May 12, 2025

A student takes a selfie in front of the large letters spelling out "MELIORA" on the Eastman Quadrangle.

University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster

The final preparations are underway! Commencement week is upon us, and I am so excited to celebrate the achievements of the class of 2025. Their dedication, hard work, and sacrifice have paid off and this weekend marks a new beginning as they prepare to embark on exciting next steps.

Commencement festivities for the Hajim School begin at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, with the Order of the Engineer Induction Ceremony at Strong Auditorium. The University-wide commencement ceremony takes place at 9 a.m. at Fauver Stadium at the Brian F. Prince Athletic Complex and a livestream will be available. Later that day, a doctoral graduation ceremony takes place at 2 p.m. at Kodak Hall on the Eastman Campus. Bachelor’s and master’s candidates will be recognized during departmental events and ceremonies throughout the day on Saturday, May 17.

Please join me in congratulating the class of 2025 on all their achievements. Learn more about this weekend’s festivities on the University’s commencement website.

EXPERIMENTAL QUANTUM COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK CONNECTS CAMPUS TO RIT

Close-up of a photonic chip coupled to a highly nonlinear crystal and a fiber array unit.

RIT photo

Researchers from the Institute of Optics have partnered with scientists at RIT to connect our campuses with an experimental quantum communications network. In a new paper published in Optica Quantum, they describe the Rochester Quantum Network (RoQNET), which uses single photons to transmit information about 11 miles along fiber-optic lines at room temperature using optical wavelengths.

Quantum communications networks have the potential to massively improve the security with which information is transmitted, making messages impossible to clone or intercept without detection. Photons are appealing for quantum communication in part because they could theoretically be transmitted over existing fiber-optic telecommunications lines that already crisscross the globe.

Read about this exciting new development at the News Center.

TEXT-TO-VIDEO AI BLOSSOMS WITH NEW METAMORPHIC CAPABILITIES

An animation of dandelions growing in vases.

University of Rochester GIF created using MagicTime

While text-to-video artificial intelligence models like OpenAI’s Sora are rapidly metamorphosing in front of our eyes, they have struggled to produce metamorphic videos. Simulating a tree sprouting or a flower blooming is harder for AI systems than generating other types of videos because it requires the knowledge of the physical world and can vary widely. Until now.

Researchers from our Department of Computer Science developed a new AI text-to-video model that learns real-world physics knowledge from time-lapse videos. Led by Jiebo Luo, the Albert Arendt Hopeman Professor of Engineering, the team outlines their MagicTime model in a paper published in IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence.

NEW SCHOLARS PROGRAM IS A CATALYST FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Composite image of five student scholars.

A cohort of undergraduate chemistry and chemical engineering students will gain crucial paid research experience through a new scholars program established by a Rochester trustee. The inaugural group of Barbara J. Burger Chemical Sustainability Scholars will conduct research at the forefront of sustainability under the guidance of Rochester faculty.

Established this spring through a gift from Rochester Trustee Barbara J. Burger ’83, the program will provide a new pathway for exploring professional interests during a 15-month research project.

The gift will support three cohorts of four students. The first cohort of scholars includes:

Eva Ciuffetelli ’27 (chemical engineering)
Justin Hao ’27 (chemistry)
Jay-Brian Randone ’26 (chemical engineering)
Sameeha Sultana ’28 (chemistry)

Additionally, the program inspired alumnus David J. Brezner ’62 to provide funding to give a fifth student similar support over the next 15 months—Sophia Dmytruk ’27 (chemical engineering). Get to know the scholars on the News Center.

LANDFORMS ON MARS OFFER INSIGHTS ABOUT THE PLANET’S ICY PAST

The view from the rim of the caldera of Olympus Mons on Mars, the largest volcano in the solar system.

Getty Images photo

Despite its dry, dusty surface and thinner atmosphere, Mars may have more in common with Earth than scientists previously thought. In a new study, researchers including Rachel Glade, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Department of Mechanical Engineering, found that soil features on Mars look remarkably similar to wave-shaped soil patterns found in Earth’s coldest climates. This means that despite their vast planetary differences, Earth and Mars may be shaped by some of the same basic forces and icy processes.

Read about the new clues into Mars’ past climate at the News Center.

TAIMI MARPLE RECEIVES DOTTIE WELCH STUDENT ENRICHMENT AWARD

Steve McAleavey, Taimi Marple, and Wendi Heinzelman smile in front of a backdrop with the Hajim School logo.

University of Rochester photo / Megan Petty

During Design Day, we presented the Dottie Welch Student Enrichment Award to Taimi Marple, the undergraduate program coordinator from the Department of Biomedical Engineering. With 45 years of service to the University, Taimi has become the first two-time recipient of the Hajim School’s annual award for student enrichment, which recognizes a Hajim School staff member “whose performance and dedication enriches the student experience in the tradition exemplified by Dottie Welch.”

Through the nomination process, students commended Taimi for her steadfast support, kindness, and enthusiasm. She first won the Dottie Welch Award, named for her predecessor, in 2018. This second award caps off a remarkable career that concluded with her retirement on May 2.

You can see more highlights from Design Day on our LinkedIn page, Instagram account, and on local TV.

FACULTY FOCUS: MARC POROSOFF

A graphic with a photo of Marc Porosoff at his desk and text that says, "Faculty Focus, Marc Porosoff, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering."

University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster

Associate Professor Marc Porosoff from the Department of Chemical Engineering is the subject of the first edition of our new Faculty Focus video series. Marc explains how chemical engineering is everywhere and provides a peek behind the scenes in his tight-knit research lab. Watch the video on LinkedIn.

DISCUSSING QR CODE SECURITY ON THE NSF DISCOVERY FILES PODCAST

A hand points a phone's camera at a new QR code technology to prevent quishing

QR codes are scanned every day for restaurant menus, parking payments or flight boarding passes, but malicious users can take advantage of the technology for phishing and other criminal activities. On a recent episode of the National Science Foundation’s The Discovery Files Podcast, Professor Gaurav Sharma and Assistant Professor of Instruction Irving Barron from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering discussed QR code technology and how their research makes it safer. Watch the episode on YouTube.

SINGER FAMILY PRIZE CELEBRATES IMPACTFUL HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS

A composite of four high school teachers who will receive the Singer Family Prize award.

Each year, graduating seniors in the School of Arts & Sciences and the Hajim School nominate high school teachers who have made a dramatic difference in their lives. The Singer Family Prize for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching was created in 2006 and is a Rochester commencement week tradition.

One of this year’s recipients was nominated by a Hajim School student Natalie Kocsis ’25 (computer science and business). She nominated Isaac Perry, a literature and computer science teacher at Lakeland High School in White Lake, Michigan, who she said “is the type of teacher who not only imparts knowledge but changes lives through his unwavering commitment to his students and community.”

Meet this year’s recipients at the Commencement website.

LEARN ABOUT OPTICS AT THE LILAC FESTIVAL

A close-up of purple lilac blossoms.

Photo Credit: Andy Buscemi

The Institute of Optics will once again have a presence at this year’s Lilac Festival, the largest free festival of its kind in North America. The Institute of Optics is teaming with other area institutions and professional societies to staff a tent with outreach activities and demonstrations. If you are heading to Highland Park for the festival, which runs through May 18, please stop by.

Have a great commencement week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman