June 9, 2025

Close-up of a chip-scale laser held in front of a penny, highlighting its miniature size and intricate gold circuitry.

University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

A new laser device smaller than a penny engineered by Hajim School researchers could power everything from the LiDAR systems used in self-driving vehicles to gravitational wave detection, one of the most delicate experiments in existence to observe and understand our universe. Qiang Lin, Dean’s Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and at the Institute of Optics, led the development of a new chip-scale laser device that can directly drive optical metrology, a light-based technique to study the physical properties of objects and materials.

Current optical metrology techniques require bulky and expensive equipment necessary for delicate laser-wave control, creating a bottleneck for creating streamlined and cost-effective systems. Qiang and his colleagues outline their advancement in chip-scale integrated technology in a paper published in Light: Science & Applications. Read more about the advancement at the News Center.

LAUREL CARNEY RECEIVES DAVID T. BLACKSTOCK MENTORSHIP AWARD

Students present Laurel Carney with a the David T Blackstock Mentorship Award.

Congratulations to Laurel Carney, the Marylou Ingram Professor in Biomedical Engineering and a professor of neuroscience, who received the 2025 David T. Blackstock Mentorship Award by the Acoustical Society of America. Presented by the ASA Student Association, the Blackstock Award recognizes exceptional mentorship in the field of acoustics and is based on nominations submitted by ASA members.

The award was established in 2004 by the ASA Student Council to honor individuals who demonstrate outstanding dedication and excellence in mentoring students across a wide range of areas. It was named in honor of David T. Blackstock, a pioneer in nonlinear acoustics and a former professor at both the University of Rochester and the University of Texas at Austin.

CENTER FOR FREEFORM OPTICS HOSTS INDUSTRIAL ADVISORY BOARD

A crowd of dozens of attendees of the Center for Freeform Optics Industrial Advisory Board meeting gather outside Goergen Hall.

University of Rochester photo / Megan Petty

Last week, the Center for Freeform Optics (CeFO) hosted its Industrial Advisory Board meeting, bringing researchers from companies including Meta, Nikon, and General Motors to campus to discuss exciting new optical systems projects. CeFO is a joint industry-government-university cooperative research center directed by Jannick Rolland, the Brian J. Thompson Professor of Optical Engineering, and funded primarily through industry and government lab members.

VOLUNTEER FOR FALL 2025 WELCOME WEEK

Welcoming new students and families to campus in August is a huge team effort and the orientation team needs help from Hajim School faculty and staff! From staffing check-in to greeting parents and families, there are lots of opportunities to connect with the newest members of the Yellowjacket family in their first days at Rochester. Learn more and raise your hand to volunteer by Friday, June 27. If you have any questions, please email orientation@rochester.edu.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman