November 29, 2021

The lab of Ehsan Hoque is developing computer vision software that can analyze the smiles we make while taking ‘selfies’ of ourselves for early detection of Parkinson’s disease. (Illustration by Julia Joshpe/University of Rochester)

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

A collaboration involving two of our University’s distinguished researchers, Ehsan Hoque, associate professor of computer science, and Ray Dorsey, the David M. Levy Professor of Neurology at the Medical Center, is making exciting progress on detecting Parkinson’s disease.

Consider, for example, the smiles captured by the “selfies” we take of ourselves. Ehsan’s lab has developed computer vision software with algorithms that can detect whether there is less control over the movements of our facial muscles while smiling, a symptom of Parkinson’s that clinicians refer to as “modularity.” Though ethical and technological considerations still need to be addressed, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has agreed to fund this novel research through a $500,000 grant.

In addition, a simple, five-part test of facial expressions, finger movements, and spoken passages developed by the collaborators can be administered by neurologists to patients sitting in front of their computer webcams hundreds of miles away and similarly analyzed. Here, too, further work is needed to differentiate, for example, how the involuntary tremors detected during these tests differ from other, closely-related movement disorders, including Ataxia and Huntington’s.

Nonetheless, this exciting research could be transformative for patients who are quarantined, immobile, or living in underdeveloped areas where access to a neurologist is limited, Ehsan says. Learn more.

CONGRATULATIONS TO . . .

Joseph Eberly, the Andrew Carnegie Professor of Physics and a professor of optics, who has been selected as the 2021 Honorary Member of Optica, the international society for optics and photonics. Honorary membership is the most distinguished member category for the organization previously known as OSA. Joe is being recognized for his pioneering contributions to quantum optics theory and his leadership as a teacher. Learn more.

Jeremy Rivkin ’22 and Kareem Abdelmaqsoud ’22 who were among the poster competition winners at the recent American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) annual meeting held in Boston. Five faculty members and 24 students from our Department of Chemical Engineering attended, as did two biomedical engineering students.

RETIRING PROFESSORS HONORED

James Allen, left, and Jacob Jorne, both distinguished members of our faculty, retired recently.

When Evan Granite ’94 (PhD) is asked by students how to select a PhD advisor, he tells them about his own mentor: Jabob Jorne, who retired this summer, but will remain active as emeritus professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

“They should choose an advisor who gets along well with students and colleagues; gets students out in a reasonable amount of time; is highly productive; and is a good human being—in other words, someone just like Professor Jacob Jorne,” says Evan, a senior technical advisor for US Department of Energy Headquarters and adjunct professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.

Colleagues and students gathered in the Hawkins Carlson Room of Rush Rhees Library recently to pay tribute to Jacob. Their accolades and fond memories ran the gamut, from the important things he has accomplished as a researcher and mentor, to the personal qualities that make him a joy to be around. Learn more.

The Department of Computer Science will host a hybrid day-long mini-symposium on Friday, December 10, in honor of James Allen, an internationally prominent AI researcher and educator who retired from the department after more than 43 years on July 1 but will remain active as an emeritus professor. To celebrate James’ career, the department is hosting a set of accessible, enjoyable talks on artificial intelligence, highlighting the higher-level aspects of machine cognition, in keeping with the tenor of James’ many years of groundbreaking research on collaborative agents that reason and plan while interacting through language.

The speakers include:

• Paul Cohen, professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
• Phil Cohen, chief scientist at Openstream Inc.
• Henry Kautz, division director for Information and Intelligent Systems at the National Science Foundation, professor of computer science, and founding director of the Goergen Institute for Data Science.
• Diane Litman ’82 (MS) ’86 (PhD), professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

Learn more here about James’ impressive achievements, a detailed schedule of the day’s events, and how to register, which you are encouraged to do by this Wednesday, December 1.

UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AWARDS

Applications are now being accepted for the next round of University Research Awards, which provide seed money for innovative research projects.  Applications are sought from faculty across the University, and funding is awarded to recipients who demonstrate that their projects, when sufficiently developed, are likely to attract external support. Applications for planning grants are also encouraged. A review committee of faculty from across the University provides peer review of the applications.

Learn more here about the request for proposals and application. Completed applications should be directed to Adele Coelho by 5 p.m. on January 31, 2022.

REMEMBERING JAY LAST

Optics alumnus Jay Last ’51, who passed away recently, had an extraordinary career in science and art. He helped usher in the computer revolution as an early leader in the development of superconductors. He collected African art, becoming part of the first generation of Westerners to devote serious attention to the continent’s visual art traditions. His innovative gifts to our University made possible the Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program, a new Language Center in the Frederick Douglass Building, and fellowships for junior faculty in the humanities, in addition to annual support for River Campus Libraries.

Jay never thought of his scientific and artistic pursuits as belonging in separate “buckets.” They helped inform each other, he explained in an interview with Peter Lennie, our former provost and dean of faculty. Jay exemplified our strong belief at the Hajim School that the best engineers and computer scientists are those who have gained important perspectives from the humanities. Learn more about Jay’s life here.

ALUMNI NEWS

Chemical engineering alumna Kayleigh Hogan ’12 (T5) has been selected as a recipient of the Women in Manufacturing STEP Ahead Award by the Manufacturing Institute. The awards recognize women in science, technology, engineering, and production who exemplify leadership and excellence within their companies and in their careers.  Kayleigh is an asset engineer with Covestro in Baytown Texas. The company creates raw materials for health-care products such as specialty films for face shields and thermoplastic polyurethane for face masks. Kayleigh manages a $14-million maintenance budget and leads vital capital projects for Covestro’s environmental control, utilities, and infrastructure unit. While at Rochester, Kayleigh was captain of the women’s lacrosse team, participated in the Arezzo Italian Studies in Tuscany program, and used her Take Five to study Religious Roman Architecture in Transition.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman