Alexander A. Levitan 糖心传媒�63M (MD) and his wife, Lucy, have given nearly $10 million糖心传媒攎ore than any living donor糖心传媒攖o support the medical experience of students from around the world

Lucy Levitan and Alexander A. Levitan 糖心传媒�63M (MD)

Inspired to make education and research experiences possible for students at the University of Rochester糖心传媒檚 School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD),听糖心传媒攁 retired internist and oncologist糖心传媒攁nd his wife, Lucy, have given nearly $10 million to the school. Their philanthropy makes them the largest living donors in SMD糖心传媒檚 history who have supported the medical experience of students from around the world through scholarships and fellowships.

But for the Levitans, supporting students goes far beyond financial assistance. They offer friendship, advice, and mentorship, long after the students have earned their degrees. They save every communication sent, attend their weddings and other major life events, and even travel abroad to meet the families of the international students whose lives they糖心传媒檝e changed.

Just ask Akosua Korboe 糖心传媒�16M (MD), the inaugural recipient of the . As a student from Ghana, Korboe was ineligible for federal loans without a US citizen co-signer. Thanks to the Levitan Scholarship, she was able to pursue her dream of attending medical school. Today, she is an accomplished internist at Brigham and Women糖心传媒檚 Hospital in Boston.

糖心传媒淲ithout the Levitan糖心传媒檚 support, I would not have been able to attend medical school,糖心传媒� says Korboe. 糖心传媒淎nd although they aren糖心传媒檛 my biological family, they feel like they are to me. 糖心传媒淭hey have become family, pouring into me in countless ways, instilling values, believing in me, and always providing me with love and support. I糖心传媒檓 forever grateful.糖心传媒�

Generosity brings generosity

Support from others has inspired Levitans to make education and research experiences possible for 19 students to date and many more to come. 糖心传媒淓ducation has been the most valuable experience of my life,糖心传媒� says Al, who was a scholarship student at SMD and at Cornell University. 糖心传媒淲ithout the generosity and the example of others, I never would have earned my degrees and I never would have had the life nor the career I糖心传媒檝e had.糖心传媒�

The couple started supporting SMD in 1976 with gifts to SMD糖心传媒檚 annual fund and the Class of 糖心传媒�63糖心传媒檚 reunion fund. Their specific support of students began in 2006, 43 years after Al糖心传媒檚 graduation from medical school.That糖心传媒檚 when they made a gift of $125,000 to establish the Levitan Scholarship. They have continued to contribute generously to that fund, growing its value and reach. In fiscal year 2023, they added an additional $5.2 million, ensuring that a Levitan Scholar graduates and joins the medical school each year, in perpetuity.

糖心传媒淭he Levitan Family Endowed Scholarship stands out not only for its size but also for being the sole need-based full tuition and living expenses scholarship at the school, with a special focus on supporting international students,糖心传媒� says David Lambert, MD, senior associate dean of SMD. 糖心传媒淭hese international students are not eligible for the kinds of support that US students can get and without the scholarship could not attend medical school.糖心传媒�

A legacy of giving and learning

The Levitans with Akosua Korboe 糖心传媒�16M (MD)

Al and Lucy also established the Alexander and Lucy Levitan Endowment for Medical Student Research Fellowships with a gift of $1.7 million. Because this fund exists, three medical students every year can take a year out of their four-year SMD curriculum to participate in a research program under the direction and mentorship of an established physician-scientist or basic scientist.

糖心传媒淢any of our alumni have shared that these experiences were career-transforming,糖心传媒� adds Lambert.

The family knows this from experience. Al糖心传媒檚 father, Sacha, received financial support from the French government when he emigrated from Russia to France and attended college and medical school there. Later, Al糖心传媒檚 family traveled the world due to his father糖心传媒檚 work with the World Health Organization.

Al and Lucy named funds at both SMD and Cornell as ways to recognize the importance of scholarship support and international experiences and to honor Al糖心传媒檚 father and the couple糖心传媒檚 late daughter, Lara, who lost her battle with cancer in 2019.

糖心传媒淭he story of Al and Lucy is one of inspiration and compassion, a testament to the power of giving and its potential to change lives,糖心传媒� adds Mark Taubman, MD, 糖心传媒 Medical Center CEO and dean of SMD. 糖心传媒淭heir philanthropic legacy will forever resonate within the medical school, empowering future generations of students to realize their dreams and make a difference in the world of medicine and research.糖心传媒�

In turn, the couple gets to enrich their own lives with connections to people they view as members of their extended family.

糖心传媒淲e are tremendously grateful for the support given to us,糖心传媒� says Lucy. 糖心传媒淲e have always wanted to give back in a similar way糖心传媒攖o provide access and opportunities to talented, deserving medical students from around the world. As a result, we have met so many brilliant young people who will do great things in their lives and careers.糖心传媒�

Commencement Keynote Speaker Reflects on Challenges along the Way

Physician-scientist Michelle A. Albert 糖心传媒�94M (MD) is the first person in history to serve concurrently as president of the American Heart Association, the Association of University Cardiologists, and the Association of Black Cardiologists. She糖心传媒檚 also the first woman of color and Black woman to be president of the AHA and AUC (where she is now past president).

To be the 糖心传媒渇irst糖心传媒� is noteworthy, but as Albert has found, it can also mean you must find ways to thrive when you feel alone.

While humbled and grateful to be asked to deliver the commencement keynote at her alma mater, Albert糖心传媒檚 time in medical school was no cakewalk. She recalls being one of only three Black students in her class of 90 students. Cardiology is also a field historically dominated by males, mostly white.

