Rob Clark to step down as provost and senior VP for research in June
Rob Clark, provost and senior vice president for research at Rochester, has announced his plans to step down from those roles as of June 30, 2021. A nationally recognized engineer and academic administrator, Clark joined the Rochester faculty in 2008, when he was named dean of what was later named the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences.
In a message to faculty and staff yesterday, University President Sarah Mangelsdorf acknowledged Clark’s work as an academic leader, advisor, and key member of a University-wide effort to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Most recently, Rob has played an important role in the University’s efforts to navigate the COVID pandemic. Along with many dedicated faculty and staff across the institution, Rob helped the University meet this challenge while never losing sight of the importance of our academic mission,” Mangelsdorf said.
A national search will begin this spring to find a successor for Clark.
Other news in today’s issue:
Faculty and staff have until January 29 to opt back in to keep their parking permits
The latest on University vaccinations
Space is still available for the “School of Roc” emergency childcare program
Since Wednesday’s notice in @Rochester, there are no new cases of COVID-19 to report. Please note that the University’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily. Whenever a new case is known, the contact-tracing process begins immediately with confirmed exposures being contacted and required to quarantine.
It’s also extremely important for the health of the University community that individuals continue to adhere to the face masking and social distancing protocols. Even as some individuals are now receiving their first or second dose of the vaccine, these practices to prevent the transmission of the virus cannot be relaxed.
If you think you’re experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, it’s important 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’re experiencing.
An update on University vaccinations
Due to limited vaccine supply, URMC is focused right now on continuing to vaccinate UR Medicine health care workers in New York State’s 1a category, as well as continuing second dose clinics, hopeful that next week URMC’s vaccine allotment will be increased to continue to vaccinate other eligible faculty and staff.
As a reminder, eligible University faculty and staff who accept vaccination appointments must sign an attestation of their eligibility and show their University ID. As vaccine supplies allow, additional slots will be made available more broadly for in-person instructional faculty, who are also approved within the current New York State eligibility designations. Invitations for this expanded group will be delivered through University email.
UR Medicine also this week officially opened its first two vaccine centers at Manhattan Square downtown and at the Saunders Building on the Medical Center campus for eligible UR Medicine patients by appointment only.
Opt back in to parking by January 29 to keep your permit
Space still available in emergency childcare program
There are still spots available in the University’s “School of Roc” program, which provides emergency childcare on the University’s campus. Organized through a partnership with the YMCA of Greater Rochester, the program was initially launched to support essential employees directly supporting students and patient care. With openings still available, the University is broadening eligibility to all faculty and staff. The program provides childcare and support for various remote learning activities for students ages five through 12. The program is housed in the Fauver Stadium Event Space on the River Campus and runs through February 12. Parents have flexible options to enroll their children between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. for up to five days a week, Monday through Friday. More information is available here. Registration is on a first-come basis. Contact University Human Resources at URMCChildCare@URMC.Rochester.edu to begin the approval and registration process.
The River Campus Libraries will host an hour-long workshop at 1 p.m. EST today, Thursday, January 21, on open educational resources (OER) and open pedagogy. Authors from Open Pedagogy Approaches will speak on their chapters, which will cover open mathematics and creating the scaffolding for an OER-enable general education course. Register here to attend.
The Western New York Center for Research on Flavored Tobacco (CRoFT) is holding a “Career Story” with Ilona Jaspers on Monday, January 25, at 12:30 p.m. EST. Jaspers is a professor of pediatrics and of microbiology and immunology and a professor of environmental sciences and engineering at the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Register in advance to attend.
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