Nobel Prize ceremony today honors alumnus Harvey Alter
NIH scientist Harvey Alter ’56, ’60M (MD), who was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of the hepatitis C virus, will receive his medal and diploma at an online ceremony this afternoon. Investigations Alter began in the 1970s at the National Institutes of Health led to profound improvements in blood transfusion safety and starkly reduced transmission of a potentially deadly virus. Details on how to tune into today’s ceremony are included below.
Also in today’s issue:
The International Theatre Program reimagines Nicolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector
Upcoming drop-in sessions for students on mindfulness
The latest in retirement program voluntary contribution limits and life insurance beneficiary information for faculty and staff
Since Monday’s notice in @Rochester, there are six new cases of COVID-19 to report: one River Campus off-campus student and one employee; one Eastman Campus off-campus student; and three Medical Campus off-campus students. 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 think 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
Theatrical classic comedic masterpiece reimagined for 2020
The University’s International Theatre Program has stepped into new territory as they reimagine Nicolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector for an era marked by political turmoil and the global pandemic. The cast of more than 50 actors includes students like Syanis Vargas ’21, pictured, and alumni across the United States, and as far away as Guatemala and China. The production runs December 11–13, and can be streamed online.
“Amazon may indeed be a threat to all publishers (and many other industries too). But its greatest threat is not to Simon & Schuster or HarperCollins. It’s to the indie publishers who can’t afford Jeff Bezos’ terms,” says Chad Post, director of Open Letter Books, the University’s literary translation press.
Take an advanced acting master class with Patti Lewis Browne this spring. The course, Advanced Acting (ENGL 272), aims to provide students who have significant performance experience an opportunity to explore in-depth, advanced acting techniques. Auditions are today at 6.30 p.m. EST. Find more details online. Prerequisites may apply.
Auditions are this weekend for Musical Theatre Performance (ENGL 291/MUSC 133), which follows a workshop model, with students singing, acting, and performing material that is then critiqued and reworked. Auditions are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST Saturday, December 12, and from noon to 1:30 p.m. EST. Sunday, December 13. Sign up for an audition time.
2021 retirement program voluntary contribution limits
The maximum annual voluntary contribution limits for the calendar year 2021 will remain at $19,500. Employees age 50 or older by December 31, 2021, are eligible to contribute an additional $6,500 in 2021 for a total maximum voluntary contribution limit of $26,000. You may change voluntary contributions any time throughout the year at TIAA.org/rochester or via telephone at (800) 410-6497, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Life insurance beneficiary information
You may view or change your life insurance beneficiary information online at any time by logging into HRMS and clicking on “Securian Financial.” If you do not name a beneficiary, policy benefits will be paid in order of priority to your lawful spouse, children, parents, siblings, or estate.
Finding and evaluating Open Educational Resources
In this one-hour interactive workshop, you’ll learn where to find and evaluate Open Educational Resources (OER) materials based on your needs, such as textbooks or additional reading materials, images, lessons, and other course materials. The discussion will include common challenges to incorporating OER into courses, mapping repositories to needs, licensing and copyright, and usability and accessibility. Register to attend the workshop, taking place today, Tuesday, December 8, from 4 to 5 p.m. EST. Time for additional searching and consultation will be available until 5:30 p.m. EST.
Mass celebrates Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
The Catholic Newman Community will host a mass in celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception today, Tuesday, December 8, at 6 p.m. on the River Level of the Interfaith Chapel. Register your attendance in advance. You can also join online at www.urnewman.org/streaming.
@Rochester is produced daily by University Marketing and Communications. You are receiving this message as a member of the University of Rochester community or as a subscriber. Please do not forward this newsletter to other distribution lists.
