2011 News Archive

December 2011

Frederick Douglass Institute is celebrating 25 years!

November 2011

National Hispanic Institute Honors Rochester as College of the Year (November, 2011)

Comedy "Social Smallpox" with Ryan Red Corn and Dallas Goldtooth of the 1491s and Buffalo Nickel Creative (November 8, 2011)

Native American Month

October 2011

September 2011

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)

May 2011

Fifth Annual Report on Diversity, May 2011
In his fifth annual diversity report, President Joel Seligman says "Our task as a University is to welcome all to join our community based on their talents. I am convinced that progress in achieving greater diversity is vital to our success as a great research University. I am gratified to be associated with a University where a commitment to diversity is consistently reflected in the decisions of our Board and our senior leadership."

April 2011

Second Annual Diversity Conference: Why Diversity?
The second annual diversity conference will be held Friday, April 29, starting at 9 a.m. in Hoyt Auditorium on the River Campus. Daryl Smith, author of Diversity’s Promise for Higher Education and a professor at Claremont Graduate University, will deliver the keynote address. President Joel Seligman will open the conference and make remarks at the evening celebration, representatives from across the University will host workshops throughout the day, and County Executive Maggie Brooks will make a pledge to “Stand Against Racism” in the morning. To learn more and to register, click here.

Events Planned for Peace and Diversity Week
Students for Interfaith Action is hosting a series of events to celebrate Peace and Diversity Week. Events include a religious persecution awareness dinner at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, a panel discussion on Islamophobia at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, and the screening of the film Kingdom of Heaven at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 31.

Talk: Urban Healthcare in the Post-Katrina Age
The Department of History welcomes noted health educator and researcher David McBride, a professor of African-American studies at Penn State University, on Thursday, March 31, for a lecture on “Urban Communities and Healthcare in the Post-Katrina Age.” The talk starts at 3:30 p.m. in the Hawkins-Carlson Room, Rush Rhees Library. A reception will follow at 5 p.m. in the Welles-Brown Room.

Performance Features African Dance and Drum
Bush Mango Drum & Dance and the Program of Dance and Movement present “Dance and Drum of Guinea, West Africa” tonight in Spurrier Dance Studio. The lecture and performance starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, which are available at the Common Market in Wilson Commons, are $7 for the general public and $5 for students.

Gender and Women’s Studies Conference Is Friday
The 2011 Undergraduate Conference for Gender and Women’s Studies will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, April 8, in the Gamble Room, Rush Rhees Library. Postdoctoral teaching fellow Kathleen Casey will give the keynote address, “She Is What She Ain’t: Lilly Brown and the Meaning of Black Male Impersonation,” at 1 p.m. Safe Space Logo

Safe Space
“Safe Space” is a training initiative intended to create a safer and freer environment for all members of the University community regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. The goal of the program is to provide training to faculty, staff, and students that will qualify them to display a small “Safe Space” sign in their workspaces. The signs will identify trained allies who are available to answer questions or engage in discussions about LGBT issues. Click here for more information.

LQBTQI awareness poster April is LGBTQI Awareness Month
LGBTQI Awareness Month kicks off on campus April 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Hoyt Hall with a screening of It's Elementary, a film that examines the controversial questions of if and how gay issues should be discussed in schools. The film screening and discussion is the first in a series of events and lectures taking place throughout the month. For more information, check out the LGBTQI events calendar.

Young Leaders Group Hosts Call to Action Day
The Young Leaders @ UR will be available to answer questions about this year’s United Way campaign from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at information tables in Hirst Lounge at Wilson Commons, at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, and in the cafeteria and lobby of Strong Memorial Hospital. Stop by to learn how you can participate in this year’s campaign and to take part in raffles and giveaways.

March 2011

Season for Nonviolence Culminates with Tutu Lecture
In the closing event of the Gandhi Institute’s A Season for Nonviolence celebration, Nontombi Naomi Tutu will give a keynote lecture on Sunday, April 3, at 4 p.m. in Strong Auditorium. Free and open to the public, the lecture, “Our Shared Humanity: Creating Understanding through the Principles of MLK,” draws upon Tutu’s experiences as the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and explores the importance of human rights, peace, and equality. In advance of her speech, Tutu will be a guest on WXXI’s 1370 Connectionwith Bob Smith today at 1 p.m.

Women’s History Month Film Series Continues
The Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership, the Susan B. Anthony Institute, and the Office of Faculty Development and Diversity present a screening of Ahead of Time, the story of feminist and journalist Ruth Gruber. The documentary will be shown at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 31, in the Gowen Room, Wilson Commons. Part of the University’s celebration of Women’s History Month.

Blog Launched for Women’s History Month To mark the start of Women’s History Month, the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender and Women’s studies is launching a blog dedicated to the achievements of women. For additional information on events taking place this month, visit the Women’s History Month calendar.

February 2011

University Mourns the Loss of Trustee David Kearns David Kearns ’52 was a monumental figure in the history of our University, serving on our Board of Trustees for almost three decades, including eight years as board chair (1978–1985). He contributed enormously to our University while leading Xerox Corporation to great heights, and later initiating change from Washington to improve public schools.

Weekend Events Promote Nonviolence A Season for Nonviolence continues this weekend with an art exhibit, film screening, and lectures from distinguished speakers that will promote nonviolent practices in everyday life. A Season for Nonviolence is a nationwide initiative, coordinated locally by the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence and a host of community partners.

Festival Celebrates Women in Music The Women in Music Festival at the Eastman School includes free concerts and events across the Rochester area that will celebrate the contributions and achievements of women in all areas of music. Running from March 21 through 25, the annual festival features collaborations with several local arts organizations.

