February 22, 2012
Our student of the month, Tram Nguyen ’22, second from right, is carrying a challenging course load and is active in numerous campus activities.
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
James C. M. Li, a professor emeritus of mechanical engineering and materials science, is a world-renowned researcher who found a way to produce metallic glass for the first time, and has won just about every award in his field short of a Nobel Prize. At age 95, he is still actively doing research. Last fall he was invited to submit a review article for a special issue of the journal Crystals, which covers all aspects of crystalline material research. James collaborated with one of his former PhD students, Fuqian Yang ’91MS ’95PhD, now a professor at the University of Kentucky, on an article on the rafting behavior in nickel-based superalloys, which are key materials used in aircraft turbine blades.
“Professor Li is still actively doing research in collaboration with many researchers,” says CC Chau ‘76MS ‘80PhD, another of James’ former students who is now research and development director for Rainbow Package Industrial, a plastic film company. “In addition to providing inputs and ideas, he often does his own work to address topics in materials science. At 96 years old in April and still tirelessly focusing on research, he is truly a role model.” Quite impressive!
Congratulations as well to:
- Ranga Dias, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, who continues to receive well-earned recognition for his lab’s groundbreaking work in superconducting materials. He has been selected for 2021 TIME100 Next, TIME magazine’s annual list of 100 individuals who are shaping the future of their fields and defining the next generation of leadership. He is among 19 leaders selected for the “Innovators” category of the list. Read more here.
- Astrid Mueller, assistant professor of chemical engineering, whose article, “Selective CO2 reduction towards a single upgraded product: a minireview on multi-elemental copper-free electrocatalysts,” was extremely well received and highlighted as an editor’s choice last month by the journal Catalysis Science & Technology.
- Terry Kessler, senior research engineer and diversity manager at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, who was awarded the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) Distinguished Service Award for his long and meritorious service. He has served as Secretary of the International Committee on Ultrahigh Intensity Lasers (ICUIL), the WG7 working group, for fourteen years. The IUPAP has stimulated and promoted international cooperation in physics for almost 100 years.
STUDENT OF THE MONTH
Tram Nguyen ’22, doesn’t do anything halfway! After we reported on her string of successes in various hackathons, we talked to Tram about her other activities. In addition to carrying a challenging course load as a dual major in biomedical engineering and economics—with minors in chemical engineering and environmental engineering as well--Nguyen is engaged in numerous campus activities. These range from serving as president of UR Makers and UR Kendo, a martial arts group, to being a team leader for combat robotics. Nguyen, who is from Vietnam, has gained invaluable research experiences, including work in the lab of Danielle Benoit, professor of biomedical engineering and director of the Materials Science Program. Ultimately, Nguyen says, her goal is to be an innovator like Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, who has a knack for “coming up with crazy ideas and making them work.” Read more here.
FOR STUDENTS
Interested in going to graduate school, but not sure where to start? Join admissions counselor Michelle Rubado for a graduate school information session this Friday, February 26 from 1-2 p.m. EST. Michelle will share an overview of the graduate admissions process and the programs available at the Hajim School. She will also share some helpful tips for completing any graduate program application. You can join this meeting on Zoom. Meeting ID: 935 2740 3484.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Be sure check out the Black History Month Panel Discussion being hosted by our Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering from 1-2 p.m. EST this Friday, February 26. Entitled “Experiences and Accomplishments of African Americans in Academia, Industry, and Research,” it features Marvin Doyley, professor and chair of the department; Kelly Nash, professor and associate dean for faculty affairs at University of Texas/San Antonio; Cynthia Lester, associate dean, Division of Math and Computer Science, Georgia State University; Francis Smith ’19 PhD, an electrical engineering alumnus, now hardware engineer at Cisco Systems, Inc., and Richard Afoakwa, a PhD candidate in electrical and computer engineering here. The zoom link is: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/92379560469?pwd=MXlrWC9ZMS92OXpQbTR4aUpxVEhKdz09
Shawn Rochester ’97, a chemical engineering alumnus and member of the Hajim School Visiting Committee, is among the Black History Makers featured at Amazon’s website during Black History Month. Shawn, the co-founder and CEO of Good Steward LLC, is author of Black Tax: The Cost of Being Black in America, which documents the staggering, pervasive tax driven by conscious and unconscious anti-Black bias that has prevented and continues to prevent Black Americans from accumulating wealth in proportion to their contributions and population. He has also written a second book on personal financial management called, CPR for the SOuL: How to Give Yourself a 20% Raise, Eliminate Your Debt, and Leave an Inheritance for Your Children’s Children, targeted to African Americans.
DATA SCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES
The Data Science Spring 2021 Speaker Series, sponsored by Goergen Institute for Data Science, presents free, virtual research talks given by faculty and research leaders. All talks are on Fridays from 2-3 p.m.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
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