
Events celebrate legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Events across the University mark Monday’s MLK celebrations, and renowned author, educator, and activist Joy DeGruy will deliver the University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address on Friday, January 27.
Presidential Diversity Council holds first meeting
At this initial meeting, Seligman laid out ambitious plans for the council, including assessments and ongoing programming anticipated for faculty, students, and staff. As its initial act, the PDC voted unanimously to have Martin Luther King, Jr. Day recognized as a University holiday, commencing in 2018.

Installation shows ‘beauty in inclusivity’
On Display, a “deconstructed art exhibit,” explores the diversity of the human form. The piece been performed around the world and had its Rochester premiere at the Memorial Art Gallery in October. A December performance is planned at the Disability Studies Cluster conference.

Federal grants recognize University’s programs for underserved students
Two National Science Foundation grants expand the reach of programs that engage underrepresented minority, low-income, and first-generation students in science and engineering.

Days of tragedy
Flags in front of the Eastman Quad and Rush Rhees Library fly at half staff after the mass shooting in Dallas, Texas. The University hosted two community dialogues on “Race in America, Race in Rochester” to seek answers to questions about violence, racism, and ways to bridge the divides in America.
Read President Joel Seligman’s statement from Wednesday’s community dialogue.

Presidential Diversity Award recipients recognized
The recipients of the 2016 Presidential Diversity Award are Janice Holland, senior HR representative, diversity specialist/facilitator, and community liaison; the One Community program; and Kathy Rideout, dean of the School of Nursing.

Diversity Awards 2016
Walter Cooper ’56 greets violist and ROCmusic director Alexander Peña, who performed at the 2016 University of Rochester Diversity Awards reception at Witmer House on January 20. The Diversity Awards recognize the accomplishments of faculty, staff, students, grads, units, or departments of the University that contribute to diversity and inclusion through exemplary leadership. (University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster)

2015 Diversity Award winners honored at annual Martin Luther King Jr. address
The Eastman Pathways Program and Kristin Hocker, an organizational development specialist with Human Resources, were honored as the University’s 2015 Presidential Diversity Award recipients.

Author and director of Schomburg Center of Black Culture to deliver MLK Commemorative Address
Khalil Gibran Muhammad will deliver the University’s 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address. Muhammad is author of Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime and the Making of Modern Urban America, in which he explored the roots of the popular conception of black criminality in America.

New director appointed for Intercultural Center
The University has appointed Jessica Guzmán-Rea as the director of its Intercultural Center (ICC). In this role, Guzmán-Rea will promote collaborative programming and initiatives that are welcoming to students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds.