Meliora is at the foundation of
the University’s mission to
Learn, Discover, Heal, Create—
And Make the World Ever Better.
MelioraEver Better
The University of Rochester’s motto—Meliora—is Latin for “ever better.” For us, though, it is more than a motto: it is a shared value and a way of life that has set us apart as an edu-cational community since our founding in 1850.
With the needs of a global society becoming more com-plex, the demands on a research university are increasingly urgent. In these pages, you will learn how we are driving inno-vation in the fields of science, medicine, and business as well as in the humanities and creative arts.
Our compact campus, flexible curriculum, and receptivity to interdisciplinary endeavors create an environment where learning and discovery flourish. Our students work alongside prominent faculty and graduate as problem solvers, critical thinkers, and innovators—poised to become global leaders in their fields.
In everything we do, we seek to be “ever better” not just for ourselves and our region but also for our nation and the world. We are committed to the tradition of teaching and research excellence. And we continually strive to build on our distinctive strengths and seek new solutions that advance the experience here and benefit humankind everywhere.
Meliora.
Joel SeligmanPresident
Peter LennieProvost and Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences & Engineering
Welcome
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Located in western New York less than a
two-hour drive from Niagara Falls and six
hours from New York City, the University of
Rochester is one of the world’s top research
universities, attracting nearly $400 million
in research grant funding annually. Re-
search is embedded in the culture here and
is broadly evident across the entire Univer-
sity system. Core research strengths span
the biomedical sciences; arts, humanities,
and social sciences; applied sciences and
engineering; and business.
The University’s 170 buildings house
2,000 faculty and instructional staff—half
of whom were born outside the United
States—and more than 200 undergraduate
and graduate programs offered to more than
11,000 students, including more than 4,800
graduate and medical students and more
Rochester at a Glance
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2 ROCHESTER AT A GLANCE
QUALITY OF LIFE
Faculty, staff, and students
join the more than one
million people who live in
Rochester and its surround-
ing suburbs. With the culture
of a large city, Rochester
offers a vibrant arts scene,
an annual international jazz
festival, art galleries and
museums, convenient shop-
ping, and local and interna-
tional cuisine and markets.
Rochester’s fine parks, trails,
world-class golf courses, and
close proximity to the Gen-
esee River, the Erie Canal,
Lake Ontario, and the Finger
Lakes region provide ample
opportunities for outdoor
recreation.
than 250 postdoctoral trainees engaged
in scientific research. Across the entire
University system, including the University
of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and
affiliated health system, more than 22,000
faculty and staff work here, making the Uni-
versity the seventh-largest private employer
in New York State.
The University spreads across more than
500 acres. Its main campus, the River Cam-
pus, runs along the beautiful Genesee River.
URMC, one of the nation’s leading academic
medical centers, is just a 10-minute walk
away and the University’s world-renowned
Eastman School of Music is located only
10 minutes away by car. The proximity of
the University’s schools and units provides
unique opportunities for cross-disciplinary
study, research, and collaboration.
University of Rochester Academic Schools and Units
■ Arts, Sciences & Engineering
■ The College
■ Hajim School of Engineering &
Applied Sciences
■ School of Arts & Sciences
■ Eastman School of Music
■ School of Medicine and Dentistry
■ School of Nursing
■ Simon Business School
■ Warner School of Education
University of Rochester Medical Center and UR MedicineThe University’s academic medical center
and health system is internationally recog-
nized for its research and medical expertise.
It includes the
■ School of Medicine and Dentistry
■ School of Nursing
■ Eastman Institute for Oral Health
■ Strong Memorial Hospital, Highland
Hospital, and Thompson Health
■ Medical Faculty Group
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ROCHESTER AT A GLANCE 3
Research Snapshot
Research happens in all intellectual disciplines of the University of Rochester. It can be aesthetic, sociopolitical, scientific, technical, philosophical, mathematical, medi-cal, musical, or artistic. It includes the pursuit of research questions in labs, classrooms, and around the world. It spans studying the details of a neutrino beam near Tokyo, the haunts of Dante in Italy, the proliferation of blindness in sub-Saharan Africa, public health in Denmark, and cancerous tumors in a lab at URMC.
Rochester faculty members have pioneered statistical methods of research in economics, political science, med-icine, and clinical and social sciences. They have made seminal discoveries in evolutionary biology, vision, and visual and cultural studies. They are at the forefront of brain and cognitive science, biomedical science, high- energy physics, and quantum optics. They are known for their medical expertise and health-related break-throughs. And their efforts in alternative energy confront such societal grand challenges as dwindling petroleum reserves and fossil fuel pollution.
A water droplet hangs on the edge of a metal surface that has been
treated to repel moisture with a Rochester-developed process using lasers.
Potential applications for such “super-hydrophobic” materials include
sanitation and other areas where repelling water-borne pathogens is
important.
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4
Undergraduate ResearchThe self-directed curriculum designed by
and unique to Rochester has for two de-
cades fostered undergraduates who have the
ability and drive to participate in serious re-
search. Many have contributed to published
research projects and work with distinction
alongside graduate students. Through our
extensive seed funding programs, support
from University resources and donors has
helped thousands of Rochester undergradu-
ates begin careers that will lead an excep-
tional fraction toward successful graduate
study and the receipt of prestigious awards,
such as National Science Foundation Gradu-
ate Fellowships, on matriculation.
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6 RESEARCH SNAPSHOT
A Culture of Innovation Rochester, N.Y., is the seat of great inno-
vation. It gave rise to such international
companies as Bausch & Lomb, Eastman
Kodak Company, and Xerox. The entrepre-
neurial spirit and its accompanying culture
of innovation is part of the fabric of the
community, which has one of the nation’s
highest patents-per-capita ratios.
The University contributes as an educa-
tional institution and also has one of the most
effective technology transfer programs in the
country. The local community’s historic tradi-
tion as a center of manufacturing excellence,
especially in optics and photonics, has helped
it transition to a knowledge-based economy.
As a leading medical research facility and
technology incubator, the University has
been a key catalyst for this transition and
helps put Rochester on the map as an inter-
national center of innovation.
Technology TransferUR Ventures, the University’s technology
transfer operation, is focused on identifying
and securing the resources necessary to
get Rochester’s groundbreaking research
to the public through technology
licensing and/or startup formation.
Some of the latest discoveries from
the University’s laboratories include
methods to treat neurodegenera-
tive diseases based on the brain’s
ability to cleanse itself; an on-chip
network to provide scalable power
delivery, allowing for ever-smaller
electronic devices; and potential
cancer therapies based on the
unique physiological properties of the
naked mole rat.
