As we celebrate 175 years of institutional leadership, we see our people and our ideas as key to our next chapter of excellence.
When members of the University of Rochester community ask me what the future holds for the institution, I often remind them of the deep history of research and academic leadership, technological innovation, and optimism that runs through our legacy. We can find many lessons for our future in the story of our founding and in the 175 years of institutional achievement that we are celebrating this year.
While we have no shortage of incredible stories of success since we admitted our first students in 1850, we have also risen to face challenges. We have seen wars and pandemics, economic turmoil, and fluctuations in public and political support for research universities and academic medical centers.
In good times and bad, our answer has always been to invest in our strengths: our people, our ideas, and most of all, each other. We have proven that by creating opportunities for talented and curious people—from all walks of life and from all over the world—to pursue ideas, ask challenging questions, share their histories and perspectives, and engage as partners with communities near and far, we can make a better world for generations to come.
The list of the ways in which we have shaped the economic, social, and physical well-being of people close to campus and across the globe is long, but allow me a few examples:
Our leadership in vaccine research and technology at the Medical Center has, for all practical purposes, eradicated a form of meningitis that was once a scourge of childhood. At the Eastman School of Music, we combined conservatory training and musical education in ways that made us an internationally recognized home for performance.
And at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, we regularly harness the interaction of matter and light to advance technologies that drive the digital revolution, model the interiors of distant planets, and may power sustainable energy for the future.
As we look to our next 175 years, we are making ambitious plans, knowing that we must be strategic in our decision-making and nimble in our actions. We are ready for challenges in the months and years ahead, but we are investing in our founding missions, work that demonstrates our responsibility to serving the greater good.
At Meliora Weekend this fall, we launched our largest and most impactful comprehensive campaign. For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester promises to elevate our research and clinical enterprises; provide a new level of support for our students, faculty, and staff; transform many campus facilities; and extend the reach of our Meliora spirit in ways that engage and celebrate our campus, alumni, and global constituencies.
The campaign echoes our long-standing tradition of working together to build something larger than any single individual. While the history books tell the stories of generous philanthropists who helped shape our institution, they also report the outpouring of support from members of the community: the janitor who helped lead the first commencement parade through downtown Rochester, the local restaurant Eddie’s Chop House listed near George Eastman’s name in the 1924 roster of donors who helped establish the River Campus. And, of course, the story of Susan B. Anthony, who canvassed the city in the late 1800s to ensure support for coeducation.
They committed themselves to creating an institution and a way of thinking about the future that resonates well beyond Rochester.
As I have met with alumni, parents, friends, and volunteer leaders, I have experienced the excitement and energy for URochester and what we can accomplish. I am grateful for that engagement, and I appreciate the willingness of every member of our academic community to share their story of our institution’s impact and influence.
We are each a steward of our future, and I am looking forward to joining everyone as we invest in the next chapter of our remarkable University of Rochester story.
—Rochester Review, Fall 2025