July 28, 2008
Values and Action
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FeaturesDavenport-Hatch Foundation Commits $2.5 Million to Eastman Theatre ProjectOn May 22, at a press conference on the Eastman Theatre stage, the Davenport-Hatch Foundation announced the largest gift in its 56-year history, a $2.5 million commitment for the renovation and expansion of Eastman Theatre. In attendance were: A. Thomas Hildebrandt, chair of the Davenport-Hatch Foundation’s grants committee, Douglas F. Taylor, Davenport-Hatch Foundation board director, William L. Ely, Davenport-Hatch Foundation board director, Christopher Seaman, music director, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Charles H. Owens, president and CEO of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Jamal J. Rossi, executive associate dean, Eastman School of Music, and James M. Boucher, chairman of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Board of Directors. Recital space in the new building will be named Hatch Recital Hall in recognition of the Foundation’s ongoing supportThe gift will go toward a recital hall as part of the expansion and renovation efforts to the Eastman Theatre. The hall will be named the Hatch Recital Hall in honor of Augustus T. Hatch. The new 230-seat Hatch Recital Hall will be a world-class facility for solo recitals and chamber music. “We believe this project adds to the legacy of excellence of two of our community’s jewels — the Eastman School of Music and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra — and also will have a significant impact on downtown development,” said A. Thomas Hildebrandt. The Davenport-Hatch Foundation is a private organization whose purpose is to make gifts and grants to aid and support in the Rochester, N.Y., area. In 2000, the Foundation received the Business Foundation Award from the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester for its support of the arts. In addition to Hatch Recital Hall, the new building will hold a rehearsal hall large enough to accommodate large Eastman ensembles and the RPO, teaching studios for Eastman faculty, and a new recording control room. The façade of Eastman Theatre will be extended along East Main Street to include the new building, which will be constructed at the corner of East Main and Swan Streets. A new entrance on East Main Street will draw patrons into a soaring atrium lobby; the existing entrance doors to the theater will remain. To see photos of the event, click here. Sportswriter Frank Deford Speaks at George Eastman Circle EventAs part of this year’s 69th Senior PGA Championship at Rochester’s Oak Hill Country Club, Charter Members of the George Eastman Circle were invited to a special dinner in their honor featuring remarks by nationally celebrated sportswriter and commentator Frank Deford. The dinner was attended by 130 Eastman Circle members and numerous University leaders, representing a wide spectrum of affiliations with the University. Deford provides commentary on NPR’s Morning Edition and appears regularly on the HBO show RealSports With Bryant Gumbel. He is a senior contributing writer for Sports Illustrated and has penned 15 books, two of which have been made into movies. His most recent novel, The Entitled, was published in 2007 and discusses celebrity, sex, and baseball. Among numerous honors, he has won an Emmy and a George Foster Peabody Award. Reflecting on his vast contributions to print alone, GQ magazine pronounced him simply “the world’s greatest sportswriter.” To see photos of the event, click here. Garden Party Highlights Ideas that Transform the WorldPresident Joel Seligman’s address at the 41st Annual Garden Party on June 10 was entitled “The Power of Transforming Ideas.” Speaking to a well-attended audience at the Memorial Art Gallery, he focused on the important role of research universities in the world today. He said, "I want to stress the role of the University of Rochester as one of this nation's leading research universities and why this matters to all of us. I do not want to emphasize statistics, which are abstractions, but talk about the human beings who are the teachers, scholars, and researchers who have been pivotal to the progress of this University.” The address highlighted a selection of faculty members from across the University and their accomplishments, underscoring the fact that University researchers and scholars are doing world-class work. Through the stories of talented and committed individuals, the address presented an overview of a University that offers excellence across a full range of academic disciplines and emerging fields. President Seligman also re-confirmed his commitment to building partnerships between the University and city of Rochester. “In Rochester we are building a knowledge-based economy led by universities and colleges,” he said. “We are proud of the role the University of Rochester is playing in our community’s evolution.” For the complete transcript of President Seligman’s address, click here. To see photos of the event, click here. Susan Gibbons Installed as Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of River Campus LibrariesSusan Gibbons was installed June 20 as the Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of River Campus Libraries. In 2004, Gibbons was appointed associate dean for public service and collections development and since then has worked on a number of projects that renewed the relevance of the campus’ libraries in the face of the Internet and digital research resources. "Susan is the right person to lead the University of Rochester’s River Campus libraries into the 21st century," said President Joel Seligman upon her appointment. "She is a national leader in assessing and improving the way students use libraries and research materials and she enhanced that reputation through the design process that led to the creation of the Gleason Library." Gibbons earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware in 1992 and a Master of Arts in history and Master of Library Science from Indiana University in 1995. She also received her Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2002. She joined the River Campus Libraries in 2000 and became director of digital library initiatives in 2002. To see photos of the event, click here. Kathy P. Parker is Named School of Nursing DeanKathy P. Parker, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., a nationally recognized sleep disorders expert, has been named the fourth dean of the School of Nursing. She will assume her new position in August. Parker comes to Rochester from Emory University and has over 20 years of experience in her field. She has maintained an active clinical practice in the Emory Sleep Center as well as a secondary appointment as professor in the Department of Neurology at Emory’s Medical Center. Aided by funding from NIH’s National Institute of Nursing Research, she has more than 100 journal articles, abstracts, and proceedings to her credit. One of only five nurses in the country certified in clinical sleep disorders by the American Board of Sleep Medicine, Parker was recently elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. Currently, she is overseeing the development and implementation of an insomnia education program for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. “Her expertise in NIH-funded research, especially translational research on hypersomnia, will synergize with the programs in our Clinical and Translational Science Institute,” said University of Rochester Medical Center CEO Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D. He also said she will take leadership in creating a comprehensive strategic plan for the School of Nursing that will be integrated with the Medical Center’s strategic plan. Parker, who earned all her degrees in nursing, received her undergraduate degree from Columbia University, her master’s degree from Emory University, and her doctorate from Georgia State University. For the complete story, click here. Robert L. Clark is Named Dean of School of Engineering and Applied SciencesOn July 15, Robert L. Clark, former dean of Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering, was named Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He succeeds Kevin Parker, who has served as dean of the school since 1998. Clark’s appointment is effective September 1. Clark comes to Rochester with expertise in the science of acoustics and in bionanomanufacturing. His work in these areas has lead to 100 journal publications. During six years as senior associate dean at Duke, Clark oversaw hiring for the implementation of the Pratt School’s strategic plan, helped to double the number of women on the faculty and triple the research expenditures. In the recent year while serving as dean, he initiated curricular innovations for non-engineering students and presided over fundraising. He has earned many awards, including the Lindsey award of the Acoustical Society of America, the National Science Foundation Career Program Award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and the NASA Group Achievement Award. He is a fellow of both the Acoustical Society of America and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. For the complete story, click here. |
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