Was plate tectonics occurring when life first formed on Earth?
Plate tectonics melts and mixes rocks to create magmas with specific chemical makeups. Rochester geologists, led by Wriju Chowdhury, a postdoctoral research associate in the lab of Dustin Trail, an associate professor of earth and environmental sciences, are using that chemical evidence to unlock information about plate tectonic activity on Earth more than 4 billion years ago.
In today’s issue:
Applications are open for the 2024–25 Fulbright US Scholar Program
Celebrate the Cultural Fair tonight at Club Rochester
Upcoming jazz concerts with the Eastman School of Music
Deadline is today for student survey on University housing
Today is the final day for students to complete the survey on University housing. The survey link has been emailed to all currently enrolled students—at the undergraduate and graduate levels and across all divisions—to gain feedback on housing including floor plans, rates, and amenities. Respondents can enter a drawing to win one of 10 $50 Barnes & Noble University of Rochester Bookstore gift cards.
Inaugural Flourish Festival focuses on wellness and mindfulness
The Health Promotion Office is hosting its inaugural Flourish Festival on Friday, April 14. Students are invited to drop by the full-day event for various wellness and mindfulness activities such as yoga classes, mindfulness sessions, a mindful outdoor walk, therapy dogs, virtual reality mindfulness at the Wellness Oasis, and a mindful eating pop-up. Learn about available well-being resources at the Wellness Fair. Visit the Flourish Festival website for the full schedule and to register for yoga and mindful outdoor walks.
Students who check in to four or more events at the festival will be entered to win one of three raffle prizes, including a Fitbit Inspire 2, face masks, essential oils, a yoga mat, journals, an Iron Flask water bottle, and more.
Business and travel reimbursements just got faster, but you have to submit them online
Six months ago, the University began switching to an online system for business and travel reimbursements that is automated, more efficient, and environmentally friendly. Accounts Payable can no longer accept paper form submissions. If you need support, training and user group meetings are available. Visit the UR Financials Expense Management website (Active Directory login required) for more information.
2024–25 Fulbright US Scholar Program
The Fulbright US Scholar Program offers over 400 unique awards for US citizens to teach, research, and conduct professional projects in more than 130 countries. Find a wide range of resources online. The application deadline is September 15.
‘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 today, March 31, at 11 a.m. via Zoom.
Celebrate the Cultural Fair at Club Rochester
Students, staff, and faculty can mingle, and enjoy free food, discount drinks, and networking at Club Rochester, a campus happy hour. Enjoy the Cultural Fair-themed event including a menu with a variety of food from Meliora Catering, El Latino, Karaoke Revolution, and Tandoor of India. The Cultural Fair at Club Rochester takes place today, March 31, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons. This event is co-hosted by Wilson Commons Student Activities and the SA Government Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. There will be short performances and tabling by student organizations, performance groups, and campus departments.
All guests will need to check in using their personal QR code found in the new UR CCC app. Event staff will be available to assist you when checking in. Follow @wilsoncommonsur or @uroc.sa on Instagram for updates.
Trumpeters Jeremy Pelt and Ingrid Jensen are among the artists featured in upcoming jazz concerts from the Eastman School of Music. Pelt joins the Jazz Lab Band on Wednesday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Kilbourn Hall. Jensen is joined on Monday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Kilbourn Hall by her sister, Christine Jensen, a saxophonist and an assistant professor of jazz studies and contemporary media at Eastman. Find the full schedule here.
Winners crowned in the 10th annual ‘America’s Got Regulatory Science Talent’ student competition
Nine student teams shared proposed solutions to regulatory science challenges at the 10th annual “America’s Got Regulatory Science Talent” competition. Solutions ranged from a device to secure opioid medications to developing new methods to test the safety of CAR T-cell therapies. The winning team, FoodWarn AI, proposed a solution to identify and predict outbreaks in our food supply.
Zero-Cost Heroes: Kevin Clarke
Not all textbooks are expensive. But students rarely need only one book for a class, let alone a semester’s worth of courses, so it’s as much about volume as it is individual book costs. Kevin Clarke, an associate professor of political science, is well aware of the financial burden and is doing his part to lighten it. Get Clarke’s full story and learn about the rest of the Zero-Cost Heroes.
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