Adam Fenster

On May 17, the University conferred academic degrees to more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students at the 174th Commencement ceremony.

A look back at some moments in August you may have missed—and some images we couldn’t help but share.

The annual Veterans Day pinning ceremony recognizes members of the University community and their families from all branches of the US Armed Forces, with “Veteran Rocky” pins handed out in honor of their service.

Twice a year, during Scare Fair in October and in the weeks leading up to Commencement, University of Rochester students can ascend the iconic tower of Rush Rhees Library to enjoy 360-degree views of campus and the city skyline. Missed the most recent tower tour? Enjoy this drone shot and mark your calendars for your next opportunity to participate in a Rochester tradition. 

Midshipmen Charlie Shanks ’24, Nicholas Perry (St. John Fisher ’24), and Miriana Kelly ’26 stand as Rochester’s NROTC unit held its annual vigil at the Meridian on Eastman Quadrangle honoring members of the University community who were killed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Among the nearly 3,000 people who died during the attacks were six University of Rochester alumni: Jeremy Glick ’93; Jean Hoadley Peterson ’69N; Jeffrey Smith ’87, ’88S (MBA); Zhe (Zack) Zeng ’95, ’98S (MBA); Aram Iskenderian ’82; and Brendan Dolan ’86. (University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster)

“I understood early that international affairs was not just another academic subject, it was a matter of life and death for real people whose fate could be determined by the moral and policy choices that were made,” said former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright. “These convictions were only strengthened for me in my years as Secretary of State.” Albright spoke to a packed house at Strong Auditorium on the University of Rochester River Campus. Her talk is part of the University’s “Difficult Conversations as a Catalyst for Change,” which is presented by Donald Hall, the Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences & Engineering.

A rainbow appears over Eastman Quadrangle and Rush Rhees Library after an October rainstorm, and was widely photographed across campus and the city. (University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster)

From left, Naval ROTC midshipmen third class Cal Niezabytowski ’22 and Andrew Lazarus ’22, and midshipmen second class Vanessa Carollo ’21 stand at attention on Eastman Quadrangle at a vigil remembering the terrorist attacks of September 11. Among the nearly 3,000 people who died during the attacks were six University of Rochester alumni: Jeremy Glick ’93; Jean Hoadley Peterson ’69N; Jeffrey Smith ’87, ’88S (MBA); Zhe (Zack) Zeng ’95, ’98S (MBA); Aram Iskenderian ’82; and Brendan Dolan ’86. (University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster)

In her keynote address at the 10th Annual Diversity Conference, novelist, activist, and commentator Samina Ali described the fear she faced when the birth of her son left her with brain damage. “I was scared, and I was completely alone,” says Ali. “Courage is like any other physical function in your body ... each time we exercise our brave heart we are reinforcing our neural pathways for courage.” (University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster)

Michael Estephan is congratulated after opening his Match Day envelope. At noon precisely, Estaphan and approximately 100 students from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry joined medical students from around the country to simultaneously open sealed envelopes and learn where they’re headed for their residencies. The day caps off years of work and study as the students learn where they will spend the next several years in training for their first jobs as physicians, with Rochester students filling residencies at the top medical centers in the country. (University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster)

Scholar, political activist, and author Angela Davis, center, arrives at Schlegel Hall to meet with students before her talk, “The University’s Role in Educating Students to be Engaged Citizens,” part of the series Difficult Conversations as a Catalyst for Change. (University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster)