Recent awards and honors

University community members are being recognized for contributions to their respective fields:

• Susan Blaakman, a professor of clinical nursing and director of the Family Psychiatric Mental Health NP Program, has been selected to join the American Academy of Nursing’s 2022 class of fellows. The academy selects applicants based on their contributions to advancing the public’s health.
• Sharon Elad, a professor of dentistry and chair of the division of oral medicine at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, received the 2022 Distinguished Service Award from the International Society of Oral Oncology. The award recognizes her exemplary leadership, meritorious achievement, and significant contributions to the research, education, and clinical supportive care in cancer.
• Josephine Libby ’25 was honored as an All-American in Division III from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
• Samantha Veeder, associate dean of College enrollment and director of financial aid, received one of six National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) regional leadership awards, presented to financial aid professionals who have exhibited high integrity and character, have shown creative leadership, and have inspired and encouraged others to actively participate in professional development.
• The Center for Community Health & Prevention has been recognized by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion within the US Department of Health and Human Services as a Healthy People 2030 Champion. As a Healthy People 2030 Champion, the center has demonstrated a commitment to helping achieve the Healthy People 2030 vision of a society in which all people can achieve their full potential for health and well-being across the lifespan.
• The University has been named a Forage Experiential Learning Award winner, which honors the top colleges delivering students outstanding experiential learning opportunities. The University was independently ranked #18 for experiential learning and is in the top 1 percent of institutions nationwide. 

Move-in day staff parking reminder

First-year students in the College are scheduled to arrive on campus on Tuesday, August 23, which will have a significant impact on campus traffic flow and parking. Valentine Lot, all of Zone 3 South, and the entire length of Intercampus Lot will be needed for the move-in process. Employees who regularly park in these lots will need to park in the Bloch Alumni Advancement Center lot; a shuttle will run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. between this lot and the River Campus. Any vehicles left in Zone 3 South or Valentine Lot after 11 p.m. today will be towed to the far end of that lot at the owner’s expense. Employees may want to consider working remotely on Tuesday, August 23, or take it as a vacation day with your supervisor’s approval.

If you have questions, contact the Department of Transportation and Parking Management at (585) 275-4524 or parking@rochester.edu.

Rochester’s Curt Smith remembers Vin Scully

“Hearing Vin was even better than being at the game,” writes Curt Smith, a senior lecturer in the Department of English, about Vin Scully who broadcast Los Angeles Dodgers games from 1950 until 2016—the longest tenure in sports broadcasting history. Read Smith’s remembrance of Scully, who died on August 2 at the age of 94.

Which COVID boosters to take and when: a guide for the perplexed

Nature, August 18

It also depends on how long the wait is for the Omicron-specific vaccine, says Angela Branche, an assistant professor of medicine and codirector of the Medical Center’s vaccine treatment and evaluation unit. “The answer to that question is constantly changing,” she says. “If you asked me two or three months ago, I’d have said the Omicron-specific version of the vaccine is several months away, get your booster now.” But now, the wait is potentially only about a month, so she is more willing to advise her low-risk patients to hold out for new vaccines.

University home ownership incentive program

To assist with home ownership, the University has teamed up with the City of Rochester and several banks and credit unions to offer regular full-time and part-time faculty and staff, residents, and fellows $9,000 toward the purchase of a primary residence. For more information, visit the Total Rewards website and explore qualifying neighborhoods for your new home. New townhouse properties are available on Marsh Street in the 19th Ward, which is a qualifying neighborhood.

Rochester Improvement Science Education Program

The Department of Public Health Sciences Division of Healthcare Management offers the Rochester Improvement Science Education Program, an expanded patient safety course.

The “mini” course is designed for health care professionals, trainees, and students from medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, hospital administration, and health services research and will meet twice per month from September 8 through January 12. The registration deadline is Wednesday, September 14. More information and registration materials can be found on the Medical Center’s  quality and safety intranet page; VPN or University network connection is required. Call (585) 275-7712 or (585) 275-4064 or email judy_hughes@urmc.rochester.edu or rachel_ingham@urmc.rochester.edu with questions.

Wilmot hosts Virtual Survivorship Symposium

Wilmot Cancer Institute will host a Virtual Survivorship Symposium on Friday, September 23, from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT. The event is open to cancer survivors, patients, caregivers, and health care professionals. Topics will include survivorship research and geriatric oncology, sugar and cancer, exercise and cancer, intimacy and sexual wellness, chemo brain, and more. The cost to attend runs from free to $20 and continuing education and contact hours are available for health care providers. Learn more and register here.

The current University COVID-19 tier level is

low

Face masks are optional for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors indoors. Patient care areas, as well as University shuttles and transportation, continue to require masking. A full description of Medical Center masking requirements is available on the URMC Intranet (University network access required).

Find the latest updates, policies, and guidance on the University’s COVID-19 Resource Center.