Update on new positive cases of COVID-19

Make way for good

“As we look forward with optimism, after the last two years, the United Way needs your support now more than ever. Please join me and all of the others contributing to make way for good.” Access the full video message from President Sarah Mangelsdorf, and consider pledging your support as part of the annual United Way campaign.

Early treatment with COVID convalescent plasma prevents hospitalization

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute was part of a national clinical trial showing that plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID is a safe and effective early outpatient treatment for others with the disease. CTSI Codirector Martin Zand, a Dean’s Professor in the Department of Medicine and senior associate dean, clinical research, led the local study site.

Jennifer Kyker receives President’s Ferrari Humanities Research Award

Jennifer Kyker, an associate professor in the School of Arts & Sciences’ Arthur Satz Department of Music and an associate professor of ethnomusicology at the Eastman School of Music, is this year’s recipient of the President’s Ferrari Humanities Research Award. Endowed by University Trustee Bernard Ferrari ’70, ’74M (MD) and his wife, Linda Gaddis Ferrari, the award promotes and supports humanities research by a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in Arts, Sciences & Engineering who is affiliated with the University’s Humanities Center. Kyker’s project, “Women in Mbira: Music, Gender, and Ritual in Zimbabwe,” will include a publicly accessible digital portal highlighting Kyker’s research and interpretation of the mbira musical tradition. The project may also culminate in a recording produced by the Smithsonian.

Some observers mistakenly blame Putin’s invasion on an old doctrine

MSN, April 6

Matthew Lenoe, an associate professor of history, writes that false tales like the “Third Rome” narrative threaten to distort policy toward Russia by obfuscating Putin’s real motivations for attacking Ukraine—which have more to do with modern forms of Russian nationalism and revenge for the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Sign up for peer-led yoga classes

The Mindful University Project is offering a peer-led yoga session for all practice levels on Mondays beginning April 11 in the Goergen Athletic Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for the rest of the semester. As an intentional space for stillness, you will leave class with strategies to help you navigate daily stressors as you move through the rest of your semester. Register for classes here.

Apply to be a tutor or study group leader

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is currently seeking applicants for tutors and study group leaders for the fall 2022 semester. Apply if you are passionate about helping others and have done well in your coursework at the University. Find more information on the requirements and application instructions. Contact cetl@rochester.edu with questions.

TIAA session on diversifying retirement savings

You diversify your investment portfolio before retirement to help offset risk. A similar strategy can help see you through retirement. Creating a diversified income plan using a combination of income sources can help reduce the risks you may face in retirement and ensure you have income that never runs out. Learn more at a webinar hosted by TIAA on Tuesday, April 12, at 3 p.m. EDT.  Visit the TIAA website to register.

Biometric screening clinics

Learn your health numbers such as blood pressure, cholesterol level, and more when you have a biometric screening. You can then discover what Well-U courses are right for you. Find a list of clinic locations and sign up now.

Attend ‘Soulforce’ at the Gandhi Institute

Join the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence on Saturday, April 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. EDT for Soulforce, a virtual event that includes updates on work both local and beyond, and opportunities to engage with like-minded people from around the US. Tickets start at $20.

Kota Ezawa’s National Anthem: Black Bodies in Protest

Since 2016, athletes have protested police brutality and the oppression of people of color by kneeling during the playing of The Star-Spangled Banner. Kota Ezawa’s National Anthem, now on view at the Memorial Art Gallery, is a multimedia exhibition that reflects on those protests. Attend a lecture with Stephen Brauer, an associate professor and chair of the English Department at St. John Fisher College, on the historical and cultural context for this social movement. The lecture takes place at the museum on Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m. EDT and will also be streamed live on Zoom.

Fairbank Lecture with Holocaust survivor Manny Gurowski

In partnership with Hillel at the University, Holocaust survivor Manny Gurowski will share his experiences as a young Jewish boy in Germany at the Dr. Matthew E. and Ruth Harmon Fairbank Alumni Lecture on Tuesday, April 12, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Interfaith Chapel, River Campus. Attendees at this in-person event will learn how he helped save the lives of others at the Nazi-controlled labor camp where he worked in a soap factory at the age of eight. Register here to attend.

Learn to fix a bicycle flat in 15 minutes

Fast track your biking skills with “Wheels on Wednesday,” a series of free, 15-minute classes that provide a quick and easy way to learn essential skills and knowledge on a wide range of cycling topics. Learn to fix a flat on Wednesday, April 13, at noon EDT via Zoom. No registration is required. See the full schedule of classes presented by the Department of Transportation and Parking.

• Dr. Chat Bot: Medical Center employees (daily required) | Medical Center students (daily required) and non-Medical Center students (as needed)
• 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)
• COVID-19 vaccine requirements and FAQs
• What to do if you or your close contacts have symptoms or have been exposed