June 3, 2024

Danny Sabbah wears glasses and a blue shirt.

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

I’m delighted to share that a distinguished Hajim School alumnus and member of the Dean’s Advisory Committee made an endowed gift that will help the Department of Computer Science recognize, attract, and advance faculty excellence in teaching and research. Danny Sabbah ’74, ’78 (MS), ’82 (PhD), former chief technology officer and general manager of IBM Cloud and Next Gen Computing, has committed $2 million to establish the 50th Anniversary Distinguished Professorship in Computer Science.

We are incredibly grateful to Danny for his vision, partnership, and history of generosity. This gift honors the computer science department’s 50 year legacy of excellence, creates a vital pathway to support our faculty, and aligns with the University’s Boundless Possibility 2030 Strategic Plan. Its impact will certainly be felt for generations, building on the department’s strengths in artificial intelligence, systems, theory, and human-computer interaction.

Learn more about Danny and his transformative gift at the Advancement website.

HAJIM STUDENT ATHLETES SHATTER RECORDS

Cole Goodman leaps in the air while performing the triple jump at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Stockton Photo, Inc.

Hajim students not only excel in the classroom and in the lab, but on the track as well. Computer science student Cole Goodman ’25 shattered a school record and claimed his first career national title with a victory in the triple jump at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. His victory is the first for the Rochester men’s track and field program in more than 35 years.

News 10 NBC reports, “His mark actually qualified him for the Olympics Trials, but Goodman said he won’t be competing in those this year.” Read about Cole’s dramatic win on the athletics website.

He received two All-America awards for the long and triple jump, and several other Hajim students earned All-America distinction as well:

Softball player Riley Laygo ’27 (audio and music engineering) was honored as a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III All-American, as announced by the organization on Wednesday evening. A Second Team All-American, Riley becomes the eighth All-America honoree in program history and is just the second first-year to earn the distinction.
In women’s track and field, biomedical engineering students Megan Bell ’25 and Kate Isaac ’24 earned First-Team All-America status as members of UR’s 4×400-meter relay team, winning their preliminary heat to qualify for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships final before finishing third overall with a time of 3:45.40. Megan also earned another All-America accolade by finishing fourth in the 800 meters, crossing the finish line in 2:09.03, a new school record and personal best time.

Congratulations to all of our student athletes on a tremendous year!

THREE INSTITUTE OF OPTICS STUDENTS EARN SPIE SCHOLARSHIPS

Side by side headshots of Natalie Fullerman, Henry Donaldson, and Jason Lau.

Congratulations to three students who received scholarships from SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, to pursue master’s degrees at the Institute of Optics:

Natalie Fullerman ’24 has been awarded a 2024 Women in Optics Scholarship by SPIE and Optimax. Natalie recently graduated with her bachelor’s degree in optical engineering and will spend this summer interning at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center before she resumes her studies.
Henry Donaldson has been awarded a 2024 Optics and Photonics Scholarship by SPIE. After graduating from Denison University with a degree in physics, Henry was introduced to the field of precision optics while working at the Optikos Corporation. He is now pursuing a master’s degree from the Institute of Optics, focusing on optical system design and Fourier imaging techniques.
Jason Lau ’24 has been awarded a 2024 Optics and Photonics Scholarship by SPIE. Jason recently graduated with his bachelor’s degree in optical engineering and his research focuses on developing correction terms for thermally warped curvature in molded freeform optical surfaces.

ROCHESTER TEAM ADVANCES TO WORLD FINALS OF PROGRAMMING CONTEST

Three students and their coach hold up a placard at the ICPC contest celebrating their strong placement.

Congratulations to our lead team in the International Collegiate Programming Contest, who finished 17th in the North American Championship held at the University of Central Florida. They will now advance to the World Finals, to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan in September.

The team members are Zeyu Nie ’24 (computer science and applied math), computer science master’s student Xiaoou Zhao, and Yan Zou ’27 (computer science). They are coached by Associate Professor Adam Purtee and Professor Daniel Stefankovic. Good luck to the team this fall!

HAJIM FACULTY RECEIVE 2024 UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AWARDS

7 headshots. Top row, from left to right: Jaime Cardenas, Diane Dalecki, Regine Choe, and Steve McAleavey. Second row: Jared MEreness, Ed Lalor, and Mark Buckley

Last week, the Office of the Vice President for Research announced seven Hajim School researchers will receive 2024 University Research Awards. These are awarded to recipients who demonstrate how their projects will provide impact in their research areas, with a high probability of being leveraged by future external funding. The Hajim School recipients and their project titles include:

Associate Professor of Optics Jaime Cardenas: Record-Breaking Kerr Squeezing On-Chip
Diane Dalecki, the Kevin J. Parker Distinguished Professor in Biomedical Engineering: Characterization of Tissue Microstructure using Quantitative Ultrasound
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering Regine Choe and Chair of Biomedical Engineering Steve McAleavey: Development of Integrated Diffuse Optical and Ultrasound Imaging System for Breast Cancer Therapy
Senior Scientist in Biomedical Engineering Jared Mereness: Lung Microbubble Chips for Antibiotic Drug Discovery
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Ed Lalor: The Neural Mechanisms of Everyday Speech Processing and Interpersonal Communication in Neurotypical and Autistic Individuals
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Mark Buckley: Towards Prevention of Accidental Trauma to Tissues By Surgical Tools

JOHN BRUNING RECOGNIZED AS TRUSTEE EMERITUS

John and Barbara Bruning smile in front of a large staircase.

University of Rochester photo / Richard Baker

Congratulations to John Bruning, who was recognized at the May meeting of the University of Rochester Board of Trustees as an emeritus member. John is a member of the Hajim School Dean’s Advisory Committee and has been a board member since 2009, offering his expertise on complex strategic, financial, risk, managerial, and governance issues during his tenure.

John has also supported the University’s preeminence in the field of optics through philanthropy, including establishing with his wife, Barbara, the David R. Williams Director of the Center for Visual Science. He was recognized with the George Eastman Medal in 2011 for embodying the University’s highest ideals in achievements and service. Read more about John’s contributions at the News Center.

WELCOME TO EMILY PRINZI

Lastly, I am thrilled to announce that Emily Prinzi has been named the inaugural Senior Faculty Affairs Officer for Hajim. She has been serving as Faculty Affairs Administrator for Arts, Sciences, & Engineering for the past year, and I am excited to have her working exclusively with the Hajim School moving forward. Please join me in welcoming Emily to the Hajim School Senior Leadership Team!

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman