December 18, 2023

James and Tammy Wyant (photo provided)

The Hajim School and the global optics community recently lost a dear friend and pioneer. University of Rochester life trustee James C. Wyant ’67 MS ’69 PhD passed away earlier this month at the age of 80.

As a prolific scholar, Jim authored numerous books and publications, held patents, and played a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of optics scholars through his dedicated mentorship. He was also a visionary leader and philanthropist. In 2022, Jim and his wife Tammy made a transformative gift to the Institute of Optics, establishing the $12 million Wyant Challenge fund.

Jim was an exemplar of technical and business excellence who pioneered countless optical innovations and championed ideas, people, and scholarship. He was an advisor, a mentor, and a friend to so many and will be greatly missed. Read more about Jim’s life and impact.

NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AWARDS RECORD FUNDING FOR LLE

(University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics photo / Eugene Kowaluk)

The University’s  Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) and the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) have finalized a new cooperative agreement for more than $503M over five years. The new agreement, covering fiscal years 2024 through 2028, will allow LLE to operate the Omega Laser Facility, which houses two of the largest laser systems in academia.

The LLE is home to hundreds of scientists, engineers, staff, and students who currently utilize facilities at the LLE for their research, many of whom are affiliated with the Hajim School. The new agreement empowers LLE to continue working with the scientific community to develop novel diagnostics, experimental platforms, and laser technologies; to develop and demonstrate the physics required for laser-direct-drive ignition, robust target performance, and scaling to high yield; and to expand LLE’s role in high-energy-density physics research.

This is terrific news and will lead to many new important discoveries by our Hajim researchers. Learn more at the News Center.

ADVOCATING FOR BIODIVERSE EMOJIS

(Illustrations by Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times)

Associate Professor Andrew White from the Department of Chemical Engineering recently weighed in on an interesting look at adding biodiversity to Bitmoji by Los Angeles Times. Ecologists are calling for adding more flora and fauna to Emojipedia, the global directory of pictograms recognized by the international Unicode Standard, in order to help spur global conversations about the natural world.

In the article, Andrew says the need extends to the microbiological level. He attempted to get a representation of a protein added to the official roster but was rebuffed.

““Much of the discussion of the pandemic (e.g., the infamous “spike protein”) and the latest drug discovery advances (e.g., CRISPR gene editing, biologic drugs) are based on proteins, but we have no emoji for them,” says Andrew. “Emojis also help in English, where words like protein can mean the macronutrient from food or the concept from microbiology.”

Read more at the Los Angeles Times website. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

This image shows a sample of an amorphous material that crystallized under abnormal conditions. Chemical engineering student Benjamin Carlson placed the sample under cross polarizers in an optical microscope to capture the image, which was one of more than 60 entries in our annual Art of Science competition. (Image by Benjamin Carlson)

Lastly, as we round out another year, I want to wish you a happy holiday season and the very best for 2024. Reflecting on all that has taken place this year, I couldn’t be prouder of our school. May there be peace in the world as we enter a new year, and may all of you experience good health and happiness in the coming year. Hajim Highlights will resume in January.

Happy holidays!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman