Science & Technology
3 questions: 50 years after the moon landing
The lunar rocks brought back by the Apollo astronauts still inform research today, including the work of Rochester professor Miki Nakajima, who studies the formation and evolution of the Earth, the moon, and other planetary bodies.
Will your future computer be made using bacteria?
Graphene is a revolutionary nanomaterial, the discovery of which led to a Nobel Prize. By mixing graphite with bacteria, Rochester scientists are making graphene easier and more environmentally friendly to produce, paving the way for future products and applications.
Why can we see moving objects against their backgrounds?
New research from Rochester scientists explores why human beings are good at discerning moving objects and how we can train our brains to be better at this as we age.
Society & Culture
What can trigger violence in postcolonial Africa?
Why have civil wars and insurgencies occurred in Sudan and Uganda, but not Kenya? A new study finds the origins of ethnic violence in precolonial political organization.
Teenagers’ ability to describe negative emotions protects against depression
A Rochester study shows that teenagers who can describe their emotions in precise and nuanced ways—saying ‘I feel ashamed’ instead of simply saying ‘I feel bad’— are better protected against depression than their peers who can’t.
Should we teach children patriotism in school?
In an interview with the Irish Times, University of Rochester philosopher Randall Curren discusses the role of “a proper, virtuous kind of patriotism.”
The Arts
Winning the ‘Olympics’ of the carillon
Recent physics graduate Alex Johnson ’19 had never played the bells before coming to Rochester. Now he is one of the best musicians in the world at the instrument, taking first place at the international Queen Fabiola Carillon Competition.
Carry on, carillon
The free summer carillon recitals on the University of Rochester’s Eastman Quadrangle continue on Monday evenings in July.
‘The great democratic voice’
May 31 is the 200th anniversary of poet Walt Whitman’s birth, and Rochester has a few ties of its own to the poet who contained multitudes.
In Photos
White Coat Ceremony honors new medical students
More than 100 medical students received their white coats—the traditional lab jackets worn by physicians and medical scientists—to formally join the School of Medicine & Dentistry at the Robert L. & Lillian H. Brent White Coat Ceremony.
Student Life
Students’ Association leaders offer advice for new academic year
The president and vice president of the Students’ Association on the River Campus and at the Eastman School of Music welcome students for the 2019–20 academic year.
What do you do when your motor melts? The solution lies in data
Last year, Rochester’s Solar Splash team didn’t even make it to the college championships solar and electric boating. This year, a renewed focus on data science saw the team take home awards for innovation and most improved team.
Student delegation heads to global leadership symposium
For the second year, the University is sending a group to the University Scholars Leadership Symposium to learn about humanitarianism, social change on a global scale, and how to best respond to the needs of the marginalized.
Voices & Opinion
Expect the Fed to begin lowering interest rates
Next week’s meeting of the Federal Reserve will likely mark the beginning of a prolonged period of lower interest rates, says Narayana Kocherlakota, professor of economics and a former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
The power of music to bring Americans together
In a Washington Post op-ed, the Eastman School of Music’s Michael Alan Anderson reflects on the power of cultural and musical events like the Great National Peace Jubilee to help bridge divides.
When corporations take a stance on divisive issues
Rochester political scientist David Primo discussed corporate political activity during his apperance on WCNY’s Capitol Pressroom.
University News
Donna Gooden Payne named University Vice President and General Counsel
Donna Gooden Payne, university counsel and vice chancellor for legal affairs at East Carolina University, has been named University vice president and general counsel, effective October 21.
Two faculty recognized by DOE as exceptional researchers
Two University of Rochester faculty members–Hussein Aluie and Ellen Matson–have been named recipients of Early Career Research awards from the Department of Energy.
These mentors make a difference for first-generation, minority students
Five University of Rochester faculty mentors are the inaugural recipients of a new mentorship award from the University’s David T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity.