November 21, 2022
Society of Women Engineers members at last month’s national SWE conference. Back row, left to right: Audrey Yu, Fiorella Rivadeneira, Erin Nguyen, Emily Spence, and Niera Bakr. Front row, left to right: Madeline Smith, Hannah Rickert, Manuela Montes de Oca, and Yousra Awad. Not shown: Rebeca Zapiach, Maya Parada, and Leeza Nadeem.
Dear members of the Hajim school community,
The Society of Women Engineers is a great example of a student chapter that not only serves its members but makes a difference in our community. Last month, for example, 12 of its members attended SWE’s national WE22 conference in Houston. “It’s always incredibly empowering to be able to learn how to better ourselves as women in STEM through SWE Conferences,” says Hannah Rickert ’25 of biomedical engineering, a GEAR student and SWE conference coordinator. “With hundreds of workshop-style sessions about topics ranging from interviewing tips to being a minority in the workplace, we were able to pick and choose topics that related to what we wanted to improve upon. The conference also gave us the opportunity to network with not only larger companies that were seeking new hires, but also with women in STEM from across the country.”
On Saturday, our SWE chapter hosted its fall Girl’s Workshop, an opportunity for elementary-aged girls from local school districts to explore different fields of engineering in a fun and welcoming environment. This year’s theme was outer space with activities based around computer science, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and optics. Anyone who has attended one of these workshops, offered each semester, will know what an exciting and engaging opportunity this is to interest young girls in STEM.
NEXTGEN CHALLENGE
Undergraduate and graduate students in STEM disciplines are invited to participate in the annual UR NextGen Challenge, hosted by the MS in Technical Entrepreneurship and Management (MS TEAM) program.
The one-day event from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, December 2, involves teams of three to five students each, solving an industry issue with D3 engineering.
This is a great opportunity to put a project on your resume, network with other students, and partner with companies looking for interns and employees. Cash prizes will be awarded. Apply by November 30 by emailing Rebecca.crocker@rochester.edu with your class year and major. You will receive registration information.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
Do you know a student who has made our University more welcoming and inclusive? The deadline for the student Changemaker category of the Presidential Stronger as One Diversity Awards has been extended to Nov. 30, 2022. Faculty and students are invited to nominate students whose actions have supported the five institutional equity, diversity, and inclusion priorities. Nominations are open to undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Email your nominations to ioei@rochester.edu by Nov. 30.
ALUMNUS IN THE NEWS
Wade Cook ’04 (PhD) and an automated photonic device assembly system used at the TAP facility in Rochester. (Photos courtesy of AIM Photonics)
We are excited to welcome William (Wade) Cook ’04 (PhD), an alumnus of The Institute of Optics, who is the new executive director of AIM Photonics. The public-private partnership of industry and federal and state governments, launched in 2015, is dedicated to advancing photonic integrated circuit manufacturing in the US.
Tom Brown, director of the Institute of Optics, describes Wade as a “top-notch choice” for the position. “After an outstanding military career, he has risen to very responsible executive positions in local optics companies. He has a deep understanding and appreciation for the importance of the optics and photonics industry in Rochester and Upstate New York,” says Tom, who serves on the AIM Leadership Council and coordinates UR River Campus support of AIM Photonics’ Testing, Assembly and Packaging (TAP) facility here in Rochester.
Faculty at the Institute have been leaders in AIM Photonics from the time of its launch and have played central roles in the design of photonic integrated circuits for biosensing, quantum science and metrology. They have also played crucial roles in photonics Education and Workforce Development and road mapping. Learn more.
WHICH MAJOR IS BEST FOR YOU?
Are you a current or prospective student considering an academic path in engineering or computer science? Check out our annual Full Spectrum series of brief online lectures from faculty members describing each of our programs, their research, the types of challenges members of their field work to solve, and their path to becoming an engineer or computer scientist. Join host Nick Valentino, assistant director of undergraduate studies, for our latest installment: a conversation with Sarah Smith about our audio and music engineering program on YouTube.
MEET A GRAND CHALLENGES SCHOLAR
Our Grand Challenges Scholars (GCS) program invites undergraduates to pick one of 14 “grand challenges” of the 21st century, identified by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Students then tailor their academic experiences to address the challenge they’ve chosen, engaging in five key competencies: research, entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary studies, global experience, and service.
Hesham Elshafey of electrical and computer engineering will describe his experiences from 1 to 3 p.m. today at the iZone.
FELLOWS OF OPTICA
Left to right, top to bottom: Konrad Banaszek, John Downie, Paul Dumas, Krystel Huxlin, John Koshel, and Jie Qiao.
Several of the latest fellows of Optica (formerly OSA) have ties to The Institute of Optics or our University.
Krystel Huxlin, the James V. Aquavella Professor in Ophthalmology, optics, neuroscience, and brain and cognitive sciences, is an expert in the use of visual training to induce recovery of vision after visual cortex damage in adulthood. She worked closely with Wayne Knox on noninvasively correcting vision using femtosecond lasers.
Konrad Banaszek, director of the Centre of Quantum Optical Technologies at the University of Warsaw, was as a postdoctoral fellow here and part of a team that developed a light-based computer that runs at quantum speeds, led by Ian Walmsley, professor and former director at The Institute.
Institute alumnus John Downie,’83, principal research scientist at Corning Inc. has made significant contributions to optical fiber technology through transmission system testing and modeling.
Institute alumnus Paul Dumas ’90 ‘92(MS), application engineering manager at QED Technologies, is cited for outstanding innovation and development of magnetorheological finishing (MRF) and metrology products, and leadership in education and the implementation of new technologies. As a graduate student, for example, he helped develop algorithms to deterministically control and automate the polishing process for MRF.
Institute alumnus John Koshel ’88 ’97 (PhD), associate dean for academic programs and professor at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, is cited for leadership in undergraduate and graduate optics education and significant contributions to illumination and optical system engineering.
Jie Qiao ‘12S (MBA), an associate professor in the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging at RIT, served for several years as a scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics providing scientific and project leadership for OMEGA EP short-pulse laser systems. She is founder and chair of WiSTEE—Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Entrepreneurship.
Have a great Thanksgiving holiday!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