Xi-Cheng Zhang, M. Parker Givens
Professor of Optics and director of the In-
stitute of Optics, is often counted among
modern day luminaries in the field. His
research on THz (terahertz) waves led to
the detection of defects in foam insula-
tion following the space shuttle Columbia
tragedy. Zhang expects that research on
THz waves will advance knowledge in
many areas, including medical imaging,
homeland security, and manufacturing.
JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE
Nearly a quarter of the 65 scientists on
NASA’s advisory board for the James
Webb Space Telescope are University
alumni or faculty members.
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A CULTURE OF INNOVATION 7
BY THE NUMBERS
Research Profile
• Sponsored research
expenditures: $375
million
• Inventions: 140, from
220 inventors in 48
departments with 34
collaborators from 22
outside institutions
• Patents: 56 granted,
covering 45 different
technologies
• Licensing revenue: $29.4
million
Source: 2013 ORPA Annual Report, UR Ventures
Making History: Optics and High-Energy PhysicsIn 1929, with a grant from Kodak and Bausch & Lomb, the University founded the Institute of Optics,
the nation’s first educational program devoted to optics—the study of light. Today, the institute’s
reputation as a leader in optics research and innovation continues with educational and research
opportunities that span optical physics, applied optics, and optical engineering. The institute has
granted more than 2,400 degrees—approximately half of all optics degrees ever awarded in the
United States. The environment breeds a spirit of entrepreneurism. For example, over the last 50
years, more than 160 companies have been founded by the institute’s faculty, staff, and alumni.
As the largest user facility for fusion and high-energy density physics research, Rochester’s Labo-
ratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) has played a similarly significant role in its field. Founded in 1970
and supported by approximately $70 million annually, mostly from the federal government, the
lab has laid the foundation in laser inertial confinement fusion research and serves as a global
resource for researchers. In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, ongoing work here
is targeted toward developing fusion power for the production of electricity. LLE is home to the
Omega 60-beam laser, which can deliver up to 40 trillion watts of power. EUG
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Research PrioritiesAs new global needs, challenges, and professions emerge, bringing together talents from
multiple disciplines is increasingly important. The University has forged uniquely produc-
tive partnerships across its schools based on common interests that draw on our unique
strengths in many areas, including priority areas of data science; vision, hearing, and lan-
guage; energy and the environment; and medicine and health.
Energy and the Environment Coming up with alternative
energy solutions is a complex,
global issue that Rochester
researchers are addressing
from multiple perspectives.
The University’s core research expertise in science,
engineering, and medicine forms the foundation
for internationally recognized research programs in
energy technology, ones that focus on developing
carbon-neutral technology, understanding the health
implications of energy resources, and investigating
the implications of global climate change.
Data ScienceThis is one of the defining disci-
plines of the 21st century. Just
as the Gutenberg press revolu-
tionized the dissemination of
information, the production of
books and newspapers, and the
development of knowledge, data science is changing
how the world consumes, uses, applies, and under-
stands information. The field has evolved as a hybrid
of research in statistics, computer sciences, and
related disciplines.
In 2013, the University announced plans to create the
Institute for Data Science, recruit 20 new faculty in
departments in which data science plays a significant
role, and focus initially on three areas of research do-
mains related to data science: predictive health ana-
lytics, cognitive systems, and analytics on demand.
Medicine and HealthBiomedical research represents
the largest segment of the
University’s research portfolio.
In the Medical Center alone,
there are 550 faculty members
with federal funding for their
research programs, with total research topping $230
million in FY 2013. The proximity of the Medical
Center to the River Campus provides myriad oppor-
tunities for collaboration. Critical areas of research
include cancer, infectious diseases, musculoskeletal
diseases, environmental medicine, RNA biology,
imaging, neuromedicine, drug development and de-
livery, molecular signaling and aging, public health,
and the health consequences of energy policies.
Vision, Hearing, and LanguageLight and sound constitute two
major interconnected research
areas at the University and
span vision and optics as well
as hearing and sound. Areas of
strength include vision restoration and correction
and imaging of the eye. Rochester is pioneering
revolutionary technologies such as the development
of retinal prosthetics. The University is also recog-
nized as a world leader in its research of sound in
music and entertainment; medicine and biology; and
speech, hearing, language, and communication.
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RESEARCH PRIORITIES 9
Improving Health and the Human Condition
Researchers across the University are advancing discoveries in medicine, public health, vision science, and myriad fields that relate to the betterment of individual health and the collective human condition. Their work is focused on improving our daily lives and contributing to a promising future for all.
At the University of Rochester’s Wilmot Cancer Center, Michael R. O’Dell (left), research assistant,
and Aram Hezel, associate professor and vice chief of hematology/oncology, study intrahepatic
cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC), a type of aggressive liver cancer that’s eluded scientists for years. Hezel
and his team have invented the first genetically engineered mouse model of IHCC, allowing them to
research the early biological steps that lead to full-blown malignancy.
11
Medical Research of the Highest OrderResearch progress can be charted in
the laboratory, in the clinic, and most
importantly, in the lives of patients
around the globe. The University of
Rochester Medical Center is renowned
for two vaccines now used worldwide
to combat cervical cancer and bacterial
meningitis and has played an important
role in the clinical development of many
others, including a vaccine for bird flu.
Research at URMC involves thousands
of experts, touching upon nearly every
area of medicine, and often involving
collaboration with faculty members on
the River Campus.
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12 IMPROVING HEALTH AND THE HUMAN CONDITION
Respiratory ResearchRespiratory Pathogens Research CenterURMC was chosen as the home of a federally
funded center to study the germs that cause
lung disease. The Respiratory Pathogens
Research Center (RPRC), a mix of clinicians
and researchers, helps protect citizens against
bacteria and viruses that take aim at the
respiratory system, including pneumonia and
the flu. First-year research funding from the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) is nearly $5
million, with the opportunity for a longer-term
seven-year contract of $35 to $50 million.
Health Sciences Center for Computational Innovation The Health Sciences Center for Computational
Innovation (HSCCI), an evolving partnership
between the University and IBM, is vital to the
success of the RPRC. The center is home to
IBM Blue Gene/Q super computers, making
it one of most powerful computer systems in
the world. Data science and high-performance
computing hold the potential to revolutionize
the way diseases are studied, monitored, and
treated by allowing scientists to sift through
and analyze huge volumes of data and create
complex models and simulations that would
previously not have been possible.
New York Influenza Center of Excellence Research at the New York Influenza
Center of Excellence (NYICE)
involves collaboration between
investigators in the fields of
immunology, virology, biochemistry,
medicine, pediatrics, statistics, and
bioinformatics. The center’s goal is to
provide a truly transforming approach to
influenza research. It was launched in 2007 as
one of six centers nationwide that will receive
a total of approximately $140 million in flu
research funding over a multiyear period.
Chasing PathogensBiologist and influenza researcher David
Topham serves many roles. He is a University
vice provost and executive director of the
Health Sciences Center for Computational In-
novation (HSCCI), director of the RPRC, codirec-
tor of the NYICE, and professor of microbiology
and immunology in the David H. Smith Center
for Vaccine Biology and Immunology.
As a research biologist, Topham has con-
centrated his work on immune responses to
viral infections, with an
emphasis on respiratory
infections and influenza. He
is involved in clinical and
translational studies of hu-
man immune responses to
natural infection and exper-
imental vaccines. He also
collaborates closely with
computational biologists
and has developed highly
sophisticated mathematical
models that simulate the
adaptive immune response
to influenza. Topham’s
research is making strides
against the infections that
are responsible for a great
deal of illness and death
among the world’s
population.
The flu causes 36,000 deaths
and up to 200,000 hospital
stays in the United States
each year.
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RESPIRATORY RESEARCH 13
Neuroscience ResearchUnlocking the Mysteries of the BrainFor the last 25 years, URMC has served as the
hub of an international network of researchers
from North America, Europe, and Australia and
has overseen more than 80 clinical trials, spon-
sored by the NIH, foundations, and industry,
in neurological diseases. They have also been
pioneers in mastering the use of stem cells
to explore new treatments for neurological
disorders, and have made breakthroughs on a
possible new treatment that could reduce the
symptoms of muscular dystrophy.
Taking Steps to Treat Muscular DystrophyURMC neurologist Charles Thornton is dedi-
cated to research that could lead to successful
treatment of muscular dystrophy. One of its
most common forms is myotonic dystrophy, an
inherited disorder than is marked by progres-
sive muscle weakness and stiffness. Eventually
many patients have difficulty walking, swallow-
ing, and breathing. While there are medications
to treat some symptoms, there is no drug to
stop its progression.
Several scientists, including Thornton, discov-
ered that the genetic defect that triggers the
disease works quite differently than most other
inherited diseases. Here, the defect results in
the creation of toxic RNA, which stops other
proteins from doing their jobs. Thornton and
his colleagues have discovered a way to re-
verse symptoms of myotonic muscular dystro-
phy in mice by eliminating the buildup of toxic
RNA in muscle cells. Although it is too soon
to know whether the approach will work on
patients, the research indicates the possibility
of developing a treatment that could funda-
mentally alter the disease.
Charles Thornton
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Nedergaard (pictured here
with Qiwu Xu, a research
associate) is also conducting
research that shows that the
brain is cleansing itself in
a more organized way and
on a much larger scale than
has been realized previously.
These findings may have
implications for many condi-
tions that involve the brain,
such as traumatic brain injury,
Alzheimer’s disease, stroke,
and Parkinson’s disease.
Understanding Brain Function to Treat DiseaseA research team led by URMC neurologists
Steven Goldman and Maiken Nedergaard are
unlocking the complex cellular mechanics that
instruct specific stem cells in the brain to con-
tinue to divide. This discovery ensures that an
abundant supply of cells is available to study
and ultimately treat people with myelin-related
diseases. Damage to myelin lies at the root of a
long list of diseases, such as multiple sclerosis,
cerebral palsy, and a family of deadly child-
hood diseases.
The Center for RNA Biology: From Genome to Therapeutics The center provides a means
of conducting interdisciplinary re-
search into the function, structure, and
processing of RNA. Led by Lynne Maquat,
research delves into many areas that show
the clinical ramifications of basic science,
including mining information encoded in the
genome, developing mechanisms of protein
synthesis, and investigating how viruses defeat
drug therapies.
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ENGINEERING BETTER HEALTH
At URMC’s Center for Musculoskeletal
Research, biomedical engineering and
medical experts collaborate on innovative
tissue engineering research. Their work is
helping to advance treatment in one of the
most complex, costly areas of health care:
when joints, bones, tendons, cartilage, and
associated muscle deteriorate with age,
become diseased, or suffer massive trauma.
The center gives engineers an opportunity
to learn from their medical colleagues about
the underlying pathology and biology of
the problems they address. Engineers, in
turn, offer insights about the best way to
build a scaffold to promote bone healing, for
example, or deliver a therapeutic drug with
pinpoint accuracy and timing.
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Cardiovascular ResearchTransforming Heart CareArthur J. Moss, a cardiology professor and a world-renowned expert
on electrical disturbances of the heart, has made some of the most
important and long-lasting discoveries in the treatment of cardiac
arrhythmias. Moss has demonstrated that preventive therapy with
an implantable cardioverter defibrillator or ICD (a device that detects
potentially fatal arrhythmias and shocks the heart back into a normal
rhythm) significantly reduces the risk of death in heart attack survivors.
This finding, published in 2002, changed medical guidelines nation-
wide and led to the use of ICDs in
millions of patients each year.
In other studies, Moss found that
cardiac resynchronization therapy,
which improves the mechanical
pumping action of the heart,
plus defibrillator—a combination
device known as CRT-D therapy—
prevents the progression of heart
failure in patients living with mild
forms of the disease. Guidelines
from Moss’s trials have saved hun-
dreds of thousands of lives.
16 IMPROVING HEALTH AND THE HUMAN CONDITION
Cancer ResearchHarnessing the Immune System to Fight Lymphoma The hematologic malignancies team is study-
ing cancer stem cells in relation to leukemia,
as well as how the immune system can be har-
nessed to fight lymphoma. Preclinical research
on an experimental treatment for relapsed
T-cell lymphoma resulted in a clinical trial for
the drug Alisertib, led by national principal
investigator Paul Barr, an oncologist at the
James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, and Jonathan
Friedberg, director of the center. In addition,
Michael Becker and Laura Calvi are jointly
funded to study therapies that target leuke-
mia’s microenvironment (the region in the
bone marrow where leukemia cells bloom).
One of the greatest breakthroughs in cancer prevention has its origins
in research done by three URMC virologists. Richard Reichman, William
Bonnez, and Robert Rose discovered a method to protect against several
strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), including those that cause cervical
cancer. This research led Merck & Co. to develop Gardasil®, the first pure
anticancer vaccine to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administra-
tion, in June 2006.
