June 27, 2022
Left to right, top to bottom: Danielle Benoit, Bradley Nilsson, Christopher Deeney, Paul Funkenbusch, and Renato Perucchio.
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
I would like to take note of several leadership changes important to the Hajim School as we embark on a new academic year.
I am pleased to announce that Danielle Benoit will be the new chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, replacing Diane Dalecki, who has served admirably in that role (see below). Danielle, our William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Biomedical Engineering, is an excellent choice for the position.
Since joining the BME department in 2010, Danielle has collaborated with researchers all across the University, including the Medical Center. Danielle fully understands the unique benefits—and challenges—of leading a department with administrative ties to both the Hajim School and the Medical Center. Between the core classes she has taught, and the more than 80 undergraduates plus 30 graduate students and postdocs she has mentored in her research lab, Danielle has positively influenced a large percentage of recent BME graduates, which further strengthens the department’s loyal alumni base.
Danielle has also demonstrated her administrative abilities as director of the Materials Science Program since 2019, working closely with its affiliated faculty—including nearly 40 from the Hajim School—to identify new areas of research focus and to increase the program’s visibility. I am grateful to Danielle for her outstanding service in that role and I am very much looking forward to working with Danielle in her new role as department chair.
The Materials Science Program will now be in the capable hands of its new director, Bradley Nilsson, professor of chemistry. Bradley, who joined the University in 2006, is not only an accomplished researcher but a recipient of the Goergen Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
I also look forward to working with Christopher Deeney, who officially takes over as director of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. Chris has served as interim director since December when Michael Campbell announced he was retiring. Mike ushered in a new era of openness and collaboration with the Hajim School and the rest of the University. We look forward to continued and enhanced collaborations with LLE now that Chris is at the helm.
I am happy to announce that both Paul Funkenbusch, our associate dean, and Renato Perucchio, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, will be continuing for second terms. Among a multitude of other tasks, Paul did an excellent job of leading us through our recent ABET accreditation, spearheading strategic planning in the area of re-imagining education, and organizing our virtual and in-person Design Day celebrations—despite the challenges posed by COVID.
Renato has led the mechanical engineering department admirably over the past three years, supporting faculty growth and development, promoting research priority areas, spearheading curriculum development, and, significantly, leading the department through a couple of very challenging years with COVID. I am very glad that both Paul and Renato will be continuing for another term!
Left to right, top to bottom: David Figlio, Sarah Peyre, Donald Hall, Joan Saab, and Yasmin Mattox.
This is an important time for our University—and our school—as we develop and refine a five-year strategic plan for the entire institution. So, I would like to also note other important administrative changes.
David Figlio, our new University provost, officially takes office this Friday, July 1. David joins us after serving as dean of Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy, which is internationally renowned for tackling pressing educational and societal issues, working collaboratively within communities, transforming organizations, and using new technologies to foster learning. We are indebted to Sarah Peyre, who served our University well as our interim provost. Sarah now returns to her role as dean of the Warner School.
Donald Hall, the Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences and Engineering, leaves us to become the executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at Binghamton University. We appreciate Donald’s support of Arts, Sciences and Engineering over the last four years. Joan Saab will serve as the interim dean of the faculty while David Figlio; Gloria Culver, dean of Arts and Sciences; and I assess how best to support the AS&E community in the future.
We also have a new director of the iZone, where many Hajim students and Grand Challenges Scholars have connected with mentors and fellow students from other disciplines to launch exciting projects. Yasmin Mattox is a former leader of Arkatecht, a company she founded in 2017 to provide online professional development and training for direct care workers in the mental and behavioral health field. Prior to that, she served as program manager for the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship at the Rochester Institute of Technology. “Her rare blend of academic and entrepreneurial experience and close ties to the local community is a perfect fit for iZone,” says Kevin Garewal, vice provost and dean of the University of Rochester Libraries. Learn more.
A JOB WELL DONE
Diane Dalecki wields the University’s mace at President Sara Mangelsdorf’s inauguration.
Our superb Department of Biomedical Engineering is now even stronger, thanks to the outstanding leadership of Diane Dalecki, who is stepping down after serving as chair since 2016. During Diane’s tenure, she worked together with faculty and staff to hire five new faculty members, expand the department’s undergraduate and graduate courses, and double its enrollment of doctoral students. Diane supported the department’s excellent administrative staff with new hires and career advancement opportunities.
The signature BME Alumni Insight Series launched during Diane’s tenure helps students envision their future by learning about the career paths and successes of the department’s alumni. New BME undergraduate, graduate, and research and innovation funds were created with Advancement so donors can give in a way that directly impacts an area of their choice. New partnerships between BME and industry included the ApiJect Medical Device Global Health Program, which fosters training and design experiences for students related to creating medical devices for global and low-resourced environments.
Diane has supported a key priority of the Hajim School with the establishment of the BME Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. It is noteworthy that BME is the first Hajim department to achieve gender equity among its undergraduates and its faculty. I especially appreciated Diane’s strong leadership and advice as we addressed the challenges posed by COVID-19. Thank you, Diane, for all you have done for BME and for the Hajim School. We look forward to your continued contributions as a faculty member in the years ahead.
RESEARCH NEWS
To play a duet with German composer Johann Sebastian Bach, you don’t have to travel back to the 18th century, thanks to a new web-based BachDuet program. Developed by Zhiyao Duan, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and of computer science, and lab members including Yongi Zang ’23 and PhD student Christodoulos Benetatos, BachDuet allows novices and professionals alike to improvise duets in Bach’s style with an artificial intelligence (AI) counterpoint. The AI agent will either follow the human musician, lead the improvisation, or “just goof around,” Zhiyao says.
The program is part of Zhiyao’s NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) research project to develop algorithms and systems that allow humans to play music with computer systems “in a way similar to human musicians collaborating with each other,” Zhiyao says. “With BachDuet, we wanted to develop a tool that allows musicians and novices alike to practice counterpoint improvisation.”
BachDuet could have applications in music education, entertainment, and even music therapy aimed at improving cognitive functions. Learn more about this exciting project.
Due to the holidays, the next issue of Hajim Highlights will be July 11.
Have a great July 4th weekend!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
