Written at the height of the Italian Counter Reformation, Tofteh ‘Arukh (Hell Arrayed) by 17th century rabbi and scholar Moses Zacuto, is a 925-line dramatic poem in Hebrew graphically depicting the hereafter of sinners according to Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism.

Despite its popularity among Jewish readership of the pre-modern era and being generally considered a milestone in the history of Hebrew literary culture, it has never been translated into English, nor has it been the subject of thorough scholarly investigation in English.

Michela Andreatta, assistant professor of Hebrew language and literature, has received a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship to rectify that.

“Sitting at the intersection of textual studies and historical and literary criticism, the project intends to make Tofteh ‘Arukh accessible to the English reader by offering the first-ever complete annotated English translation of the original Hebrew text,” Andreatta says. “The translation will be supplemented by introductory essays framing Zacuto’s work against the cultural ambience of early modern Jewish Italy in which it was produced, read, and circulated.”

Andreatta, who joined the Department of Religion and Classics in 2011, teaches courses in modern and biblical Hebrew, besides classes in Hebrew literature and Jewish history.  She completed her PhD in Judaic studies at the Department of Oriental Studies of the University of Turin in Italy.

Sevin Yeltekin, the Rohet Tolani Distinguished Professor of Economics and senior associate dean of education at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, has been appointed the next dean of the Simon Business School.

Yeltekin is the Simon School’s eighth dean and its first woman leader. Her five-year term will begin July 1.

A highly respected macroeconomics scholar, Yeltekin is well-known for her research in the design of sustainable monetary and fiscal policies in environments where policymakers and the public have informational asymmetry.

Her research spans fiscal policy design, social insurance design, computational economics and asset pricing implications of macro policy. She co-founded and leads the Blockchain Initiative at Tepper, which brought together all of the school’s research, teaching and thought leadership on blockchain and cryptocurrencies under one umbrella.

Sarah Peyre, associate dean for innovative education at the Medical Center and executive director of its Institute for Innovative Education, has been appointed dean of the Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

Peyre succeeds Brian Brent, the Earl B. Taylor Professor and senior associate dean for graduate studies, who has served as acting dean since October. Her appointment will begin on July 1 with a five-year term.

Peyre joined the University in 2011 and also holds faculty appointments as professor of surgery, nursing, medical humanities, and bioethics.

She is a national expert in the field of simulation and the development of educational innovations that support collaborative health-care models. Her work in interprofessional education includes curriculum development on disparities in health care, leadership, and technology. Her educational research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Josiah Macy Foundation, Burroughs Welcome Foundation, and others.

When it was established in 1935, Social Security was intended as insurance against destitution in old age. The program has been widely credited with the sharp reduction in poverty among the elderly, starting in the 1940s. Eighty-five years later, it remains a critical source of income, or the only source of income, that many older Americans can rely on to meet basic needs.

But what about affluent retirees? If the income from Social Security payments isn’t necessary for basic needs, what is it used for?

According to research by University of Rochester economist Kegon Tan, “Wealthy retirees largely pass on their benefits in the form of bequests to their children and others.”

“Federal policymakers trying to reduce the costs of the Social Security system need to understand how cutting in benefits affect wealthy and non-wealthy retirees,” says Tan, lead author of the working paper “Bequest Motives and the Social Security Notch,” coauthored with Siha Lee, an economist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Read more here.

Left to right: Patrick Hopkins, Llerena Searl, Brianna Theobald, and Michael Scott

• Patrick Hopkins ’99N (MS) ’10N (DNP), co-director of the Accelerated Program for Non-Nurses at the School of Nursing, awarded the Edward Peck Curtis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
• Llerena Searle, an assistant professor of anthropology, and Brianna Theobald, an assistant professor of history and affiliate faculty in the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, recipients of the G. Graydon Curtis ’58 and Jane W. Curtis Award for Nontenured Faculty Teaching Excellence
• Michael Scott, the Arthur Gould Yates Professor of Engineering, recipient of the William H. Riker University Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching

Read more here.

Researchers across the University may now access protocols.io, an open-access method of sharing laboratory and clinical trial/study protocols.

Submitted protocols receive a unique DOI, can be linked directly to publications and record comments/suggestions from the research community.

Protocols.io can also be used as a private virtual notebook for laboratory and computational procedures.

Access to Protocols.io, which is provided by Miner Library in collaboration with the Scientific Advisory Committee, will help enhance rigor, reproducibility and scientific integrity.

To create or access your premium account, follow the directions here.

The National Academies’ Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education is inviting abstract submissions for presentations and posters on promising and innovative practices to address and prevent sexual harassment in higher education.

Presentations and poster sessions will take place during a Public Summit on October 19-20, 2020 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Participation is open to faculty, students, researchers, practitioners, and other key stakeholders actively working on this topic. Please note that space is limited, and the deadline to submit a presentation or poster abstract is July 1, 2020.

Due to the evolving situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Summit may be held virtually to ensure the safety and health of participants and the campus community. A final decision on whether the meeting will be held in-person will be made in July 2020.

Organ transplant program continues despite pandemic: Though most elective surgeries were suspended at Strong Memorial Hospital nine weeks ago because of the pandemic, surgeons there have performed a number of organ transplant procedures—17 liver, 8 kidney, and 3 heart—during that time. The numbers included a milestone 1,800th liver transplant since the hospital began doing the procedure in 1992. “Patients who are on waiting lists for organ donations don’t have the luxury of time,” says Sunil Prasad, chief of cardiac surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital. “They have only a certain amount of time before their organs fail to the point of no return.”

Research reboot: To learn more about the Medical Center’s plan to gradually reboot research visit our Guidance for Laboratory & Animal Research and Guidance for Human Subject Research webpages and view videos of Research Reboot Town Halls held recently for learners and for faculty.

Medical Center shared resource labs policies: The COVID-related access policies for the shared resource labs have been published and can be found here. They will be updated as needed.

COVID-19 Collaboration Platform
The COVID-19 Collaboration Platform, created by teams at Harvard and Johns Hopkins, can help UR and URMC researchers join forces with other research teams across the country to create core clinical trial protocols, admit new sites under the existing PI and IRB, and share anonymized data with other sites that choose to independently operate a trial under a similar protocol. Submit your protocols for collaboration or contact Research Help to learn more.

NIH OITE is offering a virtual bystander training program to empower trainees and other members of the research community to speak up and intervene when we witness bullying, incivility, microaggressions, and hate speech. The program will address issues experienced in research groups and specifically address the rise of microaggressions and hate speech related to the coronavirus pandemic. A webinar on Moving from Bystander to Upstander: Take Action to Combat Harassment and Aggression will be offered 2-4 p.m. May 26. Register here.

Funding Opportunities

• American Diabetes Association is requesting applications for research focused on the impact of diabetes on COVID-19 and the impact of COVID-19 on diabetes and its complications. Deadline today, May 22.
• The DOD Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program is offering several funding opportunities for research on emerging viral diseases and/or respiratory health with a focus on COVID-19.
  • Investigator-Initiated Research Award: Pre-applications are due May 28.
  • Technology/Therapeutic Development Award: Pre-applications are due May 28.
• The International Fact-Checking Network is seeking proposals from researchers that will utilize the CoronaVirusFacts Alliance database to better understand the COVID-19 “infodemic” and to further elevate the fight against mis/disinformation. Apply by May 29.
• The African Academy of Sciences has two COVID-19-related funding opportunities currently available. Apply by May 31.