September 30, 2019

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

Sanaa Finley ’23 took part in the Early Connection Opportunity program this summer. As a result, she switched majors before even starting college, writes Jim Mandelaro of University Communications, in a recent Meet the Class of 2023 profile.

“We listened to lectures from professors in the different engineering disciplines, and when a professor from audio and music engineering came in, I realized I didn’t have to give up music in college,” Sanaa says. The Ocean, New Jersey, native got a drum set at age 5 and has played drums ever since. She also developed a strong interest in technology.  “AME combined two things I’m very passionate about,” Sanaa says, “and I couldn’t wait to call my mom and tell her.”

Sanaa’s story says a lot about:

  • the value of the Early Connection Opportunity program, which includes an Engineering Essentials course that helps incoming engineering students decide which major is the best “fit” for them,
  • the opportunities available to our students to explore different subjects thanks to our open curriculum and cluster system,
  • why our AME program is thriving.

By the way, the assistant professor whose presentation persuaded Sanaa to switch her major is Michael Heilemann. Well done, Michael.

Our Grand Challenges Scholars Program is a great opportunity for undergraduates to earn recognition by unifying their classwork, research, global experiences, and entrepreneurial activities under a unifying theme — one of the 14 grand challenges identified by the National Academy of Engineering. Interested? Be sure to attend a networking event from 5:30 to 7 p.m. this Thursday at the iZone, where current and prospective GCS students will be able to meet and talk about projects. Refreshments will be served. RSVP here.

This Thursday also marks the start of Meliora Weekend. The inauguration of Sarah Mangelsdorf as our new president will be the big event. But there will also be plenty of Hajim School-related events:

  • Institute of Optics Open House, noon to 2 p.m. Friday, Munnerlyn Atrium.
  • Guided tour of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. 4:30 to 6 p.m. Friday, LLE front entrance.
  • Biomedical Engineering Alumni Panel Discussion, 4:30 to 6 p.m. Friday, Sloan Auditorium.
  • Eisenberg Symposium poster session for chemical engineering summer research interns. 4:30 to 6 p.m. Friday, Wegmans Hall auditorium.
  • Audio and Music Program Open House including tour of the new sound studio. 4:30 to 6 p.m. Friday, Gavett Hall 305.
  • Biomedical Engineering Department Open House, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 2nd and 3rd floors of Goergen Hall.
  • Department of Chemical Engineering Presentation and Award Ceremony, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, 1400 Wegmans Hall.
  • Department of Computer Science Open House, 4:30 to 6 p.m. Friday, 2nd Floor Atrium, Wegmans Hall.
  • Goergen Institute for Data Science Reception, 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, 1st Floor Atrium, Wegmans Hall.

Also worth noting this weekend:

This year’s Miller’s Court topic — Artificial Intelligence: Are Machines Really Taking Over? — will be of special interest to our students. The panel discussion will be held 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Saturday at Strong Auditorium.

And several entrepreneurial Hajim School students and recent alumni have been selected to pitch their ideas in the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship’s inaugural Swarm Starter, a Shark Tank-inspired pitch competition, taking place 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday in Hoyt Auditorium. Presenting students include:

  • TEAM graduate student Juan Estrella ’18, ’19 (MS), an audio and music engineering alumnus and founder of Brazenhaus, a high-end designer and manufacturer of original and innovative musical instruments;
  • Sara Anis ’20, a biomedical engineering major and co-founder of EZ Water, which will provide cheap, reliable and quality drinking water to 80 million Pakistanis through a hyperlocal network of micropreneurs who use Hollow Fiber Membrane technology to filter, bottle, and distribute water;
  • Ibrahim Mohammad ’17 (BS), a PhD candidate in mechanical engineering, and Omar Soufan ’17, ’18 (MS), an alumnus in biomedical engineering and technical entrepreneurship and management (TEAM), co-founders of Prosthesis for a New Syria, which provides amputees in regions with low healthcare resources with low cost, customizable 3D prosthesis that can help them gain independence;
  • Biomedical engineering alumnus Nicholas Drogo ’19 and computer science major Scott McKinney ’21, of WetWare BioSystems, which uses novel biotechnology to preemptively mitigate neurotrauma resulting from athletic, civilian, and defense-related traumatic brain injuries.

The Hajim community is encouraged to attend as the teams will compete in front of a panel of esteemed judges for a $20,000 cash prize. After quick pitches and a rapid-fire Q&A with the judges, the audience will text message vote in real time. Winner takes all. Register online via the Meliora Weekend website or RSVP on Facebook.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
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