Luckily, she says that good mentors don糖心传媒檛 need to be exactly like you. They just need to be able to help you visualize a future that you can糖心传媒檛 see for yourself.

But at first, she had to visualize on her own. Albert was born and raised in Guyana, where she atnd her younger sister, Maxine, lived with their grandparents in a working-class community. Her father, Michael Albert, had received a government scholarship to study in England, where he and her mother, Carmen Albert, studied and worked to help support the family.

When Albert was 14, her grandfather collapsed from cardiac arrest. Where they lived, people didn糖心传媒檛 know CPR or have access to a portable defibrillator. Her grandfather died that day. It was a painful way for Albert to experience the impact of socioeconomics on historically under-resourced communities. But it lit the spark that set her career into motion.

At the National Academy of Medicine, of which Albert is an elected member, with husband, Edward Brown.

Developing True Selves

Now, as a practicing clinician, researcher, and epidemiologist at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), she is in the position to mentor directly. She also serves as the dean of admissions for the UCSF School of Medicine and director of its NURTURE Center (CeNter for the StUdy of AdveRsiTy and CardiovascUlaR DiseasE).

Both roles have brought her full circle in many ways. She has chosen to recruit and retain a workforce that can address the unmet needs in health care. Part of her commitment is drawing more people of color into the field of cardiology. In 2022, Forbes magazine named her to its 糖心传媒�50 Over 50糖心传媒� list for the impact she has made.

糖心传媒淢entorship is a priority for me because I absolutely know that we all need mentors and sponsors to develop our true selves and have successful careers with authenticity,糖心传媒� said Albert. 糖心传媒淚 know the sense of isolation that I felt early on, and I don糖心传媒檛 want to see the same thing perpetuated for others like me. Mentors allow us to stretch ourselves糖心传媒攂ecause oftentimes we want to sit in the comfort zone. They help us see a different version of ourselves.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淪he Just Opens Doors糖心传媒�

Those who have had Albert as a mentor point to the example she sets and the remarkable level of care she offers people.

糖心传媒淭he cardiovascular workforce lacks representation of Black physicians, especially Black women, and can be very isolating,糖心传媒� said Jonathan Butler, PhD, a social epidemiologist and minister at the NURTURE Center. He says watching Albert overcome many obstacles has inspired him. 糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檝e never seen somebody so focused on work, no matter how many obstacles come her way.糖心传媒�

The School of Medicine and Dentistry class of 1994. Albert is pictured in the middle, toward the left.

Butler first met Albert when he was a postdoctoral fellow. He applied to the position after a mutual colleague suggested she would be a good fit with his research interests (social determinants of health and cardiovascular disease, to name just two). Albert, he said, embraced him with open arms.

She is more than a professional mentor; she is a trusted friend. Every major holiday or birthday, he receives a personalized gift from her, and he still has one of the first糖心传媒攁 set of customized gold pencils.

“Frequently, we would celebrate a NURTURE team member糖心传媒檚 birthday,糖心传媒� said Butler. 糖心传媒淢ichelle planned every detail, down to the seating chart; menu; and personalized, hand-wrapped gifts for each person who came.” As he put it, “That糖心传媒檚 the caring and detail-oriented person Michelle is.”

Melissa Burroughs, MD, credits Albert with guiding her on a long and winding road. They met when Burroughs was a medical student at Harvard and on track to become a cardiologist. For big career decisions, from choosing a residency program to getting her first job at UCSF, Burroughs, who left academics five years ago to become a noninvasive cardiologist in private practice, says Albert has been a constant source of support.

Burroughs was a resident at UCSF and returned to join the cardiology faculty in 2015. At the time, she and Albert had been only the first and second Black cardiologists on faculty.

糖心传媒淪he糖心传媒檚 the only reason I took that job,糖心传媒� Burroughs said, noting that the diversity of faculty and fellows has improved since then. She credits this to Albert糖心传媒檚 leadership and example. 糖心传媒淪he just opens doors. We all have obstacles we need to face, especially in medicine, but it糖心传媒檚 so much better when you have a more senior person opening doors for you.糖心传媒�

Burroughs said she has learned from Albert how to combine rigor with creativity. The field of cardiology is based on exciting data, but the work doesn糖心传媒檛 stop there. 糖心传媒淚 learned from her that it糖心传媒檚 not always about the content; it糖心传媒檚 the approach,糖心传媒� Burroughs said. 糖心传媒淚 think she brings all the best qualities we want in a physician and teaches them so well. All the skills she has, you can apply to whatever you do.糖心传媒�

One of these skills includes compassion糖心传媒攂oth for your patients and the people you work alongside. Most important, for yourself. Burroughs says the rigor of medical training has a way of beating the compassion out of you, making it easy to fall into a trap of abandoning self-care in the process. Albert provided a voice of clarity when it was needed most.

糖心传媒淚 called her when my father died,糖心传媒� said Burroughs. Her advice was simple: Work is secondary. Send an email to work and book a flight home the next day. In those moments when you know what糖心传媒檚 most important, Burroughs reflects, 糖心传媒淪ometimes you just need someone to give you permission.糖心传媒�

Dr. Albert in 2022, when she was named to the Forbes 糖心传媒�50 Over 50糖心传媒� list.

Why Rochester?

It糖心传媒檚 no surprise that Albert, whose interest in social determinants of health inspired her to go into medicine, was drawn to the University糖心传媒檚 School of Medicine and Dentistry and its biopsychosocial model, which takes a holistic approach to health and looks beyond scientific presentation. Today, her research as a physician-scientist-epidemiologist explores those very questions.

