June 3, 2024
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
I’m delighted to share that a distinguished Hajim School alumnus and member of the made an endowed gift that will help the  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 , creates a vital pathway to support our faculty, and aligns with the . 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
Stockton Photo, Inc.
Hajim students not only excel in the classroom and in the lab, but on the track as well. 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.
, “His mark actually qualified him for the Olympics Trials, but Goodman said he won’t be competing in those this year.” .
He received for the long and triple jump, and several other Hajim students earned All-America distinction as well:
- ’27 () 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, students Megan Bell ’25 and Kate Isaac ’24 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
Congratulations to three students who received scholarships from SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, to pursue master’s degrees at the :
- ’24 has been awarded a 2024 Women in Optics Scholarship by SPIE and Optimax. Natalie recently graduated with her bachelor’s degree in and will spend this summer interning at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center before she resumes her studies.
- 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.
- ’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.
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ROCHESTER TEAM ADVANCES TO WORLD FINALS OF PROGRAMMING CONTEST
Congratulations to our lead team in the , who finished 17th in the held at the University of Central Florida. They will now advance to the , 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 and Professor . Good luck to the team this fall!
HAJIM FACULTY RECEIVE 2024 UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AWARDS
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 : Record-Breaking Kerr Squeezing On-Chip
- , 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 and Chair of Biomedical Engineering : 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 : The Neural Mechanisms of Everyday Speech Processing and Interpersonal Communication in Neurotypical and Autistic Individuals
- Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering : Towards Prevention of Accidental Trauma to Tissues By Surgical Tools
JOHN BRUNING RECOGNIZED AS TRUSTEE EMERITUS
Ģą˝´«Ă˝ photo / Richard Baker
Congratulations to John Bruning, who was recognized at the May meeting of the Ģą˝´«Ă˝ 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 . 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
