Want to start your own business someday? Or better serve an organization you’re part of? The College offers a new workshop series called the Medallion Program that can help students become better leaders.

Run by the Rochester Center for Community Leadership in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of Students, the program aims to help college students build the leadership skills—such as confidence and resiliency—needed to run student organizations or to enact change in the community. The program is open to 
all University undergraduates.

Rachel Goodman ’20, an international relations major from Needham, Massachusetts, says the Medallion Program “provided a space for people who were interested in leadership to network and get to know each other.” A participant in the spring 2017 semester, Goodman says that in addition to helping her build specific skills, “I really enjoyed meeting different faculty who led the programs and learning from their leadership styles.”

Students may pick and choose from among the workshops. But those who complete the entire three-level program can opt to be inducted into the Medallion Society, which enables them to plan their own leadership programs and become peer facilitators or “leadership ambassadors” on campus.

Like Goodman, Brian Filipiak ’20, a geological sciences major from Glenview, Illinois, says the program has helped him develop relationships with other student leaders on campus.

“I have learned a great deal about myself and the world around me through these leadership workshops,” he says. “Many of the people who you meet in the program care about you and want to help you in any way possible, and that is the best part of the program, which is building relationships with the others in the program.”

Workshops for the Medallion Program are offered each week, starting in the beginning of the fall semester.

Slingshot to Success

Slingshot to Success is a leadership program run through the Rochester Center for Community leadership and held during Orientation. Upper-level mentors lead discussions and workshops about the benefits of getting involved in the College community during the first year and the importance of living a balanced life while on campus. Mentors will share how their leadership roles and initiatives have helped shape their college experience and personal growth.

Discussions are facilitated to present first-year students with the chance to share thoughts, concerns, and questions with upper-level students, who in turn address these areas by sharing their personal experiences. Workshop topics include goal setting, time management, procrastination, exiting your comfort zone, and diversity. The program is offered on a first-come, first-served basis and has space for 100 students.

Houhui Xia, associate professor of pharmacology and physiology and neuroscience, was jointly appointed the Paul Stark Professor in Pharmacology for the period from October 21, 2016 through June 30, 2021.

Xia’s research focuses on molecular and signaling mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in memory formation and mental health. He has received grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Science Foundation, and has published in the Journal of Cell Biology, the Journal of Neuroscience, and the Journal of Neurochemistry.

After receiving a BS in physics from Peking University and an MS in physics from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Xia earned a PhD in molecular biology and cell biology from the University of California, San Francisco.

Georas is board certified in both pulmonary and critical care medicine, and has been caring for patients with a variety of acute and chronic lung diseases for more than 20 years. He directs a research group investigating mechanisms of immune cell activation in the lung, with an emphasis on maladaptive immune responses in asthma. His research has been supported by the NIH and private foundations, with current studies aimed at developing new tests for epithelial barrier dysfunction in asthma.

Georas serves on editorial boards for several journals, and has chaired study sections for the NIAID and NHLBI. He has been published in the Journal of Immunology,���ٳ�� American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

After earning a BS in applied mathematics and biology and an MD from Brown University, he completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Duke University, followed by a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University.

A specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular diseases and in clinical trials in both adults and children, Ciafaloni is codirector of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Neuromuscular Clinic, program director of the neuromuscular medicine fellowship, and Director of the Pediatric Neuromuscular Medicine program in the Medical Center’s Neuromuscular Disease Unit.

She published in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Journal of Child Neurology, the Journal of Immunology, and the Journal of Pediatrics.

Ciafaloni graduated from the medical school at the Universita’ Statale di Milano, in Milan, Italy; received training in mitochondrial diseases at Columbia University; and completed her neurology residency and neuromuscular fellowships at Duke University. She joined the Neurology Department at Rochester in 2002.

Medina-Walpole is medical director of Monroe Community Hospital, a county-owned skilled nursing facility, one of the premier teaching nursing homes in the country.�� She spearheaded a program to integrate geriatrics for all medical students into the School of Medicine’s undergraduate curriculum. She has served as Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Director and codirected the Dean’s Teaching Fellowship, which trains faculty as master educators.

Her awards include the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Fellowship at Drexel University and the Dennis W. Jahnigen Memorial Geriatric Education Award from the American Geriatrics Society. On the board of directors of the American Geriatrics Society, Medina-Walpole works to effect change to further promote national excellence in geriatrics.

Medina-Walpole received a BS in biology and chemistry from St. Lawrence University and an MD from the University of Chicago. In addition, she completed her residency at the University of North Carolina Hospitals, and a fellowship in geriatric medicine at the University of Washington.

The recipients of this year’s staff awards will be recognized at an April 19 reception in Helen Wood Hall. Their names will also be inscribed on plaques in the Medical Center and in Wallis Hall on the River Campus.

Witmer Award

The Witmer Award for Distinguished Service is presented to staff members whose careers have been characterized by outstanding and sustained contributions to the University.

Janet Cushing

Administrator II
Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation
Center for Musculoskeletal Research

With 43 years of service and well-demonstrated dedication, creativity, and positivity, Janet Cushing is described by colleagues as the “go-to person” in her department.

Cushing started her career at the University in 1974 as a laboratory technician in medical/radiation and biology and biophysics, before joining the Department of Orthopaedics in 1979. She played a key support role in the growth of the research enterprise that culminated in the formation of the Center for Musculoskeletal Research in 2001. Over the past 15 years, her responsibilities increased as the center continued to expand. In 2008, Cushing was promoted to Administrator II, managing the day-to-day operations of the center.

“It is not an exaggeration to state that Janet was a steady force and a key factor in the success that we collectively enjoyed,” writes Hani Awad, professor of biomedical engineering and of orthopaedics and rehabilitation, who nominated Cushing for the award.

She is responsible for the post-award management of a research portfolio in the Center for Musculoskeletal Research, which as of fiscal year 2016 exceeded $7 million annually.

“Simply put, Janet’s contribution to the enterprise is woven into the fabric of what the Center for Musculoskeletal Research is today,” writes Mike Zuscik, associate professor of orthopaedics, of pathology, and of biomedical engineering, in a letter supporting Cushing’s nomination.

Joyce Johnson

Associate vice president for investments and associate treasurer
Department of Institutional Resources

With the University for 42 years, Joyce Johnson does her job with a “quiet confidence” that has earned her the respect of colleagues within and outside the University.

In his nomination letter, Douglas Phillips, senior vice president for Institutional Resources, says Johnson continually seeks ways to improve the University’s investment return as well as the process by which decisions are made.

“She is not one who quietly follows along the easy path,” Phillips says. “She questions almost everything and does so in a disarming manner, usually accompanied by a laugh.”

Colleagues cite her “extraordinary” institutional memory and team approach as an important asset to the department—and the University.

“Joyce’s well-informed, respectful, and amicable interaction with investment managers over the years has contributed significantly to the University’s reputation as being among the best-managed endowments in the nation,” writes Robert Rahbari, an investment officer in the Office of Institutional Resources.

Peg Lee

Senior HR business partner
Human Resources

Peg Lee has spent 30 years in Human Resources at the Medical Center, dedicating her career to promoting a work environment where people feel valued and where they can enjoy professional growth.

Lee is described as trusted and fair, accountable, and as a supportive teacher and coach. She often faces difficult situations where honesty, caring, and integrity are critical. Colleagues say she demonstrates these attributes in her interactions and decision-making.

“This is exemplified in the way she promotes ‘doing the right thing,’ even if it the more difficult thing to do,” writes her nominator, Kathy Gallucci, associate vice president for human resources at the Medical Center and executive director for human resources for the University.

Patricia Witzel, associate vice president and chief nursing officer says Lee is highly respected by members the Nursing Department, for whom she has been the primary human resources contact for the past 15 years.

“Her calm demeanor and respectful approach is evident in all her interactions, even as she is dealing with difficult or complex situations,” Witzel writes.

Donna Porcelli

Graduate program administrator
Department of Biomedical Engineering

After joining the University in 1976 as a secretary in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Donna Porcelli built a reputation for being a loyal, honest, and “extremely knowledgeable” resource for students and faculty in the department. When she moved to the Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2001, that reputation continued to grow.

“Donna has been an exceptional role model and she has been highly respected and admired by each of our staff members over the years,” writes Diane Dalecki, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, in her nomination letter.