糖心传媒淭he medical school that you attend does have a significant influence on where you go in the future糖心传媒� through its perspectives that help shape you as a person,糖心传媒� said Albert. 糖心传媒淩ochester helped crystallize that for me over time. I糖心传媒檝e come to realize the impact that it has had on me. It糖心传媒檚 a process of being divinely drawn to certain things over time, resulting in my building a career around those building blocks, and Rochester was the place where the chips started falling into place.糖心传媒�

Albert, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Edward Brown, hasn糖心传媒檛 been back in more than two decades, despite spending years in the Northeast: She was chief medical resident at Columbia University and went on to complete a master糖心传媒檚 degree in public health at Harvard School of Public Health as well as fellowships at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women糖心传媒檚 Hospital, where she became a rising star.

She has won numerous awards and serves on national boards and committees through her affiliation with the AHA and American College of Cardiology (ACC). Her research has been featured on international media outlets, and she is an often-quoted expert on cardiovascular health, maternal health, and health equity. She is also an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in medicine.

But she never set out to land leadership positions in the nation糖心传媒檚 most prestigious cardiology associations. Albert says she simply followed her interests and worked hard to seize opportunities that aligned with her desire to make a difference糖心传媒攐n a large scale.

糖心传媒淚 think, honestly, you糖心传媒檙e defeating yourself to start with a goal of being the president of an organization,糖心传媒� she said. 糖心传媒淵our goal should be about having an impact in things that are important to developing people, including the health of the population.糖心传媒�

Diane Hartmann 糖心传媒�87M (MD) oversaw dramatic growth in School of Medicine and Dentistry residency programs

Diane Hartmann 糖心传媒�87M (MD)

糖心传媒淒iane was never content just to meet the standard糖心传媒攕he wanted to set the standard, and she did,糖心传媒� said SMD Dean Mark Taubman, MD. 糖心传媒淪he brought increasing structure and visibility to our programs. Her national profile and credibility was never more evident than when she led the effort that resulted in URMC being one of only a handful of institutions nationwide chosen to participate in the ACGME糖心传媒檚 Pursuing Excellence initiative, which will help ensure the prestige of our programs for years to come.糖心传媒�

Under Hartmann, the number of accredited training positions for residents and fellows rose from 598 to 930. The number of ACGME-accredited residencies and fellowships rose from 49 to 93. Collaboration deepened between her office and our hospitals, as did an emphasis on wellness, quality, and safety.

糖心传媒淥ur program has evolved with the times to remain a national leader,糖心传媒� Hartmann said. 糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檝e worked quickly to adapt to changing technologies and incorporate them into our programs, to make wellness an essential part of our residency and fellowship experiences, and to remain on the cutting edge as education has shifted from time-based requirements to a greater糖心传媒攁nd very welcome糖心传媒攅mphasis on competency and work quality.糖心传媒�

Hartmann considers the Pursuing Excellence grant, which was awarded in 2018, one of her biggest contributions to URMC. The resulting initiative, which operates under the aegis of the Quality Institute, focuses on building better teams, integrating residents and fellows directly into performance-improvement and quality improvement teams.

糖心传媒淧ursuing Excellence is transforming medical education through an increased emphasis on experiential, team-based learning and patient care糖心传媒攚ith an increased emphasis on quality, safety, and continuous improvement,糖心传媒� said CMO Michael Apostolakos 糖心传媒�90M (Res), 糖心传媒�93 MD (Flw), who, with Hartmann, serves on the Pursuing Excellence executive team.

糖心传媒淒iane has led the way on both fronts and has been a key part of our successes, which include both decreased length of stay and readmissions.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淥ne day in GME is never like the next,糖心传媒� she said. Things are always changing, and they have to for medical education to grow and to allow the physicians of the future to gain the skills they will need in practice.糖心传媒�

The Martin E. and Corazon D. Sanders Professor of Voice at the Eastman School of Music says that teaching has been the fulfillment and greatest gift of her life

Katherine Ciesinski 糖心传媒�18M (MS), the Martin E. and Corazon D. Sanders Professor of Voice at the Eastman School of Music
Photo: Jim Caldwell

Since winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions at the age of 23, Katherine Ciesinski 糖心传媒�18M (MS) has achieved worldwide recognition as a performer and recording artist. The New York Times has called her a 糖心传媒渟inger of rare communicative presence, and a musician of discrimination and intelligence.糖心传媒�

In 2008, Ciesinski joined the faculty at the Eastman School of Music, where she is now the Martin E. and Corazon D. Sanders Professor of Voice. A decade later, she earned a master糖心传媒檚 degree in medical humanities from the School of Medicine and Dentistry.

糖心传媒淢usic has infused, inspired, and directed my life,糖心传媒� says Ciesinski. 糖心传媒淚 will sing and teach for as long as I can until it ceases to give me the great joy that it does.糖心传媒�

My family

My father, a Michigan native, was a World War II prisoner of war in Germany. He earned Purple Heart and Bronze Star medals for his service. My mother was in the USO. They met on a train on Long Island just after the war. They fell in love, married, and moved to Delaware where they raised me, my brother, Raymond, and my sister, Kristine, who also became an international opera singer. My parents were educators, and my father was also inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame for track and field coaching.

My childhood

My parents told me that I babbled musically to the radio when I was a baby. As a toddler, they couldn糖心传媒檛 tear me away from the piano at my grandmother糖心传媒檚 house (which soon made its way to our family糖心传媒檚 living room). I sang in our church choir and throughout grade school, middle school, and high school. At an early age, my teachers recognized that I had perfect pitch.

My early training and career

I earned a bachelor糖心传媒檚 and master糖心传媒檚 in applied voice performance from Temple. After Temple, I went to Curtis Institute of Music for a three-year intensive opera certificate program. During that time, I went to a summer music academy in Salzburg, Austria糖心传媒擬ozart糖心传媒檚 hometown. It was an eye-opening experience. International opera stars were treated like movie stars and every storefront featured life-sized portraits of them. After Curtis, I spent the summer in France and won major competitions in Geneva and Paris. Soon, I was performing at acclaimed opera houses and with leading orchestras around the globe.

My lucky breaks

When I was living in New York City in my early 30s, an opera company in Mexico called me, desperate. They were doing Samson and Delilah, and they needed a new lead, fast, to perform live and on TV with Pl谩cido Domingo, the lead tenor who played Samson. I was given the score just a day or two before getting on a plane. I was awestruck by Pl谩cido and all the talent there, and people were shocked I糖心传媒檇 never performed this opera before.

My life as a teacher

In my heart and soul, I am a teacher. I enjoy the ardor, the problem-solving, and the experience of working with very talented students. Teaching allows for the full circle of what I糖心传媒檝e learned and practiced musically. It has been the fulfillment and greatest gift of my life to be a voice teacher, to be a conduit to advance the artistic abilities of others.

My interest in the medical humanities

To be a strong singer, I糖心传媒檝e always known that I must be a healthy person. At one point, I made a connection between why I sing and why others go into medicine. We share a desire and capacity to heal people. I started dreaming of a time when I could offer some understanding of the healing aspects of music to the medical community. I loved being in the inaugural class of the UR medical humanities program. I am currently interested in exploring long-haul COVID and how singing affects lung function.

My life today

My husband, Mark Powell 糖心传媒�19E (DMA), is a conductor who teaches at Queens College in New York City and commutes from Rochester. In the summers, I teach in Italy and Mexico. I also attend international music conferences throughout the year, where I sometimes present, and I chair Eastman糖心传媒檚 voice, opera, and vocal coaching department. I serve my community in all these roles with great joy. Eastman is truly my home.

罢丑颈蝉听story also appears in the spring 2023 issue of听Rochester Review.

Supported in part by the William and Judy Thorpe Endowment

P. Christopher Cook leads a training session in the DeHaven Lab with two orthopaedic residents, Michelle Smith and Adwin Denasty.

As a surgeon, P. Christopher Cook, MD, the Dr. C. McCollister Evarts Professor in Orthopaedics, chief of the pediatric orthopaedic division, and head of resident training for orthopaedic surgery, has dedicated his career to helping children with bone issues. These issues span infections, birth defects, spinal deformities, and trauma to bones and joints from all causes, including sports injuries. He knew this would be his life糖心传媒檚 work after an orthopaedic rotation during medical school.

糖心传媒淭hat rotation set my career path,糖心传媒� says Cook. 糖心传媒淐ombining my interest in both pediatrics and orthopaedic surgery has allowed me to help children in a hands-on way, both of which were, and remain, important to me.糖心传媒� Cook knows the difference that excellent training can make. That糖心传媒檚 why he not only works with children but also with surgical residents.

In his supervisory training role, Cook is responsible for overseeing resident education, curriculum, and well-being, as well as the application process. The resident training program offers learning opportunities across all orthopaedic specialties, too, and is very selective. Every year, up to 800 medical students apply for the eight available spots. Cook and department leadership interview about 120 applicants, then pare down to fill the coveted positions. His goal is to make sure that residents become competent, well-rounded surgeons who are well-versed in patient care and surgical skills.

糖心传媒淲e offer our residents a variety of state-of-the-art training programs that helps them gain the essential surgical skills they need before entering the operating room to work on real patients,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 a distinguishing aspect of what the orthopaedic department offers, and it draws the most qualified residents.糖心传媒�

These labs, and the equipment in them, rely heavily on funding from generous donors such as William P. Thorpe 糖心传媒�81M (Res) and his wife, Judy. For instance, in the current Kenneth DeHaven Skills (KEDS) Laboratory at UR Medicine糖心传媒檚 Sawgrass Surgical Center, the Thorpes糖心传媒� funding has allowed residents to learn techniques such as drilling a pin into bone and practicing arthroscopy using simulation software. (Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that DeHaven, the first chief of sports medicine in the orthopaedics department, helped pioneer. It is now practiced worldwide for joint repair and ACL reconstruction.)

The Thorpes糖心传媒� gift will also make a significant impact on what will be offered in the new Orthopaedic & Physical Performance Center. The KEDS Lab will move to a space four times larger at the new location. 糖心传媒淚n the new KEDS Lab, our orthopaedicc residents will get to practice a variety of techniques including using equipment such as sawbones糖心传媒攖hese are composite bone models designed to simulate real bones,糖心传媒� says Cook. 糖心传媒淩esidents will also train using a variety of virtual reality programs, which will allow them to practice and observe what they are doing as they are doing it and make corrections along the way.糖心传媒�

The Thorpes糖心传媒� support will facilitate innovative collaborative learning at the new center, too. Experts like Cook will be able to link various classrooms to the UR Medicine糖心传媒檚 150-person auditorium and to operating rooms so people can work and learn together no matter where they are.

Adds Cook, 糖心传媒淎s with computers, which tend to double in speed and power every 18 months or so, there糖心传媒檚 a constant need for us to bring in new equipment and techniques. The Thorpes糖心传媒� generosity helps us do that and keeps us on the cutting edge of surgical technology and training.糖心传媒�

This physician-turned-winemaker runs Bruliam, a boutique winery in Sonoma County.

