April 26, 2021

The Department of Chemical Engineering has been “such a great place to grow” as a scholar and researcher, says Claire Wilson, ’21.

Dear members of the Hajim School Community,

We are excited to be able to offer our graduating students an in-person commencement this year.  Due to current COVID-19 gathering limits, only graduating students may participate in-person in commencement activities planned for the Class of 2021. All ceremonies will be live-streamed for students unable to attend in person, as well as for parents, family members, and other guests.

GRADUATING SENIORS, please note: Historically, Hajim seniors have attended two ceremonies – one large ceremony with all 1,400 graduates in the College where your degree is conferred, and a ceremony just for Hajim School students where you are recognized individually.

We invite you to participate in the Hajim School Diploma Ceremony, which is planned for Saturday, May 22. With limitations on gathering sizes, the exact time of your ceremony is based on your major:

• 9 a.m. EDT for AME, ECE, ME, OPE, and OPT
• 11 a.m. EDT for BME, CHE, ES, and IDE
• 1 p.m. EDT for CSC

Due to COVID guidelines, you must register in advance in order to participate. Please fill out this registration form by this Friday, April 30, letting our office know how you intend to participate in the ceremony.

Details about the College conferral ceremony will be communicated to you by Event and Classroom Management.

MASTER’S STUDENTS: Commencement ceremonies will be held between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Saturday, May 22 at Kodak Hall in Eastman Theatre.  You can expect to hear by May 12 the exact time for your ceremony. In the meantime, you must register by this Friday April 30 at https://2021-ase-and-smd-masters-ceremony.eventbrite.com.  The password is 2021MASTERS. If you plan to attend, you must order regalia at WWW.TINYURL.COM/URGRAD2021, also by April 30.

PHD STUDENTS: Two Commencement ceremonies will be held between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Friday, May 21, at Kodak Hall in Eastman Theatre. You can expect to hear by May 12 the exact time for your ceremony. In the meantime, you must register by this Friday, April 30, at https://ur_doctoral_degree_2021.eventbrite.com. The password is 2021DOC.

For questions about Commencement weekend, the University’s main webpage has information, including an FAQ. The Hajim Commencement webpage will also be updated as more details are available.

OUTSTANDING STUDENT

“I truly believe that college is what you make of it,” says Claire Wilson ’21 of chemical engineering, this month’s Outstanding Student. Claire has certainly made the most of her undergraduate experience at the University. But she had to make an adjustment early on for that to happen. “I’m a naturally laid-back person,” she explains, “and this characteristic made it hard for me to get involved when I entered college. I regretted not branching out more during freshman year.” So, she changed her mindset. For example, as a sophomore, Claire started participating in club water polo, despite no previous experience. She joined the Computational Fluid Dynamics research group of David Foster, associate professor of chemical engineering. In both instances, she was welcomed to close-knit groups that gave her opportunities to make new friends and learn from supportive peers. And this has made Claire’s college experience “so exciting and rewarding,” she says. Claire received the Donald F. Othmer Sophomore Academic Excellence Award and the Albert K. Ackoff Award. No wonder David describes Claire as “a clear standout amongst students.” Read more here.

THREE MINUTE THESIS

Congratulations to Jeffrey Beard, a biomedical engineering PhD candidate, who won both first place and the people’s choice award in this year’s virtual Three Minute Thesis Competition, which tests the ability of PhD students and postdocs to summarize their research not only succinctly, but in language a general audience can understand. Jeffrey, who is part of the research lab of Benjamin Miller, spent two combat tours in Iraq, bringing him face to face with “reproachful disparities” between the United States and developing countries. Now he is helping to confront one of those disparities by developing a more affordable way to monitor the condition of 25 million people living with HIV in resource-limited countries. Read more here to understand why a swarm of ants is a wonderful analogy for the molecular probes in the device he is developing. Well done, Jeffrey!

STUDENT AWARDS

At this time of year, in particular, the excellence of our student body becomes abundantly clear in a multitude of awards.

