July 29, 2024
Matt Wittmeyer Photography
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
Throughout the summer, Hajim School faculty and staff have been working hard to help undergraduate students explore the possibilities of careers in research. Our partners at the David T. Kearns Center have welcomed more than 60 students to campus to participate in the Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program or REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) programs in Imaging in Medicine and Biology, Nanophotonics, Quantum Photonics and Vision/Biomedical Optics, Chemistry Research for Medicine and Energy, and Physics and Astronomy.
This Friday, August 2, the Kearns Center will host their annual summer research symposium, which celebrates the achievements of scholars who spend the summer engaged in important research at the University. Students will present their findings in panel discussions, oral presentations, and poster sessions.
The event takes place in the Feldman Ballroom from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and I encourage anyone who is available to attend and see the discoveries the students have made this summer. Learn more on the Kearns Center website.
ANNUAL DIVERSITY CONFERENCE TAKES PLACE OCTOBER 15
The Office of Equity and Inclusion announced that Isabel Wilkerson, author of the New York Times bestseller, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, will deliver the keynote address at the University’s 2024 Boundless Together Annual Diversity Conference on October 15 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. This year’s theme is “How Do We Move Forward When We Disagree?”
The conference offers important opportunities for our community to collaborate, learn, and engage around strategies, implementation, and application of bringing together diverse voices committed to transformative environments when DEIJ is ever-evolving. All are welcome to attend, including all students from the University, the Greater Rochester community, and staff, faculty, and trainees. Registration for the conference opens in early August and you can find out more on the OEI website.
FATEMEH NARGESIAN APPOINTED TO NAMED PROFESSORSHIP
Congratulations to Fatemeh Nargesian, an assistant professor of computer science, who has been jointly appointed as the James P. Wilmot Distinguished Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science.
Fatemeh’s research in data management focuses on the discovery and integration of data in very large repositories of heterogeneous and raw data. The professorship was established with a gift from James P. Wilmot’s estate.
NASIR UDDIN RECEIVES GRANT TO STUDY LIVER DISEASE AND BRAIN HEALTH IN PEOPLE WITH HIV
Congratulations to Nasir Uddin, an assistant professor of neurology and biomedical engineering, who received a $2.7 million Director’s Pioneer Award (DP1) grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to study how non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) impacts brain function in people living with HIV.
Despite advancements in antiretroviral therapy, liver-related health issues remain a significant concern, with NAFLD affecting up to 50 percent of this population. The study will explore the combined effects of NAFLD and HIV on brain health. Learn more on the Department of Neurology website.
2024 BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE HACKATHON
The 2024 Biomedical Data Science Hackathon will take place online from August 12–17. The hackathon is open to all University undergrads, graduate students, and postdocs, and includes prizes for better-than-random predictions and cash prizes for first- and second-place winners. Participants are welcome to work individually or in teams of up to four people. All skill levels are welcome. To participate, register by 5 p.m. on August 5.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
