President’s Page

(Photo: John Myers)

In this issue of Rochester Review, you will see a number of wonderful photos from my formal inauguration as president on October 4, and of the Meliora Weekend events that followed. The inauguration was very special to my family and me, and I was touched that so many of my friends and former colleagues traveled to Rochester to join us. I heard from many other faculty, students, alumni, and friends how delighted they were with the weekend’s events and festivities, and how excited they were about the future of the University of Rochester.

The inauguration ceremony itself was splendid in its tradition and structure. The audience was transported by Eastman Dean Jamal Rossi and my dear friend and colleague from Northwestern, Dean of the Bienen School of Music Toni-Marie Montgomery, in their rendition of Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise. Alumnus Jeff Beal’s extraordinary original composition The Pathway, commissioned specially for this event, and debuted by our own Ying Quartet, was an inspirational celebration of the path ahead of us. My gratitude goes to the representatives of the faculty, the student body, the staff, the local community, and the alumni, for offering very thoughtful and welcoming words of greeting during the ceremony and to the many staff members who made the ceremony and the weekend possible. I felt support from the whole Rochester community at every turn. You can see highlights from the ceremony here: Rochester.edu/inauguration-sarah-mangelsdorf.

I enjoyed the inauguration a great deal, but perhaps my favorite event of the weekend was the celebration that took place after the ceremony. Rochester’s downtown convention center, normally a plain concrete space, was transformed into a hands-on exposition of remarkable and inspiring research demonstrations, performances, and examples of many of the things that make our University great. On display was everything from dancing, music, and Monet to robotics, climate research, lasers, AR/VR, pathbreaking new surgical techniques using the 3-D fabrication of lifelike organs, video games that are used as learning tools, early education programs, and behavioral interventions for healthy aging. This remarkable event offered a powerful demonstration of some of the ideas I referred to in my inaugural remarks—that the central role of the University is the creation, preservation, and advancement of knowledge and culture. Universities create, preserve, and advance knowledge through research, teaching, learning, and practical execution. Some of our University’s many important contributions to humanity and society were activated in a way that was marvelous—and fun!

I was equally impressed with and moved by the rich exchange of ideas and dialogue at the Rochester Effect Academic Symposium on the Saturday of Meliora Weekend. Professor John Foxe led an outstanding interdisciplinary faculty panel, whose combined expertise in astronomy, biomedical engineering, music cognition, education, and art history breathed even more life into our ongoing discussions of how a great academic institution can help frame and solve the world’s pressing problems. That these interdisciplinary conversations are happening here, at Rochester, is yet another strength of our University.

On a personal note, I was thrilled to attend a lecture by the author Ann Patchett, whose Bel Canto ranks among my favorite novels of all time. Her wise and humane remarks were particularly inspiring to me, and I delighted in being a fangirl for an hour or so.

Most of all, I enjoyed the many wonderful conversations—with alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members, all of whom were eager to share their stories about their connections to and affection for the University of Rochester.

In my conversations with so many of you, I have underscored my hope that the University of Rochester be increasingly viewed and considered as “One University.” It is my firm belief that as a connected and intellectually engaged whole, the University of Rochester can be so much greater than the sum of its parts. I believe that idea began to crystallize during the course of the celebrations.

In my remarks at inauguration, I commented that the University challenges us—and allows us—to think the unthinkable, question the unquestionable, imagine the unimaginable, and create the un-creatable. Education can, and should, change people’s lives. All of that was on display on our campuses for the world to see.

Everything about the inauguration and Meliora Weekend represented the very best of that our University has to offer. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this great institution into its next chapter, and I look forward to a bright future together.

Contact President Mangelsdorf at sarah.mangelsdorf@rochester.edu. Follow her on Instagram: @urochestermangelsdorf.