For most of us working in higher education, the start the academic year brings hope for new successes, excitement around reconnecting with friends and colleagues (and meeting new ones), and anticipation of the meaningful work we do as researchers, educators, and lifelong learners. In some ways, the fall semester often feels like a fresh start; however, as academics, professionals, and active members of the arts and sciences community, we recognize that every new academic year is shaped by the one before it. And while some of the events of the last year were difficult and challenged us as a school and as an institution, they did not diminish the important work we do in the School of Arts & Sciences nor did they erase our institution’s history of discovery, creativity, and student success.

But to simply turn away from the difficulties of last year and fix our gaze solely on the future would be a disservice to every member of the SAS community. By allowing ourselves to examine our practices and think differently about our institution’s newly articulated vision and values, we create space for learning from the past in ways that positively shape our future. A number of programs and events, including the inaugural AS&E Discussions on Topical Challenges, which was a conversation about tackling harassment and striving for diversity led by AS&E National Council member Elizabeth Leight ’86, and our first-ever SAS wine and cheese event for female faculty, highlighted our continuing commitment to respect, equity, and inclusion. Similar events will be launched again this academic year.  We have also engaged in a restorative practices initiative on the River Campus to enhance our efforts toward transparency, open communication as well as equity and inclusion.

I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of Paul Burgett, the University vice president who first arrived to study at the Eastman School of Music in 1964 and later became one of our most influential and iconic leaders. With a career that spanned over 50 years, Paul was a beloved friend and colleague, a dedicated mentor, and an unwavering advocate for the University of Rochester. He will be truly missed.

As we begin this new academic year, I ask that you help keep Paul Burgett’s memory and influence alive by wholeheartedly embracing the spirit of Meliora. I also invite you to celebrate our recent successes and join me in recognizing important achievements, noting significant milestones, and welcoming new members to the SAS community.

 

I am thrilled to welcome Donald Hall as the University of Rochester’s new Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences & Engineering. I look forward to working with him on programs and initiatives that will help our school move forward. His leadership and experience will be essential as we continue to innovate SAS programs and services and strive to be a national leader in interdisciplinary learning and positive student outcomes. Along with Dean Hall, I would also like welcome John Barker as our new senior associate dean of the faculty for Arts, Sciences & Engineering, and congratulate Beth Olivares for her expanded role as dean for diversity in Arts, Sciences & Engineering.

I would also like to welcome our new department chairs:

Rachel Haidu                          Art and Art History

George Alessandria                Economics

Stewart Weaver                      History (Through December 2018)

Laura Ackerman Smoller        History (Beginning January 2019)

John Duggan                          Political Science

Nora Rubel                              Religion and Classics

Along with the new department chairs, I am pleased to announce that Missy Pfohl Smith has been named the director of the Institute for Performing Arts and Joel Burges has been named the new director of Visual and Cultural Studies. I look forward to working with each of them and thank them for their dedication and leadership.

 

 

Congratulations to Julie Papaioannou, associate professor of instruction in French and language coordinator for French, has received a grant to organize the Tournées French Film Festival, which provides an opportunity for students to research and engage with contemporary French films.

 

 

At this year’s commencement, we celebrated 1244 School of Arts & Sciences major graduates and 544 graduates with a minor from the School of Arts and Sciences. Each of them worked hard to get to that stage and each of them benefited from the instruction and support they received from our dedicated faculty and staff. In July, Ellen Matson, assistant professor of chemistry, was named one of the five inaugural recipients of the Course Hero-Woodrow Wilson Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching, which recognizes young, tenure-track scholars who are striking a meaningful balance between research and teaching. I am also proud to recognize Katherine Mannheimer, associate professor of English, and Sina Ghaemmaghami, assistant professor of biology, for being named recipients of the Goergen Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. I should also note that this year, we presented the first College Award for Undergraduate Teaching and Mentorship. The award went to David McCamant for his excellence in teaching introductory classes, advanced seminars, and independent study projects

Excellence is also reflected in the support we receive from the AS&E staff. A testament to their dedication and another example of Meliora came in June when I was pleased to address a record number of attendees participating in our Staff Professional Development Retreat. The daylong event covered everything from employee recognition to updates on student services and finance procedures. More than 20 staff members either presented best practices or participated in panel discussions throughout the day and helped make the retreat a useful and productive experience.

