February 20, 2023
Stephen McAleavey, the third chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, first became aware of the University of Rochester when it awarded him a Bausch and Lomb Science scholarship during his junior year of high school in Danbury, Conn. “I remember arriving on campus, and thinking this is what a university ought to look like,” he says. “I applied and was really excited when I was accepted.”
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
Stephen McAleavey ’96 ’02 (PhD) has a deep appreciation for the opportunities that come with being a biomedical engineering faculty member at the University of Rochester.
The proximity of the River Campus to the Medical Center, just across Elmwood Avenue, has contributed to some remarkable discoveries over the years from collaborations between the University’s engineers and physicians.
Moreover, because the University is relatively small it is not only imperative, but easier for biomedical engineers to reach out and collaborate on projects with colleagues in other departments, spanning not only engineering and science, but the arts and humanities, Steve says.
“It’s at those interfaces that interesting and exciting things happen,” he says.
So, as Steve begins his term as chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, one of his top priorities is giving his faculty members the time and resources to take advantage of those opportunities.
“An important hallmark of the department is the ability to go out and do leading-edge research. This is a group of people who are really engaged, dedicated, and passionate about their work, passionate about their research and their teaching,” Steve says.
Learn more about Steve’s research, service to the department, and an interesting multidisciplinary class he teaches about what artists and engineers have in common—and an important way they differ.
REGISTER FOR GLOBAL HEALTH CREATE-A-THON
Students, register today to help solve a global health problem, earn prizes of $1,000, and benefit from nine technical and career development workshops. Participate in the Global Health Create-A-Thon, a three-day hackathon February 24-26 at the Feldman Ballroom in Douglass Commons. Sponsored by ApiJect, IEEE, and the Center for Medical Technology and Innovation, the event will feature teams of three to six students from all STEM disciplines tackling these global topics:
- Health information systems (inappropriate infrastructure, limited capacity for software data collection, etc.)
- Medical devices (performance, safety, reliability, affordability)
- Systems: (multidisciplinary approaches to designing and analyzing a solution)
RESEARCH NEWS
The New York State Center of Excellence in Data Science (CoE) fosters strong industry-academia collaborations. These currently funded projects pair Hajim School researchers with industry partners:
- Development of a Framework for the Evaluation of Spatial Audio System Performance, Mark Bocko, Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Immersitech
- Architectural Support to Increase Ising Machine Capabilities, Michael Huang, professor of electrical and computer engineering; Zeljko Ignjatovic, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and AMD
- Developing and Deploying Spoofing Aware Speaker Verification Systems, Zhiyao Duan, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and IngenID
- Neural Network–Assisted Femtosecond Laser Fabrication of Antibacterial Surfaces, Chunlei Guo, professor of optics, and Pfizer
- Learning to Localize Sources of Network Diffusion, Gonzalo Mateos, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and IBM
- Microscope Design for Gabor-domain Optical Coherence Microscopy of the Brain and Organoids Powered by Automated Image Processing and Feature Extraction, Jannick Rolland, Brian J. Thompson Professor of Optical Engineering, and LighTopTech
Learn more.
MEET GRAND CHALLENGES SCHOLARS
Maya Hewitt and Andrew Rojnuckarin.
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 6-8 p.m. today, Maya Hewitt ’23 of chemical engineering will discuss her GCSP project on engineering the tools for scientific discovery, with a special focus on making engineering spaces more equitable and inclusive.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Wednesday, Andrew Rojnuckarin ’23 of chemical engineering will discuss his GCSP project on providing access to clean water, especially with his experiences with Engineers Without Borders and their projects in Tanzania and the Dominican Republic.
STRONGER AS ONE DIVERSITY AWARDS
President Sarah C. Mangelsdorf cordially invites the entire University community to attend the Presidential Stronger as One Diversity Awards Ceremony starting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 2 at the Richard Feldman Ballroom in the Frederick Douglass Building. A reception will follow from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
The awards honor faculty, staff, students, members of the Greater Rochester Community, and Board of Trustees members whose actions, activities, and/or accomplishments support the five equity, diversity, and inclusion priorities for making the University of Rochester a welcoming and inclusive environment.
RSVP by February 24 here. For questions or more information, please contact the Institutional Office of Equity and Inclusion at (585) 275-2125 or ioei@rochester.edu.
COMMENCEMENT 2023
It’s never too early to start thinking about Commencement!
The University’s ceremony will be on Friday, May 12 at Fauver Stadium. Those of you who endured the heat at last year’s ceremony will be relieved to know that this year’s ceremony will start at 9 a.m.
Our departmental ceremonies will be on Saturday, May 13. Learn more here about the times and locations for these ceremonies, as well as for our Order of the Engineer Induction Ceremony and reception, which will be held on May 11, and the Doctoral Ceremony on May 12.
This is the first year we will award the Lisa Norwood Student Involvement Prize to a junior and senior who have shown commitment and service to the Hajim School by building community and belonging.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
