Welcome to the latest SAS in Focus, a newsletter that reports what’s happening in the School of Arts and Sciences.

In this edition, we’ll spotlight student and department accolades, recent research, things to do, and more.

 

The American Web Marketing association has awarded the Middle English Text Series the 2025 Education Standard of Excellence Award. METS received the award for its successful and innovative website redesign.

The Middle English Text Series was established in 1990 with the goal of providing authoritative and accessible editions of the widest possible range of literary production from the Insular Middle Ages to the widest possible readership.

Read more about METS

 

Congratulations to Ella French ’26! French, a Health, Behavior, and Society major and an American Sign Language major, has been selected for the 2025-2026 cohort of the Newman Civic Fellowship.

The year-long program recognizes and supports community-committed students who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for some of society’s toughest challenges. Newman Civic Fellows come from 38 states, Washington DC, and Mexico.

Read more about Newman Civic Fellows

 

Congratulations to faculty members who recently secured funding for new research projects:

• Aparajeo Chattopadhyay, a scientist in the Petrenko lab, and Vasilii Petrenko, professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences received $732,679 from the National Science Foundation for a project titled “Kinetic Isotope Effects in Atmospheric Sinks of Methane.”
• John Kessler, professor and chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, received $848,801 from the National Science Foundation for a project titled “Constraining Methane Emissions and Sources in the North American Great Lakes System.”
• Ning Wang, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology, received $2,076,102 from the National Institute of Health for a project titled “Differential Stress Responses of Organelles to Nutritional Versus ER Stress.”
• Michael Ruggiero, associate professor of chemistry and associate professor of chemical engineering in the Department of Chemistry, received $310,000 from the National Science Foundation for a project titled “Collaborative Research: Tracking Reactivity in Porous Materials with Terahertz Spectroscopies.”
• John Singleton, associate professor of economics and director of graduate studies in the Department of Economics, and Angela Crema, assistant of economics in the Department of Economics received $275,654 for a project titled “The Spillover Impacts of Charter Schools.”
• Adam Snyder, an assistant professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, received $693,000 the National Institutes of Health for a project titled “Selective Targeting of Cognitive Control Subnetworks with Spatiotemporally Optimized Transcranial Electrical Stimulation.”
• Thomas Weber, an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and John Kessler, professor and chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, received $848,801 from the National Science Foundation for a project titled “Constraining methane emissions and sources in the North American Great Lakes system.”

 

Daniel Beaumont, a professor emeritus in the Department of Religion and Classics at the University of Rochester, is being remembered by colleagues for his intellectual curiosity, insatiable creativity, and passionate teaching across seemingly disparate fields—from Arabic medieval and contemporary literature, to European philosophy, and blues music.

Beaumont, who died on August 6 at the age of 73, arrived on campus in 1992 and officially retired in 2020. He continued teaching on occasion, the last time in spring 2024.

“Dan was a unique spirit in our department—always eager to share his love of literature and music with his colleagues, his students, and friends,” says department chair Nora Rubel, an associate professor of religion and the Jane and Alan Batkin Professor in Jewish Studies. “As a professor of Arabic literature, he had a rare gift for bringing ancient texts to life, revealing their beauty and timeless wisdom to all who had the privilege of studying with him.”

University flags on the Eastman Quadrangle and near the entrance of Strong Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department will be lowered on Tuesday, September 30.

Read the full remembrance of Daniel Beaumont

 

Heather Layton, associate professor of arts in the Departments of Art and Art History is featured in a PBS segment of aha. The PBS video essay discusses Layton’s project “I Wish I Could Send You This Glass of Water,” a collaboration with young girls in Gaza that uses art to preserve hope and humanity. View the segment.

Floria Uy, assistant professor of biology and Levinson-Shapiro Faculty Scholar in the Department of Biology is featured on podcast Bugs Need Heroes. Listen to the episode titled “The Biohackers”.

 

Mark your calendar for the following events presented by the International Theatre Program:

The Memo. Vaclav Havel’s classic satire The Memo, a biting, darkly comic satire of bureaucracy run amok, will run Oct. 2 through Oct. 11 at Smith Theatre in Sloan Performing Arts Center on the River Campus. Curtain times are 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. for matinees. Matinees on Oct 3 and Oct 5 will be ASL interpreted.

Ticket prices are $20 for the general public; $15 for Seniors (65 and over) and University staff, faculty, alumni; $10 in advance for University students; and $10 for non-University students. (Free tickets for University students at all mainstage/Smith Theatre shows are only available at the Sloan Performing Arts Center or Todd Theatre Box Offices 1 hour before showtime.)

Purchase tickets online or visit the Todd Theatre or SPAC Box Office. The box office opens 1 hour prior to curtain. Read more information about the production.

Todd Talks. The International Theatre Program’s first “Todd Talk” for 25-26 is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Oct. 6 with Arnulfo Maldonado.  The Tony-nominee and Lortel & Obie Award-winning costume and scenic designer, whose portfolio includes Dead Outlaw and Real Women Have Curves on Broadway, will discuss theatre design and his career with International Theatre Program Artistic Director Nigel Maister.

Registration for the live Zoom conversation with Arnulfo Maldonado is required. A Zoom link to the conversation will be provided to registrants.

 

Another successful Meliora Weekend is in the books. From Sept. 18 through 21, students, alumni, staff, faculty, and families enjoyed activities including exhibitions, talks, reunions, and Meliora Village.  Follow the University’s flagship social media accounts for more photos and videos from Meliora Weekend and other University happenings.

 

Send your news tips to Sheila Rayam, director of marketing and communications for the School of Arts and Sciences, at sheila.rayam@rochester.edu. Let her know about unique research, awards, publications, community collaborations and other interesting news. Please put “SAS in Focus” in the subject heading.