Department of Public Safety offers tips to stay safe and reduce risk Â
Now that fall has arrived and it’s becoming darker earlier in the evening, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is reminding all community members to practice personal safety habits when walking or biking around the University’s campuses. A full list of safety tips is on DPS’s website and includes:
Use lighted, well-traveled paths and walkways. Know where the University’s Blue Light emergency phones are located. Blue Light phones connect directly to Public Safety dispatchers.
Don’t use wooded or unlit areas for walking, jogging, or biking after dusk.
Utilize Safe Ride, which provides safe and reliable transportation between River Campus and University residential locations, including the Riverview Apartments, between the hours of 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., seven days a week. Safe Ride is made possible through the Students’ Association in collaboration with DPS and the Department of Transportation and Parking Management.
Take precautions when using a rideshare service, and be a good bystander to help friends stay safe.
University community members will notice DPS providing a high visibility presence in River Campus parking lots, particularly as classes end for the evening, as well as in the areas where undergraduate students live. Public Safety is open to all suggestions to improve safety. “Please connect with us; we are listening,” says Gerald Pickering, interim DPS chief. “You can also call us and meet with an officer to discuss your personal safety concerns, or register your group or club for one of our safety presentations.” Find available training and presentation offerings here.
In today’s issue:
Changes have been made to the University employee COVID-19 testing program
Join the Skalny Center this weekend for a concert featuring Polish songs
The Mindful University Project is holding a “Relax and Renew” retreat at the end of the month
A reminder on face masks: they must be worn properly covering the nose and mouth indoors on the University’s campuses and properties. Visit the face mask FAQ page for full information. Face masks with air valves are not permitted, nor are face shields alone without a proper face mask underneath.
Changes to the University employee COVID-19 testing program
In the continual review of the University’s COVID-19 testing program, the University has revised its employee testing requirements. Effective immediately, employees who have received at least one dose of an approved COVID vaccine will no longer be required to get a weekly COVID test prior to becoming fully vaccinated. Research continues to underscore that vaccine efficacy increases significantly between the first and second doses of two-dose vaccines. This removal of the weekly testing requirement for employees who have received one dose will improve testing efficiency for the community while continuing to make safety a priority for faculty, staff, students, and patients, and focus our testing resources where they are most needed. As a reminder, the University requires all employees to be fully vaccinated by November 15, unless they obtain an approved exemption. Employees who receive an exemption must continue to be tested weekly as directed. For more information about this change, visit the COVID-19 Resource Center. For details about the University’s testing program, visit these frequently asked questions.
Hospital garage construction at East Drive entrance October 15–17
From Friday, October 15, through Sunday, October 17, work will take place on the concrete islands at the East Drive entrance of the Hospital Parking Garage, causing temporary closures at the entrance. Details are posted on the Parking and Transportation Management website. Call (585) 275-4524 or email parking@rochester.edu with questions.
Genesee Staff Council elects new members, cochair
The Genesee Staff Council welcomes 11 new members to begin its third year at the University. The newly elected members are Diane Crane (Advancement); Angela Buchiere, David Cota-Buckhout, Kaitlin Legg, and Jon Powers (Arts, Sciences & Engineering); Amy Kadrie and Keri Siragusa (Auxiliary and Unions); Heidi Mergenthaler (Central Administration); Harish Nayak (Eastman School of Music); Jennifer Hamson (Laboratory of Laser Energetics); and Bailey Nixon (Simon Business School). The new members recently participated in the council’s annual orientation day and attended their first regularly scheduled meeting this month. Additionally, Amanda Sharpe (Eastman School of Music) has been elected to serve as cochair of the council, joining current cochair, Caterina Caiazza (Arts, Sciences & Engineering). She replaces Marc Seigfred (University IT) who has completed his term as cochair; he continues as a representative for his district. Meet the GSC representatives.
Soak up some sun with mindful movement on the Wilson Commons Porch. Bring yourself, some water, and meet at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 16. This session is hosted by the Mindful University Project and is open to all University undergraduate and graduate students. Sign up on CCC.
AS&E graduate student and postdoc writing boot camp
A three-day virtual writing boot camp for AS&E graduate students and postdocs is taking place October 19–21, from 5 to 8 p.m. EDT each day. Boot camps offer a structured experience for writers to identify their writing goals, develop and refine their goals in conversations with peers, and receive support for selecting effective strategies. Register online. If you have questions or would like to be added to the Graduate Writing Project listserv, email Liz Tinelli.
Emergency Department Research Associate Program accepting applications
Undergraduate students with an interest in gaining clinical experience working directly with patients in a busy Emergency Department environment and participating in clinical research can apply for the Emergency Department Research Associate program four-credit course and internship. The course application for spring 2022 is open through October 25. Email Ivana-Re Baldie with questions.
Behavior Health Partners blog: Let’s talk about anger
Difficult emotions like anger or frustration are normal and healthy. Avoiding or suppressing these emotions isn’t healthy. Learn more about healthy ways to sit with and express your emotions with Well-U’s Behavioral Health Partners October blog.
The Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies presents ”An Evening with Polish Songs,” on Saturday, October 16, at 7 p.m. at Asbury First United Methodist Church, 1050 East Avenue. The program, featuring soprano Paulina Swierczek ’14E, ’16E (MM) and pianist Zachary Peterson ’16E (MM), director of graduate advising and services at the Eastman School of Music, is free and open to the public. Learn more about the concert here.
Two Icons Lecture on art in the age of mass incarceration
The 2021 Two Icons Lecture, “Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration,” features 2021 MacArthur Fellow Nicole Fleetwood, a writer, curator, and the inaugural James Weldon Johnson Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University. The lecture takes place Monday, October 18, at 3 p.m. EDT with options to attend virtually or in person in the Hawkins-Carlson Room, Rush Rhees Library. Learn more and register here.
Tripods 2021 Careers in Data Science Lecture Series: Kevin Lin ’17 (PhD)
Join the Goergen Institute for Data Science for the next session in the Tripods 2021 Careers in Data Science Lecture Series. On Monday, October 18, at 6 p.m. EDT, Kevin Lin ’17 (PhD) will discuss his path from doctoral candidate to software engineer at Upstart.
Get ready for winter biking
There’s no need to put your bicycle away when the snow starts falling. A virtual winter cycling class offered by the Department of Transportation and Parking will teach you tips and tricks to help you extend your cycling season. The one-hour class will cover the necessary gear for riding in the cold and in the dark, how to deal with changing road conditions, winter bike maintenance tips, and more. The class takes place via Zoom on Wednesday, October 20, from noon to 1 p.m. EDT, including time for questions at the end. Registration is required.
‘Relax and Renew’ retreat
On Saturday, October 30, the Mindful University Project will hold its “Relax and Renew” retreat. Held on the River Level of the Interfaith Chapel on the River Campus, participants will experience four hours of noble silence while engaging in a variety of contemplative practices including breath awareness meditation, gentle yoga, mindful walking, and dharma talks (a lesson about the practice of mindfulness in everyday life).
Retreats are cofacilitated by certified Koru mindfulness teachers and a University Counseling Center staff psychologist in attendance for individual support. Prior meditation experience is not necessary to participate. Bring a yoga mat if you have one, and dress comfortably. Retreats are free of charge and open to all students, faculty, or staff members of the University community. Register here to attend.
Rochester alumnus Josh Cassada ’00 (PhD) has been reassigned by NASA to the next crewed flight of the Space X Crew Dragon to the International Space Station. Learn more here.
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