For example, four of our sophomores were recently honored with the Suzanne J. O’Brien Book Award, which recognizes students who excel academically and in leadership roles in their first year at the College. They are:

• Nicholas Achuthan, optics, from Chicago, IL. Nicholas is a graduate of the Latin School of Chicago where he was active in the Multiracial Studies Club, in several music ensembles including the school’s wind ensemble, as well as the co-founder of the Chamber Music Club. Nicholas also played on the tennis team and outside of school, he taught piano. On campus, Nicholas is part of a research group in the Institute of Optics, serves as a workshop leader, plays club tennis, and is a devoted musician. His nominators have praised his leadership, his academic skills, and his humanistic values.
• Valerie Battista, computer science, from Columbia, MD. Valerie is a graduate of Wilde Lake High School where she was a two-sport athlete in volleyball and tennis, participated in spring musicals and was a member of her school’s math team and chamber choir. While in high school she was selected to sing in several regional and state-wide choruses, which she describes as a highlight of her high school years. At our University, Valerie plays the carillon and is a member of the University’s Chamber Singers and Women’s Chorus. She is active in the Ski & Snowboard Club and in Peers for Animal Wellness and Safety.
• Katherine Broun, biomedical engineering, from Wallingford, CT. Katie is a graduate of the Hopkins School in New Haven, where she served as president of her school’s concert choir, participated in science research, was an editor for the school newspaper, captained her school’s water polo team, and sang in school musicals. On our campus, Katie sings with Vocal Point and the Women’s Chorus and continues her passion for water polo by playing on our intramural water polo team. This year she was a teaching assistant for BME 101. Her nominator describes her as a perpetually upbeat and happy person who is both sincere and caring.
• Humfrey Kimanya, mechanical engineering, from Arusha, Tanzania. Humfrey is a graduate of Kibaha Secondary School where he participated in science research, was an active community service volunteer, played volleyball, tutored his peers, and was active in his religious community. At the University, Humfrey is involved in the Baja Club and the Pan African Student Association. This semester he is a teaching assistant in ME 120. His nominator noted that in his role as a TA, Humfrey is patient and thoughtful, works hard to make the students in class interested, and helps make complicated material approachable.

And congratulations to these Hajim students who received awards at the recent Undergraduate Research Expo.

• Margaret Flaum ’22 of optical engineering received the President’s Award for the top oral presentation in engineering and math. Her presentation was: Using Holography to Measure Freeform Optics.
• Mimi Jung ’22 and Leonor Teles ’21, both of biomedical engineering, received the Dean’s Award for being selected for a symposium presentation. Mimi’s presentation was: Computational Model for Epithelial Cell Reintegration. Leonor’s presentation was: Comparison of Steady and Transient Flow in Carotid Artery CFD Simulations.
• Kexin Li ’22 of biomedical engineering received a Professor’s Choice Award for her Poster Fair presentation: Decoding “Cocktail Party” Attention using Brain Responses to Relative Pitch.

Visit the Expo’s poster session website to see this year’s submissions from across the University, including the work of 15 of our Grand Challenges Scholars. Read more here.

NOTEWORTHY SPEAKER

Please set aside 5-6 p.m. this evening for a Zoom event featuring Rana el Kaliouby, a noted scientist, entrepreneur, and author, who will talk about her personal journey from Egypt to the US on a mission to bring emotional intelligence to our digital world. Rana is the co-founder and CEO of Affectiva, an MIT Media Lab spinoff credited with creating the category of artificial emotional intelligence, or Emotion AI. The event will feature a fireside chat-style talk follow by a moderated Q&A session. The Zoom link is https://rochester.zoom.us/j/92338802970. The first 100 students who register will get free copies of Rana’s memoir, Girl Decoded: A Scientist’s Quest to Reclaim Our Humanity by Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology. Thanks to our SWE, Wic-Mic, and CSUG student chapters and the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship for making this event possible.

FOR STUDENTS

Are you an undergraduate science or engineering major interested in integrating a materials focus as part of your training? The minor in materials science will complement your major program of study by giving you a fundamental understanding of materials processing and structure-property relationships. Nearly 50 courses are available, spanning various math, science, and engineering disciplines. This gives students pursuing this minor the flexibility to customize the courses they take to best suit their particular area of focus, in consultation with a Materials Science Program faculty advisor. Contact Professor Lambropoulos or Sarah Weise for more information about Materials Science minor requirements.

REMINDER

I encourage all of our faculty, staff, students, prospective students, parents, alumni, and friends to join me for my virtual State of the School Address from 10 to 11 a.m. EDT this Wednesday, April 28. I will speak for about 30-40 minutes and then answer questions for the remaining time. I sincerely hope you can join me! Please click here to register.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman

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