April 10, 2023

Ed Hajim’s new book, The Island of the Four Ps: A Modern Fable about Preparing for Your Future, is a story about the key ingredients to a fulfilling life.

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

You could say that Ed Hajim ’58, chair emeritus of the board of trustees and our school’s chief benefactor, has lived a storied life. Indeed, it’s one that he chronicled in his 2021 memoir On the Road Less Traveled: An Unlikely Journey from the Orphanage to the Boardroom.

Not surprisingly, Ed isn’t done telling stories. But his new book, The Island of the Four Ps: A Modern Fable about Preparing for Your Future (Skyhorse Publishing), which was published on April 4, builds on his extraordinary life to create an engaging, illustrated modern fable. The plot follows the adventures of a young man, Marketus, who leaves home for the first time and travels to an island on a quest to answer some of life’s basic questions. The book, a conversation with the hero’s inner voice, is divided into four fundamental sections—passions, principles, partners, and plans—the key ingredients to making a successful life, according to Ed.

I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of the book, and I stand by my assessment of it: This is a must-read for anyone thinking about how to successfully navigate the inevitable twists and turns in the road ahead, leading to a fulfilling life.

With commencement season around the corner, I believe Ed’s message of staying true to your core values is more relevant than ever—not only for the Class of 2023, but for all of us who are working to realize our dreams and be our best selves.

TEXTBOOK ON DEEP LEARNING DESIGN FOR MIC

Computer science professor Jiebo Luo (pictured) and alumnus Haofu Liao ’20 (PhD), along with S. Kevin Zhao, coauthored Deep Network Design for Medical Image Computing: Principles and Applications (Academic Press, 2022). The textbook is written for medical imaging researchers and graduate students to help them develop a better understanding of the deep learning design principles for medical imaging computing (MIC) and to apply them to their medical problems. Learn more about the book.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

The indoor relay team of Megan Bell, Susan Bansbach, Kate Isaac, and Madeline O’Connell (left to right) captured a national title this spring, the first for a relay team in University history.

The Rochester women’s 4×400 meter relay team—which includes biomedical engineering students Megan Bell ’25 and Kate Isaac ’24—claimed the Division III national title last month at the 2023 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Rochester’s squad finished in a time of 3:44.84 to establish a new Division III Championship meet record and smashed the University record by over three seconds. That time is now recognized as the Division III women’s 4×400 meter relay record.

In addition, Megan and Kate were also named All-Americans for the first time in their careers.

Kudos to our Hajim student-athletes! Get the full scoop on the team’s victory.

BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITIONS FOR STUDENTS

Currently enrolled Rochester students are invited to apply to the Mark Ain Business Model Competition and the Charles and Janet Forbes Entrepreneurial Competition. The Ain Competition is open to all Rochester students and all ideas, while the Forbes Competition is open only to undergraduate engineering students. The deadline to apply to both competitions is April 13. Contact Erin Sefca with questions about the Ain Competition or Heidi Mergenthaler with questions about the Forbes Competition.

ECE SEMINAR: WIRELESS POWER DELIVERY

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering welcomes Jamie Phillips from the University of Delaware to campus. Jamie will give a lecture titled “Energy Harvesting Photovoltaics and Thermoradiative Cells: Delivering Wireless Power for Systems Ranging from Bio-Implantables to Deep Space.” This free event takes place on Wednesday at noon in Wegmans Hall, room 1400. Check out the event details.

Have a terrific week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman