September 8, 2020
This month’s outstanding student is Ethan Fahnestock ’21, an interdepartmental engineering and physics dual major, shown here in the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of Thomas Howard, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
Another week under our belt! Despite glitches here and there we’ve adapted well to the constraints imposed by COVID-19. We’re employing various combinations of remote, hybrid, and in person instruction. And we are doing it safely. We’re socially distancing, wearing masks, and being considerate of others. My deepest thanks to all of you!
Here is another example of the exciting research being done at the Hajim School.
Photonic integrated circuits that use light instead of electricity for computing and signal processing promise greater speed, increased bandwidth, and greater energy efficiency than traditional circuits using electricity. But they’re not yet small enough to compete in computing and other applications where electric circuits continue to reign.
The lab of Qiang Lin, professor of electrical and computer engineering, has taken a major step in addressing this problem. In Nature Communications, the lab describes using a thin film of lithium niobate bonded on a silicon dioxide layer to create not only the smallest electro-optical modulator yet, but also one that operates at high speed and is energy efficient. The modulator is a key component of a photonics-based chip, controlling how light moves through its circuits.
This “paves a crucial foundation for realizing large-scale LN photonic integrated circuits that can have broad applications in data communication, microwave photonics, and quantum photonics,” writes lead author Mingxiao Li, a graduate student in Lin’s lab. This is exciting work. Well done! Read more here.
This month’s outstanding student, Ethan Fahnestock ’21, credits LEGOS for sparking his interest in “tinkering with things” as a child. Now he’s recipient of a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship and has taken full advantage of our University’s open curriculum to design his own interdepartmental engineering degree and to complete a physics major as well. His interdepartmental engineering program includes courses across computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. Ethan has also played an active role in the Baja-SAE team. And he’s found his passion doing research in the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of Thomas Howard, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. The lab is a high ceilinged, inviting space that is home to an array of unmanned vehicles, robot manipulators, and small humanoids. Read more here.
Congratulations to these Hajim School faculty members who have been promoted this year.
To professor:
Mujdat Cetin, electrical and computer engineering
Hanan Dery, electrical and computer engineering
Qiang Lin, electrical and computer engineering
Daniel Stefankovic, computer science
Hui Wu, electrical and computer engineering
To associate professor:
Hussein Aluie, mechanical engineering
Ajay Anand, data science
John Criswell, computer science
Zhiyao Duan, electrical and computer engineering
Ehsan Hoque, computer science
Gonzalo Mateos, electrical and computer engineering
Wyatt Tenhaeff, chemical engineering
These are important milestones that reflect a faculty member’s dedication to teaching, research, and service. I am proud of each of these faculty members, and grateful for all they contribute to our school.
Students, are you interested in a quiet study location, where you can also receive peer support in planning effective study sessions? You might want to enroll in the Study Zone, located within the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Students commit to spending at least three hours a week. This can include in-person, socially distanced hours in the physical space, remote hours in the Virtual Study Zone Zoom room, and 15-minute accountability appointments to fit any schedule or time zone. The Study Zone will open this Sunday, September 13, and enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis. Enroll online.
Students can also get acquainted with StudioX, our new AR/VR learning and research space, through some fun remote learning activities this month. At 4 p.m., tomorrow, for example, you can create a 3D animal with Blender, or the following week create your dream campus with Unity. You can even dodge zombies and fly through the Eastman Quad on Sept. 30. Check it out here.
And here’s yet another opportunity for students: Would you like to help educate the campus community on healthy behaviors, promote safe practices, and help ensure adherence to the new regulations during this pandemic? Check the University Health Service (UHS) website to learn more about becoming a Public Health Ambassador. The program is open to all full-time undergraduate and graduate students. Interested students are asked to complete a brief application by next Monday, September 14. If you have questions, email ldudman@uhs.rochester.edu.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
