September 15, 2025
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
Meliora Weekend is upon us, and among the many events will be a special celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Goergen Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
On Friday, September 19, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, friends, and supporters will join together on campus to celebrate this important milestone and talk about the past, present and future of the institute.
Since its founding as one of the first data science institutes globally, GIDS-AI has had a profound effect on its students, the research community, the regional economy, and society at large. GIDS-AI put together a terrific video featuring our founding members and alumni reflecting on a decade of innovation, impact and growth. Watch the video.
SAM ROOT ’14 TO RECEIVE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING’S 2025 YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD
Meanwhile, the Department of Chemical Engineering will celebrate its 110th anniversary during Meliora Weekend as well. As part of the festivities, the department will present Sam Root ’14 with the 2025 Young Alumni Award during the Eisenberg Symposium from 3:30-5:30 on Friday, September 19 in Wegmans Hall.
Sam is an assistant professor in the Department of Macromolecular Science & Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Sam’s scientific contributions have been recognized by numerous fellowships and awards including the Achievement Reward for College Scientists, the University of California President’s Dissertation Fellowship, and selection as a Rising Star in Soft and Biological Matter.
Read more about Sam on the department’s website.
NICOLE WILSON ’99 NAMED PENNSYLVANIA’S 2025 ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to Hajim School alumna Nicole C. Wilson ’99 (chemical engineering), who won the 2025 Engineer of the Year award from the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers (PSPE). Nominated by the Bucks County Chapter, where she previously served as president, Nicole was selected from a group of engineers representing disciplines across the profession.
Nicole is a senior project manager at EARTHRES, a Division of RESPEC, based out of Pipersville, PA. Nicole has been with the company for over 20 years and was an environmental specialist at PSC prior to working at EARTHRES. She has more than 25 years of professional experience in environmental consulting, specializing in air quality, compliance, and reporting. Learn more about her career on the PSPE website.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND A PERFECT FORWARD PASS
All-Pro Reels Photography
A perfect forward pass is an incredibly complex equation that quarterbacks like Josh Allen make look easy, according to Professor John Lambropoulos from the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In a fun and enlightening video, John draws from his expertise in mechanical and aerospace engineering to explain how aerodynamics and rigid body dynamics translate to deep touchdowns. Watch the video on YouTube.
JIEBO LUO REFLECTS ON SOLVING REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS WITH AI
Earlier this year, Professor Jiebo Luo, the Albert Arendt Hopeman professor of Engineering and a professor of computer science, received the 2025 Edward J. McCluskey Technical Achievement Award for his sustained contributions to computer vision and multimedia computing technologies. IEEE Computer Society recently interviewed Jiebo about his work as a visionary in computer vision, machine learning, and computational social science whose groundbreaking work has spanned over 600 publications, 90 patents, and numerous prestigious awards across academia and industry. Read the interview.
ALUMNUS TO PROVIDE INSIDE LOOK AT DATABRICKS
The Center of Excellence in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence will host the Roc Data Science group and Databricks Solutions Architect Matt Giglia ’09 for an insider’s look at Databricks. He will provide an expert view into this unique tool, which is used for all things data and AI, including data engineering, machine learning, and AI agents.
The hour-long talk will be followed by open networking and snacks. The event takes place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 18 in the Goergen Hall Sloan Auditorium. Learn more.
STUDENTS: DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR SPRING STUDY ABROAD
Students who would like to study abroad in the spring semester must apply by October 1. The Center for Education Abroad prepared a helpful checklist to help you get started with the education abroad process—and prepare you for your time away. Visit the website for more info.
FOR FACULTY: TIPS ON USING LIGHTBOARD AND BLACKBOARD
The University’s Lightboard makes it easy to create engaging “chalk talk” videos, allowing faculty to draw diagrams and explain concepts in real time—while still facing your students. Join University IT from 1-4 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17, in Gavett Hall room 302 for a live demonstration of how the Lightboard works, with demos starting on the half hour. They will also be available to answer any questions about Blackboard Ultra during that session. Learn more on the Academic Services website.
And for more information about the latest Blackboard updates, read the September Blackboard newsletter.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
