October 18, 2021

This month’s outstanding student, Muhammed El-Sayed ’22 of electrical and computer engineering, is one of three Karp Library Fellows who will help River Campus Libraries develop programs and outreach for Studio X this year.

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

The return of SPIE’s Optifab conference to Rochester this week is a testament to the importance of the optical manufacturing that occurs in our region. Of 127 companies exhibiting, 30 are from the Rochester/Finger Lakes region.

Moreover, the roster of principal speakers at the conference reflects the crucial role The Institute of Optics plays in training key leaders in the field. For example:

  • Jessica DeGroote Nelson of Optimax, ’02 ’04 (MS) ’07 (PhD) ’13 (MBA), an Institute faculty member and member of our Hajim School Visiting Committee, and Blair Unger ’10 (PhD) of N2 Imaging Systems are co-chairs of the conference.
  • Daniel Nikolov ’16 (MS) ’20 (PhD), an optical engineer in the lab of Jannick Rolland, the Brian J. Thompson Professor of Optical Engineering and director of the Center for Freeform Optics, will lead a plenary session on how the convergence of freeform optics and metasurfaces led to the recent development of “metaforms.” Be sure to check out this excellent video describing the Center’s groundbreaking work in this area.
  • Alexis Vogt ’00 ’08 (PhD), endowed chair and professor of optics at Monroe Community College, is a national leader in developing apprenticeship programs to address workforce shortages. She will moderate a panel discussion on that topic.
  • Joseph Howard ’97 (MS) ’00 (PhD), the lead optical designer of the Webb Space Telescope at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and David Aikens ’83 ’84 (MS), founder of Savvy Optics — along with Jessica–will teach the bulk of the training classes at the conference.
  • Our Institute of Optics SPIE student chapter will host “Photon Game” demos for conference attendees and exhibitors. Read more.

The conference is a great opportunity for students and faculty to network with companies and catch up on the latest trends.

So is the fall meeting of the Institute’s Industrial Associates, which will round out a very busy week for optics this Wednesday through Friday at a new location–the Hyatt Regency Rochester.

ALUMNI NEWS

Speaking of optics, Institute alumna Christy Sheehy ’07 ‘10 (MS), has been selected for the latest cohort of  NASDAQ’s 2021 Milestone Makers, a group of early-to-mid stage founders selected to receive individualized business mentoring, coaching, training, and resources to help their companies meet some of the world’s biggest problems. Christy, who earned a PhD in vision science/physiological optics at the University of California at Berkeley, is the co-founder and CEO of C. Light Technologies, Inc., a neurotech and AI company that has created a 10-second retinal eye-tracking test to map neurodegeneration and therapeutic efficacy. In just 10 seconds, C. Light can create an objective and non-invasive fingerprint of your neurological health. Congratulations, Christy, on the remarkable technology you’ve developed and the support you’ll be getting to help your company grow. Read more.

OUTSTANDING STUDENT

Studio X, a newly opened space in the Carlson Science and Engineering Library, will be a great place for our students and faculty to explore, collaborate, and engage in peer-to-peer tutoring in the latest extended reality (XR) technologies. This month’s outstanding student, Muhammed El-Sayed ’22 of electrical and computer engineering, will play an important role in making that happen. He is one of three 2021 student Karp Library Fellows who will help River Campus Libraries develop programs and outreach for Studio X.

Muhammed was born in the United States, but moved to Egypt, the home country of his parents, where he attended high school. His tendency to “jump headfirst” into new experiences has served him well at our University. A digital history class he took, to fill out his schedule, led him to become a research assistant with Michael Jarvis, professor of history; then a student developer in the Digital Scholarship Lab, and now a Karp Library Fellow. “He’s an excellent teacher and is constantly coming up with creative ways to get his peers excited about XR,” says Emily Sherwood, director of digital scholarship and Studio X. “He’s played a central role in getting the word out about Studio X.” Read more.

BAJA SAE UPDATE

New members of our Baja SAE student team got some great experience at the inaugural OktoBAJAfest at Clarkson University two weekends ago, where teams from 25 universities gathered to test the off-road vehicles they design and build. “This is considered a training event and gives students an opportunity to compete without the high stakes pressure of the spring events,” says Chris Muir, professor of mechanical engineering and the Baja faculty advisor. “Generally, the more experienced students will step back and let the new members get as much practice as possible driving, working on the car, and managing the process.” Seven new members from across the University were able to drive in different events, which included hill climb, obstacle course, acceleration, and 4-hour endurance race. “The course got the best of the car a few times, but the team was always able to repair it and finished the endurance event running under the checkered flag,” Chris says.

LEARN ABOUT OUR MAJORS

A reminder to students who are still undecided about which Hajim School major is best for you: Faculty from each of our majors are giving presentations as part of our Full Spectrum series to help you decide. This week’s presentation:

Biomedical Engineering with Amy Lerner, associate professor. 2 p.m. this Friday, October 22. Zoom link: https://rochester.zoom.us/j/95768460266

Have great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
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