The University of Rochester is one of the nation’s premier research universities. Normalized for faculty size the University ranks 19th in the nation among peer institutions in federal R&D expenditures; receiving $350 million in research funding in 2014. All units of the University are within a 10-minute walk or drive, facilitating a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary research environment.
The Center for Business Engagement builds and enhances the University’s relationships with industry partners, fostering collaborations that can help maximize the potential for your business. Our office provides access to University leaders; visionary faculty; basic and innovative research; state-of-the-art facilities and technology; student talent and alumni expertise; and strategic giving opportunities.
Partner with a world leader in research and innovation.
Collaboration Drives Innovation in Health Care
MC10 Inc., a Massachusetts-based pioneer in biometric-sensor-enabled analytics, reshapes electronics to create thin, conformal systems that flex, stretch, and bend seamlessly with the natural world. When MC10 looked closely at the University’s world-class facilities and newly created Goergen Institute for Data Science, it saw opportunity. The Center for Business Engagement turned it into a partnership.
The CBE began by identifying University faculty research that aligned with MC10’s work. It then facilitated on-campus conversations and worked with the University’s tech transfer team and grant administration offices to draft and execute the necessary enabling documents.
The collaboration pairs MC10’s technological capabilities in physiological sensing and pattern recognition algorithms with the University’s clinical expertise and commitment to big data analytics. Long term, the partnership is positioned to make progress toward solutions for some of today’s most pressing health care challenges.
Partnership Places Undergraduate Students in the Laboratory
For the past seven years, the Xerox Foundation has generously supported the Xerox Engineering Research Fellows program, a highly competitive opportunity for undergraduate students to participate in research at the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences.
Through the University’s David T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity in Arts, Sciences & Engineering, Xerox Fellows receive hands-on research experience, take part in seminars and training sessions, and receive academic and career advisement. Many Xerox Fellows continue their projects into the following school year, leading to papers that are presented at conferences or published in journals.
“They learn and I learn,” said Renato Perucchio, professor of mechanical engineering, who has mentored eight Xerox Fellows over the years.
“It’s an incredible accomplishment for these students…The body of groundbreaking research led by this group of young men and women underscores the value of our investment in each of them and the program. Further, it’s a testament to the partnership between Xerox and the University of Rochester. For decades, we have been committed to driving innovation and inclusion in the fields of engineering and science. We look forward to continuing our work with the University. They are an exceptional team of students and faculty.”
– Mark Conlin, President of the Xerox Foundation
Contact Us
Suzanne DeMers, Executive Director
(585) 276-5672
suzanne.demers@rochester.edu