In April, we had our second mental health panel with three alumni panelists and two counselors from UHS. We discussed topics from imposter syndrome (tip: learn to change what you call a “successful” day) to burnout (stress+rest=growth – look for the right amount of stress). Thank you panelists for a great discussion!
Our panelists:
Katelynn Bauer received her B.S. in Optical Engineering in 2012 and her Ph.D. in Optics in 2017, both from the University of Rochester. Her thesis was entitled “Polarization-Dependent Coherence Measurements of Scattered Light Fields,” and was co-advised by Professor Thomas Brown and Professor Miguel Alonso. She is currently a Laser System Scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester.
Kevin Liang did his Optics PhD research between 2015 and 2019 with Professor Miguel A. Alonso on characterizing mid-spatial frequency surface errors in optical systems with freeform optical parts. He is currently a postdoctoral associate with Nick Vamivakas’s group at The Institute of Optics, working on topics that include superresolution, metasurfaces, and classical-quantum links. In addition to his research, Kevin enjoys teaching and is currently an adjunct instructor at Monroe Community College, where he will be teaching a new math methods course this Fall.
Dr. Di Xu is an optical engineer working on AR/VR technologies at Facebook Reality Labs. She received her PhD in optics from the University of Rochester in Dr. Jannick Rolland’s group and served as the URSPIE Chapter President for the 2018-2019 term.
Hans Stoltzfus, M.A. is a Psychology Intern at the University Counseling Center at the University of Rochester. He will be graduating with a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from George Fox University in Oregon. His clinical interests include Psychodynamic therapy, Self-Care, Supervision, and Psychological Assessments. During his free time, Hans enjoys spending time with friends and family either going on outdoor adventures or playing board games.