Kerith Overstreet always knew that someday she糖心传媒檇 go to medical school. She grew up loving science, writing, problem-solving, and paying attention to details糖心传媒攁ll skills that physicians need. After graduating from Cornell University with a degree in English, she pursued her dream and attended the University of Rochester糖心传媒檚 School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD).

It was the perfect place for her. The school welcomed students who came from a wide variety of academic disciplines and had a sharp mind for medicine. While at SMD, Overstreet discovered something new: a passion for wine.

糖心传媒淢y medical school friends and I would go in on cases of our favorites糖心传媒攁nd we enjoyed the 15 percent discount that came with buying in bulk,糖心传媒� says Overstreet, with a smile. 糖心传媒淭ogether, we discovered the fun and fruitiness of Beaujolais, the elegance of pinot noir, and the crispness in a cold glass of chardonnay. It was such a great time of life糖心传媒攇athering with friends, talking about rotations, and making memories over a glass of wine.糖心传媒�

Coming home

After graduating from medical school in 1998, Overstreet returned home to California to complete a residency in surgical pathology, followed by two fellowships. In 2007, she had an opportunity to crush fruit at a cooperative urban winery in San Francisco. That experience confirmed what her gut was saying: to pursue a career in wine. Overstreet then enrolled in UC Davis, where she took what she learned in medical school and applied it to enology: the study of wines.

Then, in 2008, Overstreet opened Bruliam Wines, which has since become a boutique producer of single vineyard pinot noir, zinfandel, ros茅, and chardonnay. Having started with a single barrel, Bruliam now produces about 1,200 cases per year.

Overstreet sources her grapes from vineyards in Sonoma County糖心传媒攊ncluding her own estate pinot noir vineyard, Torrey Hill糖心传媒攁nd from the Santa Lucia Highlands.

糖心传媒淟ike all physicians, I invested a lot of time and heart in my medical training,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淟eaving wasn糖心传媒檛 easy, but after 15 years of winemaking, it糖心传媒檚 clear that I draw on the same skill set every day, just differently. To me, winemaking is a magical elixir of science and art, just like the best physicians combine rigor and technique with a big dose of humanity.糖心传媒�

Making a great bottle of wine

Winemaking, Overstreet says, is not such a far cry from medicine. 糖心传媒淚 used to look at cross sections of tissue. Now I look at cross sections of grapes,糖心传媒� she says. Overstreet adds that in medical school, she was taught the biopsychosocial approach to patient care and learned how important it was to assess the whole patient to improve health outcomes.

糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 similar in winemaking,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淲e have to integrate a variety of factors that affect the production of a great wine, including sweetness, acidity, tannin, alcohol, and body. There糖心传媒檚 art involved in the process, too糖心传媒攊ntuition, writing skills, design savvy, and the ability to connect with people are vital. Every year offers a new vintage and a new challenge.糖心传媒�

As a winemaker, Overstreet still makes rounds. She wakes early, walks the vineyards, plans a grape-picking schedule, and does whatever the season requires. For instance, when producing red wines, her first job each morning is to check temperature and sugar levels in each tank. 糖心传媒淚f a tank overheats, the yeast in it can die and fermentation will stop,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淭hat can糖心传媒檛 happen糖心传媒擨 have to make sure my grapes don糖心传媒檛 get chilled or come down with something like a fever.糖心传媒�

The business of wine

Bruliam is housed within a shared production facility, which makes it possible for small, boutique brands like Overstreet糖心传媒檚 to run a business without the capital investment in large equipment like crushers/destemmers and presses. The facility provides her access to state-of-the-art production equipment along with the physical space needed to focus on hospitality, offer private tastings, and provide guests with distinctive experiences.

Overstreet is also intimately involved in all aspects of the business糖心传媒攆rom farmer to winemaker to marketer to everything in between. 糖心传媒淥n any given day, I could be sampling grapes, writing tech sheets, jotting down tasting notes, packing boxes, or testing the sugar content in the grapes,糖心传媒� she adds. 糖心传媒淚 love the variety and wouldn糖心传媒檛 have it any other way.糖心传媒�

Bringing people together

Overstreet especially enjoys the people part of the business. 糖心传媒淐ustomers always remind me that I糖心传媒檓 right where I need to be,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚 love getting photos from them that showcase a bottle of Bruliam alongside a hike to a waterfall, at a grandchild糖心传媒檚 wedding, or as a way to celebrate a new job, retirement, or neighborhood get-together.糖心传媒� She adds that now, during this nearly post-pandemic reality, people are excited about gathering in groups again, to share food and wine, and to lubricate their social machinery.

糖心传媒淪hare a bottle of wine from California or New York or Italy or wherever and people inevitably talk about how that particular wine reminds them of a past vacation, a great meal, or some special moment in their lives,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淲ine brings people together糖心传媒攊t糖心传媒檚 such a privilege to be a part of that.糖心传媒�

Discover fall recipes along with wine pairing suggestions by Overstreet.

Fund initially supports local and international outreach and advocacy efforts within URMC糖心传媒檚 Division of Plastic Surgery

Joseph Serletti 糖心传媒�82M (MD), 糖心传媒�88M (Res) and Bonnie Serletti 糖心传媒�90M (MD), 糖心传媒�94M (Res)

Joseph Serletti 糖心传媒�82M (MD), 糖心传媒�88M (Res) and Bonnie Serletti 糖心传媒�90M (MD), 糖心传媒�94M (Res), recently made a $1.5 million gift to endow the Serletti Family Cleft and Craniofacial Humanitarian Outreach Initiative at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). The Serletti糖心传媒檚 generosity will initially support local and international outreach and advocacy efforts of the 听within URMC糖心传媒檚 Division of Plastic Surgery at Golisano Children糖心传媒檚 Hospital. In the future, this endowment will fund the Serletti Family Professorship, which will help attract, retain, and honor exemplary faculty clinicians in the plastic surgery division.

