April 14, 2025
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
This fall will see the launch of an exciting new festival uniquely suited to Rochester and collaboratively organized by faculty at the Eastman School of Music and the Hajim School. The Soundtrax Film Music Festival and conference will take place October 16-18 to celebrate and explore how music and sound shape visual media, from film and TV to video games and beyond.
Mark Bocko, a distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of Rochester’s audio and music engineering program, serves as co-director of Soundtrax. With a significant matching grant from the New York State Division of Tourism, Soundtrax will bring together professionals in audio, music, and media, as well as those who simply love the magic of music in movies and media.
Five film-music concerts will take place over three days, and conference sessions will highlight AI in music production, sound synthesis technologies, and how to craft compelling auditory landscapes. Read about this unique event at the Eastman website.
JOANNE Y. LAW DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORSHIP IN OPTICS
An alumna with a distinguished career as an inventor and optical engineer has helped us move closer to fulfilling the Wyant Challenge, a $12 million matching fund established in 2022 to create 10 endowed professorships in 10 years. Joanne Y. Law ’98 (PhD) has established a new endowed fund—the Joanne Y. Law Distinguished Professorship in Optics—at the Institute of Optics. Her generous $800,000 gift is being matched by $1.2 million from the Wyant Challenge.
Joanne holds seven patents. Her inventions improve how light is controlled in fiber optics, enhancing precision in industries like energy, defense, aerospace, telecommunications, medical imaging, and manufacturing. Each innovation fine-tunes light polarization in real time, ensuring accurate signal detection for faster data transmission, improved medical diagnostics, and more precise laser measurements.
We are honored to name this professorship after her and greatly appreciate this generous gift! Read more on the Advancement website.
Q&A ON ARTIFICIAL GENERAL INTELLIGENCE WITH CHRIS KANAN
University of Rochester illustration / Sandra Knispel using ChatGPT by OpenAI
Every day it seems that artificial intelligence makes another big leap in capabilities, but scientists have yet to accomplish artificial general intelligence (AGI), which aims to build systems capable of understanding, reasoning, and learning across a wide range of tasks, much like humans do.
Associate Professor Chris Kanan from the Department of Computer Science recently explained how AGI differs from other forms of AI, described some of the current limitations of generative AI, and noted what obstacles need to be overcome to achieve AGI. Read his Q&A on the News Center.
INFO SESSION FOR ONLINE MS IN HEALTHCARE DATA SCIENCE AND AI
Getty Images photo
Speaking of artificial intelligence, there will be a Zoom information session about the brand-new online MS program in Healthcare Data Science and AI from 12-12:45 on Tuesday, April 22 hosted on Zoom. Offered by the Goergen Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in collaboration with the UR Health Lab, the program is designed to position working professionals for high-demand positions in data analytics, data science, and AI within the healthcare industry.
Professor Ajay Anand and Education Program Coordinator for Data Science Lisa Altman will introduce the unique program, how the curriculum is structured, and answer questions about expenses and applying. Register for the session.
FINGER LAKES SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE
The Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences and the Center of Excellence in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence will host the 2025 Finger Lakes Science and Technology Showcase on Thursday, April 24 at the Memorial Art Gallery. Researchers from the University of Rochester, RIT, and surrounding universities will present their work to industry to promote collaboration and economic development.
This year’s Showcase will include a Computing in the Age of AI panel session, business/faculty networking pitch session, and a poster session contest. Register now.
SOPHOMORE MAJOR DECLARATION CELEBRATION
Students, faculty, and staff are invited to celebrate the Class of 2027 at the upcoming Sophomore Major Declaration Celebration, taking place from 3–5 p.m. today in the May Room (Wilson Commons). This event marks a meaningful milestone for our sophomores as they complete their second year and prepare for what lies ahead. Whether students have already declared a major or are still considering their options, the celebration provides a supportive space for reflection, connection, and planning for the future.
Students will enjoy refreshments, take a commemorative “I declared” photo, sign their major roll(s), and receive a special Class of 2027 gift. They’ll also have opportunities to connect with advisors, faculty, and campus partners to learn about the next steps in their academic journey and access helpful resources.
BUILDING RESILIENT RELATIONSHIPS SUMMIT
The Center for Community Engagement will host their first community-engaged learning summit to celebrate the work of our community and faculty partners and mark the 20th anniversary of the office. The Building Resilient Relationships Summit will address the more intimate aspects of community-university partnerships, facilitating a space where like-minded professionals from the university and the greater Rochester community can share their experiences participating in community-engagement work with students, and strengthen their relationships with one another.
The summit is free to all attendees and will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13, at Staybridge Suites. Register to attend the summit by April 17.
NATIONAL STUDENT EMPLOYMENT WEEK
This week marks National Student Employment Week, an opportunity to express our gratitude for the countless students who balance both rigorous coursework and campus employment.
The student Employment Team and campus partners will host a student employee appreciation event from 12-2 p.m. on Thursday, April 17 in the Hirst Lounge in Wilson Commons. All students and staff are welcome to drop by to grab a snack, play some games, and enter your name to win one of our raffle prizes. Please join me in recognizing the hard work of our student employees!
AWARDEES FROM CELEBRATING RESEARCH WEEK
University of Rochester photo / Megan Petty
The University held Celebrating Research Week from April 4-11, an opportunity for undergraduate students to present their investigative and creative work. Hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Research, the week included a symposium, lightning talks, and poster session. Congratulations to the following individuals who received awards:
- Faizah Ahmmed ’25 (Engineering Science) won the Deans’ Award in the Engineering and Math category for her presentation at the Symposium.
- Hannah Rickert ’25 (biomedical engineering) won the Professor’s Choice Award in the Engineering and Math category for her poster.
- Allie Tay ’25 (biomedical engineering) won the second place for the Professor’s Choice Award in the Engineering and Math category for her poster.
- Assistant Professor Sobhit Singh from the Department of Mechanical Engineering was voted by the students as Professor of the Year in the Engineering and Math category.
Learn more at the Office of Undergraduate Research website.
ENGINEERING BALL
Our chapter of the Society of Women Engineers recently hosted their third annual Engineering Ball. Co-sponsored by seven engineering organizations on campus, it was a fun, mid-semester opportunity for students to dance, enjoy a performance by No Jackets Required, and preserve memories at the photo booth. Check out the SWE Instagram account for more photos from the event.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
