Page 31 - Buzz Magazine - Issue 4 Fall 2022 | University of Rochester

WHAT IS THE UNIVERSITY DOING TO RECRUIT A DIVERSE I V E R S I T Y
FACULTY? Smart institutions are addressing this, for instance, through N GOOD
O
cluster hires, which involve hiring multiple faculty members who have U THINGS FOR
complementary academic interests at the same time. They can help recruit ALUMNI AND F
one another, become a cohort, and can take away some of the pressure felt R FRIENDS R
by a lone underrepresented person in a unit. We need to do more of this. O E
C H E S T
We also must address what universities often do, which is trying to diversify
faculty by hiring those who have been traditionally underrepresented at
the entry level. Suppose that most of an institution’s faculty from historically
marginalized communities are all junior people? What kind of dynamic and
culture does that create and sustain? Junior faculty have less influence than Buzz Magazine
those with more years in the profession. I endorse not only cluster hiring, but Fall 2022
also making sure we hire underrepresented faculty at all career stages and
across all fields.

AS AN EDUCATION AND HEALTH POLICY EXPERT, WHAT HAS YOUR THOMAS FARRELL ’88, ’90W (MS)
RESEARCH REVEALED THAT READERS MIGHT FIND SURPRISING?
Senior Vice President
I started studying the relationship between early health and educational for University Advancement
outcomes about a decade ago. I tracked over one million kids from birth
through elementary and secondary school and found that the higher their
birthweight, no matter what the birthweight, the better their KAREN CHANCE MERCURIUS
later educational outcomes. Birthweight can also be an indicator of Associate Vice President
maternal health during pregnancy, and it can be a proxy for other aspects for Alumni and Constituent Relations
of fetal development.
ERIN MARTIN KANE
For instance, I looked at gestational exposure to environmental toxicants. It Executive Editor
turns out that low birthweight affects not only overall health but also cognitive
development. This is because the blood brain barrier is most porous during
gestation. So, if you are exposed to toxic waste in your environment in utero,
those toxins will go straight to your brain. MICHELLE HILDRETH
Creative Director
One lesson from this is that we can’t think about our health and cognition
as being separate. We need to think about human wellness holistically. At
Rochester, we have people looking at human flourishing from so many KRISTINE KAPPEL THOMPSON
different dimensions. This is something that drew me here. Editorial Director + Writer

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE KINDS OF BOOKS TO READ? MARY BONOMO
I love reading fiction featuring people who feel caught between worlds. Designer
Among my favorites in this genre is Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie, a novel about a Nigerian woman attending a PhD program in the U.S.
who is always walking a tightrope of sorts, trying to find her place within every
potential community with which she might affiliate. Another novel I read more Additional Staff Contributors
recently that touched on very different themes but that affected me in similar
ways is Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen. I couldn’t put either book down. KRISTINA BEAUDETT
JOANNA HACKETT
These books are relatable: We are all trying to figure out who are we, what we
stand for, who our people are. They confront the messiness that is part of our NANCY ZAWACKI
human condition. They remind me of the importance of the humanities, too—
we all live in societies, work in organizations, exist in families, and we spend
so much of our time engaging with other people. Much misunderstanding
happens when we fail to consider a situation from another person’s
perspective. I find that there is no better way to explore this, and to put myself Spot the Difference Key
in someone else’s shoes, than to read narratives. 1. Pumpkin color
2. Jacket stripe color
David Figlio began his role at the University July 1, 2022. He is an internationally 3. R on pumpkin
recognized economist and educational leader whose interdisciplinary research spans 4. Missing buttons on jacket sleeve
educational, public, and social policy. 5. Rocky on gourd
6. Missing straw in hay bale
7. "Meliora" missing on lanyard 31
8. Flower color