Upcoming training opportunities to support student well-being

The Well-Being for Life and Learning Training offers flexible, self-paced workshops that cover how to support students in distress, navigate sensitive topics like trauma or suicide, and care for your own well-being. Workshops are available both live (in-person or via Zoom) and asynchronously, so you can engage in the way that works best for you. Register at any time for the next steps for MyPath and individual workshop registrations.

Benefit Basics healthcare webinar

Join the Office of Total Rewards on Wednesday, September 24, at 11 a.m. for a webinar covering key healthcare terms, a walkthrough of the medical and dental plan options available to you, and an explanation of how spending accounts like FSAs and HSAs work. You’ll also learn about helpful tools and resources to make confident, informed choices during enrollment and beyond. Register here.

UR Stars expands with e-cards and spotlight series

In celebration of its recent first anniversary, the University’s UR Stars recognition program is expanding. A new collection of UR Stars e-cards is now available, with over 20 designs and animations to show appreciation for the great work, achievements, and milestones, big or small, across your team. Start sending UR Stars e-cards. A new UR Stars “We See How You Shine” spotlight series also launches next month, shining the light on staff who go above and beyond. For program information or an e-card video tutorial, visit the UR Stars webpage.

What’s new in Blackboard for September

What is a growth mindset, and how can it help with your Blackboard course? Find out and learn more about the latest Blackboard updates in the September Blackboard newsletter.

Skip the lines and start celebrating Meliora Weekend today

Faculty, staff, and students are invited to a special early Meliora Weekend check-in event today, September 17, from noon to 6 p.m. in Hirst Lounge, Wilson Commons.

Explore graduate study at the Warner School

The Warner School of Education and Human Development hosts a virtual information session today, September 17, from 8 to 9 a.m. Discover graduate program options, learn about scholarship opportunities, and explore Warner’s rolling admissions process. Register to attend.

Learn more about Simon’s DBA

Designed for mid- to senior-level professionals with a master’s degree, Simon Business School’s new Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) combines academic rigor with real-world application. Learn more about the part-time, three-year program at a webinar on Tuesday, September 23, from 9 to 9:30 a.m. The session will explore this advanced doctoral program’s structure, focus, and unique opportunities, including the option to choose between a teaching track and a practice track.

Early childhood music lab

This fall, Laura Turley, early childhood music program director at the Eastman Community Music School, and Mara Culp, an associate professor of music teaching and learning at the Eastman School of Music, will offer music experiences for University families, including graduate students, faculty, staff, and Rochester community members. Up to 12 children, ages 2 to 3 and a half years, will be enrolled in the Music Times Two Lab class.

These experiences are offered at a discounted rate of $50 per child with no registration fee. Classes will meet on Friday mornings from 9:40 to 10:25 a.m., October 10 through November 21. Register here.

Beware of gift card scams

Gift card scams are on the rise, and scammers are becoming increasingly convincing. According to the Federal Trade Commission, one in four people who lost money to fraud reported giving gift card numbers to scammers. Scammers may start with an email (often marked with “[EXT]” in the subject line) or a text message. They often impersonate someone in a position of authority—such as your supervisor, professor, or department head—and ask you to purchase gift cards (like Amazon, Apple, or Walmart) to pay a bill, cover a fee, or claim a prize. If they started with email, they try to shift the conversation to text and pressure you to send the gift card numbers and PINs.

What to do:

• Do not reply to or call any phone number in the message
• Contact the person or company directly using a phone number or email you already know
• If the request feels suspicious, trust your instincts and do not proceed.

Forward suspicious messages as attachments to abuse@rochester.edu or call the University IT Help Desk at (585) 275-2000 or Medical Center ISD at (585) 275-3200. Remember that no legitimate organization will ask you to send gift card codes by email or text.

School of Medicine and Dentistry celebrates 100 years

On this day in 1925, the School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD) opened, one of the first of its kind in the nation. Instead of the typical for-profit model, SMD was created as the foundation for an academic medical center that integrated scientific research with hands-on patient care and comprehensive medical and dental education. Abraham Flexner, an innovative reformer, suggested the model to University President Rush Rhees, who helped get financial backing from George Eastman. The new approach to healthcare and training became the foundation of academic medical centers across the country.

Rochester students put Eagles’ tush push under the microscope, studying safety and performance

CBS News Philadelphia, September 16

In the biomechanics lab of Cherice Hill, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering—typically used to analyze running and jumping—Rochester students set up high-speed cameras and pressure-sensing insoles to recreate the motion behind the tush push, the Philadelphia Eagles’ heavily debated quarterback sneak. Explore the research on the University’s Instagram.