street: Pain At The Pump
Hamden’s Female Leadership Team Marks International Women’s Day
Taylor Picks Up Her Step
Wednesday’s Word on Grand:“Survival”
Turbocharged Community Soup Kitchen Plans Return To Indoor Dining
Prof On Track To Put Pain Behind Him
Word on The Street: New Beginnings
Lyric Hall Goes With The Flow
1 Valentine’s Day Later, Love Survives
Budget Airline Celebrates 100 Days At Tweed
Bobby’s Not Snitching »Grill Goes Cold After Inspector’s Visit
(Waste)Water St. Report: Omicron Still Fading
Word On The Street: Love Rides On Metro-North
Strolls Keep Soulmates On Life’s Path »Word on the Street: Where’s There’s Smoke …
Dude, Where’s His Car?
Word On The Street:“Level Up”
Word On The Street: Paying Rent, Staying Safe
Word On The Street: Brrrr!
Word On The Street: Caffeine
Word On The Street: 10 AM Georgia Hots
When he isn't shoveling snow for his neighbors, or teaching NHPS students, he's cleaning up Edgewood Park. I've seen photos of him with bags of garbage pulled from the waters surrounding Edgewood Park. One of New Haven's unsung heroes.