March 15, 2021
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
In line with our focus on improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Hajim School, I strongly urge all members of the Hajim School community, especially students, to register to view the 2020 documentary, Picture a Scientist, and attend a related panel discussion. The documentary examines the critical issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in science, chronicling women scientists who have experienced harassment, implicit gender bias, and entrenched institutional discrimination. It also showcases scientific luminaries who are changing the culture of science and providing new perspectives on how to make it more diverse, equitable, and open to all.
Picture a Scientist will be available for viewing starting tomorrow March 16 through March 30 at your leisure.
The virtual panel discussion, Bridging the Gender Divide in STEM, will be held from 1-2 p.m. ET on Tuesday March 23. The panel, moderated by Gloria Culver ‘94 (PhD), dean of arts and sciences, will include Tara Peña ’19 (MS) of electrical and computer engineering, a first-generation student who is pursuing her PhD in the lab of Stephen Wu. The other panelists are Young-Kee Kim ’90 (PhD), Louis Block Distinguished Service Professor and chair of physics and senior advisor to the provost on Global Scientific Initiatives at the University of Chicago, and Ellen Matson, Wilmot Assistant Professor of Chemistry. Learn more and register here.
CONGRATULATIONS TO . . .
Hussein Aluie, associate professor of mechanical engineering, who has been elected vice chair of the American Physical Society’s Topical Group on the Physics of Climate. Hussein will become chair-elect in 2022, chair in 2023, and past chair in 2024, with varying responsibilities along the way.
The group promotes the advancement of knowledge of paramount importance to our understanding of climate change — the physics, measurement, and modeling of climate processes. Hussein’s leadership in this group is a testament to the important work his lab is doing in the study of complex flows, including analyzing multi-scale processes in the oceanic circulation using data from satellites and models.
FOR SOPHOMORES
Spring semester of the sophomore year is when we encourage you to formally declare your majors. The AS&E Sophomore Committee is sponsoring two live and interactive webinars titled “I’ve Declared My Major (or Maybe I Haven’t!) . . . What’s Next” scheduled for 6-7 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, March 16 and from 3-4 p.m. this Friday, March 19 at this zoom link: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/97973490574. A recording of the webinar will be posted on the Sophomore Committee website after the events.
If you are unable to attend one of the webinars, you can find help in a number of places. Sophomores in the following majors should start in the departments that offer them, by talking to these undergraduate coordinators:
Sophomores in biomedical engineering, however, start the process with their faculty advisors. These undergraduate coordinators and faculty advisors can walk you through the logistics of the curriculum, discuss opportunities for research, and talk about other important topics.
Additional resources are available on the Sophomore Committee website and from the College Center for Advising Services. The major declaration form is available online.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Data science is a critical focus of learning and a top research priority for the Hajim School and our University. Please join me for a virtual panel discussion I will be moderating from noon to 1 p.m. ET Thursday, March 25, on Harnessing the Potential for Big Data in the 21st Century.
Panelists Mujdat Cetin, the Robin and Tim Wentworth Director of the Goergen Institute for Data Science; Michael Hasselberg, senior director for digital health at the Medical Center; and Sevin Yeltekin, dean of the Simon Business School, will discuss how researchers at the University are advancing basic and applied research in data science that have the potential to improve our daily lives, and why it is so important for academic institutions to play a role in this growing field. This event is part of the Huang Speaker Series in Technology and Innovation. Learn more and register here.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
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