Dear members of the School of Arts and Sciences community,
Campus is abuzz this week with new students preparing for the start of the academic year! First-year students and transfer students are moving into their residence halls today and tomorrow.
I’m excited to officially greet our newcomers during convocation on Wednesday and to participate in a welcome from the deans that day from 4 to 5 p.m. in Strong Auditorium. I’ll share with students the depth and breadth of the education offered at the School of Arts and Sciences, as well as the abundance of research and experiential learning opportunities open to them. Their new world is one of boundless possibility!
I urge our new students to take full advantage of the host activities offered during Welcome Week. Doing so is great way to learn about the wealth of resources available to them.
Please join me in welcoming our new students and wishing them a bright future.
SPEAKING OF WELCOMES . . .
We have 28 new faculty members joining the School of Arts and Sciences this academic year! That’s a staggering number and one that demonstrates our commitment to sustaining and advancing the outstanding education we offer.
This year’s cohort brings a diverse array of voices and expertise that will elevate our research and scholarship. From experts in STEM who are making the world healthier and more sustainable through pioneering research, to humanists and social scientists whose work helps us better understand our world and our place in it, our new professors will lead our students with distinction.
Our new faculty are:
Agnes Mondragon-Celis, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Alanna Radlo-Dzur, Assistant Professor, Art and Art History
C.M. Downey, Assistant Professor, Goergen Institute for Data Science / Linguistics
Cameron Hecht, Assistant Professor, Psychology
Carson Landry, Lecturer, Music
Chad Shenk, Professor, Psychology
Chaitanya Murthy, Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy
Daria Bottan, Associate Professor, Economics
Dominique Segura-Cox, Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy
Fathimath Anu Ahmed, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Fernando Parro, Professor, Economics
Iris Vrioni, Assistant Professor, Economics
Jed Kuhn, Assistant Professor, History
Jordache Ellapen, Associate Professor, Black Studies
Karma Frierson, Assistant Professor, Black Studies
Kevin Righter, Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Megan Tichy, Professor, Chemistry
Melanie Chambliss, Assistant Professor, History
Minako Righter, Scientist, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Molly Ball, Assistant Professor, History
Pirooz Kalayeh, Assistant Professor, English
Rush Stewart, Associate Professor, Philosophy
Sadhika Bagga, Assistant Professor, Economics
Stefanie Dunning, Director of the Susan B. Anthony Institute and Professor, Black Studies / English
Takao Sasaki, Associate Professor, Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Xiaolei Qu, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Yishu Jiang, Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Yukun Ma, Assistant Professor, Economics / Goergen Institute for Data Science
Please join me in welcoming our new faculty!
LOOKING TO TAKE ACADEMIC LEAVE?
Consider this a gentle reminder that applications for academic leaves of absence during the 2025-26 academic year are due to the Dean’s Office by Sept. 6. Guidelines for preparing a request for leave can be found here.
STAFF EVENTS – MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Staff members in the School of Arts and Sciences can start the year off right with informational sessions tailored to their needs. Questions about the events can be directed to Whitney Thackray, staff administrator for the Dean’s Office, at whitney.thackray@rochester.edu.
Sept. 5
SAS Academic Administrators
10-11 a.m. Havens Lounge, Wilson Commons
This event brings together our academic administrators to forge valuable connections, collaborate with peers, and meet new Dean’s Office staff.
Sept. 11
SAS Business and Financial Administrators
9:30-11 a.m. Hawkins-Carlson Room, Rush Rhees Library
This even brings together a range of business and financial administrators to build valuable relationships, share insights, and hear directly from Assistant Dean of Finance J.C. Stevens about the fiscal year ahead.
Have a great start to the new academic year!
Your dean,
Duje Tadin
GOT NEWS TO SHARE?
Send your SAS In Focus news tips to SAS Senior Communications Officer David Andreatta at david.andreatta@rochester.edu. Tell him about research, awards, publications, symposiums, and whatever other news you think is fit to print. Be sure to put “SAS In Focus” in the subject heading.
