University of Rochester

In Brief

Douglas Lowry, the Joan and Martin Messinger Dean of the Eastman School of Music, begins a second, five-year term in July.

A noted conductor and composer, Lowry has led the school since 2007. In 2011, he was named the first recipient of the Messinger Deanship, endowed by Martin Messinger ’49, a life trustee of the University, and his wife, the late Joan Messinger.

As dean, Lowry is credited with implementing an ambitious strategic plan that celebrates the legacy of the school and emphasizes its role as a national leader in the future of music.

As part of that plan, Lowry led the completion of the biggest architectural transformation in the school’s history, the renovation of Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre and the construction of the new Eastman East Wing.

Lowry also serves as professor of conducting and ensembles, and he has conducted both the Eastman Philharmonia and the school’s Symphony Orchestra.

Rochester Named National Center for AIDS Research

The National Institutes of Health has named the University a Center for AIDS Research, a designation that infuses $7.5 million into HIV/AIDS work across the University and places Rochester among the leading institutions in the nation for research on and treatment of the disease.

The award spans five years and will be used to form collaborations—such as one between the Department of Neurology at the Medical Center and the Institute of Optics on the River Campus—that focus on high-impact discoveries. The award will also support the career development of HIV/AIDS researchers through mentoring programs and pilot grants.

The center will be led by Stephen Dewhurst, the Dean’s Professor and chair of microbiology and immunology and the newly appointed vice dean for research at the School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Robert Gates, Barney Frank, and Peggy Noonan Headline Meliora Weekend 2013

Robert Gates, a former secretary of defense and CIA director who served in the administrations of President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, will give the keynote address at Meliora Weekend, Oct. 10–13.

A former president of Texas A&M University, Gates served under eight U.S. presidents during his career in public service.

He will be joined by a slate of headliners, including former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, the first openly gay member of Congress, Peggy Noonan, columnist for the Wall Street Journal and best-selling author, and comedian Demetri Martin.

Frank, a Democrat who represented Massachusetts from 1981 to 2012, chaired the House Financial Services Committee from 2007 to 2011. He will be the guest for a combined Presidential Symposium and Miller’s Court, hosted by legal scholar and commentator Arthur Miller ’56, ’08 (Honorary).

A former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan and chief speechwriter for then Vice President George H. W. Bush, Noonan will be a featured guest speaker for the George Eastman Circle, the University’s leadership annual giving society.

Tickets to the Gates keynote address will be made available by lottery to the University community beginning in July. Registration for other events begins in late August. For more information, visit www.rochester.edu/melioraweekend.

Singer Family Prize Honors Excellence in Secondary Teaching

Four undergraduates honored memorable high school teachers in May, during the annual presentation of the the Singer Family Prize for Excellence in Secondary Teaching.

Paul Singer ’66 endowed the annual prize, which was first given in 2007. All seniors in the College are invited to nominate a high school teacher for consideration. The four award winners received a plaque and $3,000, as well as $2,500 for each school. They also were invited to attend commencement ceremonies in May to watch their former students graduate.

Anne Day, a chemistry teacher at Thomas J. Corcoran High School in Syracuse, was nominated by Birx Allen ’12, ’13 (T5). Orchestra teacher Michael Mucci of Longmeadow High School in Longmeadow, Mass., was nominated by Juliet Wu ’12, ’13 (T5). Winifred Crock, an orchestra teacher at Parkway Central High School in Ballwin, Mo., was nominated by Bradley Halpern ’12, ’13 (KEY). And Diane Haleas-Hines, a teacher of world history at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, was nominated by Jiore Craig ’13.

New Appointments Made in Research

Richard Waugh, professor and chair of biomedical engineering, has been appointed to the newly created position of associate vice president for research.

His first responsibilities include developing a strategic plan that identifies specific research goals, as well as opportunities for bringing together faculty members from different departments. Waugh will also be involved in strengthening the campus research community and fostering relations with corporations. Waugh has been a faculty member for 33 years.

Stephen Dewhurst, the Dean’s Professor and chair of microbiology and immunology, has been named vice dean for research at the School of Medicine and Dentistry. A past senior associate dean for basic research, Dewhurst will lead the school’s strategic planning for research in the new position, which was recommended by a faculty-led strategic planning committee. To complement his new role, Dewhurst has also been appointed associate vice president for health sciences research at the University.

Dewhurst joined the University in 1990.

New Leader for Counseling Center

A longtime counseling leader at the University of Pittsburgh has been named director of the University Counseling Center.

Joellen Popma, who served as associate director of Pittsburgh’s counseling center for seven years, began her appointment in June. In her new role, Popma will oversee counseling and mental health services available to students, faculty, and staff.

Popma specializes in trauma, sexual assault, diversity, and cultural issues, as well as in training and supervision.

The center provides a range of services and is also the site of a training program for mental health professionals at the postbaccalaureate level.