April 25, 2022
In the photo at left, Zilin Zeng ’22 (at left) and Tianwei Jiang ’22 (at right) demonstrate their “Singing Glasses” project at the Undergraduate Research Exposition. In the photo at right, Ahmad Abdalqader ’22 listens as Omar Hamad ’22 describes his team’s research on concrete vaulted Maya temples. (Photos by J. Adam Fenster/University of Rochester)
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
As another academic year draws to an end, we have so many student achievements to recognize! For example, 13 research projects involving Hajim students were presented at the Speakers Symposium and poster session at this year’s Undergraduate Research Exposition. In addition, eight of our Grand Challenges Scholars showed their posters. You can see the posters of undergraduate researchers from across AS&E and the Medical Center at the Expo’s digital website.
These Hajim students received Deans’ Awards:
Helena Schreder ’22 of mechanical engineering for her Speakers Symposium presentation on Hydraulic Resistance Model for Interstitial Fluid Flow in the Brain.
Justin Sennyondo ’22, Omar Hamad ‘22, Humfrey Kimanya ’23, and Dung Nguyen ’22 of mechanical engineering for their Speakers Symposium presentation on Structural Assessment of Concrete Vaulted Maya Temples of Bonampak, Chiapas, Mexico.
In addition, Tianwei Jiang ’22 and Zilin Zeng ’22 of audio and music engineering received a Professors’ Choice Award for their poster describing Singing Glasses–Digital Adaptation of the Glass Instrument.
Laura Slane, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, received the Students’ Association Undergraduate Engineering Professor of the Year Award. Laura was recognized for creating a welcoming environment for students, providing them the tools of success, and showing the importance of building relationships with students. As one student stated, “She’s also an incredibly good teacher – never once felt worried about exams because we were incredibly well prepared.”
BARNARD FELLOWSHIP
Congratulations to Alyson March, a PhD student in biomedical engineering, who has received a Donald M. and Janet C. Barnard Fellowship. These University fellowships recognize outstanding achievement by PhD students in engineering or the natural sciences, as evidenced through their coursework and dissertation research work, and their leadership qualities, outreach and mentoring experience, and strong research portfolio.
Alyson, who works in the lab of Danielle Benoit, professor of biomedical engineering and director of materials science, is fabricating a hydrogel that can mimic the native periosteum that surrounds bone. The synthetic periosteum can then aid in healing of allografts used to treat critical size bone defects.
AND THE WINNERS ARE . . .
The judges have weighed in and your ballots have been counted. Meet the winners of this year’s Art of Science Competition and celebrate their entries at a reception starting at 2 p.m. this Thursday, April 28, on the second floor of Carlson Library.
DESIGN DAY
We are excited to present our annual Design Day celebration in person this year from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., this Friday, April 29, under a tent on the Hajim Quad. Nearly 100 capstone projects will be on display, and we will also be announcing this year’s Dottie Welch Award recipient. Food and drink will also be provided.
There will be two sessions. Mechanical engineering, optics, and computer and data science teams will exhibit their projects from 9-11:30 a.m. Audio and music engineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, and electrical and computer engineering senior design teams, as well as teams of CMTI master’s degree students in medical device design, will show their projects from 12:30-3 p.m.
Please join me at Design Day for an opportunity to talk with the students and congratulate them on all the hard work that goes into these capstone projects! Learn more about Design Day here, including a link where you can explore projects virtually by program or topic when all projects are uploaded.
COMMENCEMENT 2022
Commencement is not that far away! We now have times and locations for each of our departmental and program ceremonies. Please visit our Hajim School Commencement 2022 website for details.
Please note the invitations to students and their parents to participate in our Order of the Engineer Induction Ceremony at 1:30 p.m., May 12 at the Larry and Cindy Bloch Alumni and Advancement Center. This is a meaningful rite of passage for students in our ABET-accredited majors. Students and parents: The deadline to sign up and pay for rings is this Wednesday, April 27. Contact Alvin Lomibao if you have questions.
CERTIFICATE IN DATA SCIENCE
Working professionals can learn data science skills–or refresh them—through the advanced certificate program offered by the Goergen Institute for Data Science. University employees Brooke Brehm and Sarah Siddiqui describe how they have benefited from the graduate-level, part-time program. To learn more or find out about sitting in on a class session, contact Lisa Altman.
STATE OF THE SCHOOL
The last six months have been eventful ones at the Hajim School. I cover the gamut—awards, exciting research, outstanding students, staffing changes, ABET accreditation, strategic planning, and lots to look forward to—in the Spring 2022 State of the School Address, available on video. I welcome your feedback and questions.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
