Exploring the human condition is one of the most lasting and most important foundations of higher education. As members and friends of the School of Arts & Sciences, we understand that our world and our place as humans in it drive how we think about everything from poetry to applications of digital technology. We are fortunate at Rochester to have a thriving humanities community with talented faculty who research and explore an incredible range of topics.

To help support and finance some of that research, I am proud to announce the 2020 President’s Ferrari Humanities Research Award, which is endowed by a generous gift from University of Rochester Trustee Bernard T. Ferrari ’70, ’74M (MD) and his wife, Linda Gaddis Ferrari.

The $25,000 award will be presented to a tenured or tenure-track faculty member from Arts, Sciences & Engineering who demonstrates a creative research approach that either builds on a previous record of publication or charts a new direction in thought leadership. I believe the attention to research and publishing will broaden the footprint of humanities research at Rochester and provide important incentive for our continued excellence in humanistic scholarship.

It is also important to note that good research rarely happens in a vacuum. As a community dedicated to creating and sharing knowledge, we rely on support from our dedicated staff just as we rely on contributions from alumni and friends of the School of Arts & Sciences. Together we create more meaningful opportunities for learning and discovery.

I know I speak for President Mangelsdorf, Dean Hall, and the Ani and Mark Gabrellian Director of the Humanities Center Joan Rubin when I say that we are all grateful to the Ferraris for their annual gift. I invite you to learn more about the 2020 President’s Ferrari Humanities Research Award. The deadline for nominations is December 30, 2019.

Sincerely,

Gloria Culver
Dean
School of Arts & Sciences

 

Often speaking from a national stage, Narayana Kocherlakota, Rochester’s Lionel W. McKenzie Professor of Economics and former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, offered considerable insights this semester as debates over rate cuts and signals of a slowing economy appeared in the news. Kocherlakota did say, however, that a jumpy stock market doesn’t always mean an economic downturn.

From the theater stage, we were honored this semester to welcome renowned composer, performer, choreographer, and filmmaker Meredith Monk to her residency at the University of Rochester. Her multiday program, “Dancing Voice/Singing Body” highlighted why she is considered one of the most original and influential artists of our time. It was truly wonderful and inspiring to have Monk, an artist who has received numerous awards and honors, including a MacArthur “Genius” award, the 2017 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, a 2015 National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama, and a recent induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, teach and perform at Rochester. (Monk photo)

While arts and theater communities thrive at Rochester, an examination of how physical spaces create living communities is the noted work of cultural anthropologist Kathryn Mariner. She’s researching placemaking in the city of Rochester. Her large-scale, multiyear project “Fertile Ground,” supported with funding from the University of Rochester and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, examines how people in marginalized communities are cultivating their lives in the midst of Rochester’s enduring history of racial segregation.

Of course, being part of a community often means actively contributing to its success. For two weeks this summer, the Humanities Center led high school students in a quest to understand the philosophical underpinnings and practical expressions of civic life. This was the first year of “Experiencing Civic Life,” an academic preparation and enrichment program designed to help participants become successful college students and active citizens of American democracy.

Another indication that artistic expression is alive and well here is the continued success of the Rochester Fringe Festival. The University is a founding partner of the annual downtown festival, which just celebrated its eighth year. With its emphasis on crossdisciplinary performances and collaborations, it’s easy to see why the festival continues to enjoy wide support and participation from the University community. I should also mention that the University’s International Theatre Program is in it 30th year. Its season opened with The Grown-Up, written by the Pulitzer Prize–nominated playwright Jordan Harrison.

The University also hosted a three-day symposium that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ iconic Abbey Road. Held at the Eastman School of Music and sponsored by the Institute for Popular Music, the event brought scholars together with participants from the actual album recording sessions for presentations, keynotes, poster sessions, and other special events that were open the public.

John Nichol, an assistant professor of physics, and Rochester PhD students Yadav P. Kandel and Haifeng Qiao joined researchers from Purdue University to develop a new way to manipulate electrons and transmit information for quantum computing. Their work has the potential to revolutionize technology, medicine, and science by providing faster and more efficient processors, sensors, and communication devices.

In a set of new studies about the opportunity created by having alternative educational options, John Singleton, an assistant professor of economics, argues that maximizing any benefits requires a careful examination of how charter schools are organized and a closer look at the policies that influence their location. Singleton worked with Michael Gilraine of New York University and Uros Petronijevic of York University to explain how “horizontally differentiated” schools have very little, if any, effect on student performance at nearby public schools. Singleton also looked at the impacts of funding formulas for charter schools. He argues that the universal per-pupil formula encourages the location of charter schools in more affluent areas.

Sina Ghaemmaghami, an associate professor of biology, has been appointed the director of undergraduate research. He succeeds Steve Manly, who stepped down at the end of June, after 11 years in the position, to become the new chair of physics and astronomy. As the director of undergraduate research, Ghaemmaghami hopes to offer an environment that effectively connects students with research opportunities and provides funding, advising, and programming to facilitate undergraduate research. (University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster)

Ellen Matson has been named a recipient of an Early Career Research Award from the Department of Energy. Now in its 10th year, the award is designed to bolster the nation’s scientific workforce by providing support to exceptional researchers during the crucial early career years, when many scientists do their most formative work. Hussein Aluie, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, was also recognized with an Early Career Research Award.

Congratulations to Alex Johnson ’19, who won first place in the prestigious international Queen Fabiola Carillon Competition, an event held every five years at the Royal Carillon School in Mechlin, Belgium. Johnson, who is studying at the Royal Carillon School this year on a Belgian-American Educational Foundation (BAEF) fellowship, was one of 16 candidates—from Australia to Russia and the United States—who registered for the competition.