Update on Simon Business School professor Heikki Rantakari
On Friday, Simon Business School Dean Sevin Yeltekin delivered the sad update that Professor Heikki Rantakari, who has been missing, is presumed to have accidentally drowned in the Genesee River early in the morning on Saturday, October 21, based on video footage. There’s no evidence of foul play. The Rochester Police Department (RPD) is continuing its recovery efforts.
This is devastating news for the University community and our hearts go out to his wife, family, friends, colleagues, and students. The Department of Public Safety has worked diligently on this case since Rantakari was reported missing, as has the RPD, leading both investigative and recovery efforts.
In today’s issue:
A new county-wide teacher residency at the Warner School
Explore manuscripts by “candlelight” at Rossell Hope Robbins Library
HIV/AIDS advocate and activist Phill Wilson gives the Lorri L. Jean and Darrel Cummings LGBTQ Leadership Lecture
The majority of individuals diagnosed with breast cancer will need to stay on endocrine therapy—or “hormonal therapy”—medication for 5 to 10 years after surgery. For some patients, side effects make it difficult to follow that recommendation. Anna Weiss, an associate professor of surgery and program leader for Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Comprehensive Breast Care program, discusses why it’s so hard to adhere to this treatment.
New county-wide teacher residency program paves the way for sustainable careers in education
The UR Procurement Marketplace (Jaggaer) is upgraded three times a year. The next scheduled upgrade will occur the weekend of November 3. The UR Procurement Marketplace will be unavailable for placing catalog requisitions and the transmission of all P2P purchase orders to suppliers from Friday, November 3, at 9 p.m. through the afternoon of Sunday, November 5. This upgrade will have no noticeable impacts for users. If you have questions or experience any issues, email Procurement_service_center@ur.rochester.edu or call (585) 275-2012.
As University IT and ISD wrap up National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, here’s a recap of this month’s security tips. As a member of the University community, you have an active role in keeping sensitive information secure and our networks safe. Always think before you take action:
Don’t click suspicious links or attachments in an email or text.
Phone calls or voice messages requesting sensitive information could be a scam.
Create strong passwords or phrases and change them often.
Does something seem “phishy” to you? Report suspicious messages to abuse@rochester.edu.
The UHS Health Promotion Office hosts its annual “Sex and Chocolate Carnival” today, October 30, from 2 to 4 p.m. in Hirst Lounge, Wilson Commons. Celebrate Halloween with candy, safer sex supplies, giveaways, raffles, and Insomnia Cookies for the first 100 attendees. Organizations represented will include Planned Parenthood, the Title IX Office, RESTORE, and Trillium Health.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to flip through the pages of a medieval manuscript? Rossell Hope Robbins Library is offering a chance on Wednesday, November 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Great Hall of Rush Rhees Library. Explore hand-written pieces from the Middle Ages in an electric candle-lit environment with musical accompaniment. Refreshments will be available in the Humanities Center (to protect the manuscripts). Register today—spots are limited.
Grand rounds webinar on HPV and cervical cancer in Native American communities
When it comes to learning the basics of artificial intelligence (AI), there’s currently no better place to start than the chatbots—like ChatGPT—that use large language models (LLM). On Friday, November 3, from 1 to 2 p.m., Mary Ann Mavrinac Studio X hosts Intro to AI, a discussion of how LLM work, their history, and a multifaceted analysis of their capabilities and limitations. Register to attend. Can’t make it? Attend one of Studio X’s upcoming Drop-in Friday events. Check out the full schedule.
LGBTQ leadership lecture
Internationally renowned HIV/AIDS advocate and activist, Phill Wilson, gives the Lorri L. Jean and Darrel Cummings LGBTQ Leadership Lecture on Tuesday, November 7, at 6 p.m. in Feldman Ballroom, Douglass Commons. Wilson is the founder and former president and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute, a think tank whose mission is to stop the AIDS pandemic in African American communities. The event includes a free dinner provided by Salena’s Mexican Restaurant. Registration by Friday, November 3, is required.
University opens its doors, Smokey Robinson, Gleason Library
1850: The University opened its doors to approximately 60 students on November 5, 1850. The University was located in the former United States Hotel on Buffalo Street (now West Main Street), where it remained for 11 years. As noted in Our Work Is But Begun: A History of the University of Rochester 1850-2005, John Raymond, one of the first faculty members, wrote the following after a simple opening ceremony: “The university is no longer a thing of hope, a possibility and a promise, but a reality, substantial, visible, and alive.”
1968: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles performed on November 1 in the Palestra as part of Homecoming Weekend. Homecoming 1968 also included a conference on “What’s Right and What’s Wrong with Today’s Universities,” a football game vs. St. Lawrence University, and a concert by the All-University Symphony Orchestra. Homecoming became part of Meliora Weekend in 2000. The Palestra has hosted many famous musicians–here’s a look at some of the iconic acts taking the stage over the years.
2007: Gleason Library, a student-designed collaborative study space in Rush Rhees Library, opened on November 2. The $5 million project was funded with a grant from the Gleason Foundation. Gleason Library remains a popular space for individual and collaborative study.
@Rochester is produced daily by University Marketing and Communications. You are receiving this message as a member of the University of Rochester community or as a subscriber. Please do not forward this newsletter to other distribution lists.