As the academic cornerstone of our school, SAS faculty members once again proved that they are among the country’s most respected scholars. My sincere congratulations go to Michael Tanenhaus, the Beverly Petterson Bishop and Charles W. Bishop Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, for receiving the prestigious David E. Rumelhart Prize for contributions to theoretical foundations of human cognition; and to William Jones, the Charles F. Houghton Professor of Chemistry who was a recipient of the widely respected Humboldt Research Award. Congratulations are extended as well to John Osburg, associate professor of anthropology, who joins the 2018 class of Andrew Carnegie Fellows for his research on the spiritual crisis and moral transformation in contemporary China. Special mentions also go to Jennifer Brisson, associate professor of biology, Patrick Oakes, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, and Dustin Trail, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, for being named among the 2018 National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award winners. Two junior faculty will enjoy academic leaves abroad supported as Fulbright Scholars in Fall 2018: Llerena Searle, assistant professor of anthropology, will travel to New Delhi to conduct ethnographic research for her next book Home, Inc.: Globalizing Domesticity in India and Steven Rozenski, assistant professor of English, will be in residence at Queen Mary University of London to complete his next book project Wisdom’s Journey: Continental Mysticism and Popular Devotion in Trans-Reformation England. There are many other accomplishments but these demonstrate the breadth and reach of the scholarly work of the SAS faculty.

Finally, please join me in congratulating Mark Bils for recently being elected as a fellow of the Econometric Society, and biology doctoral student Jillian Ramos for winning Rochester’s third annual Three Minute Thesis Competition. Her presentation, “Modify or Die: When Protein Translation Goes Awry” won both the first prize and the people’s choice prize.

 

 

Thought leaders such as renowned Michelangelo expert William Wallace, who was this year’s Ferrari Humanities Symposia speaker, and Distinguished Visiting Humanist W. J. T. Mitchell delivered compelling talks that examined the critical roles that politics, culture, and the arts play in contemporary society.

 

 

I would like to recognize six successful authors whose works were recently published: Peter Christensen, assistant professor of art history, whose book Germany and the Ottoman Railways: Art, Empire and Infrastructure came out last fall also won the 2016 SAH/Mellon Author Award, which supports scholars writing their first book; James Longenbach, the Joseph Henry Gilmore Professor of English whose book of poetry, Earthling, made him a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award; Thomas Weber, assistant professor in Earth & Environmental sciences who was the lead author of research recently published in Science on the processes that govern the relationship between zinc and silicic acid in the Southern Ocean; Susan Gustafson, the Karl F. and Bertha A. Fuchs Professor of German Studies, and Kristina Becker, assistant professor of instruction in German, for their translation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s controversial play, Stella: A Play for Lovers; and Joel Burges, associate professor in English and director of Visual and Cultural Studies for his book Out of Sync & Out of Work.

 

I am pleased to announce that plans are well underway for two exciting new spaces at the University. With the generous support of University trustee Thomas Sloan ’65, ’67 (MS) and Linda Sloan ’67, building will begin on the new Sloan Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in 2019. With the help of Edgar Smith ’72 and Lusette (Andy) Smith ’72, the center will include a new black box theater, as well as other multifunctional spaces for theater, dance, and music. I have no doubt that the new center will inspire students, just as they will be inspired by successful alumni such as Andrew Polec ’12, who was recently awarded the Joe Allen Best West End Debut Award for his performance as Strat in the musical Bat Out of Hell at the London Coliseum. The University’s new performing arts space will be built near the intersection of Wilson Boulevard and Alumni Road and adjacent to Todd Union.

Another building project that is slated to begin in 2019 is an addition to Hutchison Hall. Primarily designed to house offices for the Biology, Chemistry, and Earth & Environmental Sciences departments, the addition will allow us to better use the existing space in Hutchison Hall for its intended purposes of laboratories and research. These spaces will enhance faculty, staff, and student experiences.

Best wishes for an exciting, interesting, and productive academic year. I look forward to sharing more news and updates from the School of Arts & Sciences in the coming months.

 

With regards,
Gloria Culver
Dean, School of Arts & Sciences