February 10, 2020

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

Congratulations to William Renninger, assistant professor of optics. Will has been notified that he will receive a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award and an RO1 research grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Will’s CAREER award will support his research in coupling light waves and acoustic waves for optomechanical applications – such as improving the performance of radio-frequency signal processors in the near term, opening up new possibilities for controlling quantum information in the future, and perhaps even enabling the detection of dark matter.

One goal of his award, for example, is to explore how acoustic waves could improve the filters used for controlling radio-frequency information carried in optical fibers, increasing the resolution of the information transmitted, and the speed and efficiency of doing so. The award also includes funding to create open source access to information for designing and creating advanced laser sources generating femtosecond pulses.

His RO1 grant will enable him to pursue ways of improving three photon imaging — considered one of the most promising techniques for deep brain imaging — in collaboration with Chris Xu, a Cornell University professor of applied and engineering physics, who is one of the pioneers of three-photon imaging. Great work, Will! This is exciting research and yet another example of the great success our young faculty members have had in securing major awards. Read more here.

Chunlei Guo, professor of optics, has another exciting paper out. In Light: Science & Applications, his lab demonstrates how laser etching of metallic surfaces can create the “perfect solar energy absorber.” The surface not only enhances energy absorption from sunlight, but also reduces heat dissipation at other wavelengths, in effect, “making a perfect metallic solar absorber for the first time,” Chunlei says. “We also demonstrate solar energy harnessing with a thermal electric generator device. This will be useful for any thermal solar energy absorber or harvesting device,” particularly in places with abundant sunlight, he adds. Read more here.

A warm welcome to Melodie Lawton, who has joined the Department of Chemical Engineering as an assistant professor (instructional track) and laboratory director. Melodie started her career working at Bausch & Lomb as a process engineer, after earning her BS in chemical engineering from Polytechnic University. She later earned her MS in materials science and engineering at RIT. After seven years of industrial experience in the development of ophthalmic medical devices and manufacturing platforms, she pursued a PhD in bioengineering at Syracuse University. Her doctoral thesis was on shape-memory polymer composites. Following her PhD, Melodie taught Fabrication & Experimental Design, Biotransport, and Biopolymers at Bucknell University as a visiting assistant professor. This semester, Melodie is teaching Chemical Engineering Practice to juniors, and she will also direct the undergraduate labs. Next year, she will teach both chemical engineering senior undergraduate labs and Chemical Process Analysis.

Students: Do you need a headshot for your LinkedIn profile? You can have one taken for free at the UR Photography Club’s LinkedIn Photo Booth from 2-4 p.m., February 17 at the Gowen Room. Thanks to the club for providing this opportunity!

Here are a couple of notes of interest for undergraduates doing research, and for their faculty mentors:

Students are urged to submit an application for the Undergraduate Research Expo by March 1. The expo will take place on Friday, April 17, in the Palestra, Goergen Athletic Center. Students, faculty, staff, family, and friends are welcome to attend.
If you are a faculty member planning to mentor an unpaid undergraduate student this summer, there have been changes to the Discover Grant process for summer undergraduate research funding. The new student application deadline is March 20. Supplemental information from supervisors and recommenders is due March 27. Students conducting unpaid research with a supervisor from a different institution should apply for Summer Internship Funding through the Greene Center.

And here’s a reminder: Wegmans will be at the iZone Forum from 4-7 p.m. today to talk about the Wegmans Flower City ProAm Hackathon. This 24-hour event, to be held March 28 to March 29 at the Wegmans Food Markets Corporate Office in Rochester, aims to draw 300 students (about 75 teams) from universities across western and upstate New York. The students will work with IT pros from companies like Microsoft, Paychex and M&T Bank to address community issues specific to upstate NY. Moreover, students who participate in the hackathon can also fulfill the service or entrepreneurship competencies of the Grand Challenges Scholars Program. Students who can’t attend the info session can learn more here and register here.

Last week I was in Washington, D.C. to both learn and advocate on behalf of topics of immediate concern to the Hajim School and engineering schools across the nation. The occasion was the 3-day Public Policy Colloquium of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Engineering Deans Council, organized by the council’s Public Policy Committee, of which I am a member.

This year’s topic was the engineering and computer science talent America will need by 2050 and the policies that must be adopted now to ensure those needs are met. This was addressed from three perspectives – attracting international talent, promoting an inclusive environment, and workforce employer needs – by experts from the National Science Foundation, Departments of Defense and State, Pew Research Center, Lewis-Burke Associates, the National Academy of Engineering, and members of Congress.

I then had the opportunity to meet with members of our own delegation, including Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer. Amid all the headlines about the impeachment proceedings and the Iowa Caucus, we were able to focus on critical issues in a very productive series of presentations and meetings.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman