September 9, 2024
University of Rochester photo / Matt Wittmeyer
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
Last week, we had a special celebration honoring a longtime supporter of the Hajim School, trustee emeritus John Bruning. The University bestowed an honorary degree upon him, and I was proud to present him with the Hajim School and School of Arts and Sciences Deans’ Medal, which recognizes extraordinary service, philanthropy, and leadership to the school, and dedication and commitment that inspire others to take leadership roles at the University.
A distinguished leader in optical engineering and precision manufacturing, John has contributed much to society—as a scholar, technical leader, inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist— achieving success not only in his engineering work and business endeavors, but also by advancing a vision for optical engineering education through his carefully strategic philanthropy and leadership.
In addition to serving as a member of the Board of Trustees from 2009-2024, he has served on many University groups, including Hajim’s Dean’s Advisory Committee, the University Technology Development Fund Executive Committee, and the Meliora Campaign Committee.
In 2007, he made a $2 million gift to establish a new engineering center in honor of his mentor, Robert Hopkins, and to create an endowed professorship in optical engineering in honor of Brian Thompson, a former University provost, Institute of Optics director, and dean. In 2020, John established the David R. Williams Director of the Center for Visual Science with a $2 million gift. He and his wife, Barbara, have been George Eastman Circle sustaining members since 2014. Additionally, John has supported the Memorial Art Gallery and areas across the Medical Center, including Wilmot Cancer Institute and Golisano Children’s Hospital. In 2011, he received the George Eastman Medal, an honor that recognizes individuals whose achievements and service embody the University’s highest ideals.
The Hajim School and the entire University of Rochester community are grateful to John for his unwavering dedication and support.
CLASSES THAT MAKE YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL
University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster
We have so many brilliant instructors and innovative classes at the University, and when I see the course descriptions each fall, there’s always a small part of me that wishes I could be a student all over again. The News Center recently compiled a list of a few classes that inspire that sense of nostalgia.
Among those highlighted were Professor Chris Muir’s ME204: Mechanical Design course and the HIST 227: Podcasting History: Hear UR course co-taught by Stephen Roessner, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.
Go to the News Center to learn more about these and other fascinating courses offered across the University.
GENERATIVE AI FOR EDUCATION
The working group on AI for Education, part of the UR AI Horizon Institute planning initiative, will host several meetings to gather input from faculty, staff and students who have already worked on and/or are interested in applications of generative artificial intelligence for education in the following sub-areas:
- Innovating Teaching & Learning with GenAI—Thursday, September 12, from 2-4 p.m. in LeChase 215
- Developing AI Literacy—Friday, October 4 from 2-4 p.m. in LeChase 215—
- Rethinking Workforce Preparation in the age of GenAI—Friday, October 11, from 2-4 p.m. in LeChase 215
- Improving Educators’ Productivity and Institutional Operations with GenAI—Thursday, October 17 from 10 a.m. to noon in LeChase 215
If you are interested in joining one or more of these meetings, you are encouraged to first attend the 1-hour Zoom meeting hosted today, September 9, from 12-1 p.m., where the team will provide an overview of what has been done so far, along with more information about the input meetings and how to prepare for them.
Faculty, students, and staff are also welcome to attend any of the project-wide events designed to provide an introduction to specific topics relevant to the proposed Institute. All the events in the AI Horizons Learning Series are designed to be stand-alone and open to the public without prior preparation. A recording of the kickoff meeting is also available online.
INAUGURAL WYANT COLLOQUIUM TAKES PLACE TODAY
The Institute of Optics will host the inaugural Wyant Colloquium at 3:30 p.m. today, presented both in-person in Goergen Hall room 101 and on Zoom. The event, which will take place annually in honor of the late Jim Wyant ’67 (MS), ’69 (PhD), ’21 (Honorary), features a speaker who was inspired to pursue a career in optical sciences after hearing Jim’s message, “You can’t make anything better than you can test it.”
Daewook Kim, an associate professor of optical sciences and astronomy at the University of Arizona, has devoted his efforts to a multitude of space and ground-based large optical engineering projects. His primary research focuses on precision freeform optics design, fabrication, and various metrology topics, including interferometry and dynamic deflectometry. Learn more or join the Zoom via the Institute of Optics website.
ROCK YOUR NEXT CONFERENCE
Join the Greene Center on Thursday, September 12 at 5 p.m. in the Feldman Ballroom for a mock-conference event that will help you develop skills for successful participation at industry conferences. Associate Professor Amy Lerner and Rhea Bharadwaj ’24 (business) will deliver a keynote address about their experiences participating in conferences. Following their remarks, Professor Chris Muir will facilitate a workshop about the value of portfolios and projects. After the workshop, you’ll have the chance to put these skills into practice at a networking session with alumni, faculty, and staff. All majors, class years, and degree levels are welcome. Register on Handshake.
TUTORING FROM TAU BETA PI
Tau Beta Pi, the Engineering Honor Society, will host drop-in tutoring hours every Sunday from 1-4 p.m. in Genesee 309, starting on September 15. Engineering students can stop by to get homework, project, or general help for engineering and related classes such as math, physics, programming, or chemistry, from upper-class engineering students. From 1-2 p.m., the focus will be on audio and music engineering and electrical and computer engineering; 2-3 p.m. will focus on biomedical engineering and chemical engineering; 3-4 p.m. will focus on mechanical engineering and optics. For questions, email the student organization or message them on Instagram.
WELCOME TO OUR NEW GRADUATE STUDENTS
Much of the attention at the start of the fall semester focuses on welcoming first-year undergraduate students, but we are also excited to welcome a bright new cohort of graduate students. This fall, the Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) Office welcomed more than 450 new graduate students from 40 countries beginning programs at the Hajim School and the School of Arts and Sciences.
GEPA offered pre-arrival webinars and multiple campus tours where we showcased our facilities, offices, and study spaces. At the Resource Fair, students connected with various campus resources and learned about the support available to graduate students. Dean of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs Nick Vamivakas, Assistant Dean Kristina Lantzky-Eaton, and other members of the GEPA office welcomed the students during graduate orientation and a panel of our 2024/2025 graduate ambassadors answered questions by incoming students. Thank you to the GEPA office for helping these students kick off their academic journey.
NEWLY FUNDED RESEARCH
University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster
Congratulations to Associate Professors William Renninger from the Institute of Optics and Yuhao Zhu from the Department of Computer Science for receiving $424,750 from the National Science Foundation. The funding supports a project titled, “Ultrashort-Pulse Optical Neural Network Techniques for Brain-Scale Computing.”
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
