December 7, 2020
Graph shows how the numbers of women receiving undergraduate degrees in engineering and computer science at Rochester have increased. Student chapters such as the Society of Women Engineers and Women in Computing/Minorities in Computing have helped build a pipeline to inspire young women to pursue studies and careers in STEM.
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
Today we wrap up our Celebration 2020 look at the role of women in advancing engineering and computer science at the University of Rochester by recognizing the important role played by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Women in Computing/Minorities in Computing (WiC/MiC). These student chapters have not only provided support and guidance for women students on our campus, but have worked actively to reach out to young girls in local middle schools and even elementary grades to encourage them to pursue STEM. Read more here.
Efforts like these are helping us reverse the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields. I hope our year-long look at the achievements of more than 30 alumnae, faculty, staff, and friends will sharpen our awareness of what we forfeit as a society as long as women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields.
As the chart above shows, we have dramatically increased the number of women receiving undergraduate degrees in engineering and computer science in recent years. But we still have work to do to reach true gender equity. Read more here.
Three of the women we have profiled this year–Louise Slaughter, Donna Strickland ’89 PhD, and Alexis Vogt ’00 ’08 PhD–are also among 200 women visionaries, trailblazers, inventors, activists, and entrepreneurs who are highlighted in a Rochester Museum & Science Center exhibit called The Changemakers: Rochester Women Who Changed the World. The exhibit will continue into spring. Read more here.
CONGRATULATIONS TO . . .
Juvenal Ormachea ’16 MS ’19PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Kevin Parker’s lab in electrical and computer engineering, who has been selected by MIT Technology Review for its list of top “35 innovators under 35” for Latin America. Juvenal has created a non-invasive method to detect cancer and liver diseases such as cirrhosis, based on medical ultrasound images generated using ultrasound scanners.
RESEARCH NEWS
Continuing our look at recent research funding received by Hajim School faculty members, which illustrates the depth and breadth of research being done at our school:
“Dark proteome” refers to proteins that have no defined three-dimensional structure, and hence are little understood, much like “dark matter” in astrophysics. And yet these “intrinsically disordered proteins” play a critical role in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and also in cancer. Because they cannot be crystallized in a lab with traditional methods, they defy efforts to develop molecules that could bind to and disable them.
This is one of the exciting application areas for a unique approach being developed by the lab of Andrew White, assistant professor of chemical engineering, to use meta learning to reduce the number of experiments required to develop models that could help engineer new drugs and materials in research areas where data is scarce.
Validation that Andrew’s lab is onto something promising is the recent, five-year, $1.7 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) R35 young investigator award he has received to fund his research in this area. An R35 is similar to the NSF CAREER award, which Andrew also received in 2018 to study the use of course gain modeling with machine learning to predict the physics of molecular interactions.
The R35 award will enable Andrew to devote more time to research and also fund a postdoctoral researcher in his lab and three PhD students. Combined with the CAREER award, this new award puts Andrew on solid footing to continue truly cutting-edge research for years to come. Congratulations, Andrew.
FOR STUDENTS
Reminder: Courses will now be offered in the College’s new Winter Session term, taking place January 11–29. Students can enroll in up to two courses, for a maximum of three credits, and can do so via UR Student during the registration period beginning today, December 7. Winter Session can be an option to help students spread out their academic plans or take the three-week period to learn a new skill. Students are encouraged to work with their advisor to discuss winter session options. View information on course offerings, tuition, registration, and important policies and deadlines.
Seniors, to ensure we have accurate records of your current academic progress, please review the degree audit as explained in a recent email from the Registrar’s Office. Because the academic progress assessment tool in UR Student is brand new, there probably will be some glitches. But do not worry! The Registrar’s Office, academic departments and College Center for Advising Services are prepared to answer your questions to ensure you are prepared to register for spring courses and are on track for graduation. For questions regarding understanding academic progress in UR Student send an email to ASEdegreeaudit@rochester.edu.
The University Counseling Center continues to operate remotely and is available for all full-time students by calling (585) 275-3113. Whether you are in Rochester or elsewhere, all students are able to meet with a therapist for an initial assessment and obtain assistance with getting connected to services that you need. You can also stay up-to-date on drop-in group offerings; there is no appointment necessary to attend.
ALUMNAE NEWS
Dennis O’Donnell and his colleagues at the Athletic Department have posted the latest in a series in which University scholar-athlete alumni recount why they chose to attend Rochester and their favorite memories. Read more here for memories from former women’s varsity volleyball players including Janice Vanselow ’82 and Liz Loveless Watson ’05, both of chemical engineering.
Have a great week,
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
