October 9, 2023
Quantum dots fluoresce in a range of colors under UV light in the lab of 做厙勛圖 chemistry professor Todd Krauss. (做厙勛圖 photo / J. Adam Fenster)
They say, theres always a Rochester connection. That was certainly true last week when the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the latest group of Nobel laureates. Professor from the and has met all three winners of the and even studied with Louis Brus as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University from 1998 to 2000.
The three pioneers of nanotechnology received the prize for their work discovering and synthesizing quantum dots, a development Todd says was mind-blowing at the time.
The idea that you could change the color of the material simply by changing the particles size was incomprehensible before that discovery, says Krauss. Its like breaking a cookie in half and having each half taste different than the whole. Showing that size determines the fundamental properties of these materials was the type of groundbreaking discovery that Nobel Prizes are all about.
Read more about the Nobel Prize discovery and Todds connection to Louis Brus at the News Center. You can also learn about Rochesters Nobel laureatesincluding the Hajim Schools own Donna Strickland 89 (PhD).
HAJIM ALUMNI AND FACULTY MEMBER AMONG THIS YEAR’S LUMINATE NY WINNERS
Alumni Juniyali Nauriyal 18 MS, 22 PhD, far left, and Brandon Zimmerman 09, 12 MS, 15 PhD, center, were among the winners of this years Luminate NY optics, photonics, and imaging startup accelerator competition. Winners were announced by Governor Kathy Hochul in September. (Photo by Luminate)
There was a strong Hajim presence amongst the winners of this years optics, photonics, and imaging startup accelerator competition. Luminate NY, which is administered by, is the worlds largest business accelerator for emerging companies that have technologies enabled by optics, photonics, and imaging. Alumni Brandon Zimmerman 09, 12 MS, 15 PhD () and Juniyali Nauriyal 18 MS (optics), 22 PhD () and Associate Professor lead companies that were amongst the winners of the sixth year of the cohort-based program, which now has over 50 companies in its portfolio.
Brandon is chief executive officer of the Washington, DC-based company, which received the Outstanding Graduate Award and $400,000 in follow-on investment. The company is digitizing the vision industry by delivering eyecare on demand with Clear, a quick and easy online eye test that customers can take anywhere, from any device.
Juniyali and Jaime co-founded , which received the Honorable Achievement award and $50,000. The Rochester-based startup is working to reshape the future of optical fiber to photonic chip connections by using laser technology instead of traditional glue.
Congratulations to Brandon and Jaime! .
WILLIAM RENNINGER RECEIVES YOUNG FACULTY AWARD FROM DARPA
Associate Professor William Renninger received a Young Faculty Award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. (做厙勛圖 photo / J. Adam Fenster)
Congratulations to , an associate professor of泭硃紳餃泭, who received a(YFA) from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The YFA program aims to identify and engage rising stars in junior research positions, emphasizing those without prior DARPA funding, and expose them to US Department of Defense needs and DARPAs program development process.
Will, who recently receivedOpticas 2023 Adolph Lomb Medal, is aprevious NSF CAREER award winnerwho studies experimental light-matter interactions. His research group focuses on ultrafast nonlinear optics for applications including imaging deep into the brain, photon-phonon interactions for applications including for telecommunications and quantum computing, and optical systems for ultra-high-speed computing.
The YFA will fund a project that with develop an all-optical contact-free acoustic material spectroscopy system based on traveling-wave optomechanical interactions. Read more about Wills work at the News Center.
UR BAJA SAE PLACES WELL AT OKTOBAJAFEST
The UR Baja SAE team poses with their car ahead of a successful weekend and the OktoBAJAfest exhibition race. (Photo by Christopher Muir)
The performed very well in several events recently at the in Colton, New York. The teams advisor, Professor from the , says they were awarded 3rd place in the design presentation portion and were gridded at #3 for endurance, reflecting their fast car and excellent position in the hill climb event.
The course was very challenging and there were lots of opportunities to solve problems from broken suspension and drivetrain parts to brake problems (that one ended up being able to be explained and solved via a “statics” problem – an excellent link back to course work), says Chris. These problems give the team a chance to work together solving problems to keep the car on the track.
Eight different students took turns driving throughout the event, a great experience for new and experienced drivers alike. It was wonderful to hear that four alumni from the last three years also attended to support the team. We all wish the team good luck with the rest of the season!
WIC-MIC PRESENTS A DISCUSSION ABOUT REPRESENTATION IN STEM TONIGHT
The student organization will present a roundtable discussion titled Experiences of Being a Minority in STEM from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 9 in Wegmans Hall room 1201. The event is intended to be a safe, judgment-free space to connect over certain shared experiences within STEM and offer support through professional development and mentorship resources. The event is hosted in collaboration with , the , and the . Pizza and snacks will be provided.
EXPERTS GATHER FOR COMPUTATION WORKSHOP
Students presented during a poster session in Wegmans Hall during the 6th Eastern Great Lakes Theory of Computation Workshop. (Photo by Daniel Stefankovic)
Our Department of Computer Science recently hosted more than 80 of our regions brightest minds in theoretical computer science. Researchers from Columbia University to the University of Michigan gathered at Wegmans Hall for the 6th .
The event featured high-profile researchers in computer science from Cornell University, University of Waterloo, Boston University, University of Toronto, University of Michigan, and Columbia University. Twenty-eight students presented during the poster session and the conferences hot topics included quantum computation, game theory, algorithms, machine learning theory, data privacy, and coding theory.
Thanks to Assistant Professors and for organizing the event.
CELEBRATE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
Lastly, today is . To mark the occasion, the Institutional Office of Equity and Inclusion is co-sponsoring Gasgo’sah繹:h to celebrate the heritage of the original peoples of Turtle Island, specifically the Seneca and other Haudenosaunee nations. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Genesee Valley Park and .
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
