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Campus Life

January 2025 in Photos

The start of a new year brought innovative events, a peek into the past, and—of course—a snowy first day of classes. Here’s how we spent January at the University of Rochester. Photos by J. Adam Fenster unless otherwise noted.


A nearly full moon makes an appearance alongside the owls adorning Rush Rhees Library tower at dusk.

FULL OF IT: A nearly full moon makes an appearance alongside the owls adorning Rush Rhees Library tower at dusk.

"Argentum: Double-Positive," a light sculpture by Jim Sanborn, during an evening snowfall at the Memorial Art Gallery.

WINTER REFLECTIONS: Argentum: Double-Positive, a light sculpture by Jim Sanborn, is seen in the evening during a snowfall at the Memorial Art Gallery.

Lauren Tagliaferro, curatorial assistant at the Memorial Art Gallery, speaks to visitors in the painting storage room during a tour of the museum’s art storage area.

DOUBLE VAULT: Lauren Tagliaferro, curatorial assistant at the Memorial Art Gallery, speaks to visitors in the painting storage room during a tour of the museum’s art storage areas.

A recently acquired work by sculptor John Rhoden awaits preparation and display at the Memorial Art Gallery.

LADIES IN WAITING: A recently acquired work by sculptor John Rhoden awaits preparation and display at the Memorial Art Gallery.

An array of different sized rocks with numbers on them.

ROCK AND A HARD PLACE: Numbered, fist-sized rocks embedded with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in the lab of Rachel Glade, an assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences and of mechanical engineering. Anshul Yadav, a postdoctoral associate in the lab, is investigating how grain shape affects dispersive characteristics, while also learning the numerical modeling of surface processes.

University of Rochester student in blue parka and white pants snowboards on the River Campus.

FASTER THAN TAKING THE BUS: Lucas Qiu ’25 snowboards behind Susan B. Anthony Hall on the first day of spring semester classes.

University of Rochester students in outdoor clothing walk through a snowy campus.

MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING: The first day of the spring semester brought snow and temperatures in the mid-teens.

University of Rochester students and a dog in winter clothing walk to class .

PAW PATROL (AND PROTECTION): Students (and an intrepid pup) are dressed appropriately for the weather as they head out on the first day of spring semester classes.

Stacks of 16-mm film canisters.

REPLAY TIME: Canisters of 16-millimeter film containing game footage spanning decades, amassed by Terry Gurnett, former women’s soccer coach and current associate director of athletics advancement.

Jamal Holtz ’20 leads a breakout session with about ten students during the University’s first Career Exploration Summit.

WORDS OF WISDOM: Jamal Holtz ’20 leads a breakout session during the University’s inaugural Career Exploration Summit, sponsored by the Greene Center for Career Education and Connections. More than 160 current Rochester students attended the event, which featured notable alumni sharing stories, skills, and valuable insight about their time at Rochester. (University of Rochester photo / John Schlia)