Developing Innovative, Effective Cancer Treatments Chawnshang Chang, director of the George
Whipple Laboratory for Cancer Research, has
developed an experimental treatment for
metastatic prostate cancer. The drug, known
as ASC-J9, was developed as a derivative of
the main ingredient in ginger. Since 2004, two
dozen patents around the world have been
issued for his work. Chang’s research at URMC
is licensed to AndroScience Corp. of San Diego,
a biotech company he cofounded. (The Uni-
versity owns a stake in the company.) Chang
collaborates with members of the URMC
genitourinary cancers group, China Medical
University in Taiwan, and Tianjin Medical
University to study potential uses for ASC-J9 in
combination with existing approved drugs to
treat acne; prostate, bladder, and liver cancer;
and other medical conditions
related to androgens.
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Public Health ResearchStudying Air Pollution in BeijingPollution in China has been an issue for years.
A team of researchers led by David Q. Rich
used the unique circumstances around the
2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China—one
of the most polluted cities in the world—to
examine the link between air pollution and
health. Their work, published in the Journal
of the American Medical Association, showed a
direct correlation between pollution levels and
specific physiological changes that increase
risk for cardiovascular disease.
In India, air pollution is responsible for nearly
530,000 deaths per year. Wendy Heinzelman,
professor of electrical and computer engineer-
ing and of computer science, and colleagues
from Northeastern University and IIT Delhi and
IIT Hyderabad, both in India, are collaborating
on an NSF-funded remote pollution monitor-
ing system, one that relies on wireless sensor
networks. These sensors operate by harvesting
energy from the environment and optimize en-
ergy usage through on-demand wake-up radio
technology. The system could play a key role in
emergency warnings and contribute to societal
well-being in densely populated regions of the
world. Heinzelman is also dean of graduate
studies for Arts, Sciences & Engineering.
Center for AIDS ResearchThe University of Rochester was named an
official Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) by the
National Institutes of Health. With $7.5 million
in new funding, CFAR is establishing multidis-
ciplinary collaborations across the University
and supporting the early career development
of HIV/AIDS investigators. Stephen Dewhurst,
director of the CFAR, is working with other
University HIV researchers to study the virus’s
effect on aging and to apply our understand-
ing of HIV RNA biology to the development of
new drugs.
The University’s Rare Books
and Special Collections
department houses more than
6,200 AIDS posters from 124
countries in 68 languages. The
collection—one of the world’s
largest—documents efforts
to educate people about HIV/
AIDS prevention, risks, social
advocacy, and compassion for
those affected.
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Preventing Suicide: NIH-Funded Research in China In 2011, the National Institutes of Health awarded the
University $1.1 million in support of a program that
has been training people in China to investigate the
causes and prevention of suicide. Eric Caine, chair of
URMC’s Department of Psychiatry, is the program’s
principal investigator. Caine and colleague Yeates
Conwell are cofounders of the University’s Center
for the Study and Prevention of Suicide. Caine is
also head of the China-Rochester Suicide Research
Program. In China, suicide is the fifth-leading cause of
death overall and the leading cause for people in the
15- to 34-year-old age range.
Leading the Way: Evolutionary BiologyThe University’s faculty members have made pioneering discoveries in evolutionary biology. H. Allen
Orr, the Shirley Cox Kearns Professor of biology, is the recipient of the Darwin-Wallace Medal, an
award that is presented to the leading minds in evolutionary science only once every 50 years. John
H. Werren, the Nathaniel and Helen Wisch Professor of Biology, is a leading expert in the field and a
fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. For his research on potential ways to control
river blindness (a disease that is especially prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa) and on ways to protect
crop plants from parasitic roundworms, John Jaenike has received two Gates Foundation grants.
Daven Presgraves was awarded the Dobzhansky Prize by the Society for the Study of Evolution in
recognition of his accomplishments as an outstanding young evolutionary biologist.
Orr’s innovative combination of studies on the biology of Drosophila (a genus of small flies whose
members are often referred to as fruit flies) and theoretical work proved the “dominance theory” of Haldane’s
rule—a hypothesis that has been controversial since it was proposed in 1922.
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PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH 19
Vision ResearchPioneering New Technologies to Improve EyesightOne of the world’s leading experts on human
vision, David Williams—the William G. Allyn
Professor of Medical Optics—has pioneered
new technologies that are improving people’s
eyesight. Williams received the 2012 António
Champalimaud Vision Award in Lisbon, Por-
tugal, in recognition of his work on adaptive
optics. In awarding the prize, the jury said that
Williams and his research group “have opened
up new possibilities for imaging retinal struc-
tures in the living eye.” The methods that Wil-
liams’s team developed are used throughout
the world in Lasik procedures today. Williams is
a faculty member of the University of Roches-
ter’s Institute of Optics, director of its Center for
Visual Science, and dean for research in Arts,
Sciences & Engineering.
The Center for Visual Science Founded in 1963, the University’s Center for
Visual Science (CVS) lies at the hub of vision
research on the River Campus and URMC.
Research themes include exploring the neural
mechanisms that underlie visual experience,
the role of vision in guiding behavior, and
advanced technologies of ophthalmic optics.
The center brings together scientists from a
variety of disciplines with the common goal
of pursuing excellence in vision research. With
more than 30 research laboratories, faculty
members from the departments of brain and
cognitive sciences, neurobiology and anatomy,
neurology, the Flaum Eye Institute, and optics
work collaboratively to address the grand
challenges in eye care.
With the help of computerized eye trackers, a
recent cognitive science study finds that at least
50 percent of people can see the movement of
their own hand even in the absence of all light.
David Williams’s laboratory
invented a high-resolution
camera to take the first
pictures ever of all three of the
classes of cone, the cells in the
retina responsible for daytime
vision and our perception of
color.
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Members of the student-led company Ovitz pose with a portable eye-diagnosis instru-
ment that they developed and are working to commercialize. Developed with the Institute
of Optics and the Flaum Eye Institute, the “EyeProfiler” is designed to be smaller, cheaper,
and more accurate than existing devices and especially suited for use with children.
The Flaum Eye InstituteAt the institute, teams of biologists, physicists,
engineers, and physicians from around the
University work together, along with corporate
partners, to conduct translational research fo-
cused on high-priority issues identified by the
National Eye Institute. Current areas of focus
include thyroid research, refractive research,
stroke research, and researching the optical
quality of the eye. The Flaum institute’s teams
of physicians and researchers are developing
new diagnostics and treatments to help pre-
serve vision in patients from around the world.
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VISION RESEARCH 21
With diverse areas of expertise, the University is uniquely po-sitioned to pursue research that spans the humanities and the arts to the sciences and technology. Combining the collective strength of faculty with hands-on opportunities for research, undergraduates and graduate students alike embrace the spirit of creativity here, one that infuses the cultural environment and enriches a broad range of scholarly pursuits.
Researchers at the University of Rochester and George Eastman House International
Museum of Photography and Film are using nanotechnology to understand and poten-
tially reduce image degradation. Pictured here, an American daguerreotype, circa 1841.
Discoveries in the Humanities and Sciences
23
Art and Digital Scholarship Joan Saab, associate professor of art and art
history and of visual and cultural studies,
is contributing to the evolution of how
humanities scholarship is carried out. For
several years, she has been an investigator
for the Alliance for Network Visual Culture,
a group that aims to enhance scholarly
understanding of visual practices in digital
culture and to create scholarly context for
the use of digital media. This work has been
supported by a grant from the Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation.
Saab’s new book project, Searching for
Siqueiros, about Mexican muralist David
Alfaro Siqueiros, has become a test case for
the future of “born digital” scholarship—
scholarship expressly created for, not simply
adapted to, a digital format. As part of the
Mellon grant, three university presses—
Duke, MIT, and the University of Califor-
nia—have agreed to publish the projects
using Scalar (a digital platform) as part of
the Mellon grant.
Physics and Photo Preservation Nicholas Bigelow, the Lee A. Dubridge
Professor of Physics, is bringing his
expertise in nanotechnology to bear on
the field of photo preservation through
research on 19th-century daguerreotypes.
Using 21st-century technology, Bigelow
and curators at the George Eastman House
International Museum of Photography and
Film, located a few miles away from the
University, are studying why these unique,
nonreproducible images are starting to de-
teriorate. The Eastman House holds one of
the world’s largest collections of daguerreo-
types, with about 5,000 images.
Through microscopy, the research team
has found that the silver daguerreotype plate
is a biologically active surface, a remarkable
finding because silver is naturally antimicro-
bial. The team is finding that small colonies of
fungi are growing and damaging the surface
on nearly every daguerreotype they exam-
ined. “There’s a miraculous piece of all this.
Forget about the daguerreotype for a minute:
what on earth is going on in the physics that
underlies this and the chemical process that
forms this?” says Bigelow. At the University’s
Integrated Nanosystems Center, known as
URNano, Bigelow and others are trying to
find answers to these questions.
BY THE NUMBERS
• One-third of the Univer-
sity’s graduate students
and about 15 percent of
its undergraduates come
from outside the United
States, with the largest
numbers coming from
China followed by India,
South Korea, and Taiwan.
• More than 70 percent of
the University’s graduate
housing residents are
international students.
• There are nearly 11,000
University of Rochester
alumni living abroad, with
the largest numbers living
in China and India.
• The University teaches a
dozen languages, includ-
ing English as a second
language.
24 DISCOVERIES IN THE HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES
Music and Technology ResearchBy combining the resources of the electrical and computer engineering department in
the Hajim School and the expertise at the Eastman School of Music, the University has
become the home of leading research and educational programs in audio and music
technology. Some research projects explore teaching computers how to “listen” to and
transcribe music from audio recordings; creating new, more expressive computer-
generated musical sounds and music; searching huge music databases using data sci-
ence; and even developing television screens that can radiate sound and perform double
duty as the display and loudspeaker in home entertainment systems.
J. A
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MUSIC AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH 25
Cognitive Science and Music Professor Elizabeth Marvin is both a cognitive researcher and a trained soprano—a rare com-
bination. She is professor of music theory at the University’s renowned Eastman School and
also professor of brain and cognitive sciences on the River Campus. Marvin is an expert in
music theory—the study of harmony and musical structure—and the coauthor of three widely
taught music theory textbooks. She investigates music cognition, an interdisciplinary field that
uses the neurological, computational, and experimental methods of cognitive science to inves-
tigate musical issues. She also conducts research on the acquisition of absolute pitch.
Along with Joyce McDonough, associate professor of linguistics and of brain and cognitive
sciences, and Anne Luebke, associate professor of biomedical engineering, Marvin has also
investigated the relation between music and speech processing. For the people who participated
in their research study, years of music training correlated significantly with lower ratios of speech
signal to interfering noise. These findings provide support for shared processing of music and
speech, and the tests they developed have potential applications in the hearing aid industry.
J. A
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26 DISCOVERIES IN THE HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES
Translation, Globalization, and CommunicationMost of the best books ever created were
written in a language other than English, yet
only three percent of all books published
in the United States are translated works.
In this age of globalization, one of the best
ways to preserve the uniqueness of cultures
while simultaneously recognizing their
connections is through the translation and
appreciation of international literature. The
literary translation studies program at the
University of Rochester takes a multifaceted
approach to the research involved in and the
art, technique, and business of translation.
Open Letter Books, Rochester’s literary
publishing house, connects readers with the
works of great international authors. Pub-
lishing 10 new books each year, recent titles
include Tirza by Arnon Grunberg and Maid-
enhair by Mikhail Shishkin. Open Letter also
runs the Best Translated Book Award and the
online literary website Three Percent.
As affiliates of the University’s literary
translation program (an interdisciplinary
program in the humanities that offers under-
graduate students an opportunity to study the
theory and practice of literary translation),
undergraduate and graduate students learn
the art and the technology involved in pub-
lishing and in literary translation.
Literature, History, and Digital Technology University faculty members are changing the
way knowledge is transferred, especially in
fields connected to literature and history. For
instance, Morris Eaves, the Richard L. Turner
Professor in the Department of English, coedits
the William Blake Archive, one of the first and
most complete online multimedia resources
designed for scholars. His undergraduate and
graduate students produce scholarly work that
is available in the archive. Russell Peck, the John
Hall Deane Professor of English, championed
the Consortium for Teaching Middle Ages project and its Middle English Text Series, which
have changed the study of medieval literature by making it more available and accessible to
students and teachers, both online and in print. Thomas P. Slaughter, the Arthur R. Miller
Professor of History, works on projects that provide students with hands-on skills in the digital
humanities, history, and historical editing. These include digitizing the documents of iconic
figures in American history, including William Seward, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony,
and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
THE MEMORIAL ART GALLERY
The gallery’s permanent
collection of 12,000 works
showcases 50 centuries
of world art and includes
important pieces by
Monet, Cézanne, Matisse,
Homer, and Cassatt. It also
features the only full-size
Italian Baroque organ in
North America, which is on
permanent loan from the
Eastman School of Music.
Outside the gallery, the
Centennial Sculpture Park
features anchor installations
by renowned international
artists Tom Otterness, Jackie
Ferrara, Wendell Castle, and
Albert Paley. The gallery was
founded in 1913 and was
given in trust to the Univer-
sity of Rochester. It is one of
the few university-affiliated
art museums in the country
that also serves as a public
art museum.