In her current position, Porcelli plays a key role in graduate admissions and recruiting activities for the department. Colleagues say she has touched the lives of countless graduate students in biomedical engineering over the years, and has helped them be successful.

“Donna’s dedication to the University’s mission and values can be summed up by her diligent and tireless work ethic, which has made her a rock for our department,” writes Hani Awad, professor of biomedical engineering and chair of the department’s graduate committee. “Donna is willing to do whatever it takes to support our graduate program.”

Anne Swantz

Associate director of the Sovie Center for Advance Practice
Department of Nursing

Anne Swantz is a strong leader and role model who personifies the institution’s values of integrity, compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence, her colleagues say.

Swantz joined the University in 1978 as a pediatric nurse before quickly advancing to nurse leadership positions. Today, Swantz leads more than 500 nurse practitioners and physician assistants as associate director of the Sovie Center for Advance Practice. Under Swantz’s leadership, the program has grown into one of the largest advance practice networks in the county.

“Anne is a true collaborator. She builds relationships and gains the trust and confidence of those around her, making her a well-respected member of the leadership team,” her nominators write.

Colleagues supporting her nomination cite Swantz’s creativity as she helped design and develop Advance Practice Provider (APP) residency programs for emergency medicine and critical care to help them better acclimate to high-stress clinical environments. She also partnered with the Physician Wellness Committee to make the group’s physician wellness educational sessions available to APPs.

“Anne is recognized by her peers and colleagues for her commitment to excellence, collaborative spirit, and her ability to successfully execute complex initiatives,” writes Patricia Witzel, associate vice president and chief nursing officer.

Meliora Award

The Meliora Award recognizes staff members whose work performance and dedication during the preceding few years exemplify the University’s motto, Meliora.

Arts, Sciences & Engineering Research Office Team

The AS&E Research Office Team works to assist faculty in achieving their research and scholarly goals by supporting the preparation and submission of grant and award applications.

The team has been integral to winning grants from such bodies as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Mellon Foundation. It plays a vital role in orienting new faculty to the research culture and wide range of resources available in the University.

The team—which consists of Debra Haring, Cindy Gary, Dale Hess, and Paula Losey—has implemented a number of projects in recent years, including a new AS&E research website; the seed grant program known as PumpPrimer; a database for fellowships and awards; analyses of peer institutions; workshops and training sessions on grants and awards; and workshops and meetings designed to spark interdisciplinary collaborations aligned with strategic priorities throughout the University.

“The AS&E research team is truly exceptional, and their efforts have reaped numerous rewards to the AS&E research mission,” says Wendi Heinzelman, dean of the Hajim School

Candice Lucas

Director of community health services
Center for Community Health

Candice Lucas is director of Community Health Services and the Cancer Services Program of Monroe County at the Center for Community Health. In her role, she has expanded the Cancer Services Program, which provides financial assistance for uninsured and underinsured people in need of cancer screenings. She secured more than $500,000 in grant funding to expand the Healthy Living Program into a suite of community healthy lifestyle programs.

“She embodies the spirit of Meliora as expressed in her vigorous and sustained efforts over several years to promote and enhance community service excellence, through innovation and collaboration, which have resulted in improved health outcomes in the community,” writes Nancy Bennett, director of the Center for Community Health, in her nomination letter.

As the Race and Health Disparities Workgroup chair since 2013, Lucas was instrumental in Monroe County’s ability to secure a five-year, $8 million Health Professions Opportunity Grant, which is designed to help entry-level, low-income employees identify a health care career path.

“Lucas lives the values of Meliora and is in constant pursuit of excellence, professional growth, and personal improvement,” writes Bennett.

Marilynn Reif

Program administrator
Department of Emergency Medicine

Marilynn Reif has helped lead numerous projects that have advanced patient care.

Reif has worked on the conversion of Lakeside Hospital into a branch of UR Medicine, the expansion of UR Urgent Care sites throughout Monroe County, and program development at the Strong West Emergency Department. The success of the emergency department relies in large part on her diligent efforts, her colleagues say.

“Marilynn Reif has been a tireless advocate for the Ģ����ý and for the patients that seek care across our institution,” writes Mike Kamali, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, who nominated Reif for the award. “Her one most distinguishable characteristic—integrity—has permeated throughout our department, helping make urgent and emergent care highly regarded,”

Adam Anolik, chief financial officer at Strong Memorial Hospital and Highland Hospital, also offered praise for Reif: “Marilynn is someone who I look forward to working with regardless of the subject, as her experience has shown that she is someone who will focus the teams on the goals at hand while not missing any of the critical details necessary to ensure success.”

HRMS Team

The Human Resources Management System team is celebrated for successfully tackling three large projects over the last year: automating licensing verification across the clinical enterprise, completely overhauling the graduate student appointment process, and changing the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) pay exemption status for approximately 1,500 employees.

When the FLSA rule change was held up by a last-minute federal court injunction, the team only had a few days to reverse all the work it had done to ensure that employees were paid the correct amount.

“Their ability to make changes on a moment’s notice prevented a painful transition for employees and saved the University from a difficult situation,” writes nominator Kathy Miner, director of University Human Resources Administrative Services.

The team—which includes Doris Ludek, Candace Bush, Christine Colaluca, Ronald Herreid, Bernice Jurczak, Joan Mark, Brian Mochrie, and Denise Valone—successfully accomplished all these projects while continuing to perform their regular duties.

Nicole Grodis, administrator in the Nursing Practice, worked with the HRMS Team during the license verification automation.

“They were always willing to address my issues and concerns,” she writes in a letter supporting the team’s nomination. “I was skeptical going into this project how well it would work, but the HRMS team was diligent, respectful, and collaborative with all of my issues and concerns.”

Staff Community Service Award

The Staff Community Service Award honors a nonmanagement staff member whose commitment best exemplifies service to the University and the Greater Rochester community.

Andrea Clarke

Community liaison
Center for Community Health

Andrea Clarke is deeply committed to improving health in Rochester.

In her role with the Center for Community Health, Clarke helps patients with high blood pressure make lasting changes in their lifestyle, connects underserved residents of Monroe County to health services, and creates positive working relationships with other community organizations.

“Andrea Clarke has a heart of gold,” writes Shaquana Divers, director of the Heart Advocate Program at the Center for Community Health, in her nomination letter. “Her generous spirit and passion for community health, expressed in outstanding performance in her work roles and also in her many university outreach and community service activities, are an inspiration to others.”

Beyond her work at the University, Clarke is extensively engaged in community service. She volunteers with the Blood Pressure Ambassador Program; UR Street Outreach; the Rochester Jamaica Organization; WellVentions; Foodlink; the Boys and Girls Club; the Champions of Change clothing drive; the Community Health-project Advisory Board at the University’s Laboratory for Aging, Population Health, Disparities, and Intervention Research; and the Center for Community Health’s Special Events Committee.

“It is truly a pleasure to work with her as a volunteer and I am impressed by the other volunteer projects Andrea is always taking on to improve our community. Every time I see and speak with her, she in involved with a project that I admire,” writes Colleen Begner, event coordinator at the American Heart Association.

The Memorial Art Gallery’s “” lecture series is in its third season of celebrating the creative lives and private hobbies of Rochesterians. This week, the event focuses on students and the surprising double lives they sometimes lead.

Here, we highlight those students being featured at the “Hidden Passions” event on Thursday, February 9.

Art and the unseen

Dan Hargrove ’17 (KEY) is an international relations major with two distinct pursuits he has followed since childhood.��The first is his art. With no formal training, Hargrove has honed his craft, creating detailed, colorful ink and watercolor drawings which he showcases in an online portfolio at .��He’ll also be discussing the coral reef he created and has maintained in an aquarium at home since he was 14 years old.

Going with the grain

Erik Rosenkranz ’18 is a mechanical engineering major who hopes to pursue a career as a civil engineer. He is captivated by bridges, looking at them and analyzing them. But his “hidden passion” is for woodworking, especially the longboards that he builds and rides.

‘Our goal was simple. We wanted to help as many refugees as we could.’

Engineering students Omar Soufan ’17 (left) and Ibrahim Mohammad ’17 knew from the minute they met that they were bonded by their pasts—and their future. Together they share a “hidden passion” that has led them to create 3-D printed prosthetics for Syrian refugees.

