Starting fall 2027, Eastman School of Music will offer a tuition-free Advanced Diploma in String Chamber Music Performance, a unique program that invites string quartets to enroll as a group to launch their professional careers in performance. The intensive one-year program also comes with a generous stipend, funded by the Paul R. Judy Center for Innovation and Research—a division of Eastman’s Institute for Music Leadership—with additional funding support from the John and Mary Celentano Fund.

Bringing more than three decades of leadership and project management experience to the role, Jennifer Kuczynski leads a multidisciplinary team that aligns physical infrastructure with strategic goals to support education, research, and clinical care across the University enterprise.

University flags on the Eastman Quadrangle, near the entrance of Strong Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department, and atop Eastman Theatre at the corner of Gibbs and Main Streets, will be lowered on November 17 for Thomas Penn, a clinical professor emeritus of surgery, who died on October 9. Penn joined the University in 1972.

You have until Monday, November 9, to enroll in or make changes to your 2027 coverage through myURHR Workday. Still have questions? Join the final webinar today at noon or find additional tools and resources on the Open Enrollment website.

Imagine approaching teaching with greater ease, clarity, and connection during the busiest times of the semester. The Mindful Professor Training Program invites URochester faculty and course instructors to explore evidence-based mindfulness practices that support personal well-being and professional effectiveness through nine engaging workshops. Spring 2027 training will be held on Wednesdays, from noon to 1 p.m., on the River Campus from February 3 to April 14. Participants receive a certificate of completion, a Mindful Professor notebook and sticker, access to an exclusive Mindful Professor community, and ongoing professional development opportunities.

Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Shared Resources team invites you to attend the next lunch and learn seminar in the Dr. Vivian A. Palladoro Lecture Series. On Tuesday, November 10, at noon in the K-207 Auditorium (2-6408), Kaye Thomas, codirector of the imaging and radiation shared resource, will present on the microscopes available in the Center for Advanced Light Microscopy and Nanoscopy (CALMN). She will also share some of the analysis happening at CALMN and offer ideas that all students, staff, postdocs, and PIs can use in their research. Register to attend.

Meet Quchee Collins, the associate vice president for the Department of Public Safety and chief public safety officer, and others on the community engagement team. Stop by the Department of Public Safety satellite office on the Eastman Quadrangle (near Hoyt Hall) on Thursday, November 12, from noon to 1 p.m. to say “hi” and enjoy some hot chocolate and cookies. All are welcome.

An upcoming roundtable, “Rochester’s Own,” part of the Lane Dworkin Authors + Innovators Festival at the Jewish Community Center, will include three faculty members of the School of Arts & Sciences: Stephen Schottenfeld, a professor of English; Harry Reis, the Dean’s Professor in Arts & Sciences in the Department of Psychology; and Nora Rubel, the Elizabeth Denio Professor in the Department of Religion. The discussion will take place on Sunday, November 15, at 11 a.m. in the JCC Ballroom.

The River Campus Medical Emergency Response Team, Health Promotion, and the Office of the Dean of Students welcome all students to attend an Emergency Resource Fair on Thursday, November 12, from 2 to 5 p.m. in Hirst Lounge, Wilson Commons. Students can practice CPR, learn how to control bleeding, and get information about emergency resources such as naloxone.

Join the Warner School of Education & Human Development for a virtual information session on Monday, November 16, from 6 to 7 p.m. In addition to learning about graduate programs and scholarship opportunities, URochester undergraduates can explore the Education & Human Development Master’s Pathway (4+1). PhD applications are accepted once per year and must be submitted by December 15. Register to attend.

URochester Medicine experts offer guidance on how parents can navigate the food allergy challenges their kids face throughout the school year, including emergency plans, lunch safety, and making teachers allergy partners.

Quantum Insider, October 27

Machiel Blok, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, is part of a team of researchers investigating the most efficient way to process quantum information.