These are just some of the
books produced by Open Letter
Books, Rochester’s literary pub-
lishing house.BLA
KE A
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IVE;
J. A
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ENST
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OVE
RS: O
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LITERATURE, HISTORY, AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY 27
Excellence in Music and ArtThe Eastman School of MusicAs one of the world’s premier music schools, the Eastman
School has long been known for its high standards of
performance, learning, creativity, and teaching. More than
900 students, 100 full-time faculty, and 1,800 community
education students engage in the variety of musical classes
and programs available. The school presents more than 700
performances each year and is home to more than 20 student
ensembles, including its Eastman Wind Ensemble, the first of
its kind in the country and a pioneering force in the
symphonic wind band movement.
Undergraduate and graduate students here embrace the
highest levels of musicianship and scholarship. They also
have access to Eastman’s Sibley Music Library. Founded
in 1904, it is the largest academic music library in North
America. Eastman graduates are found in the best orchestras,
chamber groups, jazz ensembles, opera companies, and
bands and on Broadway, in Hollywood, and around the world.
And Eastman students and faculty regularly collaborate with
colleagues throughout the University.
The school’s Eastman Theatre serves as Rochester’s preemi-
nent performance space. Its grand Italian Renaissance-style
Kodak Hall serves as host to world-famous musicians and
conductors. It is also the primary performance space for the
Eastman Opera Theatre and the Eastman School’s larger
ensembles, including its orchestras, wind ensembles, jazz
ensembles, and chorale. It also is the principal hall for the
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
Eastman School faculty
members have trained
musicians who have become
leaders in their fields. These
include Alexander Courage,
composer of television and
movie music, including
the Star Trek theme; Renée
Fleming, Grammy Award–
winning operatic soprano;
Chuck Mangione, jazz
musician; Mitch Miller,
oboist, conductor, record
producer, and television
producer best known from
his “Sing Along with Mitch”
programs in the 1950s;
composer Kevin Puts, who
received the 2012 Pulitzer
Prize in Music; and William
Warfield, internationally
acclaimed bass-baritone
known for his work in Show
Boat and Porgy and Bess.
J. A
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AST
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OF
MU
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EXCELLENCE IN MUSIC AND ART 29
A History of InnovationThe Eastman School has led the way in
terms of musical innovation. In 1925, How-
ard Hanson, the school’s director, estab-
lished the American Composers Orchestral
Concerts. These provided unprecedented
opportunities for creating and perform-
ing American music. Never before had a
platform like this existed. Recognizing the
changing shape of music and the need to
innovate new ways to perform and market
consumer music, the school established
the Institute for Music Leadership. This was
the first center of its kind in the country fo-
cused on preparing students for entry into
the challenging and changing music world
of the 21st century.
An Incubator for Music Research In 2013, the Eastman School of Music inaugurated the Paul R. Judy Center for Applied Research, a
new incubator for alternative music ensembles and part of the school’s acclaimed Institute for Mu-
sic Leadership. The center was established to provide young musicians with the tools they need
to create their own performance opportunities and become self-sustaining artists. The center’s
establishment comes when many of America’s orchestras are faced with the long-term challenges
of aging audiences, financial
pressures, and competition
from other cultural programs.
At the same time, smaller
artist-led ensembles such as
Alarm Will Sound (which got its
start at the Eastman School),
eighth blackbird, and the
International Contemporary
Ensemble have emerged in
stature and grown in acclaim
and budget. The center will
encourage discussion on how
to rejuvenate orchestral perfor-
mance interest while fostering
new models of artistic innova-
tion, organization relationships,
and operational sustainability.
Alarm Will Sound
EAST
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30 DISCOVERIES IN THE HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES
The Institute for Popular MusicWith a unique expertise in this genre, the University of Rochester recently formed
the Institute for Popular Music on its River Campus. Classes explore a variety of music
popular throughout the world’s history, including during the 14th- to the 17th-century
Renaissance, mid-19th-century Civil War, late-19th-century Victorian era, the roaring
1920s, the groundbreaking 1960s, and today’s contemporary music. The institute
enhances River Campus and Eastman School offerings, builds on the musical strengths
inherent here, and promotes the scholarly research of popular music.
As the institute’s director, John Covach works with a group of seven faculty from the
University of Rochester and an advisory board of 13 professors from the United States
and the United Kingdom to develop programs that support research in fields including
musicology, music theory, ethnomusicology, and music performance. Covach has dual
appointments, as the Mercer Brugler Distinguished Teaching Professor of music and
chair of the River Campus’s Department of Music and as professor of music theory at
the Eastman School.
J. A
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EXCELLENCE IN MUSIC AND ART 31
Whether it is on a personal, community, or societal level, Rochester researchers are making discoveries that lead to an im-proved understanding of how the world works. Many provide insight into how we—as individuals and communities—think, behave, and communicate. Others are com-mitted to studying history and culture in order to gain perspective into what it means to be human. Still others contribute ideas, policies, and programs that help businesses, governments, and communities thrive.
Vasilii Petrenko, professor of Earth and Environmental
Sciences, holds a 50,000-year-old ice sample from
Antarctica in his University of Rochester lab.
Understanding How the World Works
J. A
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33
At Work in the Baby LabRichard Aslin, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor, professor of brain and cognitive sciences, and direc-
tor of the Rochester Center for Brain Imaging, is a pioneer in the field of cognitive development. His
work has shown how infants and toddlers develop cognitive abilities in both language and object
recognition based on the statistics of their environment or, in other words, the probability that
something will or will not happen. Within his on-campus Baby Lab, Aslin and his colleagues observe
children as they interact with objects and people (either “live” or in videos), while simultaneously
monitoring their eye-gaze patterns and brain activity. The Baby Lab is expanding with the addition
of a new faculty member, Celeste Kidd, who studies how infants and children make decisions about
allocating their attention or seeking rewards in a variety of lab-based tasks and online video games.
Grasping How People Think, Behave, and CommunicateThe Value of Intrinsic Motivation All people are motivated by a variety of factors, good grades,
rewards, reviews, people’s opinions, and more. Just as impor-
tantly, they are motivated from within by interests, curiosity, and
personal values. The interplay between these factors and the
needs of human nature is the basis of the groundbreaking work
of psychologists and professors Edward L. Deci and Richard M.
Ryan. In the 1980s, they revolutionized the study of motivation
by looking at it from a humanistic perspective and developing
the Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The theory maintains that
motivation develops from within us—grounded in our basic
human needs to develop our skills and capacities—to act of our
own accord and to connect to others and to our environment.
Today, health care professionals around the world embrace this
fundamental research finding.
J. A
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34 UNDERSTANDING HOW THE WORLD WORKS
Out of the Lab, Into the WorldRochester researchers in the brain and cognitive sciences department
work collaboratively with others across the University to help improve
the health and well-being of babies, children, and adults. And they are
driving new educational and medical therapies along the way.
