Rochester researchers led by Michele Rucci, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences, have found that blinking plays a pivotal role in processing visual information—adding to a growing body of evidence revising conventional views of vision. Above, Owen Tu ’25 demonstrates the apparatus used to track eye movements in Rucci’s lab.
In today’s issue:
Simon’s Net Impact chapter is hosting a pop-up thrift shop
Answering fun questions on social media puts your identity in jeopardy
Social media is a common distraction many people use to pass the time, however, University IT warns you may be giving away more personal information than you realize. Social media quizzes that ask you to “combine your first pet’s name and the street you grew up on to formulate your new nickname” are an opportunity for scammers to take your answer and use “Mittens Mt. Hope” to circumvent password security questions. Even worse, they could look at your profile and cross-reference any public-facing information you’re sharing to help steal your identity. The Better Business Bureau offers some tips to avoid social media scams.
Allergies are “your body’s immune system thinking that it’s doing the right thing,” says Emily Weis, an assistant professor of clinical medicine. “The immune system is always trying to differentiate between self and not self. That’s what has kept us alive.”
Enjoy the arrival of warmer weather at the final Community Weekend of the year: Springfest, featuring Dandelion Day, April 24–28. Undergraduates can celebrate spring with carnival games and rides, a food truck rodeo, a limited edition bucket hat giveaway, student performances, an outdoor concert featuring headliners Hippo Campus, and more. Food truck tickets can be purchased ahead of time using declining or URos starting on Wednesday, April 24. Students will need to check in at some activities using their personal QR code found in the CCC app. The Dandelion Day page will continue to be updated so be sure to check back frequently. Follow Wilson Commons Student Activities on Instagram and Facebook to learn more and find live updates throughout the weekend.
Order safer sex supplies before summer break
Place an order for safer sex supplies through Safe Sex Express before April 23 to receive it by the last day of classes, and in time to take home for summer break. Safe Sex Express accepts orders year-round if you will be on campus over the summer. Brought to you by the UHS Health Promotion Office.
Untangle the puzzle of gut health and the role it plays in your body. On Thursday, April 25, at noon, join an expert dietitian from Well-U’s lifestyle management team to discover what you can do to promote a healthy gut microbiome. Save your spot.
Join Simon Business School’s Net Impact chapter for a pop-up thrift shop event from April 22–25 in Schlegel Hall, Room 101. Find trendy clothing, unique accessories, household items, and more. Learn more here.
Attend a webinar on Simon’s newest part-time MS program in applied AI
As an online MS in business analytics and applied AI student at Simon Business School, you’ll learn to apply analytics to solve complex business problems, design AI-driven solutions to maximize your decision-making ability, and create custom business applications powered by generative AI technologies. Attend a live session on Tuesday, April 23, from noon to 12:30 p.m. to learn more about this online, part-time, STEM-designated program designed for working professionals looking to stay at the forefront of analytics, AI, and technological innovation. Session attendees receive an application fee waiver, a $90 value. For those unable to attend, a recording will be emailed to the address used at registration.
Sound bath in Flaum Atrium
OSSIA New Music in collaboration with Eastman Performing Arts Medicine will offer a sound bath meditative experience for employees, faculty, and students walking through Sarah Flaum Atrium in the School of Medicine and Dentistry on Tuesday, April 23, from 3 to 5 p.m. The listener is invited to enter, leave, and move around the atrium freely, taking up different vantage points to create their listening experience.
Annual economics lecture on inequality, redistribution, and the labor market
Richard Blundell, the David Ricardo Chair of Political Economy at University College London, gives the annual Lionel W. McKenzie Lecture, hosted by the Department of Economics, on Wednesday, April 24, from 4:45 to 6 p.m. in Wegmans Hall, Room 1400. Learn more here.
Lecture: ‘The Boundary Between Fact and Fiction: Contemporary Challenges’
The Margaret Parkhurst Morey Lecture Series in French presents “The Boundary Between Fact and Fiction: Contemporary Challenges” by Françoise Lavocatis, a professor of general and comparative literature at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3, on Wednesday, April 24, at 5 p.m. in the Humanities Center, Room D, Rush Rhees Library.
Attend MAG’s annual gala
Attend the Memorial Art Gallery’s annual gala, “An Artists’ Affair: Art After Dark,” in support of the museum’s commitment to greater access to education, exhibitions, and programming for the Rochester community and beyond. The event takes place Saturday, May 11, from 7 to 11 p.m. Learn more and find tickets here.
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