“Hidden Passions puts our friends and neighbors center-stage so that we can marvel at the extraordinary creative adventures happening all around us … and perhaps find inspiration for our own,” says Jonathan Binstock, the Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director of the Memorial Art Gallery.

Here, we highlight one member of the University community who is being featured this season.

Erik Rosenkranz ’18 has been interested in woodworking since taking shop classes in middle school in Dover Plains, New York. He has built coffee tables and picture frames. He has a particular interest in creating longboards—a larger type of skateboard designed for speed instead of tricks.

It was his hobby that helped him get through the difficult days following his father’s sudden death.

“The first thing and the only thing I did the week after he had passed was I went into school and I built two longboards,” Rosenkranz says. He remembers telling a teacher’s aide that “my dad just passed—this is all I want to do.” Rosenkranz now has one of those two longboards, featuring an intricate inlaid wood pattern, hanging on the wall of his dorm room.

Rosenkranz is a mechanical engineering major who hopes to pursue a career as a civil engineer. He is captivated by bridges, looking at them and analyzing them.

“Some people take art just for the stress relief. I just like building stuff,” he says. “It gives me that time away from classes, from anything personal or social that’s bothering me and it just gets me away, puts me in my own zone, and let’s me start with something and then finish with something else.”

He doesn’t just build longboards—he also rides them.

“I love going over the walking bridge [on campus],” he says. “You push to the top, you give two extra big pushes on your way down, and you go around the turns and just slide down. It’s almost like surfing in a way, where you just get to enjoy the flow of it. It just gives you a good feeling. You’re just flowing through air in front of you. There’s nothing to really worry about.”

Rosenkranz’s next woodworking project is a mahogany and pine chessboard that he plans to make for his fraternity house, which will be inlaid with the Sigma Phi Epsilon letters. He plans to use the 3-D printers in Rettner Hall to fashion the chess pieces.

“Everyone should have that side hobby, because if everyone’s focusing on their schoolwork, if everyone’s focusing on their job, you’re going to get stressed out,” he says. “Everyone has that hidden passion, something that they like, and whatever that is, you should always go in and do the best. Because those times that you’re doing whatever you want to do are when you’re being you—you’re being true to yourself.”

Reis is a leading researcher in the field of social psychology and is credited with helping to launch the field of relationship science, studying the factors that influence the quantity and closeness of social interaction, and the consequences of different patterns of socializing for health and psychological well-being. He is recognized as a groundbreaking researcher of methods for studying social interaction in its natural context, through the development of tools like the Rochester Interaction Record, a technique that allows researchers to study patterns and characteristics of social relations that occur in everyday life.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the City College of New York, and a master’s degree and PhD in social-personality psychology from New York University. Reis joined the Ģ����ý in 1974.

A prolific researcher, Reis is the author or editor of eleven books and more than 240 published studies, reviews, and other professional articles. He has published empirical investigations of attraction, gender, intimacy, emotion, attachment, and well-being.

Here are a few of their stories.

Photos by J. Adam Fenster

Emily Adams, MBA student at Simon Business School and research administrator in the Department of Neurology

Emily Adams enlisted with the U.S. Army Reserves in May 2007 after finishing her second year of college at SUNY Geneseo as a math major. “My dad went to West Point, so I’ve always had that in the back of my mind, that I wanted to serve in some capacity,” she says. She is a civil affairs specialist, a position that acts as a liaison between the local populace and military forces in a region to help rebuild infrastructure. While Adams has not yet been deployed overseas, she says. “I really look forward to it.”

Adams enrolled in the MBA program at Simon Business School because it would give her “a little bit of everything.” She says it was hard to balance her Army Reserve training—a weekend a month, and two weeks per year—with her coursework, but also exciting because she likes to remain busy. “You have to choose wisely and manage your time well.”

She found that the skills that she learned at Simon were valuable in the military—and vice versa. “You really learn how to communicate with people of all ages and all backgrounds in the military, so I found that useful at Simon.”

Adams is currently a sergeant in the Reserves and a research administrator in neurology at the Medical Center. She manages grants, clinical trials, budgeting, and finances. She says that her military training enabled her to be more confident communicating with the neurologists and to take risks to learn what she needs to know.

