September 4, 2018

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

Please join me in welcoming eight new faculty members who join us this academic year.

Michael Giacomelli and Whasil Lee have joined the Department of Biomedical Engineering as tenure-track assistant professors. Michael joins us after serving as a research scientist at the Research Laboratory of Electronics at MIT, where he developed two photon imaging methods to assist in the surgical treatment of breast cancer. He will explore the applications of advanced imaging technology to other surgery and to medicine in general with the goal of improving diagnosis and surgical management of cancer.

Whasil, who has a joint appointment in pharmacology and physiology, joins the department after serving as a postdoctoral fellow at Duke University. Her research will focus on how mechanosensitive ion channels in cell membranes play a role in the development, maintenance, and degeneration of knee-joint cells. Such work may have applications for treatments for arthritis and other conditions.

Astrid Müller joins the Department of Chemical Engineering as a tenure-track assistant professor after serving as a staff scientist at the California Institute of Technology’s Beckman Institute. Her research focuses on which properties or combination of properties govern  a material’s performance, particularly as it relates  to solar energy. She hopes to develop selective carbon dioxide catalysts capable of generating sustainable, carbon-neutral liquid fuels.

Zhen Bai, who joins the Department of Computer Science as a tenure-track assistant professor, is passionate about designing innovative interfaces; as a post-doctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University, she explored the design of intelligent virtual peer and collaborative tabletop games that foster curiosity, exploration and self-efficacy for science education. She hopes to expand her research into such areas as lifelong learning, mental health, aging, and active citizenship.

In the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michael Heilemann has joined the faculty as an instructional track assistant professor, after completing his PhD in the department earlier this year. He’ll supervise senior design teams and teach a portfolio class for the popular audio and music engineering program for undergraduates, plus supervise the work master’s students do for research credit.

Selcuk Kose, who received his master’s and PhD degrees in the department, will join the faculty in January as tenured associate professor. For the past six years he has been an assistant professor at the University of South Florida. He studies problems related to hardware security, and will also focus on security and privacy concerns in specific technologies such as connected autonomous vehicles and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering welcomes two new instructional track assistant professors. Ethan Burnham-Fay, who completed his PhD in the department earlier this year, will teach engineering computation, mechanical systems, introduction to solid mechanics, precision instrument design, and introduction to solid modeling.

Laura Slane, who joins the faculty after serving as an assistant professor at Trine University (formerly Tri-State University) in Angloa, Indiana, will teach classes in computer-aided design, statics, and dynamics. She also hopes to mentor students doing research projects. Laura, who grew up in Penfield, says “It’s exciting to be coming back” to the Rochester area.

This is an outstanding group of new faculty members. I am pleased that half of them are women, who are underrepresented on the faculties of most of our departments. I am especially pleased with the work of the search committees this year. They were proactive in searching out excellent candidates, rather than simply posting openings and waiting for people to apply.

Reminders to students, from Lisa Norwood, our assistant dean of undergraduate studies:

First-year students and new transfer students who did not pick up a Hajim t-shirt at the Academic Open House during Orientation may still get one by visiting the Hajim Dean’s Office in Lattimore 301.
All students are urged to “like” the Hajim Facebook page and follow our Instagram account.
Student organizations can have their events published in Hajim Highlights by contacting Bob Marcotte by noon on the Thursday prior to the Monday in which the item will appear.

Here’s an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to get in on the “ground floor” of an exciting new facility. Extended reality (XR) — an umbrella term for augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) modes of engagement — is a rapidly growing area for research and teaching at the Hajim School and the broader University. The River Campus Libraries, in collaboration with Arts, Sciences and Engineering (AS&E), would like to create a dedicated space for XR creation and exploration to empower faculty and students to leverage these technologies for teaching, learning, and research.

To learn more about faculty and student XR needs, the library is holding a series of collaborative and hands-on brainstorming sessions called design charrettes. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to participate in the charrettes; no prior knowledge or experience with XR is required. Charrettes from 2 to 4 p.m. September 12 and 13 will explore: What technology, equipment, furniture, expertise, etc., would you like to see in the space? Charrettes from 2 to 4 p.m. September 17 and 21 will explore: What are the unique opportunities and value that this space might offer the campus? Click here to register.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman