New, convenient way to pay for parking in MRB and SRB lots, Hospital Garage

Paying for parking will soon be more streamlined thanks to new automated pay stations in Lot 8-Medical Research Building (MRB), Lot 14-Saunders Research Building (SRB), and the Strong Memorial Hospital garage. The pay stations will offer reduced-contact payment, including credit card and validation options. New button intercoms will also make it easier for visitors and parking staff to communicate.

• Take a ticket. Visitors pull a ticket from the dispenser when entering. Make sure you keep your ticket with you.
• Pay before, or when, you leave. When leaving the hospital, you can pay with cash, credit card, or validation at a pay station. There are stations on the ground and first floors of the garage by the elevators. You can also pay from your vehicle in the garage exit lane, where credit cards or validation are accepted. Cash, credit card, and validations are accepted in MRB and SRB lots.

Pulling the plug on viral infections

At the core, CRISPR systems are immune systems that help bacteria protect themselves from viruses by targeting and destroying viral DNA and RNA. A new study from a team at Rochester’s Center for RNA Biology reveals a previously unrecognized player in one such system—a membrane protein that enhances antiviral defense—simultaneously broadening our understanding of and raising more questions related to the complexities of CRISPR.

How to properly dispose of electronic devices

Do you have unused electronics collecting dust? Perhaps it’s time for some digital spring cleaning. University IT offers a reminder that since 2015, New York State law has required the recycling of virtually all electronics with fines starting at $100 per incident. Not to worry: whether it’s University-owned or personal electronics, you can securely recycle digital devices free of charge through the IT Equipment Recovery Program. The UR Tech Store provides a list of equipment eligible for recycling and different recycling options. When ready, you can either request a pickup or drop off electronics at the UR Tech Store’s Med Center location (Room G-7220B). Find more information in this video on “Need to Know Proper Disposal.”

Take a study break with therapy dogs

As the semester wraps up, take a break to pet some cute puppies at the Goergen Athletic Center today, May 1. Therapy dogs will be there from 6 to 7:15 p.m. You can also find free Health Promotion Office goodies while supplies last.

National Mental Health Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The Well-U employee wellness team offers a variety of mental health resources to you as a valued University employee. Email Well-U with questions.

‘Coast to Coast’ wellness challenge starts today

Join Well-U on the open road during its spring University-wide challenge. Up to 85 prizes are available for staying consistently active each week. Choose the road well-traveled for your health and your chance to win. The challenge begins today; registration is open until Friday, May 5. Get started here.

‘Witness to Injustice’ professional development for staff and faculty

Faculty and staff are invited to join the Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center for a “Witness to Injustice” program—a unique, three-hour, interactive group teaching tool and participatory event—led by Neighbors of Onondaga Nation and Haudenosaunee community members. The event takes place Monday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the River Level of the Interfaith Chapel, River Campus. The College Diversity Roundtable is sponsoring a free lunch afterward. Registration is required as seating is limited.

PositiviTEA time with the Mindful University Project

Take a 15-minute break and join the Mindful University Project for the last PositviTEA talk of the semester on Thursday, May 4, at noon. Connect with others in the University community as you recenter into gratitude. You will be guided through a short mindfulness practice and have an opportunity to share what you’re grateful for. Be sure to register.

First American Composers concert; Anthony Hecht wins Pulitzer Prize

1925: On May 1, a “Concert of New Works by American Composers” was held in the Eastman Theater, marking the first of what would be named the American Composers’ Concerts at the Eastman School. According to the blog “This Week at Eastman: The View from the Archive”: “The launch of the American Composers’ Concerts represented the realization of the first of Howard Hanson’s initiatives in the promotion of American music. Moreover, their launch heralded the beginning of an era when the Eastman School of Music would be publicly identified with the promotion of both American music and the status of the American composer.”

1968: English professor Anthony Hecht was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his second book of poems, The Hard Hours. Hecht would go on to receive the prestigious Bollingen Prize in 1973, be named the U.S. Poet Laureate in 1982, and publish five more collections of poetry and four books of essays and criticism. Following his death in 2004, he was widely heralded as one of the most significant American poets to come of age in the aftermath of the Second World War. Read more about Hecht in the March–April 2013 issue of Rochester Review.

As a tribute to Rochester musician, scholar, teacher, and beloved leader Paul Burgett, a mural commissioned by the Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center has been installed just outside the center’s doors in Frederick Douglass Commons on the River Campus. Find photos of the mural on the University’s Facebook page and a time-lapse video of the installation on Instagram.