July 21, 2025
Adam Fenster / Ģą˝´«Ă˝
Dear members of the Hajim School community,
A longstanding partnership between the University’s  and New York has been renewed for another 10 years, reinforcing a joint commitment to expand the New York State economy through university-industry collaboration.
Directed by , Distinguished Professor of , CEIS is one of 15  designated by the . CATs are competitively selected for their ability to drive research commercialization and strengthen New York’s position in strategically important technology fields.
The renewed designation comes with $1 million in annual state funding, which CEIS uses to support industry-sponsored research in optics, photonics, and imaging—sectors in which the Finger Lakes region is a —as well as in other sectors important to the New York State economy such as integrated electronics, communications, and life sciences.
Read more about the renewed partnership at the News Center.
OPTICS ALUMNA DESCRIBES WORKING ON THE RUBIN OBSERVATORY
When scientists at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory recently unveiled the first imagery from the telescope more than two decades in the making, Željko Ivezić, the director of construction, called it “the greatest astronomical discovery machine ever built.” I’m proud to know that Hajim School alumni had an important role in creating such a marvel of innovation.
alumna Rebecca Borelli ’12 (PhD) is a principal fellow for L3Harris and was part of a team here in Rochester that polished and finished the Rubin Observatory’s 3.5-meter secondary mirror, one of the largest convex mirrors ever made. She recently made several local media appearances to describe what it was like behind the scenes meticulously crafting the mirror, which weighs about 3,500 pounds.
and .
I-CORPS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR AND MICROELECTRONICS INNOVATORS
Hajim School researchers developing semiconductor innovations are encouraged to apply for an NSF I-Corp conference-based course led by the  and hosted in partnership with the Ģą˝´«Ă˝ and Syracuse University.
In this monthlong conference course from September 15 to October 15, a select group of researchers working on semiconductor technology will “get out of their comfort zone” and talk to customers at SEMICON West to identify the best product-market fit. The course begins online and culminates with a trip to Phoenix, AZ for. Up to $5,000 (depending on team size) in travel reimbursement funding will be available for accepted teams. .
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
