January 21, 2025

Black and white headshots of Ehsan Hoque, Petros Tzeferacos, and William Renninger.

University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

Today marks the beginning of a new semester and it is fantastic to see the campus bustling with activity once again. While campus has been quiet for the past several weeks, our faculty members have been making noise and gaining impressive accolades.

Last week, the White House announced that three Rochester faculty members—including two from the Hajim School—received Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the US government for outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers. Professor Ehsan Hoque from the Department of Computer Science, Associate Professor Will Renninger from the Institute of Optics, and Associate Professor Petros Tzeferacos from the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics are among the 400 recipients nationwide.

Ehsan was nominated for his work with the Army Research Office developing advanced multimodal AI systems that understand how different forms of human communication—from facial expressions and speech to body language and verbal content—interact, complement, and sometimes contradict each other. This research aims to develop practical and ethical applications that benefit society while carefully preserving individual privacy and civil rights.

Will was nominated for the PECASE award for his research funded by the National Institutes of Health to develop versatile femtosecond technology for adaptive multi-photon imaging. The approach his lab developed offers significant improvements over the mode-locked lasers previously used and provides a major boost to biomedical research that employs ultrashort pulse technology, such as deep tissue imaging.

ALLISON LOPATKIN RECEIVES NSF CAREER AWARD

Assistant Professor Allison Lopatkin stands with her arms crossed in her chemical engineering laboratory.

University of Rochester photo / Matt Wittmeyer

Allison Lopatkin ’13, an assistant professor of chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, and microbiology and immunology, has received a 2024 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). CAREER awards are the NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.

The award will provide Allison’s lab funding to study the principles that enable microbial populations to self-regulate and remain stable, drawing inspiration from the processes by which bacteria naturally exchange genetic information. Through modeling and experiments, these principles will be applied to develop and demonstrate a practical approach for controlling microbial communities. The results could have broad implications for agriculture, healthcare, and environmental science, providing tools to manipulate microbiomes in ways that are reliable and predictable.

Learn more about Allison’s project on the NSF website.

JANNICK ROLLAND RECEIVES SPIE A.E. CONRADY AWARD IN OPTICAL ENGINEERING

Jannick Rolland sits at a desk with two of her students while reviewing charts and illustrations on a computer screen.

University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, has presented Jannick Rolland, the director of the Center for Freeform Optics and the Brian J. Thompson Professor of Optical Engineering, with the A.E. Conrady Award in Optical Engineering. The award is presented in recognition of exceptional contributions to the design, construction, testing, and theory of optical and illumination systems and instrumentation.

Jannick was recognized “for pioneering contributions to the development and application of freeform optics.” Over her career, Rolland has developed numerous novel optical-engineering solutions across a range of fields from microscopy to space optics. The SPIE website also notes that “in the last 10 years, she has addressed a key challenge in AR/VR with a novel type of optical component, the metaform, and has inspired the broad adoption of freeform optics in imaging systems.”

The award is made even more special due to several personal connections. Previous award recipients include Rolland’s late husband and former Institute of Optics faculty member Kevin Thompson as well as founding figures of the Institute of Optics Rudolf and Hilda Kingslake.

Visit the SPIE website for more about the award.

TOM BROWN AWARDED SPIE G.G. STOKES AWARD IN OPTICAL POLARIZATION

Tom Brown speaks in front of an auditorium in Goergen Hall crowded with students and faculty.

University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster

SPIE also awarded the G.G. Stokes Award in Optical Polarization to Tom Brown, the director of the Institute of Optics and the Mercer Brugler Distinguished Teaching Professor. The award is presented for exceptional contributions to the field of optical polarization.

Tom was recognized for “foundational work on structured polarization and the effects of stress-induced birefringence on beam polarization and intensity, waveguide modes, and point-spread functions.” His research at Rochester includes polarization in microscopy and photonic integrated circuits optical metrology, and stress-engineered optics.

Read about Tom’s award on the SPIE website.

BOB BOYD MAKES CLARIVATES LIST OF ‘HIGHLY CITED RESEARCHERS’

A graphic with dark blue hexognal shapes, a headshot of Robert Boyd, and text that says "Robert Boyd, Professor, Institute of Optics, Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher."

Professor Bob Boyd from the Institute of Optics earned a spot on Clarivate’s 2024 list of Highly Cited Researchers. Bob is known for his pioneering work in nonlinear optical interactions and nonlinear optical properties of materials.

Among other criteria, each selected researcher on the annual list has authored multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1 percent by citations for their field, according to Clarivate. The company is a global provider of analytics, data, and expert services in the areas of academia and government, intellectual property, and life sciences and health care.

See the full list on the Clarivate website.

MICHELE COTRUFO RECEIVES FRANCO STRAZZABOSCO AWARD

A graphic with dark blue hexognal shapes, a headshot of Michele Cotrufo, and text that says, "Michele Cotrufo, Assistant Professor, Institute of Optics, Franco Strazzabosco Award."

Michele Cotrufo, an assistant professor at the Institute of Optics, received the 2024 Franco Strazzabosco Award from the Italian Scientists & Scholars in North America Foundation (ISSNAF). The award was established in 2013 by the Strazzabosco family in memory of Dott. Ing. Franco Strazzabosco, and is a tribute to the entrepreneurial courage of Italian engineers who strive to apply scientific discoveries to the public advantage.

The ISSNAF says it presented Cotrufo with the young investigator award “for his research on light-based analog image processing and computing. His research holds the promise for a more sustainable future in terms of energy-efficient data processing, with implications for a wide range of technologies, from self-driving cars to neuromorphic computing and efficient data centers.”

Learn more about the award at the ISSNAF website.

HAJIM ALUMNI NAMED TO FORBES 30 UNDER 30 LIST

Sidhant Bendre, Michael Giardino, and Achraf Golli embrace in front of a wooded area.

A trio of Hajim School alumni from the class of 2023 have caught the attention of Forbes and received a spot on the coveted “30 Under 30 – Education” list. Sidhant Bendre, Michael Giardino, and Achraf Golli cofounded Quizard AI in 2023 while studying computer science here.

The app is billed as a “premier AI-powered homework tutor and answering app” and promises instant, accurate solutions to academic questions across a wide range of subjects. Forbes reports that “4 million students have used the Quizard app or its sister website, Unstuck, which can auto-generate study guides and flashcards from uploaded notes, slideshows, videos and other files.”

TEACHING CENTER PROGRAMS

Hajim instructors, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows are invited to register for the Teaching Center’s spring semester programs and workshops.

For instructors only, group programs include peer observation, active learning, large courses, and new and early career instructors, while workshops range from experiential learning to test writing.
For graduate students and postdoctoral fellows only, a book club and workshops are available.

Contact the Teaching Center with any questions.

WELCOME TO MEGAN PETTY

Lastly, I am happy to announce that Megan Petty ’22 MBA has joined the Hajim School as a digital content strategist. She joins us from the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations, where she served as the assistant director of digital strategy and engagement. Please join me in welcoming Megan to the Hajim School.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman