Science & Technology
Promising solutions to tough medical problems win University research competitions
Jessica Goodman and Alec Salminen each took first place at two recent University of Rochester research competitions that limited contestants to brief presentations geared toward general audiences.
New National Nuclear Security Administration agreement authorizes record LLE funding
The renewed NNSA agreement brings record funding to the Laboratory for Laser Energetics—$409.9 million for fiscal years 2019–23—and demonstrates the agency’s long-term support of LLE’s mission.
Rochester recognized as leader in high-energy-density physics
Three of eight national research grants recently awarded by the Department of Energy were given to researchers at the University of Rochester, which is home to the largest university-based DOE research program in the nation.
Society & Culture
How journalist Masha Gessen and Rochester scholars examine the marginalization of communities
Journalist and activist Masha Gessen will discuss marginalization during this year’s Humanities Center Public Lecture Series. But the subject is also central to the work of several Rochester scholars.
Madeleine Albright to visit Rochester
Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, pathbreaking diplomat and bestselling author, will be the keynote speaker at an October 24 event at the University of Rochester.
Fed meeting likely to bring rate cut and dissent, says Rochester economist
President Donald Trump is calling on the Federal Reserve to zero out interest rates—or adopt a negative rate—at its meeting this week. But Narayana Kocherlakota says that won’t happen.
The Arts
Spotlight on the performing arts: Visiting theater director opens 30th anniversary season
Kate Eminger—a director and filmmaker based in New York—is visiting guest director of the International Theatre Program’s production of The Grown-Up, a play that, as she says, “captures this idea that there’s magic in everyday life.”
What engineers and humanists can learn from one another
To Joan Shelley Rubin, the Ani and Mark Gabrellian Director of the Humanities Center, and Wendi Heinzelman, dean of the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, engineering and the humanities are strongly connected.
Construction on Sloan Performing Arts Center to begin in November
Construction is scheduled to begin in November on the Sloan Performing Arts Center, a 29,000-square-foot facility on the River Campus that will provide new space for theatrical programs, dance programs, concerts, and other activities.
In Photos
30th anniversary season opens with The Grown-Up
The International Theater Program opens up its 30th anniversary season with the The Grown-Up on Thursday, October 3. Written by Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Jordan Harrison, the production is described as a fairy-tale for grown-ups.
Student Life
University releases results of AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct
This past February, students from the University of Rochester and 33 other colleges and universities participated in the survey, which was organized by the Association of American Universities.
Sixteen College students honored with O’Brien Book Award
The annual award recognizes undergraduate students who excelled academically and in leadership roles during their first year at the College.
Students thrive at the intersections of engineering, computer science, and humanities
Seniors Melissa Wen, Nathan Nickerson, and Jarrod Young are this year’s winners of the Wells Award, given each year to high-achieving students in the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences who also excel in the humanities.
Voices & Opinion
Calling Medicare ‘socialized medicine’ is a well-worn scare tactic
Conservatives have scared Americans into supporting higher health care costs, while shying away from expanding access, writes associate professor of history Michal Raz in a Washington Post op-ed.
Why Biden’s record players won’t solve poverty
“Biden was voicing a deeply flawed theory that arose during the 1960s and that blamed parents, especially mothers, for the struggles of poor children and children of color,” writes associate professor of history Mical Raz in a Washington Post op-ed.
Can campaign finance disclosure go too far? The case of small donors
It’s possible that if you’ve donated even as little as a dollar to a political candidate, it’s information easily obtained on the internet. That concerns David Primo, an associate professor of political science and business administration.
University News
President Sarah Mangelsdorf’s inauguration is set
The University of Rochester community will celebrate the inauguration of Sarah C. Mangelsdorf, president and G. Robert Witmer, Jr. University Professor, as part of Meliora Weekend. The centerpiece of the inauguration will be a public convocation ceremony at 2:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 4 in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, where Mangelsdorf will be officially installed as University president.
Off and running: Sarah Mangelsdorf sets her own presidential tone
For nearly three months now, the new president of the University of Rochester—who will be formally invested in her role at her October 4 inauguration—has been getting acquainted with University, and one of her consistent themes is her intention to remain a curious, visible, and accessible leader.
A ceremonial start
For generations, three ritual objects—the charter, the seal, and the mace—have been the centerpiece of the presidential inaugural ceremony. These same insignia have invested authority in presidents with wide-ranging leadership styles, each of whom has also shaped his own ceremony—as the 11th University president, Sarah C. Mangelsdorf, will do with her ceremony on October 4.