March 14, 2022
Julie Bentley, shown here receiving the Goergen Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2014, has now received additional recognition for her “central role in shaping the optics education of countless undergraduate and graduate students.” (Photo by J. Adam Fenster/University of Rochester)
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
Congratulations to Julie Bentley, professor of optics, who has been selected as the 2022 recipient of the Esther Hoffman Beller Medal from Optica (formerly OSA). Julie is being honored specifically for her central role in shaping the optics education of countless undergraduate and graduate students. This medal, established in 1993 through a bequest from the estate of Esther Hoffman Beller, is presented for outstanding contributions to education in optical science and engineering. I cannot think of a more worthy recipient than Julie. She also received the University’s prestigious Goergen Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
It is great to see Julie join an esteemed group of Beller Medal recipients. They include Emil Wolf, a longtime University professor who was a pioneering expert in coherence and polarization of optical fields, and Govind Agrawal, our James C. Wyant Professor of Optics, whose textbooks and scientific articles inspire and educate scientists and engineers involved in fiber-optic communications and other photonics technologies.
WANTED: OPTICS PHD STUDENTS
Optics PhD student Kareem Garriga, at left, says “the facilities afforded to us and the freedom we have as graduate students allow us to tackle problems and delve deeper in all subfields.” Optics PhD student Katie Dunn adds: “I feel like I’m part of a unique community” at the Institute of Optics. (Photos by J. Adam Fenster/University of Rochester.)
Two recent awards will enable the Institute of Optics to help address a pressing need for highly trained PhD graduates, including women and underrepresented minorities, in industry, research labs, and academia. A $900,000 GAANN (Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need) grant from the US Department of Education will pay for six PhD fellowships, at least half of which will be awarded to students from underrepresented groups. Another $500,000, to be matched by the University, comes from SPIE, the international society of optics and photonics. The SPIE Endowment Matching Program award will initially provide stipend and travel support for an additional student but is expected to grow.
If you know anyone who is interested in pursuing a PhD in optics, be sure to let them know about the opportunities to do so at the Institute of Optics. Why has our nation’s oldest optics degree-granting program had such remarkable success in producing outstanding, highly sought graduates? Learn more here.
RESEARCH TALK
Can politicians just “Keep Calm and Win Elections?” To find out, tune in when Cantay Çalışkan, assistant professor of instruction at the Goergen Institute for Data Science, presents “Hooked on a Feeling: Quantifying Emotions in U.S. Politics,” from 3-4:30 p.m. this Thursday, March 17. The DigiTalk is presented on zoom by the Andrew W. Mellon Graduate Program in the Digital Humanities. Cantay will discuss his innovative quantitative framework for analyzing the emotions of candidates in US presidential debates and the significance of these emotions in determining who holds our nation’s highest office. His talk will be followed by a Q&A session. To register, visit tinyurl.com/urhooked.
FROM THE GREENE CENTER
Don’t miss out on the Greene Center’s student program weekly series. This semester the Greene Center is offering a set schedule of weekly workshops and invites students and their organizations to attend. The center can partner with your residential hall, fraternity, sorority, athletic team, student organization or simply a gathering of friends to help meet your career education needs. Upcoming workshops include:
MERIDIAN TOUR GUIDES
Here’s an opportunity for Hajim majors to serve as ambassadors for our school and University: Sign up to serve as a Meridian campus tour guide. Positions are open for the summer and fall 2022 academic semesters. Meridians provide general campus and Hajim School tours. They also participate in a variety of undergraduate admissions virtual and in-person events. Interested? The Office of Admissions encourages you to apply by next Monday, March 21. The listing can be found on JobLink on Blackboard. The Job ID for the summer position is 21361 and the Job ID for the fall position is 21366. Contact Andre McKenzie for more information. Let’s make sure the Hajim School is well represented among the guides who show off our campus to prospective students and their parents!
BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION
The Ain Center for Entrepreneurship invites undergrads, graduate students, and doctoral candidates of all majors and disciplines to apply for the upcoming 2022 Finger Lakes Regionals of the New York Business Plan Competition. The contest is free to enter and does not require a full business plan. Teams should submit their applications via this online form by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 20.
Student teams from colleges in the Finger Lakes region will compete to win a spot in the statewide finals and a chance to take home cash prizes. Finger Lakes Regional semi-finalists will be invited to an online presentation round on Wednesday, April 6. Learn more by visiting 2022 New York Business Plan Competition. Contact AinCFE@rochester.edu with any questions.
LAST CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff have until this Saturday, March 19 to submit photographs, illustrations, visualizations, renderings, and posters for our Art of Science Competition. Entries should show an artistic representation of science, technology, engineering, math, and sustainability themes. Use this online submission form. Cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250 will be awarded to winning student entries. All other entries will be eligible for a People’s Choice Award of $250. For inquiries, contact the project team at artofsciencecontest@gmail.com. Learn about last year’s winning entries here.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
