November 15, 2021

First-year students from Marc Porosoff’s CHE 150: Introduction to Sustainable Energy class gathered on the Hajim Quad on a sunny day earlier this semester to begin work on their solar water heater projects. (Photos by J. Adam Fenster/University of Rochester)

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

Chemical engineering alumnus Ed Hajim ’58, financier, philanthropist, chairman emeritus of our Board of Trustees–and chief benefactor of our school–will share stories and lessons from his new book, On the Road Less Traveled: An Unlikely Journey from the Orphanage to the Boardroom, during a virtual Spotlight Speaker Event from noon to 1 p.m. EST this Thursday, sponsored by the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship. Ed’s memoir chronicles his journey from foster homes and orphanages to an accomplished Wall Street executive and family man.

I encourage all of you, and especially our students, to take advantage of this opportunity to hear the incredible insights Ed offers on overcoming hardship and struggle, the value of education, and his experiences as an entrepreneur and a leader in all aspects of life. Students are invited to attend a viewing party in the Gowen Room in Wilson Commons, where lunch will be provided along with a signed copy of Ed’s book. Click here to register.

Here are more examples of how the generosity of Hajim School alumni make a big difference for our students:

SYKES AWARD

Wadsworth Sykes, a 1920 mechanical engineering alumnus, was an engineer for RG&E before he founded a pipeline construction company. Wadsworth, who died in 1995, remained actively engaged with his alma mater. Each year, the engineering award named in his honor provides funding that enables faculty members to improve their classes, labs, and other learning experiences for students in significant ways.

A wonderful example has occurred this summer and fall in Marc Porosoff’s introductory course, CHE 150: Introduction to Sustainable Energy. A $15,000 Sykes award enabled the assistant professor of chemical engineering and two of his teaching assistants–Levi Sunday-Lefkowitz ’22 and Peri Fogel ’24–to completely “reimagine” the way the course is delivered. The award paid for:

  • The two teaching assistants to serve as Sykes interns during the summer.
  • The supplies they needed to build a photovoltaic array for an in-class solar energy demonstration.
  • A $75 budget and a commercial solar water heating kettle for each of eight teams of 3-4 students to either improve the efficiency of the kettles, or design and built their own solar hot water heaters.

Judging from student comments, Wadsworth Sykes would be proud indeed.

First-year student Julia Kubes says the class “has made me really excited to learn more about what I can do with my degree. One of my interests going into college was to go into a field that helps the environment and CHE 150 has taught me a lot about different energy sources and a look into reducing CO2 emissions.” “ChE 150 is the best possible introductory class for the subject,” concurs Szymon Kuzniar. And Justin Landis says he would recommend the class to any prospective engineering student “or any UR student in general. This course combines physics, math, and chemistry to quantify and understand sustainable energy and its uses.” Well done Marc, Levi and Peri! Read more.

EISENBERG SYMPOSIUM

If you have a chance, drop by 1400 Wegmans Hall this Friday from 5-7 p.m. for a poster session showcasing the exciting research that was done this past summer by the Department of Chemical Engineering’s undergraduate Eisenberg Summer Research Fellows. You can also join the department in celebrating this year’s Young Alumni Achievement Award recipient.

The Eisenberg Summer Research Fellowship is supported by a generous gift from the late Richard Eisenberg ’45 ’48 (MS) and Harriet Rippey Eisenberg. Richard was a distinguished professor of metallurgical engineering for nearly 50 years. Selected undergraduates in the Department of Chemical Engineering participate in a hands-on experience each summer before their junior or senior years, working with faculty members on research projects, and applying the engineering principles they’ve learned in the classroom. And so, much like the Sykes fund, this too is a gift that improves learning experiences for students in significant ways.

