You can now access Outlook on the web and other M365 applications in a browser without needing a VPN connection, provided you use Duo Verified Push or a YubiKey. This new exception enhances flexibility while maintaining robust security measures. To utilize this option, you will need to request enrollment in the new Duo Verified Push Exception. Learn more about this new option and request access.

Medical Center experts answer common questions about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) symptoms in adults, RSV vaccines, and how to protect yourself and your loved ones this fall and winter.

The 2025 employee experience survey is now open. Your input will help improve the work environment, guide long-term culture strategies, and support organizational performance and growth. Eligible employees should have received an email with a personalized link on October 6 from EmployeeExperienceSurvey@notices.Rochester.edu. Eligible employees include active, regular full-time and part-time faculty, staff, residents, fellows, and postdoctoral appointees who have been employed by URochester for at least 30 days. TARs who worked an average of 20 hours per week will also be included. Employees on leave and student workers are not included. Learn more and take the survey by Monday, October 20.

The Office of Human Resources is launching a new HR quarterly newsletter coming to your inbox on Thursday, October 9. You’ll find stories that reflect URochester’s vibrant community, spotlighting the faculty and staff who make it thrive. The goal with HR Connect is simple: to better connect you with the people, programs, and opportunities that support your growth, well-being, and success.

Have you signed up yet for Well-U’s Walktober? Registration ends today, October 8. Join and win prizes, develop a fitness habit for a lifetime of good health, and enjoy all that this season has to offer. Sign up today.

Open Enrollment for 2026 URochester benefits runs from October 27 to November 10. Be on the lookout for details and materials arriving next week.

Beginning this month, UR Stars, the University’s recognition program, launches the “We See How You Shine” spotlight series. Each Friday, @Rochester will feature a faculty or staff member who has received UR Stars recognition. Whether it’s going the extra mile for a colleague, showing compassion in everyday interactions, or finding innovative solutions, these spotlights are another opportunity to celebrate one another. To nominate a current UR Stars recipient for a spotlight, email urstars@rochester.edu, or recognize a coworker on the UR Stars platform and then nominate.

Receive personalized coaching to alleviate low back discomfort as part of Well-U’s condition management program. You’ll earn $100 once you meet your goals. Get started.

Stop by the annual Medical Student Research Poster Session on Thursday, October 9, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Sarah Flaum Atrium, sponsored by the School of Medicine and Dentistry’s Offices for Medical Education. Explore their research, ask questions, and help celebrate their accomplishments.

Join Lucian Simmons as he discusses his role as the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s head of provenance research and the museum’s cultural property initiatives in the context of ancient art and cultures across the globe. Attend this free event on Friday, October 10, from 7 to 8 p.m. at the
Memorial Art Gallery.

Join the Warner School of Education and Human Development for a virtual PhD information session on Wednesday, October 15, from 6 to 7 p.m. Discover doctoral program options, learn about scholarship opportunities, and explore Warner’s PhD application, which is open through December 15. Register for the info session.

Artist-led ensemble fivebyfive is joined by URochester faculty choreographers for “Subatomic Mysteries,” on Saturday, October 18, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 19, at 3 p.m. in Sloan Performing Arts Center. Learn more and purchase tickets.

Employees can register to attend this semester’s Lorri L. Jean and Darrel Cummings LGBTQ Leadership Lecture, hosted by the Burgett Intercultural Center, on Wednesday, October 22, at 6 p.m. in the Feldman Ballroom. The event features speaker Clarence Patton, the previous executive director of the New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Program. and includes a free dinner catered by Salena’s Mexican Restaurant.

The Mindfulness Facilitator Training Workshop for the fall semester is offered on October 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Douglass Commons, Room 407. This opportunity is ideal for students aspiring to work in the healthcare field, but is available to all undergraduate and graduate students. Learn more and sign up.

Students can take a break from studying at Destress Fest on October 16 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Welles-Brown Room, Rush Rhees Library. Enjoy relaxing music, tea and cocoa, crafts, and more.

The UHS Health Promotion Office offers an alcohol education seminar for students on October 24, November 21, December 19, or January 23 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. The seminar aims to educate students about URochester policy, physiological effects, and harm-reduction strategies regarding alcohol.