Forum Provides Opportunity for Dialogue, Healing The College invites members of the University community to reflect on issues that have arisen in the aftermath of the tragic death Jan. 15 of senior Jeffrey Bordeaux Jr. The conversation, which will take place on Wednesday, March 2, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., in the Interfaith Chapel Lower Level, is an opportunity for dialogue about feelings and emotions in response to the tragedy. It is a chance to express ideas on how to work through feelings together, say discussion facilitators Thomas Crews, a counselor at the Office of Minority Student Affairs, and Kathy Sweetland, University Intercessor.

Black History Month Family Day The Memorial Art Gallery will celebrate Black History Month from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27. The free event will include art activities, performances, cultural displays, and family tours.

Anthropologist Rediscovers Pacific Islands Cultural Treasures Robert Foster, a professor of anthropology, is documenting one of the oldest and largest collections of Pacific Islands artifacts, a trove that had been "hidden in plain sight" at the Buffalo Museum of Science.

Pride Network Hosts Transgendered Comedian The Pride Network, a student organization that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) students on campus, present transgendered stand-up comedian Ian Harvie on Friday, March 25. The 8 p.m. show will be held in Hubbell Auditorium, Hutchison Hall on the River Campus. Tickets go on sale March 1.

Community Invited to Take Nonviolence Pledge The University community is invited to join members of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence in taking a pledge of nonviolence at 6 p.m. tonight at the Field House in the Goergen Athletic Center. Those who cannot attend can sign the pledge in Wilson Commons on Wednesday, Feb. 16, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. near the Common Market, Thursday, Feb. 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Hirst Lounge, and on Friday, Feb. 18, from 9 a.m. to noon in Hirst Lounge. The pledge can also be signed on the Gandhi Institute's website.

Lecture Explores Life, Legacy of Malcolm X Manning Marable, a prominent African-American scholar and author, will deliver the Black Students’ Union annual Black History Month Keynote Address at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at the Interfaith Chapel on the River Campus. The lecture will chronicle Malcolm’s life, revealing new information gathered from recently released government and personal files. The lecture, which is open to the public, is $1 for undergraduate students and $3 for all others. The first 200 attendees will receive a free copy of Marable’s new book, Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention.

Spotlight on Diversity: Wilson Commons Student Activities Wilson Commons Student Activities, a unit in the Office of the Dean of Students, champions the University’s mission to be a world-class, inclusive, and diverse community of learners. Read more on this flier, which can be posted in offices and on bulletin boards. Learn more about diversity at the University in future installments of Spotlight on Diversity in @Rochester.

Eastman Diversity Initiative Presents Wind Quintet Imani Winds chamber ensemble will give a lecture-demonstration tonight at 6:30 p.m. in Hatch Recital Hall at the Eastman School. The program is part of the Eastman Department Diversity Initiative and is open to the University community. The group will also conduct master classes with Eastman students during its stay.

Partnership Examines Urban-Suburban Programs A new research partnership between the Warner School, the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Minnesota Law School’s Institute on Race and Poverty will examine policies that allow students to cross school district boundaries to better understand the extent to which these interdistrict collaborations address inequality and isolation in education.

Lecture Will Honor Former Senior Associate DeanThe Medical Center mourns the loss of Tana Grady-Weliky, a former senior associate dean, who died Jan. 18 from complications related to cancer. To honor Grady-Weliky’s dedication to medical education and her commitment to women and diversity in medicine, the School of Medicine and Dentistry is working to establish an annual lecture. The annual Tana Grady-Weliky Lecture on Women and Diversity in Medicine will be coordinated by the Office of Diversity in conjunction with the Office of Medical Education and the Department of Psychiatry. Contributions may be made to the Office of University Advancement, 300 East River Road, Box 278996 (Attn. Mary Ann King); by phone at 1-866-673-0181; or online (indicate the Tana Grady-Weliky Lecture Fund in the “other gift designation” box.)

Young Leaders Host General Membership Meeting Young Leaders@Rochester, a new affinity group at the University, is holding its first general membership meeting from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 9, in 102 Schlegel Hall. Meet the E-board and help brainstorm for the future of the group.

Video: Black History Month Paul Burgett, a scholar of African-American music and vice president of the University, recounts the origins of Black History Month and explains why the celebration remains necessary Watch the video. Read more about the University's Black History Month Celebration here.

Young Professionals Group Hosting Fair Join the Young Leaders @Rochester, the MAG Young Professionals, and several other local groups at the RocCity Coalition Young Professionals Group Fair on Thursday, Feb. 3, at the Memorial Art Gallery. For those wishing to vist the museum, admission is half-price ($5 instead of $10) and includes a guided Gallery Highlights Tour at 6:30 p.m. and a lecture on wine and aging at 7 pm. See the full schedule of events.

Music Professor to Address Diversity As part of the University’s Diversity Initiative, Guthrie Ramsey, Jr., a professor of music at the University of Pennsylvania, will present a paper on “Diversity Is, Diversity Ain’t: Multiculturalism and Teaching in a Post-Disciplinary Music Academy” at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3, in Sibley Music Library, room 404 on the Eastman School campus. All members of the University community are invited. Ramsey’s research focuses on African-American music, American music, and jazz.

January 2011

Two Recognized with Presidential Diversity Awards
The Department of Microbiology and Immunology, led by chair Stephen Dewhurst, and the undergraduate student group University of Rochester Genocide Intervention (URGI) have been named the 2011 Presidential Diversity Award recipients.

Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address
Harvard University psychiatrist and author Alvin Poussaint will deliver this year's Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address. Friday, January 21, 2011, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Strong Auditorium

January is National Mentoring Month
The Office of Faculty Development and Diversity has put together several ways for you to thank and honor your mentor all this month. Click here for details.

Office for Faculty Development and Diversity