March 25, 2019

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

A mathematical equation rendered as a colorful tie-dye shirt pattern. Christmas lights transformed through diffraction grating. A whimsical street scene with dinosaurs as pedestrians and motorists. A re-creation of mice kidney cells in the style of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. A dandelion seed head with a vector overlay– creating two layers of meaning.

These are among the 84 outstanding submissions we received for this year’s Art of Science Competition. It will be up to our judges to decide on the first-, second-, and third-prize winners. But it will be up to all of you — our Hajim School students, staff, faculty, alumni, and friends — to help select the People’s Choice winner.

Please click here to see the submissions. You can click on each thumbnail for a larger view and artist’s description of the image. Then cast a vote for the one you like best. Please make your choice by March 31. And thanks to all who contributed to this record number of entries!

We need the help of our Class of ’19 seniors for another important competition, to determine this year’s recipient of the Dottie Welch Award. This award, named after the former undergraduate coordinator in biomedical engineering, recognizes a Hajim School faculty or staff member “whose performance and dedication enriches the student experience” in the tradition exemplified by Dottie during her 25-plus years of service. Seniors received an email last Wednesday, March 20, that they can respond to with the name of the person they would like to nominate and a description of the reason for his or her nomination. Or they can send the same information separately to hajimschool@ur.rochester.edu. Nominations will be accepted through April 17; the winner, selected by a committee, will be announced May 2 at our Design Day.

Students interested in studying abroad or engaging in other international research opportunities, internships, or faculty-led programs this summer and fall can apply for Hajim School International Experience Scholarships ($500). The scholarships help defray such costs as tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance, and international airfare. Applications should be turned in by 5 p.m. April 15, 2019 at the Center for Education Abroad Office 2-161 Dewey Hall. Read more here.

A new group, created just for those with an interest or expertise in sustainability and the environment, was just launched on The Meliora Collective. As the University’s newest digital tool for alumni, students, faculty, and staff, The Meliora Collective fosters professional exploration throughout the various stages of life. Find fellow students and alumni with similar research experience or professional focus, resources for moving to a new city, information on switching careers, and more. The Environment and Sustainability Group is the perfect place to connect with those interested in and devoted to environmental sustainability issues, regardless of major or background. Learn more and join The Collective here.

The spring edition of our Hajim School Rochester Engineering magazine is hot off the press. You can read about:

the stellar job Jim Zavislan has done as our associate dean
the ways the Kearns Center works hand in hand helping us recruit and retain first-generation and underrepresented minority students
how student societies help enrich the Hajim School experience
the Center for Freeform Optics and its first five years
how Real Readers give our students an edge
how the Sykes award creates learning opportunities

The magazine also includes faculty awards and lots of photos, including the awarding of the Nobel Prize to Donna Strickland ’89 of optics.

Students interested in pursuing careers in UI (user interface) and UX (user experience), or simply finding out more about these fields of human-computer interaction, can drop by Rettner 201 at 6 p.m. tomorrow for a UI/UX Concepts Workshop led by Shagun Bose, a junior majoring in computer science and psychology with a studio art minor. She has previously led a UX workshop at UR WIC (Women in Computing) and is also currently working as a UX designer with multiple startups. The workshop, sponsored by Rochester Design, a student-led preprofessional club, will include an explanation of the difference between UI and UX, tips to enter a UX career, design portfolios, and guidelines of how to show off design skills.

A reminder: You can still register for the University Technology Showcase hosted by the Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences and the Center of Excellence in Data Science. The annual event, to be held 1-5 p.m. April 4 at the DoubleTree, 1111 Jefferson Road, highlights research in optics, photonics, biomedical technology, communication and networks, data science and more. A panel discussion at 1 p.m. will feature Julie Gerstenberger, CEO and co-founder of Moondog Labs; Sharon Samjitsingh, co-founder of Health Care Originals; and Michel (Mike) Molaire, CEO and founder of Molecular Glasses. There will also be a poster session. This is a great opportunity for researchers to network with local companies. Register here.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman