
Collins, Betti receive new appointments at LLE
Gilbert “Rip” Collins and Riccardo Betti will help facilitate partnerships with the Laboratory for Laser Energetics and expand research in laser, high-energy-density, and fusion sciences.

Rochester’s undergraduate math program is ahead of the curve
In 2017, nearly 10 percent of the total number of Arts, Sciences & Engineering graduates completed a math major, the highest percentage ever at the University, and one of the highest of any institution in the country.

Professor studies complex brain networks involved in vision
Farran Briggs, a new associate professor of neuroscience and of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, studies how attention affects the brain’s ability to process visual information.

What sound does ice make when it’s dropped 90 meters into an Antarctic glacier?
Researchers in the University’s Ice Core Lab shared a viral video that shows the “unexpected and fascinating” noise that when it hits the bottom of a borehole in Antarctica.

Schumer announces plan to protect and expand LLE
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer announced a three-part plan to protect and expand the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) during his visit to the LLE on Monday, March 5. The Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget, announced last month, proposed significant cuts to the lab and a “three-year ramp-down” in federal support. During his visit, Schumer praised the LLE for creating jobs and advancing scientific research in physics, optics, and photonics. “The Laser Lab is vital not only to Rochester but to the United States and our national security,” Schumer said. “Turning out the lights on the Laser Lab is a horrible idea, and I promise you, it will not happen under my watch.” (University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster)

Earth’s magnetic field fluctuations explained by new data
Using new data gathered from sites in southern Africa, researchers have extended their record of Earth’s magnetic field back thousands of years to the first millennium.

A professor and his robot study how we see
Meet Michele Rucci, a new professor in the University’s brain and cognitive sciences department, and his robot “Mr. T.” Rucci and his robot are using eye-tracking tools and virtual reality to replicate the small eye movements experienced by humans.

Q&A: Jane Marie Souza on shepherding programs that span the University
As associate provost for academic administration, Souza provides academic guidance and support to all schools across the University, ensuring programs meet educational standards. One new project is a pilot program to offer students an “outcomes transcript” which would help centralize transcripts from multiple schools or departments.

Elusive ‘turbulent dynamo’ phenomenon observed at OMEGA laser
The universe is filled with magnetic fields, but how it got that way has long been a mystery. To explain the magnetization of the universe, scientists proposed the existence of a “turbulent dynamo.” The phenomenon had never before been measured or observed directly—until recently.

Why do naked mole rats live long, cancer-free lives?
Rochester biologists were surprised to see that despite its remarkable longevity, the naked mole rat still has cells that undergo senescence, like the cells in much shorter-lived mice.