Update on new positive cases of COVID-19

There are four new positive cases among students to report: three on River Campus, and one on the Medical Campus. Please note that the University’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated when a new case is reported. Find the latest COVID-19 messages and updates here.

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.

Study abroad applications open for summer 2022

Virtual mindfulness sessions and yoga classes

Kick off the spring semester with some virtual mindfulness sessions and yoga classes. The Mindful University Project is offering new peer-led sessions for students this semester.

• Sundays, from noon to 1 p.m. EST: Join Jenny Lee ’23, for a 60-minute yoga practice for all levels as every pose can be modified or intensified. Flow moves one breath at a time, with intentional space for stillness; it’s mindfulness meditation in motion, which means you will leave class with strategies to help you navigate daily stressors. Register here to attend via Zoom.
• Mondays at 10 p.m. EST: Unwind with a brief peer lead meditation on Instagram Live. Each week there is a different theme. The meditations will be recorded and uploaded to the Instagram feed and the Mindful University Project podcast.
• On various days throughout the semester beginning in February, stay tuned for meditations led by new student mindfulness facilitators on Instagram Live.

Writing workshops for AS&E graduate students

Need writing support? Register for one or more of the interactive, hands-on workshops offered by the Graduate Writing Project this spring. Workshops are offered virtually. Learn more and register online. Email liz.tinelli@rochester.edu with questions.

Resource card to help students in distress

University faculty and student-facing staff are in a unique and important position to support students who are in emotional distress. The UHS Health Promotion Office wants to assure you that intervening doesn’t have to be hard and that you have support. The office has created a UR Resource Card to help you identify and support students who are in distress, as well as provide you with a list of University referrals that addresses many of these issues. Find the resource online under the “Supporting a Student or Peer in Distress” section.

Well-U offers department workshops

Are you looking to add some movement, or perhaps a meditation exercise, to your next department meeting? A variety of virtual workshops are available through Well-U. Request one here.

Nominations open for the Furth Fund

The Furth Fund provides early-career scientists with up to $12,500 in research funds to help foster the development of promising scientists. Nominees should be junior, tenure track faculty appointed in natural, biological science, or engineering departments within AS&E, the School of Medicine and Dentistry, or School of Nursing who have been hired within the past three academic years. Preference will be given to nominees who wish to use the award to support the active engagement of graduate students or postdocs in their research.

All nominations must include the nominee’s curriculum vitae and a short letter from the departmental chair describing the nominee’s research activities and proposed use of the funds, and an endorsement from the dean of the school. Nominations must be submitted to the dean of the school no later than Friday, March 4.

Webinar on the relevance of ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’

Join the Department of Psychiatry’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity for a panel discussion on Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” its relevance when it was written, and its relevance today. The virtual talk will take place on Friday, January 21, at noon EST. Register here to attend.

Panel: ‘Stories from the Boardroom: Experiences of Our Black Leaders’

Join the Black Alumni Network on Tuesday, January 25, at 6 p.m. EST as a panel of Black members of the University’s Board of Trustees discuss their career paths, their commitment to serving the University, and their perspectives on efforts to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education and their professional work. President Sarah Mangelsdorf will provide opening remarks. Register here for the event.

Virtual Roundtable: ‘Local Knowledge, Migration, and Justice, II’

The yearlong Sawyer Seminar’s events regarding migration continue through the academic year. Join the Humanities Center on Wednesday, January 26, at 5 p.m. EST for an online event that brings together local experts on Rochester’s Latin American community to discuss the state of area organizations as well as initiatives to document community members’ experiences, including the “Latino Oral Histories” digital project. Guest speakers include Isabel Córdova, a professor of history, of politics, and of law at Nazareth College, and Evelyn D’Agostino, executive founder and treasurer of Grupo Cultural Latinos en Rochester, with Pablo Sierra Silva, an associate professor of history at Rochester, moderating. Register for the event.

With winter well underway, the Medical Center offers tips for safe snow removal.

• Dr. Chat Bot: Non–Medical Center faculty, staff, and all students | Medical Center employees
• COVID-19 Resource Center | Medical Center’s COVID-19 update page
• Current campus face mask policies
• Faculty and staff vaccine participation form (VPN or on-campus network connection required)
• FAQ on COVID-19 vaccination
• What to do if you or your close contacts have symptoms or have been exposed