This year’s Eisenberg fellows are:

  • Hailey Baker ’22: “CFD Investigation of Fluid Penetration in Porous Enzyme Immobilizing Scaffolds.” Mentor: Professor David Foster.
  • Aminatou Bako Bagassa ’22: “Platinum catalyst removal from organosilicon polymers synthesized by hydrosilylation.” Mentor: Professor Matt Yates.
  • Mauricio Araiza Canizales ’22: “CFD user‐defined function to better classify patients with stroke.” Mentor: Professor David Foster.
  • Omolade Fasusi ’22, Kendra Watson ‘22, and Brian Yegela ‘22 (T5): “Carbon Fiber Paper Working Electrodes for CO2 Reduction Electrocatalysis.” Mentor: Professor Astrid Mueller.
  • Joseph Frye ‘22: “Design of an Open Source, Automated Drop‐Casting Device to Dispense Nanoliter‐Droplet Arrays.” Mentor: Professor Matt Yates.
  • Saurabh Joshi ‘22: “CFD and PBM to Understand Complexities of Latex Particle Aggregation in Mixing Tanks.” Mentor: Professor David Foster.
  • Samuel Meil ‘23: “Investigating the Viability of RuCo Single Atom Alloy Catalysts for use in Selective Fischer Tropsch Synthesis.” Mentor: Professor Marc Porosoff.
  • Shannon Murty ‘22: “Development and Printing of a Boronic Acid‐Containing Siloxane Polymer.” Mentor: Professor Matt Yates.
  • Brittany Pitt ‘22: “A Systematic Study of the Impact of Charge Capacity and Current Density on the Reported Coulombic Efficiency of Lithium‐Copper Batteries.” Mentor: Professor Wyatt Tenhaeff.
  • Lauren Redus ’23: “Carotid Artery CFD Simulations to Predict Stroke.” Mentor: Professor David Foster.
  • Jeremy Rivkin, ’22: “Next‐generation high refractive index polymer thin films.” Mentor: Professor Wyatt Tenhaeff.
  • Daphna Yaffe ‘22: “Tungsten Carbide as a Potential Catalyst for Reverse Water Gas Shift Reaction.” Mentor: Professor Marc Porosoff.
  • Quinn Yu ‘23: “CFD Investigations of Industrial Mixing in the Transition Region.” Mentor: Professor David Foster.

The annual Young Alumni Achievement Award recognizes chemical engineering graduates within the last 15 years for service to society, professional and technical accomplishments, and demonstrated leadership. Chad Hunter ’12 is currently the CEO and Co-founder of Carbon Insights, a company building cloud-based software services to help empower individuals and small businesses to understand, reduce, and offset their environmental impact. Previously, Chad was a team lead at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Center for Integrated Mobility Sciences, an EDF Climate Corps fellow at Bird, and an operations analyst and process engineer at ExxonMobil. Chad also worked at BP and Novartis through MIT’s Master’s in Chemical Engineering Practice program. He received his MBA from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2019. Chad is also an active mentor in our Real Reader program and serves on the Department of Chemical Engineering Advisory Board. Thanks, Chad, for your continuing contributions to the department and our students!

We need more Hajim School alumni to follow Chad’s example, by volunteering to serve as Real Readers next spring. Here’s a video with more details. Please contact Michelle Marks-Hook by December 31 if you would like to apply.

THINK-TANK COMPETITION

Students, are you eager to work with a team to solve real-world engineering problems? Sign up now for the UR Next Gen Challenge, a one-day think-tank style competition giving students the chance to solve current industry problems with professionals working in local companies. Up to $1,500 in cash prizes will be awarded.

This year, the Technical Entrepreneurship and Management (TEAM) master’s degree program is partnering with Meltek. Learn more about the company at the kick-off event at 4 p.m. EST this Wednesday, November 17, via Zoom at
https://rochester.zoom.us/j/93381853363

The full-day virtual competition will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, Friday, December 3. The Next Gen Challenge is open to undergrad, graduate, and PhD students pursuing a degree in STEM fields. For more information and to register, contact Rebecca Crocker at rebecca.crocker@rochester.edu by noon on Tuesday, November 30.

The TEAM master’s program is tailored to students and professionals seeking to advance their careers in the industries of engineering and business. Interested in learning more? Join a virtual information session about TEAM at 7 p.m. this Thursday, November 18 at https://rochester.zoom.us/j/92285464196

STATE OF THE SCHOOL

In case you missed my recent virtual State of the School address, a video is now available. I welcome your feedback!

WATCH FOR ROCHESTER ENGINEERING

Please watch this Wednesday morning for our Rochester Engineering magazine to arrive in your email, with more on the latest Hajim School news and updates from recent months. The magazine includes a story about the multiple contributions of our alumni, faculty, and students to the James Webb Space Telescope, leadership changes and new faculty members, how we are celebrating Lisa Norwood’s legacy with a new Endowment Fund in her name, and a message about why this is such an opportune time for us to take a fresh look at how we do business.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
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