November 16, 2020

We are proud to recognize these engineering alumnae who have made notable contributions in their fields and have been role models for women. Left to right: Joan Ewing, Jeanine Hayes, Sharon Hoffman-Manning, Susan Houde-Walter, and Diana Nyyssonen.

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

In recent days colorful Celebration 2020 banners have appeared along Wilson Boulevard on the River Campus, honoring some extraordinary women with Rochester roots for their important contributions to equity and inclusion and for their impact on our institution and the city of Rochester. Banners will also be installed outside the Medical Center.

As part of Celebration 2020, the Hajim School is also highlighting remarkable alumnae and women faculty and staff members who have made noteworthy contributions to engineering and computer science. Today, we are proud to recognize these alumnae:

• Joan Ewing ’67M ’73PhD was the first woman PhD graduate in engineering at Rochester.  She was a principal scientist at Xerox where, as a researcher of electrical properties and materials, she was awarded 24 patents, mostly related to image reproduction.  Hard-of-hearing since childhood, Joan was an advocate for hearing disabled persons. In 2000, Joan became the first woman to receive a distinguished alumnae award from our School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
• Jeanine Hayes ’92, another Hajim School Distinguished Alumnae recipient, has thrived at leading teams and scaling innovative ideas at Internet start-ups and iconic global companies, such as Yahoo! and NIKE. Her optics degree taught her critical thinking and problem-solving skills; participation in varsity soccer and track taught her discipline, the importance of teamwork, and how to “manage set-backs and keep going;” and her grandmother instilled in her the importance of education, determination, and believing that “there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do.” Jeanine serves on our Dean’s Advisory Committee.
• Sharon Hoffman-Manning ’79, a former director of Johnson&Johnson’s global supply chain, has taken advantage of each stop along her educational and career path to learn skills that prepared her for the next. Sharon, a member of our Hajim School Visiting Committee, puts a high priority on helping others. She volunteers in leadership positions for CASA, the nationwide Court Appointed Special Advocate program. Sharon’s advice for women in STEM-related fields: Dare to dream. But also be sure to “tell people about your dream, and it can come true.”
• Susan Houde-Walter ’83 ’87PhD was the first woman tenured faculty member of the Institute of Optics, a former OSA president, and is currently CEO of LMD Power of Light Corp., doing business as LaserMaxDefense. Susan “succeeded at something few ever attempt – pivoting from a liberal arts background to a graduate program in the hard sciences” and “stands as an inspiration and a very long measuring stick for all around her,” says Institute director Scott Carney. She has excelled in both academia and industry, and she serves as an outstanding role model for women.
• Diana Nyyssonen ’75PhD, the first woman PhD graduate at the Institute of Optics, “helped reorient the metrology direction of the semiconductor industry” as a researcher at the National Bureau of Standards, now known as the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST. According to a 2001 NIST special publication, Nyyssonen “showed how optical image simulation modeling could be used as a tool for applying optical microscopes in submicrometer metrology.” In 1984, she was named a fellow of SPIE, which annually presents a Diana Nyyssonen Best Paper Award in Metrology.

Also in keeping with this year’s Celebration 2020, students in Chris Muir’s ME 204 mechanical design course created a large, intricately detailed jigsaw puzzle of Susan B. Anthony as one of their projects. Read more here.

AWARDS

Congratulations to Andrew White, assistant professor of chemical engineering, who is the recipient of the 2020 Young Investigator Award for Modeling and Simulation from the Computational Molecular Science and Engineering Forum of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). This award recognizes outstanding research in computational molecular science and engineering, encompassing both methods and applications. Andrew is certainly a deserving recipient. In addition to a NSF CAREER award in 2018, he has also recently received a five-year, $1.7 million NIH R35 young investigator award – similar to a CAREER award – to apply meta learning to developing therapeutic drugs and new materials with as few experiments as possible.  Andrew will give a lecture on his research this Thursday, November 19 at AIChE’s annual conference, being held virtually. Well done, Andrew!

When the University moved to distance learning last March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many professors worried about teaching online courses. Scott Seidman, professor of biomedical engineering, was ready and willing to help, writes Jim Mandelaro of University Communications. I urge you to read Jim’s profile about Scott, a recipient of the 2020 Goergen Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, to learn more about the many ways Scott has contributed to his department, to our school–and especially to our students.

RESEARCH NEWS

FOR STUDENTS

Eager to work with a team to solve real-world engineering problems? Sign up now for the UR Next Gen Challenge, a one-day think-tank style competition that gives students a chance to solve current industry problems with professionals working in local companies. Up to $1,500 in cash prizes. This year, the Technical Entrepreneurship and Management MS degree program is partnering with the local startup, MicroEra Power. Learn more about the company and its interests in low-carbon energy systems at the kick-off event at 4 p.m. EST this Wednesday, November 18, via Zoom. The full-day virtual competition will be held Friday, December 4, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. The Next Gen Challenge is open to undergrad, graduate, and PhD students pursuing a degree in STEM fields. For more information and to register, contact Kathy Driscoll at kathy.driscoll@rochester.edu by noon on Wednesday, November 18. This will be of special interest to Grand Challenges Scholars pursuing sustainability projects and looking for ways to satisfy the entrepreneurship competency.

Several Hajim School students will compete in the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship’s second annual pitch competition Swarm Starter this Friday, November 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. EST via livestream.  After polished video pitches from student teams and live, rapid-fire Q&A with the judges, the audience and judges will cast their votes in real time. The winner takes the $20,000 top prize. Register online to receive the livestream link. This event is free and open to the public.

Spring registration for Arts, Sciences & Engineering students begins next month. You can now log into UR Student to begin your onboarding activities and see spring course offerings. Visit the UR Student website for guidance on how to build your course “saved” schedule prior to registration.

Since the pre-departure COVID testing plans were announced last Tuesday, University Health Service has been able to expand its testing capabilities by securing rapid test kits. Now, all residential undergraduate students on the River Campus and at the Eastman School of Music will be required to get tested for COVID-19 between now and Wednesday, November 25, before departing from campus for the semester. This new component of UHS’s testing program is an addition to the previously announced optional testing program, which includes graduate students, off-campus undergraduates, and international students with specific testing requirements. Undergraduate residential students need to schedule their testing slot through UHS’s online sign-up sheet. There is no cost for the test.

Despite the recent increase of COVID-19 cases in Monroe County, we are nearing the finish line of a semester like no other in our history–thanks to a remarkable effort by our students, staff, and faculty to comply with the protocols that have kept our incidence of positive cases on campus within acceptable levels.

So please continue to wear those masks, keep a safe distance, wash your hands, and report to Dr. Chat Bot daily if you are coming on campus. Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman