Will hearing aids ever be as effective as corrective eyewear?
Despite recent advances in hearing aid technology, users frequently complain that the devices tend to amplify all the sounds around them. Jong-Noon Nam, a professor of mechanical engineering and of biomedical engineering, believes his lab has found a key part of the answer to the problem. Nam, pictured above in his lab with research engineer Jonathan Becker (right) and PhD student Wei-Ching Lin, says the answer lies inside the cochlea of the inner ear.
In today’s issue:
The Department of Public Safety alerts the University community to an increase in scams and fraud
Fill out a sustainability planning survey
Faculty and staff can attend an update on the Career Path Modernization
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 page for full information on what kinds of masks are acceptable.
DPS alerts University community to increase in scams and fraud
Recently, the Department of Public Safety has received multiple reports of students being targeted by scammers seeking payments and personal information, but faculty and staff can also be targets of these financial scams. According to DPS, the amount of money lost to scams this year already is at a very high level compared to previous years. In addition to the points below, DPS asks that all University community members review the full DPS Guidance on Scams and Fraud for context on common scam strategies and ways to avoid becoming a victim of such schemes.
Common scam tactics include
The caller ID or phone number looks like a government agency or police, and the caller may claim to be a government representative. They may tell you that you owe money, have failed to make some payment, or have committed some kind of fraud. They may say you owe a tax or a visa fee, for example.
They will often use fear, threats, and intimidation to get what they want, which is access to your credit or bank account information. The scammer may try to force you to take immediate action and threaten punishment (often threats of deportation or arrest) for not acting immediately. They may also scam you by saying that a family member will be in danger unless you act.
A scammer may ask for nontraditional payment methods, such as gift cards; demand to meet at an ATM machine or a coffee shop; or engage in rental fraud, where your deposit money is taken and no one meets you with the keys to move in.
The most important action you can take to prevent being scammed is to verify the identity of anyone who calls or emails and asks for your personal information. Ask for a caller’s name, agency affiliation, and phone number. Tell them that you will call them back or respond through an agency’s legitimate customer service channels. Never provide personal data, such as a Social Security number, credit card or bank account number, or your address to unknown persons over the phone or internet.
Notify Public Safety if you have any questions or think you may have encountered a scam. In addition, international students and scholars who are concerned about a possible scam can contact the International Services Office.
Sustainability planning survey
The University has launched a planning process to create its first-ever sustainability plan. The plan will include University-wide goals, to be approved by leadership, and high-level strategies to achieve those goals. It is being developed by a collaborative process that includes many constituents across the University. In addition to listening sessions with various stakeholder groups throughout the University, a brief survey has been developed to gather thoughts and ideas about sustainability efforts and practices across campus to help inform the planning efforts. The survey will only take a couple of minutes of your time to complete.
Apply for the Local Ethnography and Archiving Fellowship
If you are a rising second- or third-year student (current first- or second-year) from Rochester or the wider western New York region, consider applying for the Local Ethnography and Archiving Fellowship. This is a one-year community-engaged research program led by Kathryn Mariner, an associate professor of anthropology, beginning in fall 2022. To learn more, attend an information session in Lattimore Hall, Room 441, on Wednesday, March 2, at 7 p.m. or on Tuesday, March 15, at 6 p.m. Applications for the fellowship are due March 31. Email questions to fertileground@rochester.edu.
‘BIC-Ture This’: A queer art-making series for LGBTQ students
Next month’s “BIC-Ture This” class, “Make Your Own Scarf!,” which brings together LGBTQ+ students, takes place Friday, March 4, at 6 p.m. in the Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center, 305 Douglass Commons. Registration is required by Tuesday, March 1. Supplies will be provided; no previous skills are required.
Become a Meridian campus tour guide
The Office of Admissions is hiring Meridian campus tour guides for the summer and fall 2022 academic semesters. If you are interested in providing general campus tours or Hajim tours as an engineering major, consider applying. Applications are due by Monday, March 21, and the listing can be found on JobLink on Blackboard. The Job ID for the summer position is 21361 and the Job ID for the fall position is 21366. Contact Andre McKenzie for more information.
‘Big Ideas in Science and Medicine Business’ pitch competition
Do you have a solution to a pressing problem in medical or biotech fields? Apply to pitch your idea to a panel of judges who have entrepreneurial success in health care and biotech. The top teams will take home cash prizes. Students in a program at the School of Medicine and Dentistry or in a biomedical-related field on the River Campus can find more details and apply online by Friday, February 25. Accepted teams will pitch live over Zoom on Wednesday, March 2, at noon EST. Contact the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship with questions.
Attend a community Career Path Modernization update on Wednesday, March 2, from noon to 1 p.m. EST for the latest information about the project. This session will be followed by a series of Q&A sessions throughout March, facilitated by the cochairs of the Genesee Staff Council, for the project team to address your questions. All sessions require advance registration. In advance of these Q&A sessions, submit questions or comments.
Your weight loss accountability partner
To reach your goal weight, having someone to check in on you can make all the difference to your success. Make Well-U and its team of experts in the healthy weight program be your support by creating the best plan for your unique needs and keeping you accountable. Program appointments are convenient to your schedule so enroll today.
Akiko Mizoguchi ’09 (PhD) will present a talk on a genre of male-male romance fiction by and for women that has become an unprecedented art form with queer activist potential in Japan. The lecture takes place today, February 24, at 5:30 p.m. EST in the Humanities Center, Conference Room D, Rush Rhees Library.
Mindfulness in March
Feeling like you need a second wind to get through the last leg of the semester? Research has found that daily mindfulness practice can help to decrease perceived stress, improve quality of sleep, self-compassion, mood, and productivity. Learn the fundamentals of mindfulness meditation during a virtual Koru mindfulness four-week workshop. Workshops are open to the entire University community. Registration is required.
Koru Basic: Wednesday, March 9, 16, 23, and 30 from 5 to 6:15 p.m. EST via Zoom
Koru Basic: Friday, March 25, and April 1, 8, and 15 from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. EST via Zoom
Lecture, workshop with Sarah Tinker Perrault
Presented by the Writing, Speaking, and Argument, speaker Sarah Tinker Perrault will engage with the University remotely on Wednesday, March 16, and Friday, March 18, through a public lecture, a workshop open to University affiliates interested in teaching, and for individual and group chats. Learn more and register here.
Tasty Tuesdays are coming back
After a two-year hiatus, Tasty Tuesdays—a popular tradition on the River Campus that happens each Tuesday during Summer Sessions from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wilson Quad—are coming back. Will you be on campus this summer? Help Wilson Commons Student Activities put together the 2022 food truck roster. Give your input here.
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