School of Arts and Sciences Archives - News Center

Sylvia Owusu-Ansah outfitted in medical scrubs smiling at the camera while in an emergency room.

Campus & Community

The script doctor is in

Sylvia Owusu-Ansah ’00 shapes medical storytelling on HBO Max’s The Pitt.

Nighttime view of the central historic downtown Heroica Veracruz, Mexico.

Society & Culture

In Mexico, Afro-Caribbean roots run deeper than expected

A new book reframes long-held assumptions about the denial of Black identity in the Mexican port city of Veracruz.

Ralf Haefner, Adam Snyder, and Shizhao Liu stand in front of a whiteboard covered in writing.

Science & Technology

Learning makes brain cells work together, not apart

A new study overturns a long-standing theory in neuroscience.

A robotic hand playing a synthesizer while bathed in blue light to illustrate the question "can AI make music?"

Is AI the next Mozart—or just a mashup machine?

Music is a deeply human art form. What happens when AI enters the orchestra pit or the recording studio?

Vera Gorbunova smiles at the camera with her reflection in the cases of her lab.

University News

URochester researchers awarded up to $22M to study a hidden driver of aging

February 24, 2026

The ARPA-H–funded collaboration will test whether reducing DNA-triggered inflammation can help older adults stay healthier for longer.

URochester psychologist Edward Deci smiles and looks at the camera with his office bookshelves out of focus in the background.

University News

Edward Deci, pioneering psychologist who transformed thinking around human motivation, remembered

February 17, 2026

Deci cofounded the influential self-determination theory with fellow URochester psychology professor Richard Ryan.

Video still showing Harry Reis with the University of Rochester shield and the text "ever wonder" near a thought bubble that reads "how is AI changing the way we love?"

Society & Culture

The secret to happiness? Feeling loved

February 11, 2026

Two psychologists—one a happiness researcher and the other a relationship expert—say love isn’t found. It’s created, one mindset at a time.

Young woman deeply engaged with her smartphone, seen through a distorted, swirling blur effect to illustrate the concept of social media echo chambers.

Society & Culture

Your social media feed is built to agree with you. What if it didn’t?

February 10, 2026

A new study points to algorithm design as a potential way to reduce echo chambers—and polarization—online.

Video still showing Dave Canning pointing a laser pointer at a piece of paper near text that reads "ever wonder" and a thought bubble containing the phrase "what can we do with lasers?"

Science & Technology

7 surprising ways URochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics shapes science and society

February 9, 2026

The Laser Lab powers breakthroughs in fusion, national security, and technologies we use every day.

Two male researchers sit in a dimly lit office and look at a large computer screen displaying red and green chevrons in motion. One researcher is wearing an eye-tracking device.

Science & Technology

The brain uses eye movements to see in 3D

February 4, 2026

Contrary to long-standing beliefs, motion from eye movements helps the brain perceive depth—a finding that could enhance virtual reality.