Father and daughter, Douglas and Carla Jones, explore Ireland with the UR Travel Club in 2018.
As University of Rochester students know from the first moments they step onto campus, our world is a complicated, wondrous place, and each day we are called to understand it just a bit better---- our experience bit-by-bit and question-by-question richer for our exploration and knowledge.
The spirit of Meliora is not something shed at graduation. Rather, it continues to guide our experience and curiosity about our world as passionate lifelong learners. As we strive to better understand and appreciate our planet and its people, travel is the ultimate educator. As a part of the University of Rochester Travel Club, you will join fellow alumni, parents, friends, and our University hosts as we explore the world. Our encounters with distant landscapes, fascinating cultures, and with each other, promise to be transformational!
Upcoming Trips:
Grand Canadian Passage
July 10-16, 2019
Head north to experience the humbling proportions and famed beauty of the Canadian Rockies. Journey through awe-inspiring mountain landscapes, and revel in the opulence, history, and hospitality of Canada’s most iconic destinations with two days aboard the Rocky Mountaineer in GoldLeaf Service and visits to the stunning areas of Banff and Lake Louise.
Meet Your Host
Mary Ann Mavrinac
Mary Ann Mavrinac is the vice provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of the University of Rochester Libraries. She was born in Canada and held positions at two university research libraries there before joining the University of Rochester in 2012. As a Canada native, Mavrinac offers an insider’s perspective and has gotten to know the country intimately over the years through hiking, kayaking, and skiing along with many city-based adventures. She has maintained strong ties to Canadian culture and looks forward to sharing her enthusiasm along with her passion for research libraries and how they help achieve the University’s mission. Mary Ann views this trip as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and can’t wait to get to know you on the rails from Vancouver to Calgary!
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
August 5-12, 2019
Experience the world’s single largest celebration of arts and culture, set to the backdrop of Edinburgh’s stunning rocky hills and beautiful sea views. This extraordinary month-long festival features performances that vary from theater to comedy to experimental performance art, showcasing some of the best and emerging artists from across Europe. Discover Edinburgh’s charming streets, local Scottish food, and the abundance of creativity that takes over the city at Festival Fringe.
Meet Your Host
Missy Pfohl Smith
Missy Pfohl Smith directs the Institute for the Performing Arts and the Program of Dance and Movement at the University of Rochester and serves as artistic director for the contemporary repertory company, BIODANCE, based in Rochester, New York. Her work has sold out shows at Rochester Fringe and was described as "a brilliantly crafted world of beauty, melody, and calmness" by Rochester City News. She enjoys creating site-specific work and recently directed her second evening-length show that was crafted for a four-story planetarium in collaboration with a media artist, dancers, musicians, and a visual artist. Missy's work with violist Bridget Kinneary is expanding to include new contemporary compositions by internationally renowned composers, performing to full houses at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017. Her choreography, performance, and teaching has spanned across the United States and internationally, most recently in Greece and Finland. She is certified in the Bill Evans Laban/Bartenieff-based technique and also teaches choreography, dance, and social justice.
Discovering Eastern Europe
August 27-September 11, 2019
Whether you’re seeking to recapture your ancestral heritage or simply wish to discover a beautiful and poignant part of the world, this small group tour offers ample opportunity for enrichment, enlightenment, and enjoyment. Both leisurely and comprehensive, it provides a generous overview of four distinctly different–and fascinating–nations.
Meet Your Host
Dr. Ann Weiss '71
Ann Weiss is a director, producer, photojournalist, researcher, filmmaker, public speaker, and teacher. A specialist in Holocaust psychiatry and the daughter of two survivors from Poland, she is a frequent speaker at conferences, museums, and universities around the world. Her book, The Last Album: Eyes from the Ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau, uncovers the previously-unknown personal photos of Jewish deportees. As the founder and executive director of Eyes from the Ashes Educational Foundation, she uses the past to work toward creating a better future. Weiss earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester, two graduate degrees from Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communications, and her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. Above all, she listens to stories told by survivors, often spoken out loud for the first time, and shares them with audiences worldwide.
New Adventures in Spain
September 14-22, 2019
Join the Memorial Art Gallery and University of Rochester Travel Club on an exclusive adventure to Madrid and Barcelona. Enjoy wonderful Spanish and Catalan cuisine, as you explore both contemporary and historic Spain. Discover Madrid's Art Walk, view the masterworks of Modernist genius Antoni Gaudi, and visit the museum and home of Salvador Dali on this art lover's journey through Spain.
Meet Your Host
Joan Saab
Joan Saab is vice provost of academic affairs and the Susan B. Anthony Professor of Art History and Visual and Cultural Studies at the University of Rochester. She is the author of For the Millions: American Art and Culture Between the Wars, as well as Searching for Siqueiros, published on the digital platform, Scalar. Joan is currently authoring two upcoming publications, exploring the construction of public value and meaning through art and visual culture.
This once-in-a-lifetime safari has been scheduled to coincide with the annual wildebeest and zebra migration in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. This trip visits northern Tanzania's most wildlife-rich and culturally-fascinating places, providing both impressive wildlife viewing and a glimpse into the people and history of this extraordinary country. Your accommodations put you in the heart of the wilderness as you stay six nights in various Thomson Nyumba camps, and in the lap of luxury as you spend two nights at Gibb’s Farm.
Meet Your Host
Louis DiVincenti '14M (MS)
Louis DiVincenti is the assistant zoo director for animal care and conservation at Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York. After graduating from Louisiana State University's School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010, he moved to Rochester to complete a comparative medicine residency at the University of Rochester and Seneca Park Zoo. He completed his master's degree in translational research from the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry in 2014 and was appointed to the faculty as the chief of large animal medicine and research. Louis was board-certified by the American College of Animal Welfare in 2015. In 2018, he left the University to become the full-time director of animal health at Seneca Park Zoo, a position he held until he was promoted to his current role. Louis has special interests in animal welfare and wildlife conservation, especially focusing on mitigating human-animal conflict in high conservation value areas including East Africa, Madagascar, and Borneo.
Memorial Art Gallery Council Trips
The Memorial Art Gallery Council organizes and sponsors ART LOVERS’ tours to benefit MAG. These exciting travel opportunities are open to everyone.
Alumni Travel Insurance
Plenty can happen to derail a trip before departure or while traveling—but you also may be surprised at some of the lesser-known benefits. Learn more about individual protection plans and travel medical insurance before you take your next trip with us, or on your own. Please note that travel insurance is open to all University of Rochester community members including alumni, parents, faculty/staff, and friends.
Questions?
Corinne Dagen '03
Associate Director, Alumni Relations
Director, University of Rochester Travel Club
corinne.dagen@rochester.edu
585.273.2680
Jackie McGriff
Secretary, Alumni Relations
Coordinator, University of Rochester Travel Club
jmcgrif2@ur.rochester.edu
585.273.5888
