This kind of sleep is essential for a healthy brain

The New York Times, April 25

Exercising can keep you mentally engaged and increase blood flow to the brain, which is helpful in glymphatic clearance, says Maiken Nedergaard, codirector of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine. Minimizing stress also boosts the process, she added.

We celebrate the scholarly and service contributions of University community members to their fields. Recent award recipients include:

• Colleen Fogarty, the William Rocktaschel Chair in Family Medicine, was chosen by the Association of Departments of Family Medicine to serve a three-year term in the sequential roles of president-elect, president, and board chair.
• Gerald Gamm, a professor of political science and of history and the associate chair of the Department of Political Science, has won an award for the best paper presented at a professional conference in 2024 on the subject of state politics by the State Politics and Policy Section of the American Political Science Association.
• Jerome Jean-Gilles Jr., an associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, has been selected for the fifth cohort of the Association for Academic Pathology Leadership Fellows Program.
• Jiebo Luo, a professor of computer science and the Albert Arendt Hopeman Professor of Engineering, was inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s College of Fellows.
• Hans Malmstrom, a professor of dentistry and chair of general dentistry at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, was inducted as a fellow of the Academy of Osseointegration.
• Myra Mathis, an assistant professor of psychiatry, received the Courage to Heal Medicine Grand Rounds from Thomas Jefferson University.
• Jennie Noll, a professor of psychology and executive director of the Mt. Hope Family Center; Sheree Toth, a professor of psychology and psychiatry and former executive director of the Mt. Hope Family Center; and Dante Cicchetti, founder of the Mt. Hope Family Center, will receive the 2025 American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal Award for Impact in Psychology.
• Andrew Nelson, an assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, was recognized by the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids with its New Investigator Award.
• A paper authored by Michele Rucci, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences, and graduate students Bin Yang and Janis Intoy, has been awarded the Cozzarelli Prize by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
• Mexico, Slavery, Freedom: A Bilingual Documentary History, 1520–1829, a new book by Pablo Sierra Silva, an associate professor of history, was selected by the American Library Association for its 2024 Best Historical Materials listing.
• Eric Wagner, a professor of biochemistry and biophysics and codirector of the Center for RNA Biology, was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• Yuhao Zhu, an associate professor of computer science, computer science PhD student Weikai Lin, and Yu Feng ’23 won a best paper award at the ACM International Conference on Architectural Support for Programming Languages and Operating Systems.

Celebrating faculty, staff, and student honors: If you have news to share about a faculty or staff member, student, or department/unit that has recently achieved a significant professional accomplishment or received a prestigious national or international honor, please let us know so we can consider it for a future listing of awards and honors.

UR Essentials town hall today

This fall, the University is introducing UR Essentials, a program that provides all required textbooks and course materials for undergraduates before the first day of class. The Students’ Association will host an informational town hall about the program from 6 to 7 p.m. today, April 29, in the Humanities Center, Room D. Program staff and representatives from Barnes & Noble will be on hand to discuss the program and answer any questions.

Night to Write

At Night to Write, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students in the School of Arts & Sciences and the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences can drop in anytime and write as long as they like. Snacks, coffee, and good company will help fuel productivity and fight end-of-semester procrastination. Writing tutors and librarians will be available to help and answer questions. Attend today, April 29, from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Hawkins-Carlson Room, Rush Rhees Library.

Personal training sessions that pay you

Earn your $100 incentive through Well-U and get expert fitness support from a personal trainer in the Fitness 201 program. Create a personalized plan, work through questions, and find success and confidence. Sessions begin on Monday, May 5, Wednesday, May 7, and Friday, May 9, with various time slots. Sign up now as spots fill quickly.

Annual Integrated Care and Medical Family Therapy intensive

Join the Family Therapy Training Program for the 32nd annual Integrated Care and Medical Family Therapy intensive, an interdisciplinary training that blends clinical presentations, small group learning, and skill development. The program will take place from Monday, June 9, through Friday, June 13. The primary goal is to provide training for professionals interested in health care and mental health collaboration when working with patients and families dealing with illness, health concerns, and trauma. Learn more about the program and register through May 20 or send an email for more information.

Fall 2025 Teaching Center workshop series

Open to all University instructors, faculty, and staff, these workshops are designed to provide practical strategies and ready-to-implement tools. Workshops are held on Zoom on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to noon and on Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. Register here.

• Mentoring and Managing TAs: Friday, September 5
• Instructor Spotlight on Andrew Berger: Flipping the Classroom to Engage Students: Friday, September 12
• Writing Course Learning Outcomes: Friday, September 26
• Aligning Assessments with Learning Outcomes: Friday, October 3
• Designing Effective Rubrics: Friday, October 10
• Understanding Experiential Learning:  Thursday, October 30
• Assessing Experiential Learning:  Friday, November 7
• Transparent Assignment Design: Thursday, November 13
• Transparent Assignment Design:  Friday, November 21
• Teaching Reflection: Friday, December 5

Rainbow Lecture on making gender-affirming care policy

Florence Ashley, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, presents the 2025 Rainbow Lecture “Making Gender-Affirming Care Policy—What is the Role of Human Rights?” Attend today, April 29, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Hawkins-Carlson Room, Rush Rhees Library.

Psychiatry lecture with Peel Dem Layers Back nonprofit

The Department of Psychiatry will hold its next grand rounds presentation featuring Peel Dem Layers Back founder Archie Green and program director Shelly Gates. Peel Dem Layers Back< is a nonprofit promoting mental health awareness through a hip-hop lens, focusing on Black men and boys. Register to attend in person on Wednesday, April 30, at noon in the Class of ’62 Auditorium (G-9425), Medical Center, or virtually via Zoom.

Join the School of Nursing at Strong

Visit the School of Nursing’s recruitment table at Strong Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, April 30, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to discover opportunities and connect with an admissions representative. Whether you’re exploring career paths in nursing or are interested in top-ranked programs, the team is available to answer questions and help you take the next step. Register here.

Art of Science competition awards ceremony

The Rochester community is invited to the ceremony revealing the winners of the Ed and Barbara Hajim Art of Science Competition on Thursday, May 1, in the Carlson Science and Engineering Library. Refreshments will be available.

This year, 64 faculty, students, and staff submitted entries to the annual competition. The awards ceremony will reveal the entries that placed first, second, and third in the student competition, plus the People’s Choice Award winner. The winning entries will be placed on display in the Carlson Library.

Studio X end-of-year showcase

Student and staff presenters will share experiences, insights, and outcomes of their work at the Mary Ann Mavrinac Studio X end-of-year showcase on Friday, May 2, from noon to 1 p.m.

Workshop on mastering your NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan

Are you ready to meet the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) standards for data management and sharing? Do you understand the new public access policy? Hosted by University Libraries Data Services, the virtual workshop will give you an overview of the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, guide you through the steps to effectively create a Data Management and Sharing Plan, and give an overview of the 2024 NIH Public Access Policy. Learn more and register here to attend on Tuesday, May 13, from 11 a.m. to noon.