Right now, the Serletti Initiative will help support the mission of the Pediatric Cleft and Craniofacial Center including international efforts in South and Central America aimed at sustainable care for children with craniofacial deformities. It will also help fund and expand a camp held every year that brings together local children and families affected by craniofacial conditions.

糖心传媒淛oe糖心传媒檚 time at Rochester糖心传媒攁s a student, resident, surgeon, and leader糖心传媒攚as formative for him, and for us,糖心传媒� says Mark Taubman, CEO, 糖心传媒 Medical Center and UR Medicine, and dean, School of Medicine and Dentistry. 糖心传媒淎s our chief of plastic surgery, he played a lead role in establishing the Pediatric Cleft and Craniofacial Center 25 years ago. Since then, the center has treated and helped thousands of children and families. We are grateful to him and Bonnie for choosing us as a beneficiary of their forward-thinking philanthropy.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淭he 糖心传媒 Medical Center is my home,糖心传媒� says听, the Henry Royster-William Maul Measey Professor of Surgery, chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery, and vice chair for finance in the Department of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 where Bonnie and I were educated and trained and where I practiced for many years. It was important for me and Bonnie to give back to place that gave us both so much.糖心传媒�

He adds, 糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 proud of the plastic surgery division and the Pediatric Cleft and Craniofacial Center糖心传媒攖he work there is being done with the competence, compassion, and deep personal commitment of its leaders and the world-class residents. Our wish is that this gift is a catalyst for continued excellence糖心传媒攖he kind that truly helps improve the quality of life for people and recognizes exceptional scholarship and clinical practice in the plastic surgery field.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淛oe played an instrumental role in setting the course for the plastic surgery division here,糖心传媒� says Howard Langstein, chief,听, and professor of surgery. 糖心传媒淎s a world leader in cleft and craniofacial surgery, our health care teams糖心传媒攅xperts in plastic surgery, dentistry, speech, and other areas糖心传媒攚ork collaboratively to ensure that a patient糖心传媒檚 entire spectrum of needs are met. We糖心传媒檙e grateful to Joe and Bonnie for their generosity.糖心传媒�

Adds Clinton Morrison, director, Pediatric Cleft and Craniofacial Center, and associate professor of surgery, 糖心传媒淛oe is a visionary糖心传媒攈e has always been guided by the biopsychosocial model, which has taught us as clinicians to treat the whole person. His and Bonnie糖心传媒檚 generosity will help us continue treat the increasing number of patients we see locally along with those we work with internationally. Their partnership and leadership has and continues to a vital source of support.糖心传媒�

Morrison糖心传媒檚 team coordinates a local craniofacial outreach camp program, which has grown exponentially in the past decade. In 2022, the camp welcomed 300 children and families, the largest crowd to date. Morrison also leads the URMC糖心传媒檚 participation in international outreach, including an annual medical mission trip to Guatemala coordinated through the听, a Rochester, NY-based charity that coordinates craniofacial deformity surgeries on children around the world.

糖心传媒淥ver many years, Joe has remained a friend and supporter of surgery department and the University,糖心传媒� says David Linehan, the Seymour I. Schwartz Professor of Surgery, and chair of the Department of Surgery. 糖心传媒淗e is an extraordinarily successful and nationally renowned academic surgeon and leader who never forgot his roots. The support of the Serletti family means the world to me and will help take our world-class Division of Plastic Surgery to new heights.糖心传媒�

Read more about the Pediatric Cleft and Craniofacial Center糖心传媒檚 local and international outreach programs.

糖心传媒�Kristine Thompson, October 2022

The first 糖心传媒榮kip糖心传媒� of a national mixed curling champion leads a team to this fall糖心传媒檚 world curling championships.

NUANCED VIEW: 糖心传媒淏alance and touch糖心传媒� are the keys to being a curler, says Pulli, who has played the sport most of her life, including as a student at Rochester. 糖心传媒淎 great curler develops patiently over time by learning all the nuances of the game.糖心传媒�
Featured image photo credit: J. Adam Fenster

After finishing second in a national curling competition in 2019, Caitlin Costello Pulli 糖心传媒�97 couldn糖心传媒檛 wait for another shot at gold. Turns out, she had to wait three years, as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down competition.

This past April, Pulli and three teammates made up for lost time by capturing the 2022 US mixed fours curling championship, hosted by the Rochester Curling Club. The national title earned them a spot in the world championships, scheduled for October in Aberdeen, Scotland, and featuring about 40 teams from across the globe.

糖心传媒淲inning nationals was a dream come true, especially in front of a hometown crowd and friends and family,糖心传媒� Pulli says. 糖心传媒淚t was worth the wait.糖心传媒�

Team Pulli is headed by Caitlin糖心传媒攖he first female captain (known as a 糖心传媒渟kip糖心传媒�) to win a national mixed fours championship. The quartet includes her husband, Jeff Pulli, and friends Rebecca Andrew and Jason Scott.

