Meliora Weekend

What if researchers could find a way to bypass damaged areas of the brain to maintain the flow of information? That is the problem postdoctoral fellow Kevin Mazurek is working to solve.

Thousands of alumni, community members, and friends of the University returned to Rochester the weekend of October 12-14 to celebrate the annual Meliora Weekend traditions of reunions, thought-provoking conversations, and family fun. Keynote speakers included Robin Roberts, Peggy Noonan, and Jeffrey Toobin, and headline entertainers included comedian Mike Birbiglia and jazz great Chick Corea.

The University recognized the outstanding contributions of three distinguished individuals during Meliora Weekend: musicians Chick Corea and Steve Gadd ’68E, and Hugo F. Sonnenschein ’61, one of the nation’s most distinguished academic leaders.

The University’s annual fall celebration combining family weekend, homecoming, and reunions features headliners Robin Roberts, Mike Birbiglia, Chick Corea and Steve Gadd, Jeffrey Toobin, and Peggy Noonan.

Meliora Weekend kicks off on Thursday, October 12, and continues through Sunday, October 15. Roberts will deliver her address from the Louis A. Alexander Palestra on the River Campus on Saturday, October 14.

Francis Collins met with graduate students and junior researchers to discuss the importance of communicating science to the public and policymakers, and increasing diversity in biomedical research.

As Meliora Weekend ceremonies kicked off, the University celebrated the dedication of the new Wegmans Hall, the future home for the Goergen Institute for Data Science. (University photos / J. Adam Fenster)

Jocelyn Trueblood, Class of 1966, shares the musical bent of her great-grandfather, Herve Dwight Wilkins, Class of 1866 . He arranged the tune for “The Genesee,” Rochester’s alma mater.

Thousands of alumni, parents, community members, and friends were on campus from October 6-9 for the annual Meliora Weekend celebrations. The weekend blends reunions, homecoming, family activities, performances, lectures, and community celebrations, offering something exciting for everyone.  This year the experience celebrated the success of The Meliora Challenge: The Campaign for the University of Rochester.

"I don’t play music for a living; I play music to live," says University Provost and former dean of the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Rob Clark, who will perform during Meliora Weekend.