We celebrate the scholarly and service contributions of University community members to their fields. Recent award recipients include:

• Mark Bocko, the Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences, was named the Rochester Engineering Society’s 2022 Engineer of the Year. Jessica Shang, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and a scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, was named a finalist for the society’s 2022 Young Engineer of the Year.
• Kara Bren, the Richard S. Eisenberg Professor in Chemistry, has been elected a fellow to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has also been named a recipient of the 2023 Chemical Pioneer Award by the American Institute of Chemists.
• Patrick Davies, a professor of psychology, has been awarded the 2023 Bowlby-Ainsworth Award by the New York Attachment Consortium and the Center for Mental Health Promotion.
• David Hursh, a professor in teaching and curriculum at the Warner School of Education and Human Development, was presented with the 2023 Paulo Freire Legacy Award, given by the American Educational Research Association.
• William Jones, the Charles Frederick Houghton Professor of Chemistry, was formally inducted as a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
• Jennifer Kyker, an associate professor of ethnomusicology at the Eastman School of Music and an associate professor in the Arthur Satz Department of Music, won the 2023 Frances Densmore Prize from the American Musical Instrument Society.
• Julie Myers, vice president of information technology and chief information officer, has been named TechRochester’s 2023 Technology Woman of the Year.
• Karen DeAngelis, an associate professor of educational leadership, Brian Brent, the Earl B. Taylor Professor, and doctoral student Caiqun Xu at the Warner School of Education and Human Development are winners of the 2023 National Education Finance Academy’s Journal of Education Finance Article of the Year Award.
• Martin Zand, the senior associate dean for clinical research and codirector of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, has been elected to the board of directors for the Association for Clinical and Translational Science.

Celebrating faculty, staff, and student honors: If you have news to share about a faculty or staff member, student, or department/unit that has recently achieved a significant professional accomplishment or received a prestigious national or international honor, please let us know so we can consider it for a future listing of awards and honors.

Research shows how a common form of trauma can seriously alter your brain chemistry

MSN News, May 8

“We are learning more about how people exposed to trauma learn to distinguish between what is safe and what is not,” says Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, an assistant professor of neuroscience. “Their brain is giving us insight into what might be going awry in specific mechanisms that are impacted by trauma exposure, especially when emotion is involved.”

Commencement will affect River Campus parking

On Friday, May 12, Rochester will hold its University-wide Commencement Ceremony, which will have a significant impact on campus traffic flow and parking.

All River Campus lots will be needed for guest parking, and students and their families will begin arriving around 7 a.m. Given the heavy traffic flow and need for guest parking, departmental supervisors are encouraged to consider alternatives to staff working onsite that day, where operationally possible.

Medical Center employees who park in lots accessed off Crittenden and Kendrick Roads will likely encounter increased traffic on the morning of May 12 and should adjust their travel times accordingly. Lot 2 and 9 permit holders are asked to follow the regular parking overflow plan if needed.

Because Lot 24 shuttles will be in use to transport guests to the stadium on May 12, Lot 24-Scottsville Rd. permit holders are asked to park in Lot 9-Kendrick South or the College Town Garage that day.

NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan workshop

Join librarians from the River Campus Libraries and Edward G. Miner Libraries for a virtual workshop on Tuesday, May 16, from 2 to 3 p.m. In addition to providing an overview of the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing (DMS), they will guide you in creating an effective DMS plan and provide other tools and strategies. Register for the Zoom link.

Employee discounts for Eastman Community Music School summer programs

The Eastman Community Music School Summer 2023 session runs from June 26 to August 4. Children of regular full-time and part-time faculty and staff are eligible for a 25 percent reduction in charges for musical instruction after the completion of one year of full-time service or two years of part-time service. This discount can be used for Summer Eastman Experience Programs or day camps. You can apply for this dependent child benefit by logging into HRMS and following the path Self Service > Benefits > Tuition > Apply-Dependent Tuition Waiver.

Hybrid lecture on grief for medical providers

Jenni Linebarger, the 2023 Elizabeth R. McAnarney, MD Visiting Professor, presents “Residue: How Grief Lingers for Providers” on Monday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m. The talk begins a yearlong community-engaged discussion on grief from humanistic, ethical, and clinical perspectives from the Paul M. Schyve MD Center for Bioethics and the Humanities Center. Register to attend via Zoom or in person at the Rochester Academy of Medicine, 1441 East Avenue. 

Presentation on Alzheimer’s disease and prevention research

Join Anton Porsteinsson, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Care, Research, and Education Program, for a presentation about Alzheimer’s disease, research developments, and prevention research opportunities.  Learn more and register to attend a session on Tuesday, May 16, from 4 to 5 p.m. or Tuesday, May 23, from noon to 1 p.m.

Satcher Awards honor Medical Center faculty and staff for community health contributions

Last week, four Medical Center faculty and two staff members were honored at the 14th annual Dr. David Satcher Community Health Improvement Awards. This year’s awardees worked with community partners to expand vaccination, violence prevention, and substance use disorder services in Monroe County; address the health issues of children in the Rochester City School District; and increase COVID vaccination of children in the community.

Yesterday, Jason Miner and Angel Vazquez of the Horticulture and Grounds Department planted some annuals in preparation for Commencement Weekend.