April 24, 2023

This year four Hajim students were inducted into the Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society. From left: Thomas Xue ’24 (biomedical engineering), Riley Prewett ’24 (chemical engineering), Joseph Lugten ’23 (optical engineering), and Vedat Duzgezen ’24 (biomedical engineering). // provided photo

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

The good news continues to roll in as we wind down the academic year, and I’m excited this week to highlight some of the wonderful recognitions our Hajim students are receiving.

Four of our students were recently inducted into the Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society. As a member of and advisor for this prestigious group, I am so thrilled to see a new cohort of our students initiated into this national network.

Tau Beta Pi was founded in 1885 at Lehigh University by Edward Higginson Williams Jr. and is the second oldest honor society in the United States. The primary goal of Tau Beta Pi is to acknowledge the work done by students and members of the engineering community and their contributions to the growth of engineering fields. The primary qualities sought by Tau Beta Pi are distinguished scholarship and exemplary character. Tau Bates around the world continue to foster a forward-thinking culture in their academic field and practice integrity and excellence in engineering.

There are now over 230 collegiate chapters across the United States that have initiated over 500,000 members.

The Tau Beta Pi Kappa chapter at the University of Rochester, which has about 60 members, was founded in 1947. The members hold regular chapter meetings, perform community service, host corporate information sessions, hold social events, and provide other services to engineering students.

Please join me in congratulating Vedat Duzgezen ’24 biomedical engineering), Joseph Lugten ’23 (optical engineering), Riley Prewett ’24 (chemical engineering), and Thomas Xue ’24 (biomedical engineering)!

SUPPORTING THE CHIPS AND SCIENCE ACT

CONGRATULATIONS TO STEVE PHILBERT

PhD student Steve Philbert is pictured with a Dodecahedron Speaker used to take room measurements and Hemispherical loudspeakers for laptop orchestras. // photo by J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester

In another student recognition, we congratulate Steve Philbert for receiving the 2023 Edward Peck Curtis Award for graduate student teaching.

This prestigious award is for graduate student teaching and is given to a small number of full-time graduate students who have a role in undergraduate education. Recipients have assisted in undergraduate instruction and have had significant face-to-face interactions with undergraduates in the classroom or laboratory.

Winners are selected by the vice provost and University dean of graduate studies based on nominations from individual departments or undergraduate student groups.

Steve is a PhD student in electrical engineering with a concentration in musical acoustics and audio signal processing. His research interests include spatial audio, higher order ambisonics, binaural audio, signal processing, plugin development, and music information retrieval.

Steve has been a teaching assistant for a wide range of courses including our first-year introduction to audio engineering course, upper-level audio signal processing, and audio software design. His many contributions have included the development of new curricula and labs as well as direct contact with students through recitations, lab sessions, and office hours.

Congratulations, Steve, on a well-deserved honor!

AND THE WINNERS ARE . . .

The judges have weighed in and your ballots have been counted. Meet the winners of this year’s Art of Science Competition and celebrate their entries at a reception starting at 1 p.m. on April 28 on the second floor of Carlson Library.

GRAD STAGE TO GRAD SCHOOL: RECEIVE YOUR SIMON ADMISSION DECISION BEFORE YOU GRADUATE

Simon Business School is offering a special opportunity to University of Rochester graduating seniors: if you apply to one of Simon’s MS Programs (Accountancy, Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing Analytics, or the part-time Online MS in Business Analytics) by 11:59 p.m. on May 1, you will receive your admission decision before you walk at Commencement on May 12. Additional benefits include an application fee waiver (up to a $100 value), the option to apply without a GMAT/GRE score, and a guaranteed $10,000 scholarship if admitted. If you have questions, please set up a time for a brief chat with an admissions team member.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER FOR ENGINEERING!

All of the great Hajim news this time of the year makes me so excited to welcome a new communications team for Arts, Sciences & Engineering. Many in our community came to know, and love Bob Marcotte over the years. While we will certainly miss working with Bob, I am excited that today we welcome a new communicator to fill the role.

Please join me in welcoming Luke Auburn, who is starting his role as the Senior Communications Officer for the Hajim School. Luke comes to us from RIT, where he has held a number of communications specialist roles. Most recently, he has been in the Division of Marketing and Communications, creating content and providing media relations support for the College of Science, the Division of Diversity and Inclusion, RIT’s global campuses, and the Division of Enrollment Management.

Luke will work with Tiffany Lankes, who started a few weeks ago as the Director of Communications for Arts, Sciences & Engineering. This is a new role, and I’m excited to work with Tiffany and Luke as they develop a new communications team to support Hajim and AS&E and elevate all of the great work being done by students, faculty, and staff.

Tiffany has an office at 213 Lattimore and Luke will be across the hall, so feel free to stop by, say hi, and share your stories!

There are many more terrific recognitions in the works, so stay tuned for more uplifting news in the coming weeks.

Have a terrific week!

Your dean,

Wendi Heinzelman