March 27, 2023
Left to right, Michael Huang, Zeljko Ignjatovic, Selcuk Kose, Qiang Lin, Gonzalo Mateos, and Hui Wu of electrical and computer engineering will develop Ising machines with the support of a DARPA grant to help solve military logistic optimization problems in complex battles in the future. (Getty Images graphic)
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
“Why the Russian Military Is Bogged Down by Logistics.” “Allies Fail to Agree on Sending Tanks to Ukraine.”
These recent headlines underscore the importance of logistics in warfare. Which weapons and supplies are needed? In what quantity? And equally importantly, what is the most economical way to get these supplies to the right places, and at the right times, to soldiers in front lines spread over hundreds, even thousands of miles?
A team of Hajim School electrical and computer engineering faculty members led by Michael Huang believes their invention—a simple computing device like no other—can help solve military logistic optimization problems in complex battles in the future.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently awarded the researchers, who also include Zeljko Ignjatovic, Selcuk Kose, Qiang Lin, Gonzalo Mateos, and Hui Wu, a Quantum-Inspired Classical Computing grant that could total $6.1 million over five years to develop two novel Ising machines.
So what is an Ising Machine, and what makes it more efficient at solving these kinds of problems than conventional or even quantum computers? Learn more here.
NEW MASTER’S IN DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING
An exciting new master’s degree program in diagnostic imaging will appeal to medical and engineering students.
Offered in partnership with our Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Imaging Sciences at the Medical Center, the program is the only one in the country where engineering students and medical residents work and learn together, aligning imaging fundamentals from engineering with radiological applications observed in an immersive clinical environment.
Learn more about the advantages this degree path offers for medical and engineering students like.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: MEET SAM BECKER ’25
Sam Becker ’25, an optics major and elite para athlete, works with Jim Alkins, manager of the Fabrication Lab in Rettner Hall to fit a new set of sled hockey sticks last fall. (University of Rochester photo J. Adam Fenster)
A cancer diagnosis at age 10 hasn’t slowed down Sam Becker ’25. Today, the optics major—and bone cancer survivor—is a member of the Buffalo Sabres and the US Men’s Development sled hockey teams.
During his time so far at Rochester, Sam discovered optics. But he’s also found ways to explore other types of engineering, too—and relate them back to sled hockey. Last fall, he asked Jim Alkins, a senior laboratory engineer and manager of the University’s Fabrication Studio in Rettner Hall, to help him create new hockey sticks. “In sled hockey, your equipment is very important,” Becker says. “Your sleds are custom-made for your body because some people are amputees, and others are double amputees. The other main component is your sticks. Everyone has a different length and style. And for the longest time, I was using sticks that were too short.”
Sam ordered new sticks last summer, but they arrived at the maximum length of 85 centimeters. Jim helped cut the sticks and drill holes to insert the picks that are used to propel you down the ice.
LECTURE ON THE ETHICS OF MEDTECH APPLICATIONS
This week, UR Women and Minorities in Computing welcomes Carolina Hausmann-Stabile, an assistant professor of social work and social research from Bryn Mawr College, as a guest speaker. On Friday, March 31, from 1 to 2 p.m. in Georgen 101, Professor Hausmann-Stabile will discuss the ethics of medical technology in the context of health outcomes among the Latino population.
This is a great opportunity to learn about how vulnerable demographics are impacted by our health care system, especially when it comes to this form of technology. The talk will also be available via Zoom. Register online today.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
The daylong 2023 University Technology Showcase on April 20 will include:
- The Western New York AR/VR Mini Conference
- Business and faculty networking pitches
- A panel of keynote speakers
- A poster session for researchers and students
Organized by the Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences and the Center of Excellence in Data Science, the event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Memorial Art Gallery. A shuttle service will be provided between River Campus and the gallery. Learn more and reserve a spot here.
CAST YOUR VOTE
Thanks to all who submitted 61 eye-catching, thought-provoking images to our annual, University-wide Art of Science Competition. Now is your chance to help select the People’s Choice Award winner. All members of the University community can sign in to pick your favorite entry by April 5. For inquiries, contact Michelle Dunn and the project team at artofscience@gmail.com.
NSF CMAP UNDERGRADUATE PHYSICS WORKSHOP
The Center for Matter at Atomic Pressures (CMAP), an NSF Physics Frontiers Center, is offering a one-week, residential, summer workshop program for undergraduates currently enrolled at US universities and colleges. This in-person program, the Discovery Science Center Summer School for Matter at Extreme Conditions in the Laboratory and the Cosmos, will be held June 26–30 (with move-in on June 25 and move-out on July 1) at the University of Rochester.
There is no fee to apply or attend. Plus, roundtrip travel for non-local students, meals, and housing in an on-campus residence hall will be provided to accepted students. Over the course of a week, participants will:
- Get immersed in the science of extreme pressure and high-energy-density physics
- Use python to understand recent discoveries in astrophysics, planetary science, and quantum materials
Access modern computational, educational, and research tools and techniques that can be leveraged across disciplines
- Learn from—and network with—CMAP’s leading physicists, astrophysicists, and planetary scientists from institutions such as MIT, Princeton, University at Buffalo, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, University of Rochester, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Apply online by April 8 or email Natalie Antal with questions.
REMINDER: DOTTIE WELCH AWARD
Seniors, nominations for our Dottie Welch Student Enrichment Award are being accepted until next Monday, April 3. The award recognizes a staff member whose performance and dedication enriches the student experience. Here’s the list of eligible staff members. Please email the Hajim School Dean’s Office (hajimschool@ur.rochester.edu) with the name of the staff member you are nominating and a few sentences explaining why you think that person is deserving of the award.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