Invented in Scotland and extremely popular in Canada, the game wins new aficionados with each Winter Olympics, as TV viewers are introduced to curling糖心传媒檚 strategic gamesmanship and learn its colorful terminology. Two teams of players compete by sliding 44-pound stones (known as 糖心传媒渞ocks糖心传媒�) across a sheet of ice toward a concentric target area (the 糖心传媒渉ouse糖心传媒�). Each team tries to get their stones as close to the center of the circle (the 糖心传媒渂utton糖心传媒�) as they can, with points awarded for the number of stones that a team places closer to the button than their opponent糖心传媒檚 nearest rocks.

Team members influence the path of each rock by using brooms to 糖心传媒渟weep糖心传媒� the ice ahead of the rocks as the stones travel toward the house.

The skip is the strategist, dictating the placement of every shot to maximize scoring or prevent an opponent from scoring. Skips direct throwers where to aim each stone and how hard to throw it, and they tell sweepers when and where to sweep.

The skip also throws the last two shots of every 糖心传媒渆nd糖心传媒� (similar to an 糖心传媒渋nning糖心传媒� in baseball) in a contest糖心传媒攐ften the most pressure-packed shots of the match.

糖心传媒淭he most important skill a new curler needs to master is balance and touch,糖心传媒� Pulli says. 糖心传媒淎 great curler develops patiently over time by learning all the nuances of the game.糖心传媒�

Pulli grew up in Utica, New York, and was introduced to curling by her grandparents, who were members of a curling club. 糖心传媒淚 loved it right away,糖心传媒� she says.

A biology major at Rochester, she competed in junior nationals for three years while an undergraduate, finishing second in 1996. She met Jeff 10 years ago through curling. They were married five years ago and live in Rochester with their two daughters. Caitlin is a chemical and materials engineer for Xerox Corporation.

Mixed fours curling is not an Olympic sport, so there糖心传媒檚 no ranking system. When Pulli was fully competing in women糖心传媒檚 fours, her team was ranked second in the country. She was a silver medalist at the 2006 world championships and finished second in the 2010 Olympic Trials, just missing a chance to compete in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 糖心传媒淭hat was a heartbreaker,糖心传媒� she says.

She has competed in the US women糖心传媒檚 championship 14 times and earned a gold medal in 2011. She also has four silver medals and one bronze.

She糖心传媒檚 excited to train with her team for the world championships, where Canada, Sweden, Scotland, and Switzerland will be the favorites.

糖心传媒淥ur goal will be to make the 16-team playoffs,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淲e won糖心传媒檛 be a favorite, but there糖心传媒檚 always a shot if you have a couple of great games in the playoffs.糖心传媒�

This article originally appeared in the spring 2022 issue of the Rochester Review magazine.

Historian Ellen Singer More 糖心传媒�79 (PhD) explores the complex legacy of pioneering sex educator Mary Calderone 糖心传媒�39M (MD)

UNIVERSALIST: 糖心传媒淲e are all sexual, all of our lives, each in our own unique way at any given moment,糖心传媒� said Calderone, a Quaker, who believed sexuality was a divinely bestowed gift to be celebrated. While she shocked some, she alienated others, particularly the young, beginning in the late 1960s, with her espousal of what she called 糖心传媒渞esponsible sexuality.糖心传媒�

From the 1960s until well into the 1980s, Mary Calderone 糖心传媒�39M (MD) was a high-profile and a divisive figure in American culture.

That may have been inevitable, given the subject of her work and the social context in which she operated.

Calderone was the first medical director of the Planned Parenthood Federation, holding that position during the approval and roll-out of the first oral contraceptive in the United States. In 1964, she left the federation to cofound the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States, or SIECUS (since 2019 known as SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change). She was the author or coauthor of multiple books, including The Manual of Contraceptive Practices (1964), The Family Book about Sexuality (1980), and Talking with Your Child about Sex (1984).

The mission of SIECUS under Calderone糖心传媒檚 leadership was not only to convey accurate information about sex, but also to change attitudes. At a time when parents, educators, and religious and civic leaders expressed great anxiety over the implications of 糖心传媒渢he pill糖心传媒� for the sexual lives of young people, Calderone and her colleagues advanced a positive view of sexuality as a natural and healthy part of life that emerges during childhood and can remain vibrant throughout life.

At the start of her career, in the 1940s, many of her contemporaries found her views shocking. By the late 1960s, however, she began to lose her radical edge. In The Transformation of American Sex Education: Mary Calderone and the Fight for Sexual Health (New York University Press, 2022), Ellen More 糖心传媒�79 (PhD) traces Calderone糖心传媒檚 career and explores her profound and complicated legacy in the context of the larger history of sex education in the United States.

More was a postdoc at the Medical Center in 1984 when she first met Calderone. A historian by training糖心传媒攐f Tudor-Stuart England, to be exact糖心传媒擬ore, much like Calderone, shaped her career in the context of her family circumstances. Now a medical historian and professor emeritus in psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, More had a husband with a job at Kodak and a young daughter when she was starting her career. She was nearing the completion of her dissertation, taking stock of the opportunities available to her locally, when she was offered the chance to develop and teach Rochester糖心传媒檚 first undergraduate course on the history of the American medical profession. Questions raised by her students糖心传媒攎any of them young women preparing for careers in medicine糖心传媒攁nd a tip from then professor of medicine Edward Atwater 糖心传媒�50 about a rich collection of materials related to early women physicians he had amassed and donated to the Miner Library (now part of the Edward C. Atwater Collection of American Popular Medicine and Health Reform) led her to research women physicians, and eventually, Calderone.

糖心传媒淐alderone herself was not someone you would get close and personal with,糖心传媒� More says, recalling that first meeting and several more with Calderone later in the 1980s. But she was deeply charismatic. The daughter of one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, Edward Steichen, Calderone, who was born in 1904, spent her childhood jet-setting between Paris and New York and finished off her secondary education at New York糖心传媒檚 elite Brearley School.

One of the challenges of telling Calderone糖心传媒檚 story is contending with how much public discourse on sexuality has changed in the years since she was active, and since her death in 1998. It糖心传媒檚 tempting to ask, what would Calderone have said?

We糖心传媒檒l never know. But Calderone was motivated throughout her life by 糖心传媒渁 deeply held belief in universalism,糖心传媒� More says. A Quaker throughout her life, 糖心传媒渟he was interested in universalizing. That was her orientation. She wanted to express that sexuality was a universal human need and a universal, underlying biological system.

糖心传媒淗owever it expressed itself, it was part of every human.糖心传媒�

Who Was Mary Calderone 糖心传媒�39M (MD)? A Brief Introduction in Five Scenes

The New York Times anointed Mary Calderone 糖心传媒�39M (MD) 糖心传媒渢he grand dame of sex education糖心传媒� when she died in 1998.

But she, like all great social pioneers, was a complicated, nuanced figure who devoted her considerable energy on projects that were not met with wholehearted enthusiasm by the society she was hoping to help. Here are five important ideas about her life and work, drawn from The Transformation of American Sex Education: Mary Calderone and the Fight for Sexual Health (New York University Press, 2022), by Ellen More 糖心传媒�79 (PhD).

1. As a child, Calderone received mixed messages at home about sexuality.

Calderone was born as Mary Steichen in 1904 to parents steeped in the transatlantic artistic avant-garde. Her father was the renowned photographer Edward Steichen, credited along with Alfred Stieglitz as a major figure in the transformation of photography into an art form. During Mary糖心传媒檚 childhood and adolescence, Steichen became a pioneer in fashion photography, producing, More writes, 糖心传媒渨ide-ranging studies of the human form,糖心传媒� imbued with 糖心传媒渢he modernist view of the body as a subject of straightforwardly sensuous representation.糖心传媒�

Mary糖心传媒檚 mother, Clara, by contrast, was 糖心传媒渁 perfect exemplar of Victorian sexual attitudes,糖心传媒� More says, and 糖心传媒渃learly very uncomfortable with her husband’s sexual openness.糖心传媒�

Following a common Victorian practice, Clara put Mary to bed in aluminum mittens designed to prevent masturbation. But despite Steichen糖心传媒檚 seemingly libertine attitudes, according to More there is no evidence that Steichen ever objected to Clara糖心传媒檚 treatment of Mary糖心传媒攖reatment that Calderone later characterized as sexual shaming that left a deep impact on her. More relates another incident from Calderone糖心传媒檚 childhood that made a lasting impression: a teenaged gardener exposed himself to Calderone while the two were in a shed. 糖心传媒淚 think any parent would be horrified,糖心传媒� More says. But what remained with Calderone years later were Steichen糖心传媒檚 words to her, after he fired the gardener: 糖心传媒淣ow you have lost your innocence.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淭hose words were burned into her memory and were in some ways, some of the most important ones ever said to her,糖心传媒� More says. 糖心传媒淚 really believe that her campaign to destigmatize sexuality糖心传媒攁nd particularly children’s sexuality, their sense of pleasure in their own sexual beings糖心传媒攊s rooted in these experiences of her childhood.糖心传媒�

Decade-long donor Tortolani shows appreciation for the School of Medicine and Dentistry

Robert Tortolani 糖心传媒�67M (MD)

Robert Tortolani 糖心传媒�67M (MD), and his wife, Karen, joined the George Eastman Circle more than a decade ago. It was the best avenue to show their appreciation for the School of Medicine and Dentistry and the importance of medical education.

糖心传媒淚 feel my classmates and I had a special education at Rochester,糖心传媒� Tortolani said. 糖心传媒淔rom the approach of faculty to patient care, to the passion in their teaching, we had standout teachers and an excellent education.糖心传媒� He said the School taught students to treat the whole patient. 糖心传媒淚t was different than the education at other medical schools. I have been proud of the education I received at Rochester and it has served my patients well.糖心传媒�

Though retired after more than 40 years in family practice in Brattleboro, VT, the lifelong impact of Tortolani’s education shows in his volunteer work. He stays busy providing care at a local health clinic, driving for community food bank, and teaching medical students at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical.

He and Karen, a Rochester native, always enjoyed coming back to their reunions and attending the Dean糖心传媒檚 Circle Dinners. When they were in a position to give more back, making the 5-year pledge for their first George Eastman Circle membership seemed perfect.

He directs his support to the School of Medicine and Dentistry Annual Fund to support faculty, student scholarship, and research.

George Eastman Circle funds for research helped the School achieve the honor of being one of the top medical schools in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report, ranking #26 in clinical primary care and #37 in research. More than a dozen alumni-sponsored George Eastman Circle Scholarships help the School continue to attract and successfully compete for the nation糖心传媒檚 top medical and graduate students and keep their graduation debt far below the national average. The School is dedicated to training humanistic physicians who will be future leaders in clinical medicine, research, and administration.

糖心传媒淚 feel very fortunate that Rochester chose me and I chose Rochester,糖心传媒� Tortolani said. He said he looks forward to returning for Reunion this fall. 糖心传媒淚 am so grateful for my classmates. It糖心传媒檚 always been great to look back on our Rochester education and our time together. It糖心传媒檚 a special place.糖心传媒�

Any gift made to any area of the University this year will be counted in your class gift. We will help you have the impact you want with the vehicle that is right for your situation. Please reach out to Kerrie Merz at Kerrie.Merz@rochester.edu or 585-260-4379.