Today, we’re excited to roll out a new look for @Rochester. We’ve tried to create a design that’s more inviting and easier to scan and find the information you need. We’ll also be highlighting each issue’s content in the subject line and in a new introductory section in the newsletter.
While @Rochester looks a little different, our goal continues to be to showcase the University’s amazing people and programs—and ensure that faculty, staff, and students are well-informed and proud to be members of a thriving community of people who learn, discover, heal, create, and make the world ever better.
Working hand-in-hand with the COVID-19 Resource site, @Rochester is where you’ll find the latest updates on the University’s response to COVID-19, including regular notices about positive cases on campus.
To keep our entire community up-to-date on developments related to the pandemic, we welcomed students to @Rochester last March and put regular student publications, The Report and Grads@Rochester, on hiatus. Students: we encourage you to check @Rochester to find opportunities and updates specifically for students that normally would have appeared in the student newsletters.
We’re grateful to the faculty and staff who provided feedback on @Rochester through a University-wide survey and focus groups, held before the COVID-19 pandemic. We also appreciate the input we’ve received over the past few months. Your feedback has helped guide our redesign efforts.
@Rochester is a work-in-progress, and we welcome your thoughts on how we can improve. Email us at-rochester@rochester.edu if you have feedback to share.
Since Friday’s notice in @Rochester, there are five new cases of COVID-19 to report: four River Campus graduate students and one employee. Please note that the University’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily and dashboard numbers may reflect additional cases confirmed later in the day. When a new case is known, the contact-tracing process begins immediately with the Monroe County Health Department, with confirmed exposures being contacted and required to quarantine.
If you feel like you’re experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, it’s best to report them through Dr. Chat Bot immediately. Even if you think your symptoms might be something else, like a cold, seasonal congestion, or allergies, it’s still important to tell University health professionals and contact tracers what you are experiencing—they always want to receive more, not less, information.
Common COVID-19 symptoms include:
A temperature of 100 °F (37.8 °C) or higher
Chills
Muscle or body aches
Severe fatigue
Headache
Congestion or runny nose
Sore throat
Loss of taste, smell, or appetite
Cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Rochester researchers uncover key clues about the solar system's history
Researchers in earth and environmental sciences have used magnetism to determine, for the first time, when asteroids that are rich in water and amino acids first arrived in the inner solar system. The work could lead to a better understanding of the evolution of the solar system and the origin of Earth as a habitable planet.
Security tip: Protecting your privacy during holiday travel
We’re all celebrating the holidays a bit differently this year with our health as a top priority. University IT urges you to also take precautions and keep your data safe from becoming infected should you be traveling this holiday season. Pay extra attention to bank accounts, secure personal devices with passcodes, and be mindful when using free public WiFi; always enable the VPN to secure your connection. Furthermore, hold off on information you share via social media until you return from your travels because cybercriminals often troll accounts looking to use information you share to their advantage. Most importantly, the holiday season is a dangerous time of year when it comes to your data. Avoid suspicious phone calls or emails requesting immediate action or tasks, such as purchasing gift cards or requesting personal information. Refresh your online passwords often. Get more tips here.
Spring registration begins today, Monday, December 7, for undergraduate students in Arts, Sciences & Engineering, and at the Eastman School of Music. UR Student onboarding activities need to be completed prior to registering. Plan ahead by building your course schedule to register with one click during your open registration period. Check your school’s website for spring registration dates and requirements.
The University has confirmed with our health care administrators, Excellus and Aetna, that they will not reimburse charges for non-medically required COVID-19 testing. This includes most asymptomatic testing and mandated travel testing. If you are not ill but wish to be tested, Monroe County is providing free rapid COVID tests for the month of December for residents, although testing slots fill up quickly. Information on registering for free testing can be found here. For questions regarding coverage of COVID-19, please reach out to your health care administrator: Excellus at 1-800-659-2808 or Aetna at 1-877-864-4583.
Need someone to listen?
If you are experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression, you can find help by scheduling an appointment with Well-U’s Behavioral Health Partners at (585) 276-6900 for eligible employees, and at EAP at (585) 276-9110 for you and anyone in your household.
Participate in the Cancer Control Research Training Program
The National Cancer Institute-supported T32 Cancer Control Research Training Program at the School of Medicine, provides postdoctoral MD or PhD researchers with the knowledge and experience to establish careers as outstanding independent investigators in cancer control research. The program seeks individuals with recent doctorates in health-related areas, as well as experienced individuals with similar degrees wishing to change their research focus and who are highly motivated to develop a successful research career in cancer control. Find more information online.
Medical Apartheid discussion with Harriet Washington ’76
Join Harriet Washington ’76, award-winning author and medical ethicist, on Tuesday, December 8, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. EST as she presents on her third book, Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present. Washington’s research reveals the hidden underbelly of scientific research and makes possible, for the first time, an understanding of the roots of the African American health deficit. Learn more and register to attend here.
This program is open to all members of the University community, as well as friends of the University and members of the local Rochester community, and is presented by the Office of Alumni Relations and Constituent Engagement and the University’s Black Alumni Network in partnership with Office of Equity and Inclusion and the University of Rochester Diversity Advisory Council. REAL—Rochester’s Equity and Access Leadership—Conversations are a new University monthly lecture and discussion series focused on authentic discussions featuring brave and candid dialogue around equity, measurable action, and meaningful change.
Virtual information session with Simon Business School
Grab your favorite beverage and chat with representatives from the Simon Business School about executive and professional MBA programs and which may be the best fit for you. Current students and University employees will be available to answer your questions. Learn about starting as a nonmatriculated student for the spring semester and earning a GMAT waiver. Register to join this session, taking place Wednesday, December 9, at 5 p.m. EST.
Advice on tapping into creativity for a safer holiday season
Learn more about how to protect yourself and your loved ones during the pandemic and flu season by following the advice of experts and tapping into your creativity for meaningful celebrations. The taped presentation led by Brenda Tesini, an assistant professor of infectious diseases, will be available on the Center for Community Health and Prevention’s Facebook page on Thursday, December 10, at 11 a.m. EST.
The new Netflix documentary series “Alien Worlds,” which dropped last week, features insights into how life may evolve on other planets. Jump ahead in your binge-watch to Episode 4 to see Adam Frank, the Helen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, travel to Area 51 and discuss why he believes that there is other life in the universe. “As a scientist, I am taken to that belief because that’s where the numbers now are leading us.”
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