Gaming and DevelopmentThe skills needed to play high-level games require our brains to work
in advanced ways. Rochester researchers have found that some video
games can enhance perception, learning, and decision making. Video
gaming research could drive the development of educational-
oriented games that help close gaps for those with attention deficit
disorders or who are on the autism spectrum.
Making DecisionsRochester researchers are investigating our perceived value of objects
and ideas, the value of rewards, and restraint. By understanding
how the brain makes decisions, new therapies can be developed to
address obsessive compulsive disorders, drug addiction, gambling
habits, and much more.
Adding It All UpResearchers in Rochester’s Kid NeuroLab explore numerical cogni-
tion and have determined that a primitive math system exists in the
brain—a precursor for understanding numerical computations—
which helps predict future math IQ performance. This helps them
identify potential learning issues and develop educational strategies.
Training the BrainResearchers in the University’s Center for Brain Imaging study stroke
victims and those with brain damage to better understand dysfunc-
tional parts of the brain and how to encourage the brain to think dif-
ferently. This helps patients overcome injury and helps neurosurgeons
identify the safest ways to operate.
The “marshmallow test” is a
classic experiment designed to
measure children’s self-control.
A recent University of Rochester
study demonstrates that delay-
ing gratification is influenced as
much by the environment as by
innate ability.
OUT OF THE LAB, INTO THE WORLD 35
Making Discoveries about Ourselves, Our Communities, and Our CulturesThe Social Meanings of Cultural ArtifactsA few years ago, Robert Foster, professor and chair of the Department
of Anthropology, came upon a unique and little-known treasure at
the Buffalo Museum of Science in upstate New York. Tucked away in
storage for 50 years was one of the largest and oldest collections of
Pacific Island artifacts anywhere in the world, the P. G. T. Black Collec-
tion. According to Foster, Buffalo was not a place one would expect to
find more than 6,200 objects from remote villages and colonial out-
posts across the islands of Melanesia. The collection, he says, provides
a glimpse of early encounters between Pacific Islanders and European
traders, missionaries, and collectors circa 1900. His scholarly work
will showcase the social meanings of the artifacts and culminate in
a book, a museum exhibit, and an online catalog. He is also working
with colleagues in Australia and Papua New Guinea to help make the
artifacts accessible to Pacific Islander communities and to provide a
rich set of resources for constructing local histories.
These body ornaments
from Papua New Guinea
are part of the P. G. T. Black
Collection.
J. A
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36 UNDERSTANDING HOW THE WORLD WORKS
Training STEM Educators to Help Young Students ThriveThe Warner School of Education
is committed to preparing its
graduate students to teach and
advocate for the critical science,
technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) skills needed by
the next generation to thrive.
Global challenges will require
strong math and science skills.
For many, including those
traditionally underserved by
schooling, this is an issue. April
Luehmann, associate professor,
designed a program rooted
in helping Warner students
advance STEM knowledge. Her
“Get Real! Science” program
uses hands-on, inquiry-based
activities to get middle and
high school students excited
about investigating real science
questions, including those
related to water quality.
Keeping It Local: the Mt. Hope Family CenterAt the Mt. Hope Family Center, located just off campus, faculty
members from the Department of Clinical and Social Sciences
in Psychology and their students make a difference in many
local lives by providing resources parents and children need
to build strong, healthy family and peer relationships. The
community connections provide a unique way to offer treat-
ment, prevention, research, and training programs focused
on human development, child maltreatment, and mental
disorders in children and families. Researchers here explore
many areas including addiction, depression, autism, and other
developmental disorders, parenting, and education reform
and develop knowledge that is critical to health and wellness.
MAKING DISCOVERIES ABOUT OURSELVES, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OUR CULTURES 37
Advancing Knowledge about the EarthMixing Oil and WaterJohn Kessler, associate professor in the Depart-
ment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, is a
chemical oceanographer concerned with how
methane dynamics across the world’s oceans
affect climate change. His expertise was called
on after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion
and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Along with
researchers from Texas A&M University, he found
that more than five months after the catastrophic
event, naturally occurring hydrocarbon-eating
bacteria that exist in the Gulf had consumed
and removed at least 200,000 tons of oil and
natural gas that spewed into the gulf from the
ruptured well head. This research is fundamental
to understanding the consequences of this spill
and predicting the behavior of future releases,
be they natural or industrial.
Ice Cores and Climate ChangeVasilii Petrenko (below), assistant professor in
the Department of Earth and Environmental
Sciences and the University’s first climate
specialist, holds a 250-year-old ice core sample
from a glacier in Greenland, while in the freezer
boxes around him are 50,000-year-old ice core
samples from the Antarctic. After melting the
ice in a special device, he studies the gases
from the air bubbles trapped inside to learn
about ancient climate. Petrenko is the recipient
of a Packard Fellowship, which allows promis-
ing scientists to pursue research early in their
careers.
Plumes of smoke formed
during efforts to remove oil
from the surface of the Gulf of
Mexico after the 2010 Deep-
water Horizon explosion.
JOH
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OP)
; J. A
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38 UNDERSTANDING HOW THE WORLD WORKS
Gaining Political and Economic Insight The Influence of Powerful CountriesRandall Stone, professor of political science
and director of the University’s Skalny Center
for Polish and Central European Studies,
researches the hidden politics in international
organizations. Stone argues that organizations
such as the International Monetary Fund and
the World Trade Organization are governed by
informal processes that allow the most pow-
erful countries to exert greater influence than
would be allowed by legal procedures and
formal vote shares. The downside of informal
power, he says, is weakened credibility and
legitimacy. Stone is a prize-winning author
and sought-after expert on the topic of inter-
national relations.
The Contemporary Consequences of SlaveryA recent study by Rochester political scientists
Avidit Acharya, Matthew Blackwell,
and Maya Sen shows that, although
slavery was abolished 150 years
ago, its political legacy still
lingers. The researchers
conducted a county-
by-county analysis of
census data and opinion
polls of more than
39,000 southern whites.
They found that white
Southerners who live today in
the Cotton Belt where slavery and
the plantation economy dominated are much
more likely to express more negative attitudes
toward blacks than their fellow Southerners
who live in nearby areas that had few slaves.
The data, says Sen, points to the importance
of institutional and historical legacy when
understanding political views and the lingering
economic effects of slavery.
Tradition of ExcellenceThe University is known worldwide for its study
of political science, economics, and business
practices. It is well regarded for its pioneering
game theory principles and for developing the
principal-agent problem, now known as the
economic theory of organizations. In 2012, U.S.
News & World Report ranked Rochester in the
top 10 for political methodology.
