Photo illustration featuring URochester stduents Maryame Kouram, Naman Bhagat, Sherry Wang, and Zhihan Zhen against a background featuring the city of Rochester skyline, Rush Rhees Library, and yellow and blue circles.

URochester photo illustration

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

Ten URochester student interns recently helped New York–based startups, small businesses, and nonprofits harness the power of data science and AI through the Center of Excellence in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence’s summer internship program. The internships provide undergraduate and graduate students across a variety of majors real-world experience working with data and AI to help local businesses—from photonics startups to tourism companies—improve their bottom lines.

It’s amazing to see how much students can accomplish in their short stays with these businesses and how much the students grow and learn through the process. Hear from four students and two business leaders about their experiences at the News Center.

TEDXUROCHESTER

A black, red and white graphic that says "TEDxURochester."

URochester students, faculty, and staff will be sparking curiosity with inspiring talks at the TEDxURochester event from 2:30-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30 on the 4th floor of Wilson Commons. TEDxURochester is a student-organized event featuring short, powerful talks focused on the theme reHuman, which centers the human experience in design, innovation, and creativity.

Hajim School presenters will include chemical engineering student Sophia Dmytruk ’27, biomedical engineering student Chase Hayden ’28, and Jacob Factor, an Eastman School of Music PhD student who collaborated with Hajim School researchers on an adaptive neck brace to help him overcome a rare throat condition.

OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS: XFOUNDRY HORIZONS CHALLENGE

The Horizons Challenge is a national competition from xFoundry, run in partnership with NASA and open to students at any accredited North American university or community college. Teams of two to five pick one of four focus areas and spend the semester finding and validating a problem worth solving in it:

Predictive User Interfaces: smart interfaces that know what you need before you do.
Human Performance Monitoring: health and safety tools that tell us when we are at risk.
Autonomous Asset Inspection: AI that warns before failure in infrastructure, systems and parts.
Adaptive Learning: systems that learn, adapt and reconfigure in high-stress environments.

Teams research and analyze the problem rather than build a product, then pitch what they find to industry leaders. Each team must span at least two disciplines, drawn from technology, entrepreneurship, arts and athletics, marketing, and science, so this is not a competition only for engineers. There is no cost to enter. Fall registration runs through November 27, submissions are due December 19, and finals are at the NEXPLORE Summit in April 2027. Visit the xFoundry website to learn more and register.

APPLY FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES AT LLE

Overhead view of the OMEGA Laser System target bay.

University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics photo / Jake Deats

Interested in an undergraduate research experience with a full-time scientist or engineer at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE)? Applications for Spring 2027 opportunities are due by October 31. While the number of projects available in any given term is limited, LLE welcomes applications from students majoring in chemical engineering, computer science, data science, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, optics, and optical engineering. Learn more and apply on the LLE website.

REMEMBERING NICHOLAS GEORGE, 1927-2026

A black and white photo of Nicholas George in his office.

Lastly, it’s with a heavy heart I share news about the passing of Professor Emeritus Nicholas George, who died on September 12 at age 98. Nick served as professor of optics and electrical and computer engineering at the University for almost 38 years. Colleagues and friends remember him as a brilliant researcher, strong mentor, and a leader who forged connections from the lab to the marketplace.

Prior to his retirement in 2015, Nick was the Marie C. Wilson and Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Electronic Imaging, and he directed the Institute of Optics from 1977 to 1981, helping to significantly expand the Industrial Associates program. He was also the founding director of the University’s Center for Electronic Imaging Systems, now the Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences.

Learn more about Nick’s legacy as an educator, researcher, and leader at the News Center.

Our condolences go out to Nick’s family, friends and colleagues.

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman