June 8, 2026
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Dear members of the Hajim School community,
When a person goes into deep sleep, water-like fluid circulates around the brain, washing away metabolic waste linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s. This process, known as the glymphatic system, was first described in 2012 by from °µÍø³Ô¹Ï’s .
But questions remain about the system’s mechanics—notably, how quickly the fluid circulates. Professor  from °µÍø³Ô¹Ï’s leads a team that’s chipping away at those questions, using physics-informed AI to determine fluid flow velocities from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. They published a new Ìý¾±²ÔÌýScience Advances that shows there are two main ways that the glymphatic system washes away particles in the brain such as the amyloid beta proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease—and one of these ways is much faster than the other.
Learn more about their fascinating research and what it could eventually mean for Alzheimer’s treatment and prevention at the News Center.
A PEEK AT NASA’S ROMAN TELESCOPE BEFORE IT LAUNCHES
I was thrilled to get to visit NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center recently to see the in person. Once the observatory is launched in a few months, this incredible feat of science and engineering will help answer essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and astrophysics.
I was joined by several dedicated °µÍø³Ô¹Ï alumni from the Washington, D.C. area including Mark Kearney ’67, Lt. Scott Asack ’93, Cheryl G. Howard ’83, Mark Solomons ’67, John Storz ’74, and Deborah P. Yaffe ’72. We were hosted by Joe Howard ’00 PhD and Ryan DeRosa ’06, two optics alumni who work at Goddard, and they provided a fantastic overview of the incredible technological advancements that make the Roman Space Telescope possible. Thank you, Joe and Ryan!
CENTER FOR FREEFORM OPTICS HOSTS INDUSTRIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Several Hajim-affiliated centers have been bringing experts from across the globe to campus this summer to discuss the latest advancements in their fields. Last week, the hosted its Industrial Advisory Board meeting, bringing researchers from companies including Meta, Nikon, and General Motors to campus to discuss exciting new optical systems projects. CeFO is a joint industry-government-university cooperative research center directed by , the Brian J. Thompson Professor of Optical Engineering, and funded primarily through industry and government lab members.
At the end of May, the hosted their annual meeting, bringing together faculty, scientists, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students with sessions designed around the major research areas, education and outreach. CMAP is a National Science Foundation Physics Frontier Center hosted at °µÍø³Ô¹Ï and directed by , the Tracy Hyde Harris Professor, dedicated to exploring matter under the uncharted, extreme conditions at which most of the known mass in the universe resides.
HAJIM FACULTY RECEIVE 2025 UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AWARDS
The Office of the Vice President for Research announced several Hajim School researchers will receive funding for projects through 2026 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 projects involving Hajim School recipients include:
- Silicon Photonic Fs Mode Locked Lasers— Associate Professor and Associate Professor
- Efficient Microwave-To-Optical Quantum Transduction With Triply Resonant Surface Acoustic Wave Optomechanical—Associate Professor , Associate Professor , Associate Professor , and Assistant Professor
- Biochemical Mechanisms Driving Enhanced DNA Transfer—Associate Professor and Assistant Professor
- A Stand-Alone AI-Enabled Point-Of-Care Ultrasound System For Detection And Classification Of Breast Masses In Low-Resourced Settings—Professor and Assistant Professor
Congratulations to this year’s recipients!
SCHWARTZ DISCOVER GRANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES
The Office of Undergraduate Research is hosting weekly  in Dewey Hall on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. These sessions are open to all °µÍø³Ô¹Ï undergraduate researchers. Pre-registration is not required.
IBM LAUNCHES GLOBAL AI BUILDERS CHALLENGE
Hajim School students should be aware of the AI Builders Challenge, a global challenge with  – IBM’s new AI-powered development partner – that will help university students build practical AI and software development skills for the future of work. The Challenge comes as employers increasingly expect graduates to know how to use AI, yet many students lack opportunities to practice those skills before entering the workforce.
The challenge gives students a hands-on way to develop AI skills in software development while creating projects they can showcase beyond the classroom. It is open to students of all majors and includes cash prizes as well as learning and networking opportunities. .
GOOD LUCK TO THE BAJA SAE TEAM!
Gary Kong
This week, °µÍø³Ô¹Ï’s will put their vehicle to the test against teams from across the country in the Baja SAE New York competition in nearby Palmyra. Follow the team’s Instagram account for updates on how they’re doing.
Have a great week!
Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman
