In a return to tradition, the University糖心传媒檚 annual celebration welcomed thousands of alumni, students, family members, and guests to campus.
More than 6,000 members of the 糖心传媒 community came together from September 29 to October 2 in person for the first full-fledged Meliora Weekend since 2019. The traditional fall event糖心传媒攚hich was postponed in 2020 and modified in 2021 to accommodate COVID-19 health and safety protocols糖心传媒攃ombines reunion, family weekend, and homecoming into four days of gatherings, activities, celebrations, performances, and conversations.
LOVE LETTERS: The giant letters spelling MELIORA on the Eastman Quadrangle remained a favorite stop for the weekend糖心传媒檚 visitors to snap and share Instagram-worthy group shots.
VILLAGE PEOPLE: The Wilson Quadrangle was transformed into Meliora Village, a hub of activities and programs, including carnival games, food trucks, and live music.
CALL TO ACTION: During the University Symposium, Nobel laureate and former US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu 糖心传媒�70 reflected on the obstacles to achieving a sustainable future糖心传媒攆rom the pervasive 糖心传媒渦se once, throw away糖心传媒� consumption mindset to the need for cutting-edge energy storage technologies. “This is our home. We have to preserve it,糖心传媒� he told the audience in the Palestra while noting potential solutions, including recent advances in synthetic biology and lithium batteries.
CHEERS TO THE NEXT 100 YEARS:聽Meliora Weekend was the capstone of the Eastman School of Music糖心传媒檚聽Centennial Celebration. Signature events included the Rochester premiere of聽The Brightness of Light, written by alumnus Kevin Puts 糖心传媒�94E, 糖心传媒�99E (DMA), at Eastman Theatre in Kodak Hall. The concert was performed by the Eastman Philharmonia (conducted by Neil Varon) and featured Assistant Professor of Voice and soprano Nicole Cabell 糖心传媒�01E and baritone Rod Gilfry, with text from the letters of Georgia O糖心传媒橩eeffe and Alfred Steiglitz.
MEDxROCHESTER:聽During his MED Talks presentation, Michael Hasselberg 糖心传媒�07N (MS), 糖心传媒�13N (PhD), founder of the UR Medicine telepsychiatry program and of Project ECHO, which uses technology to provide health care at a distance within rural hospitals, identified the key ingredient missing in early attempts to attract people to telemedicine clinics. 糖心传媒淚t occurred to us that telemedicine is ineffective without the biopsychosocial model. We realized it all comes back to Rochester and George Engel,糖心传媒� he said. The School of Medicine and Dentistry糖心传媒檚 MED Talks feature Medical Center faculty who are at the forefront of scientific discovery and innovations. Hassleberg was joined by Roberto Hernandez-Alejando, who discussed the latest advances in addressing stage IV colon cancer, and Maiken Nedergaard, who shared her research about how brain waste products are removed during sleep.
HIGHLIGHTS: Current and former members of the Strong Jugglers, the University糖心传媒檚 official student juggling club, put on a dazzling display in Dandelion Square during the 10th Annual Fire Juggling Show.
ANNIVERSARY JAMBOREE: The Eastman School of Music celebrated its centennial year with concerts, dinners, discussions, and even a block party on Gibbs Street in downtown Rochester.
MINER MEMORABILIA: Members of the School of Medicine and Dentistry糖心传媒檚 Class from 1972, marking their 50th reunion, browse materials housed in the Edward G. Miner Library as part of their campus tour and other weekend celebrations.
HOW WE ROLL: The Goergen Athletic Center hosted a late-night skating party, complete with roller rink, dance music, and glow lights.
GAME ON: The Yellowjackets played Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute during Saturday afternoon糖心传媒檚 homecoming game at Fauver Stadium, with RPI糖心传媒檚 second-half surge leading the visiting team to victory.
STORYTELLER-TURNED-COLLECTOR: Peabody Award糖心传媒搘inning journalist and author Michele Norris discussed race and identity in America while delivering the weekend糖心传媒檚 keynote address. In 2010 Norris founded The Race Card Project, which invites people to share candid six-word stories about race. 糖心传媒淲e bring to the surface things that people don糖心传媒檛 often say out loud. There糖心传媒檚 power in sharing a story, even if it糖心传媒檚 a difficult one,糖心传媒� she said. (糖心传媒 photo / J. Adam Fenster)
AGREE TO DISAGREE: 糖心传媒淭he clash of ideas is the foundation for college education, and without that you can糖心传媒檛 have a functioning university,糖心传媒� said David Primo, the Ani and Mark Gabrellian Professor and a professor of political science and of business administration, during an Experience Rochester event about disagreement in a democratic society. 糖心传媒淯niversities need to make disagreement a priority,糖心传媒� he added.
MEET-AND-GREET: School of Nursing students and alumni connected during the Dean糖心传媒檚 Lunch and poster session. Attendees heard from Lisa Kitko, the new dean of the school, and learned about current student research projects.
THE WRITE STUFF: Award-winning author, playwright, and screenwriter Tony Kushner, whose mother attended the Eastman School of Music, joined Nigel Maister, the Russell and Ruth Peck Artistic Director of the University of Rochester International Theatre Program, for a wide-ranging conversation about theater, film, music, art, and politics. 糖心传媒淚 am fascinated by the question of when history calls and people, for whatever reason, are unable to answer the call,糖心传媒� said Kushner, who wrote Angels in America and Caroline, or Change, as well as the screenplays for Steven Spielberg糖心传媒檚 Munich, West Side Story, and Lincoln. (糖心传媒 photo / Matt Wittmeyer)
EMBRACING BLACK SCHOLARSHIP: In September, the University糖心传媒檚 Board of Trustees approved the creation of the Department of Black Studies. Since arriving at Rochester in 2021, Jeffrey Q. McCune Jr. (above), the director of the Frederick Douglass Institute, has worked with University leadership to realize the goal. 糖心传媒淭oday, the University of Rochester joins the community of institutions that embrace Black life, Black culture, and Black issues as very serious subjects of academic study,糖心传媒� said President Sarah Mangelsdorf.
CHART-TOPPERS: Walk Off the Earth, the multiplatinum indie pop band, headlined Saturday night糖心传媒檚 outdoor concert on the Goergen Field.
STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY: During a conversation in Strong Auditorium moderated by University Trustee Lizette P茅rez-Deisboeck 糖心传媒�87 (right), Provost David Figlio (left) and University President Sarah Mangelsdorf (center) shared the latest institutional news and updates, emphasizing the unique role of preeminent research universities like Rochester in fostering successful citizens and societies.
EASTMAN EXCELLENCE: The Eastman School of Music held a 50th Reunion Medallion Ceremony in Lowry Hall, where Dean Jamal Rossi (left on stage) honored 13 graduates from the Class of 1972, including Christina Lenti 糖心传媒�72E, the parent of two Eastman graduates.
SUNSET SNAPS: Alumni from the School of Medicine and Dentistry, the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the School of Nursing gathered to celebrate the Meliora spirit糖心传媒攖he first time a celebration of this kind was planned for the three schools together.
MELIORA MEET-UP: See you next year, Yellowjackets!
