Next week is the final round of this year’s Three Minute Thesis competition. Learn more about the event and this year’s finalists below in the For the Community section.
Also in today’s issue:
Updates on the myURHR, the new human resources system
A reminder of the retiree eligibility grace period
Help move the community forward through United Way
“We’re supremely optimistic that with your help, we can make life better for those in need around us…because we are better united.” In a new video message, University President Sarah Mangelsdorf and Jaime Saunders, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, come together to discuss this year’s annual campaign.
Philip Wexler, former dean of Warner School of Education and Human Development, remembered
Philip Wexler, former dean of the Warner School of Education and Human Development from 1989 to 2000, is being remembered for his fiscal stewardship, his advocacy for education, and for deepening relationships with local school systems through collaborative partnerships. Wexler died on March 25.
David Primo, the Ani and Mark Gabrellian Professor and a professor of political science and of business administration, says it’s easy to understand why students might be more reticent to share their opinions now than in the past. “The mistakes you make in college are now public forever. One mistake will now be searchable forever,” says Primo. “And that changes the willingness to speak.”
New power plant project expected to decrease University greenhouse gas emissions
Last year, the University’s Board of Trustees approved a cooling tower and chiller electrification project that will increase chilled water production capacity, decrease reliance on Genesee River water, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions at the University by approximately 10 percent. Learn more about the project in this week’s Go Green blog post.
Drop-in counseling group today for students who are feeling overwhelmed
The University Counseling Center is offering a virtual drop-in group today, March 29, at 2 p.m. for students who are feeling overwhelmed.
Make It Happen Night at the iZone
Join the Barbara J. Burger iZone in celebrating the success of the consulting team’s latest iteration of the Make It Happen microgrant, awarded to members of the University community with unique early-stage ideas. Learn from current and past winners of the grant as they speak about their experience with bringing an early-stage idea to life. The event takes place Friday, March 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the iZone.
Sexual health presentation on BDSM
The Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center, UHS Health Promotion Office, and the University Counseling Center are hosting a presentation and Q&A with the Rochester Kink Society about BDSM. The event will be held on Thursday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. in Morey Hall, Room 321, and will also be streamed live via Zoom if you’d like to attend virtually. Registration is encouraged, but not required. Open to all students.
LGBTQ+ health focus group
The Health Promotion Office’s Peer Health Advocate team will hold a session to learn more about the unique health needs of the LGBTQ+ community on campus, gain a better understanding of the LGBTQ+ experience on campus, and how they can better support the LGBTQ+ population. Register on CCC and join the session on Friday, April 7, from 2 to 3 p.m. in Douglass Commons, Room 401. All attendees will receive a $5 coupon to use at the on-campus Starbucks.
Getting ready for myURHR: What you can expect in the coming months
The University’s new Human Resources system, myURHR, is replacing HRMS in the spring of 2024. In order to support communication across the University, some opportunities are planned in the coming months:
This spring, the myURHR Change Network will be formed. Representation from departments and schools across the University will enable faculty and staff to receive information directly from someone in their area.
In the summer, faculty, and staff will complete a myURHR readiness survey, as the project team wants to hear from you. Survey results will help to improve the dissemination of project updates and to ensure your questions get answered.
Later this year, the University will host faculty and staff Demo Days, where you can view myURHR and get familiar with its layout and look and feel.
Stay tuned for more details on myURHR. Visit the myURHR website often for updates and benefits, including this At-A-Glance flyer.
Workshop on asking and answering classroom questions
Learn strategies for promoting student engagement by asking and answering classroom questions. The Teaching Center workshop is Friday, March 31, from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom and is open to all University faculty. Sign up here to attend, and contact the Teaching Center with questions.
Explore food essentials with Well-U
Get answers to questions surrounding your dietary habits in Nutrition Basics. Your dietitian through Well-U’s lifestyle management team will point you in the right direction. A new session starts on March 31 so enroll now.
Retiree eligibility grace period reminder
The University is reminding faculty and staff of the retiree eligibility grace period of January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023, which was first announced in September 2020. Any faculty or staff member who meets the previous service requirements, including completion of 10 years of service, will have the opportunity to retire on or before December 31, 2023. Beginning January 1, 2024, retired faculty and staff must have completed 15 years of service at the University alone or combined with service from another higher education institution to meet eligibility for retiree benefits. The Office of Total Rewards will host a live webinar on the retiree eligibility grace period on Wednesday, April 12, at noon. Register for the webinar. For more information and additional eligibility requirements, visit the retiree benefits website.
‘Scaling Across the World: Containerization and Microservices at MacroX’
Join the Goergen Institute for Data Science for “Scaling Across the World: Containerization and Microservices at MacroX” with Ajinkya Deshmukh ’20 (MS), a senior data engineer at MacroXStudio, a SaaS platform that uses AI and hundreds of alternative data sources to map the macroeconomy and society in real-time. Deshmukh will discuss some of the tools MacroX uses to scale up its workflow on Friday, March 31, at 11 a.m. via Zoom.
The Office of University Graduate Education announces the finalists for the 3MT competition taking place on April 4. Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic competition that challenges doctoral students to describe their research to a global audience—within three minutes. The final competition is open to the public. Competition finalists will present from 3:45 to 5 p.m. in the Class of ’62 Auditorium (G-9425), Medical Center, with a poster session, reception, and awards ceremony to follow from 5 to 6 p.m. in Sarah Flaum Atrium.
Zero-Cost Heroes: Stuart Jordan
There’s not much you can do with a printed textbook. You can turn the pages and—if you dare—underline or highlight text. And if you want an update, you have to buy the new edition. That’s why Stuart Jordan, an associate professor of political science, isn’t using one. Get Jordan’s full story and learn about the previously featured Zero-Cost Heroes.
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