From the President
The report on the 2004-05 year offers a snapshot of University activities during the final year of Tom Jackson's presidency. Tom's achievements were remarkable. During his 11 years in office, the University grew stronger in many dimensions. Of particular note, the Renaissance Plan focused the activities of the College and improved the quality of its undergraduate body. The Medical Center's strategic plan has productively guided its growth. The Simon School, Eastman School, Warner School, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, and Memorial Art Gallery also experienced important improvements.
In the 2004-05 year, the University saw exciting developments in its physical facilities, with the renovation of the Eastman Theatre's stage and groundbreaking for new buildings at the School of Nursing and for the Institute of Optics and Department of Biomedical Engineering. University faculty and students reached out to the community with programs such as Urban Fellows, Music for All, and the Women in Music Festival.
Our researchers took on challenges from the microscopic (a team led by Professor of Medicine John Treanor combating the bird-flu virus) to the magnificent (physics and astronomy faculty Judith Pipher, William Forrest, and Dan Watson discovering signs of a new planet circling a star 420 million light years from Earth).
Rochester faculty led efforts to effect social and political change. For example, Ewa Hauser, director of the Skalny Center for Polish and European Studies, and Fredrick Harris, associate professor of political science and director of Rochester's Center for the Study of African-American Politics, hosted a conference in Poland to discuss the eradication of injustice, while the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women's Leadership sponsored a conference on strengthening the role of women in government.
We are deservedly proud of our University and what its people and programs achieve each and every year. Our faculty, students, staff, and alumni indisputably influence the course of the world around them. As we revisit the achievements of 2004-05, let me invite you also to watch what is yet to come!
Sincerely,
Joel Seligman
