March 1, 2021

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

Here’s an exciting example of how multidisciplinary collaborations across different departments, schools, and institutes can help us leverage external funding in an extremely competitive environment.

A new collaboration between the Department of Biology, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Institute of Optics, and the Goergen Institute for Data Science (GIDS) has received a $1.2 million grant from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation to develop and build a novel Light-Sheet Microscope that employs freeform optical designs. This will enable faster three-dimensional imaging of complex cellular structures in living samples, while causing less damage to the samples.

The microscope, which will be housed in a shared imaging facility in Goergen Hall, will eventually become a resource for the entire campus research community.

In addition to enabling construction of the microscope, the grant will also fund new methods to collect, analyze, and store the large amounts of data that the microscope will produce. Moreover, the grant will support research projects by Anne Meyer, associate professor of biology; by Dan Bergstralh, assistant professor of biology; and by Jim McGrath, professor of biomedical engineering, and Rick Waugh, professor of biomedical engineering and vice provost for research. Jim and Rick, for example, will study how molecules and cells travel from the bloodstream into surrounding tissue.

Congratulations to the project’s lead principal investigator Michael Welte, chair of biology, and to co-PI’s Scott Carney, director of The Institute of Optics, and Mujdat Cetin, the Robin and Tim Wentworth Director of GIDS. Read more here.

A top priority this year will be to identify signature research strengths that lend themselves to exactly this kind of collaboration for purposes of strategic planning.

AR/VR SEMINAR SERIES

Speaking of signature areas of research for the Hajim School, the field of augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) and its applications are explored by researchers across virtually all of our departments. So The Leaders in Augmented and Virtual Reality seminar series this spring will be of particular interest to our faculty, staff, students, and community. The talks, co-sponsored by the Goergen Institute for Data Science and River Campus Libraries Studio X, are supported by a GIDS NSF funded PhD training program on AR/VR. All talks will be held by Zoom from 10:25-11:40 a.m. EST at this link: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/99954299264

March 8: Yan Xu, UX research scientist, Facebook Reality Labs, AR/VR for UX.
March 15: Chiao Liu, director of research, Facebook Reality Labs, AR/VR Sensing and Computing Technologies.
March 17: Steven Christian, owner of IItopia Studios, Interdisciplinary Problem Solving with Innovation and Emerging Technology.
March 22: Cali Fidopiastis, chief scientist, Design Interactive Inc., AR/VR for Rehabilitation.
March 24: Kaan Aksit, associate professor, University College London, Next Generation Display Technologies for AR/VR.
March 29: Anand Santhanam, associate professor, UCLA Health, Medical Use for AR/VR.
March 31: David Glowacki, Royal Society Senior Research Fellow, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol UK, Virtual Reality Use in Chemistry and Biology.
April 7: Ahmed Ghazi, associate professor, Department of Urology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, AR/VR Applications in Surgical Training.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Chemical engineering alumnus Ed Hajim ’58, former chair and life member of our University’s Board of Trustees and our school’s chief benefactor, will be the River Campus Libraries’ Neilly Author Series Lecturer at noon on March 11. During the zoom presentation, Ed will discuss his recently published memoir, On the Road Less Traveled: An Unlikely Journey from the Orphanage to the Boardroom. Ed’s story is a powerful testament to how young people can overcome the harshest disadvantages — and a reminder of why we must make every effort to welcome students of diverse backgrounds to our campus. It will be my privilege to moderate a discussion with Ed after his talk. Please join us by registering here.

FOR STUDENTS

Juniors, seniors, T5, e5, and graduate students are all invited to a virtual, interactive group presentation on applying for 2022-2023 Fulbright U.S. Student programs from 2-3:30 p.m. EST tomorrow, Tuesday, March 2. During the presentation, students will learn about the types of awards, application components, and tips, and also get their questions answered. Register here.

The deadline for undergraduates in the College to elect up to two courses completed during the fall 2020 semester on the S/F grading policy is today, Monday, March 1. You may use one “S” grade from a course taken S/F in fall 2020 to partially satisfy requirements for a cluster. Additional details of the policy are described here. Please remember that eligibility for Dean’s List is contingent upon the completion of at least 12 credits with standard letter grades. The form to declare the S/F grading option is available here.

STUDENT ATHLETES

Here are more profiles of Hajim School student athletes, featured as part of a series of “How I Got Started” stories about current varsity athletes, written by Dennis O’Donnell, director of Athletic Communications.

James O’Neill ’22 carries a heavy load in his chemical engineering classes and in track & field as well–weight throw, the discus, the shot put, the hammer, and the javelin. Each event requires a specific technique for throwing, James says. Read more here.
Amanda Strenk ’22, also of chemical engineering, is a forward on the women’s field hockey team. Reading her opponents’ feet can help her move the ball downfield. “If they have their feet planted it is easier for me to change speed quickly and get past them.” she says. Read more here.
Damon Yargeau ’22 of mechanical engineering led the football team in rushing his first year. He chose the University, he says, because “I loved that the coaching staff took a genuine interest in not only making me the best football player I can be but also the best student, and the best man I could be.” Read more here.

Have great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman

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