University will require COVID-19 vaccination for students for the upcoming academic year
The University will require all undergraduate and graduate students who plan to enroll and be on campus for the 2021–22 academic year to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The decision was made in consultation with CURT, University health professionals, student leaders, and University leadership, and was determined to be the most effective approach to limiting or eliminating the spread of COVID-19 at the University, and the safest and most manageable way to increase in-person operations, instruction, activities, and student living on the University’s campuses. Read the full announcement, which includes details on the vaccination requirement. Additional details, including how students will show proof of their vaccination, will be forthcoming.
University leaders are now carefully looking at the best ways to achieve the greatest vaccination rates among faculty and staff who teach and work on the University’s campuses. An announcement on this guidance for faculty and staff will be made in the coming weeks.
In today’s issue:
Wilmot Cancer Institute and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center are collaborating on a study of immunotherapy in Black cancer patients
Faculty and staff can show off their knowledge of the University and the city of Rochester at a virtual trivia event tonight
Billboard-charting classical pianist and NPR music personality Lara Downes will give a Zoom presentation on BIPOC composers and musicians
Since Thursday’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.
The Medical Center is continuing to make vaccine clinic appointments available to all University faculty, staff, and students. Visit the URMC COVID Clinic List to register.
It’s 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.
Fauci advisor cites Eastman Institute for Oral Health research
Research on COVID-19’s oral health implications, led by Professor of Dentistry Yanfang Ren and researchers at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, has been widely cited throughout the pandemic. That work was recently cited in a presentation about the role of aerosols in the transmission of COVID-19 by Linsey Marr, the Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech and advisor to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Undergraduate scholars take a virtual stage to share findings
More than 120 projects were submitted for this year’s Undergraduate Research Expo, which took place last week and included the work of Community-Engaged Learning capstone students, Meliora Scholars, and Grand Challenges Scholars. Read more about the expo, and this year’s award winners. The poster session website will be available for viewing for another year.
All regalia will be shipped directly to your home or school address; it will not be available for pick up at the bookstore. For more information about 2021 Commencement, visit Rochester.edu/commencement.
Pilates virtual fitness program
Join Missy Pfohl Smith, director of the Program of Dance and Movement, for an hour of physical activity to rest the mind and exercise the body. Attend on Monday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m. EDT using this link.
A conversation about local politics with local candidates
Release some of your stress at the first-ever “Smashing Stress” event. When you register for this free event, you will be given a white ceramic tile and asked to write or depict on it things that are stressing you out or causing you mental distress. The next step is to smash it! Feel free to use one of the provided sledgehammers to do the job. Register here to attend the event, taking place Thursday, April 29, from 1 to 4 p.m. This event is cosponsored by Active Minds, the Mindful University Project, and the UHS Health Promotions Office.
The University’s Emerging Leaders invite all faculty and staff to a virtual trivia night and happy hour celebrating the United Way Campaign today, Friday, April 23, from 4 to 5 p.m. EDT. Learn about supporting the United Way, show off your knowledge of the University and the city of Rochester in two rounds of Zoom trivia, and connect virtually with friends across the University. Feel free to relax and unwind with your beverage of choice during the event. Register online here.
Strong Memorial Hospital stair challenge
The stair challenge is a hospital-wide event held from May 3–16, in partnership with the Cornell Dietetic Interns. Participating staff members are encouraged to take the stairs instead of the elevators. All staff members are welcome to participate and will be competing against their colleagues in teams to climb the most stairs. Prizes will be distributed to participating individuals and teams. Sign up to participate.
Schedule your annual biometric screening
Check in on your health and earn $125 by completing your online health survey and having a biometric screening. You must be enrolled in the University health care plan. Get started now.
Join the webinar “Accelerating the Next Generation of Immune Medicine with Cellular Proteomics” to discuss the IsoPlexis product suite capabilities. The event takes place today, Friday, April 23, at noon EDT. Registration is required.
Presentation on BIPOC composers and musicians with Lara Downes
Billboard-charting classical pianist and NPR music personality Lara Downes will give a Zoom presentation on BIPOC composers and musicians on Monday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m. EDT as a guest of the Eastman School of Music’s Departmental Diversity Initiative. As the host of NPR Music’s Amplify and the director of Rising Sun Music, Downes is inspired by diverse American musical traditions and her exploration of her own mixed-race heritage.
Entrepreneurial training for digital health innovators
The Ain Center for Entrepreneurship, the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the UNY NSF I-Corps Node are partnering to host a program focused on the intersection of research, digital health technologies, and entrepreneurial training. Open to graduate students, postdocs, staff, and faculty in STEM fields, this virtual course meets for 11 contact hours between May 10 and June 2 and covers topics such as technology translation, market research, customer discovery, and business model development. Apply online by April 29 and contact the Ain Center at aincfe@rochester.edu with questions.
Webinar on designing intervention feasibility and pilot studies
James McMahon, an associate professor at the School of Nursing, will present the webinar “State of the (Implementation) Science in Designing Intervention Feasibility and Pilot Studies,” on Tuesday, May 4, at 4 p.m. EDT. Learn more and register here.
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