Flags will be lowered for Donald Young

University flags on the Eastman Quadrangle and near the entrance of Strong Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department will be lowered on Thursday, January 11, for Donald Young, a professor emeritus in the Department of Medicine, who died on December 11. Young joined the University faculty in 1971.

Most-used passwords of 2023

Passwords are the primary vulnerabilities to cause data breaches within companies because employees continue to use easy-to-guess credentials. Hackers pay attention to highly used pop culture or sports terms, knowing users will often resort to those easy-to-remember words. Even if your password did not make this list of the Top 200 Most Common Passwords of 2023, University IT advises you to think about better practices for your New Year’s resolution. Never re-use your passwords and visit University IT’s password web page for tips on creating strong credentials and keeping your data safe. Can’t remember your passwords? Use Keeper, a secure password management tool that is available to all staff at the University, including the Medical Center and affiliates. Students can sign up for a free annual Keeper account.

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

• Danielle Benoit, formerly the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Biomedical Engineering and director of the Materials Science Program at Rochester, has been elected to the 2023 class of fellows of the National Academy of Inventors.
• Thomas Caprio, a professor of medicine in the division of geriatrics and aging, was honored with the Walter M. Beattie Award from the State Society on Aging of New York. He was also appointed director at large of the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board of Directors for a two-year term.
• Mary Carey, a professor of nursing, and her coauthor received the Research Article of the Year Award at the American Heart Association’s 2023 Scientific Sessions.
• Konstantinos Chochlidakis, an associate professor of dentistry, was honored with the 2023 Distinguished Researcher Award from the American College of Prosthodontists.
• Michele Cotrufo, an assistant professor in the Institute of Optics, received the 2023 Young Investigator Award from the journal Photonics.
• Michelle Dziejman, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, has been elected vice chair of the American Society for Microbiology’s Council on Microbial Sciences.
• Suzanne Haber, a professor of pharmacology and physiology, was the co-recipient of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Barbara Fish Memorial Award.
• Gaelen McCormick, director of Eastman Performing Arts Medicine and a faculty member with the Department of Health Humanities and Bioethics at the Medical Center and in arts leadership at the Eastman School of Music, has been elected vice president of the board of directors of the National Organization for Arts in Health.
• Andrea Pickel, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and a scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, has been selected as a fellow for the first meeting of a new Scialog in automating chemical laboratories.
• Linda Rasubala, an associate professor and associate director of the Howitt Urgent Dental Care Center at Eastman Institute for Oral Health, was the only dentist to be accepted into—and to complete—the 2022 Association of American Medical Colleges’ Leadership Education and Development Certificate Program.
• Edward Schwarz, the Richard and Margaret Burton Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedics and the director of the Center for Musculoskeletal Research, has been named editor-in-chief of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.
• David Williams, the William G. Allyn Professor of Medical Optics, and three of his former doctoral and postdoctoral researchers at Rochester have been awarded the 2024 Rank Prize for Optoelectronics.

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.

Register your summer 2024 program by Friday 

If your department or office is planning to host a residential or day program on the River Campus during summer 2024, you must complete the Summer 2024 program registration form by Friday, January 12. This form is a required step in the planning process for all River Campus summer programs. If your program is not registered, it may not be allocated resources and space on campus. Contact the Office of Summer and Continuing Studies with questions.

Apply by January 15 to advance your nursing career

Reimagine your nursing practice with an advanced degree from the School of Nursing. Apply by Monday, January 15, to start this May in a master’s, Advanced Certificate, or Doctor of Nursing Practice program. University employees may receive full tuition coverage for select programs through the SON tuition grant. Contact the School of Nursing admissions office with questions about program or application requirements.

Supervisor Series: Using EAP in supervision

The spring 2024 UR Medicine EAP Supervisor Series kicks off with the first virtual session, “Using EAP in Supervision,” on Wednesday, January 17, from noon to 1 p.m. The session will provide managers with an overview of EAP and help improve the ability to recognize employees who are having personal problems adversely affecting their performance. Register here.  

Get feedback on your data management and sharing plan

Last year, a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy for data management and sharing went into effect. On Thursday, January 18, at noon, data librarians Heather Owen (River Campus Libraries) and Ehsan Moghadam (Miner Libraries) are holding a Zoom-based session to review the NIH policy and review and critique sample plans. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about their plans. Register to attend.

Take advantage of your wellness perks

Well-U offers you many opportunities to improve your health, create a better life-work balance, add some fun to your day, and more. Check out the 2024 Well-U program catalog that you received in the mail or the Well-U website to find the resources that work for you.

Explore graduate programs available at the Warner School

Thinking of leading your career, communities, and field forward with a graduate degree from the Warner School of Education and Human Development? Join a virtual information session and learn more about master’s, doctoral, and advanced certificate programmatic offerings, including the application process and scholarships available for tuition coverage. Apply any time before March 15 for an entry term as early as summer 2024. Register to attend on Thursday, January 11, at noon or Monday, February 12, at 5 p.m. Contact Warner’s admissions office with questions.

Eastman School of Music presents La La Land in concert

Eastman School of Music, in collaboration with RocMaidan and the Ukrainian Federal Credit Union, presents La La Land in concert, a live-to-picture experience performed by Eastman’s Empire Film and Media Ensemble on Friday, February 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Find more information and purchase tickets here.