One new positive case of COVID-19

Since Tuesday’s notice in @Rochester, there is one new case of COVID-19 to report: a River Campus student. Please note that the University’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily. Whenever a new case is known, the contact-tracing process begins immediately with confirmed exposures being contacted and required to quarantine.

It’s extremely important for the health of the University community that individuals continue to adhere to the face masking and social distancing protocols. Even as some individuals are now receiving their first or second dose of the vaccine, these practices to prevent the transmission of the virus cannot be relaxed.

If you think you’re experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, it’s important to report them through Dr. Chat Bot—for non–Medical Center faculty, staff, and all students and for Medical Center employees—immediately. Even if you think your symptoms might be something else—like a cold, seasonal congestion, or allergies—it’s still important to tell University health professionals and contact tracers what you’re experiencing.

Feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed in these COVID times? Students can reach out to the University Counseling Center for help. UHS also maintains a site with COVID Coping and Resources for students. Employees can contact the UR Medicine Employee Assistance Program, one of several support services for faculty and staff.

• Dr. Chat Bot: Non–Medical Center faculty, staff, and all students | Medical Center employees
• What to do if you or your close contacts have symptoms or have been exposed
• University’s COVID-19 Resource Center
• Medical Center’s COVID-19 update page
• COVID-19 Concern Report

Why countries around the world are suspending use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine

Time, March 16

Ann Falsey, a professor of medicine and codirector of the Vaccine Trials and Evaluation Unit, hopes the results will clarify some of the confusion generated by the earlier UK-based study. “It was large, it was rigorously designed, ahead of time, and there were no changes that happened during the study,” she says. Still, Falsey says “there is no reason to panic.” “To judge the outcome now would be very premature,” she adds. “I do think the bulk of data shows the vaccine is very safe.”

Wellness Wednesday: Peer coaches

Are you feeling sad or disinterested in your coursework? Do you feel overwhelmed by all the things you’re juggling? Has anxiety become a part of your daily life? You don’t have to hold it all inside. In fact, you can talk to someone who may understand exactly what you’re going through. Try working with a student UR Connected coach.

Peer coaches will listen without judgment, discuss steps you can take to feel better, and point you in the direction of other helpful resources. All you have to do is tell UR Connected a little about yourself so they can find the best coach for you.

Check in next Wednesday for more tips and resources that will help you stay focused, healthy, and connected.

Summer programs offer opportunities to study neural networks

Are you making summer plans? Learn and research neural networks, the computational framework that imitates the human brain, through the Tripods NSF REU and STEM for All summer 2021 programs, being held July 19 through August 13. Tripods NSF REU participants will receive a $1,600 stipend for completion of the program. The programs— which will either be run in-person or via Zoom, depending on restrictions in place this summer—are open to current undergraduates from the University, Cornell University, and institutions in the Rochester area. Apply by Friday, March 26.

HR Intercom highlights staff awards and more

This month’s issue of HR Intercom, a newsletter with information about Human Resources programs and materials, includes information on staff awards, Women’s History Month, and more.

Nutrition Kitchen: Go green for St. Patrick’s Day and your health

Join Nina Rosien from Well-U’s lifestyle management team to learn how to cook a flavorful, healthy green meal without spending a lot of green. March’s session will focus on nutritious, delicious, and green recipes that minimize costs.

RNs: Earn your bachelor’s with full tuition coverage

Reimagine your nursing career with a bachelor’s degree from the School of Nursing. Register to attend a virtual open house Thursday, March 18, at 5 p.m. EDT and learn more about applying to the RN-BS program, including eligibility, application deadlines and requirements, and grants and scholarships available for full tuition coverage. Contact School of Nursing admissions with questions.

Personal finance webinar

The Office of Total Rewards invites you to a personal finance webinar to help you assess your current financial situation and take action toward financial wellness. Securian Financial will break it down into simple steps that help you recognize challenges, set goals, and take charge of your finances and saving. Enroll online to attend the session taking place Wednesday, March 24, from noon to 1 p.m. EDT.

'Got Health?' talk on speedy, healthy meals for busy households

Get tips for keeping dinner prep quick and affordable. Viewers will learn how to make five different healthy meals, all from ingredients that are low-cost and completely shelf-stable. ​The taped presentation led by April Ho, a clinical dietitian at the Center for Community Health & Prevention, will be available on the Center’s Facebook page on Thursday, March 18, at 11 a.m. EDT.

'Women in STEM: Making a Difference' panel discussion

Join Wendi Heinzelman, dean of the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and a distinguished panel of women, including Inna Partin Vaisband, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois–Chicago; Linda Marchese, principal technical architect for Terahertz and Millimeter Wave-Imaging Systems; and Sarah Smith, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rochester, for a conversation on accomplishments and challenges experienced in the field, and how to increase the pipeline of women in STEM. The event takes place Friday, March 19, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize reading with Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

The recipient of the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for Fiction published in 2019 is Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, for her novel The Revisioners. The Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies will be hosting a virtual reading by Sexton followed by a Q&A on Wednesday, March 24, at 5 p.m. EDT Register here to attend. Submit requests for accommodation to sbai@rochester.edu.