February 13, 2023
Marc Porosoff, assistant professor of chemical engineering, works with Julia Kubes, at left, and Elena Perez, both ’25, as they set up and test equipment in Marc’s CHE 150: Introduction to Sustainable Energy class. A $15,000 Sykes Award allowed Marc and two of his teaching assistants to develop a new lab experiment and support group projects for the class focused on solar heating. (Photo by J. Adam Fenster)
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
Faculty and staff members who have innovative ideas for a new or revised course or program for our undergraduates—especially for first- and second-year students—are encouraged to apply for a Wadsworth C. Sykes Faculty Engineering Award ranging from $2,500 to $30,000.
Proposals should include at least one Hajim School faculty member. Proposals for the 2023–24 academic year are due March 1, and can be submitted using this online form.
The award has enabled many exciting teaching innovations and student opportunities over the years.
Recent award recipients have used the award to create a new course on AR/VR, to improve the functionality of a wind tunnel used for undergraduate classes, and to introduce new activities that specifically use group work to cultivate a classroom learning community.
If you have any questions, contact Tim Woodward, director of finance and administration, or Paul Funkenbusch, associate dean and professor of mechanical engineering.
EXCITING PROGRESS AT LLE
The last five years have seen remarkable advances in four key missions of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE): fusion, high-energy-density physics (HEDP), laser technology, and education. You can learn more about these exciting developments, many led by outstanding graduate students, during a talk by LLE Director Christopher Deeney at 3:30 p.m. today at 101 Goergen Hall and on zoom, pass code 964579. The talk is part of The Institute of Optics’ Colloquium Series.
MEET GRAND CHALLENGES SCHOLARS
From left: Maysoon Harunani and Maya Hewitt.
Our Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP) 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.
Two of our Grand Challenges Scholars will host drop-in sessions at the iZone this week and next to share their experiences in the program with other students.
From 3-5 p.m. this Friday, Maysoon Harunani ’23 of biomedical engineering will discuss how she is addressing the challenge of how to engineer better medicines, by focusing on the disparities in healthcare through her coursework here and in REU (research experiences for undergraduates) programs at other universities.
From 6-8 p.m. next Monday, February 20, Maya Hewitt ’23 of chemical engineering will discuss her project addressing the challenge of engineering the tools for scientific discovery, with a special focus on making engineering spaces more equitable and inclusive.
ALUMNUS IN THE NEWS
In grade school, Eric Ianson ’90 spent his Saturdays and summer breaks going to the library to read up on space and missile systems. “I loved learning about space and technology,” says the mechanical engineering alumnus. He dreamed of working for NASA one day.
As of January 1, Eric is the new acting Deputy Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, providing executive leadership, overall planning, direction, and management of NASA’s $7 billion science portfolio focused on the scientific exploration of Earth, the sun, solar system, universe, and biological and physical sciences.
Since joining NASA in 2004, Eric has served in various roles, including Deputy Director for Planetary Science, Program Director for Mars Exploration Program and Radioisotope Power Systems, and Associate Director for Flight Program for Earth Science. Among the missions he has worked on are the Mars Perseverance Rover, the Mars Ingenuity Helicopter, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, and the Aquarius mission in collaboration with the Argentina Space Agency, CONAE.
Eric says his experience as a mechanical engineering undergraduate here gave him not only a solid engineering background, but more importantly, “it taught me how to think. While I have not done much actual engineering in the past 20 years or so, the ability to logically think through technical and programmatic challenges was forged at the University of Rochester,” Eric says.
“I also appreciated having to take general education classes, as this helped to round out my education. While understanding heat transfer and fluid dynamics are fundamental in any engineering career, it is equally important to be able to write well and clearly convey ideas to a broad audience.”
As a result, both the engineering and non-engineer coursework “prepared me well for my career as a leader at NASA,” Eric says. “I am able to understand mission objectives and technical challenges, while also being able to translate these often-complex stories into a narrative that is easily digestible to a myriad of stakeholders, including the public.”
His favorite memories are the friendships he made here, Eric adds. “Learning to interact and form bonds with people from all over the country and the world is a less-than-obvious critical skill. As much as NASA is a technical organization, it is first and foremost a people organization. Supporting colleagues and managing relationships is key to the success of the agency and has been a cornerstone in the success of my career.” Learn more about Eric’s background, career, and interests. You can also listen to this StoryCorps interview with Eric.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