Looking back, Lionel Mackenzie established
the University’s doctoral program in economics
in 1957 and led the program to national prom-
inence. And in 1962, the University’s William
Riker, founder of the now mainstream field of
positive political theory, and Richard F. Fenno
Jr. produced what has been hailed by many as
the best doctoral program in political science
in the world.
Rochester economists have played key roles in
shaping policies. For instance, the late Walter Y.
Oi, the Elmer B. Milliman Professor of Econom-
ics, testified before the U.S. Congress as a staff
member of the draft review commission that
President Richard Nixon had established. As
one of the first people to point out the eco-
nomic inequalities of military conscription, his
analysis detailed the hidden costs of the mili-
tary draft and contributed to its repeal in 1973.
In recognition of his work, Oi later received the
U.S. Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstand-
ing Public Service.
Randall Stone, professor of
political science and director
of the University’s Skalny
Center for Polish and Central
European Studies
Walter Oi receives the
Secretary of Defense Medal
J. A
DA
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OP)
; IST
OCK
; MA
RJO
RIE
OI (
RIG
HT)
GAINING POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC INSIGHT 39
Contributing Ideas that Shape Business and SocietySome of the Leading Voices in Business The Simon Business School is a leading force
in researching and influencing management
theory and practice and educating future
business managers. Its faculty members make
up an elite group of 72 of the most recognized
leaders in their fields.
Robert Novy-Marx (left), associate professor
of finance at the Simon School, is a leading
voice on the national discussion on govern-
ment pensions and has even testified before
Congress and at state capitals on the topic.
His research has been covered in the New York
Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Financial
Times of London.
Abraham Seidmann (below), Xerox Professor of
Computers and Information Systems and Op-
erations Management, has expertise in medical
informatics, electronic commerce, and health
care management and is on the forefront of
researching and understanding the business
implications of information systems.
Toni Whited (above), the Michael and Diane
Jones Professor of Business Administration and
professor of finance, researches the effects of
financial frictions on corporate investment,
econometric solutions for measurement error,
the benefits of debt, and other aspects of
corporate finance. She was one of the founding
coeditors of Finance Research Letters.
SIM
ON
BU
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(BA
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)
40 UNDERSTANDING HOW THE WORLD WORKS
Using Data Science to Make Informed PredictionsFaculty scholars like John Duggan, who has a dual appointment in
the Departments of Political Science and Economics, are using data
science to predict how individual choices aggregate into larger be-
haviors affecting groups. Such analyses are useful in predicting voting
behavior and election outcomes and understanding the ups and
downs of financial markets.
Other scholars such as Curt Signorino of the Department of Political
Science are using it to understand why countries go to war. By aug-
menting data mining tools from the areas of genetics and finance, he
is comparing data on every combination of countries from the years
1900 to 2000, creating a model that fits the data more than three
times better than standard techniques.
Transforming Economic ResearchRonald W. Hansen, William H. Meckling Profes-
sor of Business Administration at the Simon
Business School, senior associate dean for pro-
gram development, and director of the Bradley
Policy Research Center, has led transformative
research on the economics of pharmaceutical
innovation. In the 1970s, he was the first to
estimate the full cost of developing new phar-
maceuticals including the cost of failure and
the time value of money. In framing this as an
investment process, the industry changed how
pharmaceutical research and development
would be pursued in years to come. Today, the
Simon School continues to shape ideas that
affect how the world does business.
J. A
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CONTRIBUTING IDEAS THAT SHAPE BUSINESS AND SOCIETY 41
Recognizing that opportunities and challenges no longer exist solely on a local or national scale, the Univer-sity is focused on educating global citizens. Through partnerships, research, and educational programs across its entire system, the Univer-sity of Rochester is making research discoveries that serve those around the world.
43
Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) PartnershipIn 2012, Rochester joined WUN, a consortium of 17 global universities
focused on collaborating to accelerate the creation of knowledge and
developing leaders who will be prepared to address the significant chal-
lenges and opportunities in a rapidly changing world. WUN’s mission
is to be one of the leading international higher education networks.
Rochester is the only private university in the network.
WUN combines the resources and intellectual power of its members
through a research development fund that is focused on collabora-
tively addressing climate change, cultural understanding, international
research and education, and public health and noncommunicable
disease. WUN also hosts more than 85 interdisciplinary research groups,
promotes short-term overseas research visits, and coordinates
research-oriented events and conferences, as well as virtual seminars.
An undergraduate student and study
abroad participant stands in front of the
Aurora, a former Russian cruiser, and now
museum in St. Petersburg.
44 MAKING CONNECTIONS
Davis United World College Scholarship ProgramRochester is a new partner of the Davis United World
College Scholarship Program, the largest undergradu-
ate scholarship program in the world. The program has
increased global diversity on campuses in the United
States by awarding more than $70 million to more
than 4,000 disadvantaged students from United World
College high schools since 2000. The high schools are
located in such places as Bosnia and Herzegovina,
China, India, Norway, and Swaziland.
Internationally Focused Programs on the River CampusThe University offers a variety of programs that build
on students’ increasing interest in world affairs. For
instance, it offers undergraduate degree programs in in-
ternational relations and in area studies, including East
Asian studies, a program that provides interdisciplinary
approaches to global questions.
Study abroad is also an important part of the under-
graduate experience. In fact, more than one-third
participate in these programs—double the national
average. Students in English, history, engineering, and
virtually all majors benefit from the rich opportunities
available to them.
The University has also been designated as one of
the “Top Producers of U.S. Fulbright Student Scholars,
2013–14.” In 2013 alone, 15 students received that
honor, giving them opportunities to advance their
studies, perform research, and teach English abroad
while serving as young ambassadors to their host coun-
tries. Since 2001, 83 students here have been named
Fulbright student scholars.
In 2012, the University established an Intercultural
Center on the River Campus. This is a dedicated place
for cultural groups to interact, collaborate, and foster in-
creased understanding and appreciation of each other.
More than 3,000 students
receive their bachelor’s, mas-
ter’s, and doctoral degrees at
Commencement each year.
In 2013, Steven Chu, a 1970
graduate, Nobel laureate in
physics, and U.S. Secretary
of Energy from 2008 to 2013,
inspired them with his Com-
mencement address. Chu is
recognized worldwide for his
significant contributions to
global energy solutions.
J. A
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ENST
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OP
AN
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IGH
T); Y
ELEN
A K
ERN
OG
ITSK
I
MAKING CONNECTIONS 45
If your institution is interested in visiting the University of Rochester, please send
details of your delegation to
University of Rochester Office of the Provost
200 Wallis Hall
Rochester, NY 14627 USA
UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS · 0942-1M-414SV www.rochester.edu/provost/innovation-book