MEDIA CONTACT: Mary Jo Ferr 585.273.5927

September 4, 2003

Meliora Weekend Wraps Dozens of Events Around Innovation Theme

Innovative thinkers in topics ranging from health care to the arts will converge on the University of Rochester's River Campus to discuss the latest breakthroughs in their fields during Meliora Weekend, Oct. 10 to 12. Guest speakers for the third annual event include Segway HT inventor Dean Kamen, CNN journalists Ingrid Formanek and Robert Wiener, Tony Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan, and New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, among others.

Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members are invited to register on the Web at www.rochester.edu/alumni/meliora2003. Registration is free for faculty, staff, and students, although additional fees may apply for selected events.

All registrants will receive a complete program when they check in at Meliora Weekend Headquarters in Wilson Commons. Symposia topics cover such areas as global research on religion, developments in astrophysics, fuel cell technology, gender-specific medicine, the human genome project, and race and representation in Congress.

"We're excited that some of the world's leading innovators and thought leaders in the sciences, business, the arts, and a number of other fields will be on campus," says Thomas LeBlanc, dean of the College faculty. "This year's event both recognizes visionaries in their professions and celebrates the innovative academic research and programs at the University."

In addition to the lineup of speakers, academic departments will host open houses to showcase recent work. The weekend also will include panel discussions led by professors, performances by student dance ensembles and musicians, sporting events, and campus tours. Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood, stars of ABC's improvisational comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway, headline the weekend's entertainment. The duo will perform at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10.

An annual College tradition, Meliora Weekend combines homecoming, reunion, family weekend, and the Stonehurst Capital Invitational Regatta. For more information, visit the Web or call (585) 273-5888 or (800) 333-0175.

About the University of Rochester

The University of Rochester (www.rochester.edu) is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering is complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and the Memorial Art Gallery.

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