Voting is now open for the Art of Science Competition People’s Choice Award. Scroll down to the For the Community section to learn more and cast your vote.
Also in today’s issue:
The Rochester River Run/Walk 5K to benefit transplant patients at Strong Memorial Hospital takes place this weekend
Attend a lecture by climate change activist Amitav Ghosh, the University’s 2021–22 Distinguished Visiting Humanist
Make a pledge online to the University’s United Way campaign by 4 p.m. on Friday, April 1, and be eligible for the last week of prize drawings, open to faculty and staff. Every donation helps the United Way support a broad network of human service organizations, community initiatives, and innovative strategies to address the Greater Rochester community’s most pressing local challenges with real, impactful solutions.
Bursar’s Office closing briefly today
The Bursar’s Office will be closed today, March 30, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Learning from wastewater monitoring for COVID-19 at colleges
Wastewater surveillance can be used as a proactive method to predict COVID-19 infection trends in a population. Katrina Smith Korfmacher, director of the Community Engagement Core of the Department of Environmental Medicine, and Jim McGrath, a professor of biomedical engineering, were granted a pilot award by the Translational Immunology and Infectious Disease Institute to work on developing technology that could advance wastewater-based detection approaches at a fraction of the cost, complexity, and time-to-result compared to current methods. Read more in this week’s Go Green blog post.
Prior to spring break, University Health Service provided each full-time undergraduate and graduate student who is part of the Student Health Program with a COVID-19 self-test kit (two per box) to use when they wish. For Arts, Sciences, & Engineering undergraduates, the test kits were put in mailboxes in the River Campus Mail Center; if a student has not yet picked up their test from their mailbox, they are still there and can be picked up and used. Free test kits may also be picked up at the Common Connection in Wilson Commons during regular hours. As a reminder, students who test positive should report their results to UHS through Dr. Chat Bot.
Three Minute Thesis Competition
Attend the University’s annual Three Minute Thesis Competition on Wednesday, April 6, at 4 p.m. in the Class of ’62 Auditorium (G-9425), Medical Center. This academic competition challenges doctoral students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience. A panel of judges will select the first-place winner and runner-up among finalists from across the University, and the audience will determine who walks away with the People’s Choice Award. Bring your laptop or smartphone to cast your vote electronically. A reception in Flaum Atrium with light refreshments will follow the event.
Milestone service anniversary recognition for 2021
The University is powered by dedicated and committed staff who work hard to improve the lives of students, patients, and colleagues. There is no more evidence of this than the 1,504 staff members who celebrated a milestone service anniversary in 2021, all of whom were invited to choose a service award gift during their anniversary month. Those with 10, 15, or 20 years of service in the calendar year 2021 will receive a specially engraved University travel mug with a printed program of all honorees’ names at their homes in lieu of the annual recognition reception. For honorees with over 25 years of service celebrating a milestone anniversary, a package including a travel mug, the printed program, and an invitation to order a meal kit from HelloFresh was sent to their home in lieu of the annual recognition reception and dinner. Learn more about the University’s Awards and Recognition Program. The site also includes a video message to honorees from President Sarah Mangelsdorf.
Douglass Leadership House celebrates 10th anniversary
Last week, the Douglass Leadership House celebrated its 10th anniversary with a weekend of events including information sessions, house tours, a talent showcase, and a virtual reunion for its alumni. Above, Andre Hodges ’22, president of the Douglass Leadership House, presented the commemorative address.
Lecture on boat migration in the time of scarcity
Subha Xavier, an associate professor of French at Emory University, presents “Some of Them Had the Power to Transform into Fish: Boat Migration in the Time of Scarcity” today, March 30, at 2 p.m. in the Hawkins-Carlson Room, Rush Rhees Library. The lecture traces the end of the artisanal fishing industry in Senegal, drawing on cinematic meditations of its fisherman and the fish they catch, sell, and finally become.
Lecture: ‘Projecting Russia in a Mediatized World’
Join Stephen Hastings, a professor of Russian studies at the University of Manchester, today, March 30, at 3:30 p.m. EDT for a virtual lecture on how Russia projects itself to the world. Learn more and find the Zoom link here.
VR Flappy Bird
“Flappy Bird” is a side-scrolling game in which you control the flapping of a bird’s wings to avoid running into columns of green pipes. On Thursday, March 31, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Studio X you will have the opportunity to be the bird. Through a step-by-step workshop, you can create your own VR Flappy Bird game in Unity, a real-time creation platform. No experience is necessary. Register to attend.
Open access: A student’s perspective
The River Campus Libraries has held many events that focus on highlighting faculty members who use open-access materials or helping instructors incorporate open materials into their courses. On Friday, April 1, from 2 to 3 p.m. EDT, you can hear from students in STEM, social science, and humanities fields who completed and shared open access projects. The event will be held in person in the Barbara J. Burger iZone, Rush Rhees Library, and on Zoom. Register to attend remotely.
