December 16, 2024
Photo credit: Julie Bentley
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
The fall semester officially concludes this week once final exams wrap up on Wednesday. It has been a whirlwind semester, and while this is often a stressful time of year for many, our Hajim School students face end-of-the-semester challenges with grit, determination, and often a sense of humor.
That was certainly the case for two second-year students delivering their geometrical optics project presentation in Professor Julie Bentley’s class last week. Institute of Optics students Aidan Dubyn ’27 and Ruby Perkis ’27 are part of our Baja SAE team. They knew they had to come straight to class after taking the vehicle for a test ride, so they embraced the chaos, presented while covered head-to-toe in mud, and dubbed their company MUD Optics LLC.
Meanwhile, the University’s Instagram account captured the high drama of Professor Chris Muir’s ME 204 class as students put their balsa wood designs and structures to the test to see how much force they withstand before they come crashing down.
Good luck to all with the end of the semester. May you face it with wit and flair!
EBY FRIEDMAN ELECTED FELLOW OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF INVENTORS
I’m pleased to share that Eby G. Friedman, Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors.
Eby was recognized for his pioneering work in high-performance integrated circuits. His work spans topics such as clock synchronization, power delivery and management, interconnect models, three-dimensional (3-D) integration, and emerging technologies such as superconductive circuits and magnetic devices. His research is used in a variety of common applications, such as microprocessors, cell phones, cloud computing centers, and electronic design automation (EDA) tools used throughout industry.
Eby is one of 170 inventors, representing 135 research universities and governmental and nonprofit research institutes worldwide, being honored this year. Previous inductees from the Hajim School include Jiebo Luo, (2022), Duncan Moore and David Williams (2021), Jannick Rolland (2020), Jim Zavislan (2018), Wayne Knox (2017), and Kevin Parker (2016).
SEA SPONGE BIOLOGY INSPIRES POWERFUL NEW MICROLENSES
A cross-disciplinary team of researchers have replicated a remarkable bioglass material produced by sea sponges, using bacteria and enzymes from sea sponges to create tiny microlenses that mimic the sea sponge’s natural ability to combine strength and lightness. In a paper published in the journal PNAS, the team reports that the bioinspired material could pave the way toward specialized image sensors for medical and commercial uses.
By applying the remarkable properties of sea sponges, the researchers unlock new possibilities for creating sustainable and efficient materials that mimic the natural world. Led by Anne S. Meyer, an associate professor in Rochester’s Department of Biology, the project included Assistant Professor Greg Schmidt and Professor Scott Carney from the Institute of Optics. Read more about this exciting project at the News Center.
COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS RECOGNIZED AT ACCV
Congratulations to a team led by Associate Professor Chenliang Xu from the Department of Computer Science for being recognized at the Asian Conference on Computer Vision (ACCV) 2024 for their paper, “High-Quality Visually-Guided Sound Separation from Diverse Categories.”
The paper was the runner-up for the Best Paper Award. Authors included computer science PhD students Chao Huang and Susan Liang, alumnus Yapeng Tian ’22 PhD, Anurag Kumar of Facebook Research, and Chenliang. Well done!
‘STRAT CHAT’ WITH JOHN BLACKSHEAR
The University has been hosting a series of “strat chats,” where leaders provide insight and updates on critical pieces of the Boundless Possibility strategic plan. John Blackshear, the vice president for student life, recently participated in a strat chat, where he discussed how he and his team are working to meet the objectives within the exceptional education goal.
The Boundless Possibility blog captured some of the event’s big takeaways related to student health and well-being, student success, residential life and housing, and dining services. Read a recap of the event.
ENGINEERING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET
The Engineering an Entrepreneurial Mindset Program is a seven-part workshop series designed for members of the Hajim engineering community. The program first introduces crucial concepts like entrepreneurial mindset, opportunity identification, and value creation. The series then covers topics such as applying the scientific method to refine business ideas, competitive strategies, and disruptive innovation.
Subsequent workshops focus on protecting intellectual property and crafting business plans for engineering innovations. The series concludes with guidance on presenting ideas clearly and effectively, ensuring engineers can communicate with confidence. In addition to enhancing engineering innovation skills, the insights gained from this program are valuable for solving everyday challenges and fostering creativity in any context.
Workshops will be held on the following dates from 5:15-6:30 p.m. at CSB 523:
- January 29, 2025
- February 12, 2025
- February 26, 2025
- March 19, 2025
- March 26, 2025
- April 9, 2025
- April 23, 2025
These workshops are free to members of the University community, but registration is required by Jan. 20. Contact Technology Development Program Director Dina Uzri for more information.
Students who complete four of the seven workshops will qualify for the entrepreneurship component of the Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP). The GCSP program is designed for students interested in solving some of the world’s biggest problems in sustainability, health, security and knowledge. Contact Emma Derisi for more information about the GCSP.
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE CURTIS AWARDS
Would you like to recognize faculty who excel at teaching? Nominations are being solicited for the 2025 G. Graydon Curtis ’58 and Jane W. Curtis Award and the 2025 Edward Peck Curtis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Nomination packages for each award should be submitted to the Hajim Dean’s Office no later than February 7, 2025 by email as a single PDF sent to Emily Prinzi and should include:
- Letter of support from the Department Chair or Program Director
- Nominee’s CV
- Minimum of 2 student statements of support and/or student course evaluations
CAREER OUTCOMES SURVEY NOW OPEN
Some industries and graduate programs put out offers earlier than others, so if you’ve already confirmed your plans for after graduation, the Greene Center for Career Education and Connections would love to hear from you.
Please take 5 minutes to let them know what your current plans are after graduation by completing the Career Outcomes Survey. If you haven’t quite figured out what’s happening after May, that’s totally okay too. Feel free to complete the survey and pick “still seeking,” and the Greene Center will connect you to someone who can help in your final semester. Complete the survey on Handshake.
SELECTED TOPICS IN AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY
This spring, graduate students can get hands-on experience with augmented and virtual reality and explore some of AR/VR’s unique challenges with the ECE 411 Selected Topics in Augmented and Virtual Reality course. Three modules will be offered this spring:
- “Interaction techniques for AR/VR systems” with Assistant Professor Yukang Yan from the Department of Computer Science
- “Fundamentals of Optics for AR/VR” with Professor Jannick Rolland and Daniel Nikolov from the Institute of Optics
- “Professional Encounters with Leading AR/VR Researchers” with Mujdat Cetin, the Robin and Tim Wentworth Director of the Goergen Institute for Data Science, and Studio X’s Voices of XR seminar series.
Contact Kathleen Defazio with questions.
NEWLY FUNDED RESEARCH
Congratulations to two faculty members who recently secured funding for new sponsored research projects:
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
I want to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season and great things to come in 2025. Hajim Highlights will take a pause for the next several weeks and resume on January 13.
Happy New Year!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