Run, walk, or pledge your support for transplant patients at Strong
The Rochester River Run/Walk 5K returns virtually on Sunday, April 3. Register today to join the cause from your own racecourse to help raise money to assist patients awaiting and recovering from heart, liver, kidney, or pancreas transplant surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital. Learn more, register, or pledge your support online.
Vote for the Art of Science Competition People’s Choice Award
The Art of Science Competition has received 57 entries. Now is your chance to decide which one is deserving of the People’s Choice Award. Anyone in the University community is eligible to vote online until midnight on Tuesday, April 5.
2022 EDI Leadership Summit reception
Join the University community on Wednesday, April 6, at 5:30 p.m. for a special reception at the Memorial Art Gallery in advance of the inaugural Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Leadership Summit. There will be presentations from University leaders and Jennifer Freyd, an expert on betrayal trauma and institutional courage. Learn more and register for the event, presented by the Institutional Office of Equity and Inclusion in partnership with the Office of Alumni Relations and Constituent Engagement.
Public lecture with writer, climate change activist Amitav Ghosh
Award-winning novelist, essayist, and climate change activist Amitav Ghosh is the University’s 2021–22 Distinguished Visiting Humanist. He will deliver a free public lecture based on his latest book, The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis, on Thursday, April 7, at 5 p.m. in the Hawkins-Carlson Room, Rush Rhees Library. Ghosh traces today’s planetary crisis back to the discovery of the New World and the sea route to the Indian Ocean. At the center of his narrative is the now-ubiquitous spice nutmeg, with its history of conquest and exploitation—of both human life and the natural environment. Learn more and register.
Students, check your inbox for the National College Health Assessment
Check your email for a personal invitation to complete the National College Health Assessment. Results from this survey will help UHS better understand student health needs and will be used to develop new student wellness programming. All students who complete the survey will be entered into a random drawing to win a Kindle Paperwhite, Air Pods, 32-inch TV, or a wellness kit with a Fit Bit, yoga mat, and yoga block. Four other winners will choose from a selection of Rochester gear from the bookstore. Visit the UHS website for more information.
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PAWS for Stress Relief at Eastman
Managing stress is a key ingredient for improving concentration and decreasing performance anxiety. Come relax with some therapy dogs at the Health Promotion Office’s PAWS for Stress Relief event on Thursday, March 31, from 6 to 7:15 p.m. in the Eastman School of Music Student Living Center. This event is open to the entire Eastman community.
Relax and renew retreat
Take a purposeful pause with the Mindful University Project at the Relax and Renew Retreat on Sunday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The immersive mindfulness experience will include practices such as mindful walking, eating meditations, loving-kindness and self-compassion practices, breath awareness meditations, gentle yoga, and a dharma talk—a lesson about the practice of mindfulness in everyday life.
Prior meditation experience is not necessary to participate; dress comfortably. Retreats are free of charge and open to any student, faculty, or staff member in the University community. Registration is required.
Koru mindfulness workshops
Join the Mindful University Project for the last four-week Koru mindfulness offerings this semester. These workshops are open to the entire University community. Registration is required.
Koru 2.0: April 4, 11, 18, and 25 from 7 to 8:15 p.m. EDT via Zoom
Koru Basic: April 6, 13, 20, and 27 from noon to 1:15 p.m. EDT via Zoom
The Graduate Student Wellness Fair is an inaugural program offered by the UHS Health Promotion Office and Graduate Student Wellness Committee as part of Graduate Student Appreciation Week and will be held on Friday, April 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Carlson Library.
This fair brings together multiple campus resources, student groups, and community organizations to educate on wellness and self-care practices. Meet some therapy dogs, find wellness support on and off campus, engage in interactive activities, get free swag, and have the opportunity to do virtual reality mindfulness and Tai Chi. Reservations are required for Tai Chi.
LGBTQ+ Resource Fair
Visit the LGBTQ+ Resource Fair on Monday, April 11, from 3 to 5 p.m. in Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons, to learn about on- and off-campus resources for LGBTQ+ students, take home some fun giveaways, enter a raffle, and pet therapy dogs. Some of the organizations present will be Trillium Health, Title IX, CARE Network, and Planned Parenthood. This event is sponsored by the UHS Health Promotion Office.
Meal prep workshop
According to a recent survey conducted in fall 2021, 68 percent of students reported that they only ate two meals per day. The thought of cooking meals while being a full-time student can seem daunting and time-consuming. However, cooking nutritious meals can be quick, cheap, and tasty. In this workshop, participants will learn a quick meal recipe and one snack, using ingredients from Hillside. Vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free options will be available.
The workshop takes place on Wednesday, April 13, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Community Kitchen, Douglass Commons, and is open to all undergraduate and graduate students. Registration is required.
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