“I’m really proud of what I do, but I’m also very grateful to Simon and the Med Center for the understanding and support that they give to people in the military,” she says. “This community is quite positive and supportive. I guess I’m just grateful.”

John Bissonette ’19, senior analyst with University IT

Growing up at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, where his father worked on the water systems for nuclear missiles, John Bissonette ’19 had always wanted to fly B1B bombers or F22 fighter jets for the Air Force. That dream ended at age 15 when he learned that he needed glasses. But it didn’t derail his desire to serve his country.

Bissonette remembers watching images on CNN of convoys crossing Iraq as part of Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s. “I told my mom, ‘I want to fight a desert war,’” Bissonette recalls. “There’s something beautiful about it—the emptiness of the desert.”

Fifteen years later, he got his chance. After exploring the Army and Air Force, Bissonette surprised himself by joining the Marine Corps in 2005. He was deployed to Iraq in September 2007 as part of the surge of troops ordered by President George W. Bush. After his seven-month tour as a network administrator, Bissonette was eager for another deployment. “It felt relevant, like I was doing something important,” he says.

He was sent back to the Middle East, providing support for air operations from the ship where he was stationed. Bissonette administered the Joint Mission Planning System and trained other people to use the system.

When his service ended, he moved to Rochester with some friends from the Marines and enrolled in an information technology program at Rochester Institute Technology. But “my heart was not in it,” he says. “[The Marines] don’t really teach you how to transition back. I felt like I lost my identity. You feel like you have nothing in common with anyone.”

He credits his girlfriend, Elizabeth, for helping him get back on track. He studied nursing at Monroe Community College, and became a contractor with the University’s Data Center. Last year he was hired for a full-time position as a senior analyst with University IT. A presentation by Brendan Mort, director of the Center for Integrated Research Computing, piqued Bissonette’s interest in the University’s data science program—so much so that he knew he wanted to apply. He received his acceptance letter during the same week he had the opportunity to take a job at Edwards Air Force Base. But he says he made the right decision to choose data science: “The work is challenging in a way I want to be challenged.”

Darrick Dutcher, Simon Business School MBA student

Darrick Dutcher grew up in North Carolina and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2006, after receiving his undergraduate degree from East Carolina University. He joined the military for the educational benefits and the opportunity to improve his leadership skills.

Dutcher was stationed with the 1st Cavalry out of Fort Hood, and served two tours in Iraq as a platoon leader working with the Iraqi army and police to train and develop their forces in Balad and Mosul. He also completed a tour in Afghanistan, where he was responsible for planning helicopter schedules and support in northern Afghanistan.

Dutcher left the military in 2013 at the rank of captain. He is now a student at the Simon Business School, scheduled to graduate in March.

He has been pleased with the support for veterans at the University. “I’ve had zero worries about financial issues,” Dutcher says. He adds that the help he received with the required paperwork allowed him to focus more on his studies.

After graduation, Dutcher plans on changing his career path from operations to product management with his current company, Semrock, an optical filter manufacturer.

Bryan Yates ’13, health project coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry

Bryan Yates ’13 was working on his undergraduate degree at the College when he received news that a high school friend was killed while serving as a Navy Seal in Afghanistan. Yates had considered joining the military before that, but the death of his friend prompted him to take action. He withdrew from the University before his senior year and enlisted in the Army, where he was trained as a combat medic and stationed in Hawaii.

Starting in October 2008, he spent a year as a platoon medic in Iraq. He was deployed again in March 2011, this time to Afghanistan—next to the Pakistani border—where he was a senior line medic with the scout infantry. Yates recalls the deployment as a “wild year” along a dangerous route. In addition to his duties as a medic, he served as sergeant of the guard for the base defense operation, ensuring the equipment at the guard posts was operational and overseeing the guards.

The transition back into civilian life was challenging. He returned to Rochester, to his wife and two young children, and ran a tree service to “get my footing back and to adjust to being a civilian.”

Yates returned to the University to finish his degree, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2013. He recalls his final year of college as a “great experience” and credits the University for the support he needed to finish his degree.

Yates knew he wanted to help veterans—something he gets to do in his current role at the University. For the past year he’s been working with professors of psychiatry Kerry Knox and Peter Wyman on projects aimed at improving suicide prevention programs, specifically for service members. He’s also taking graduate-level epidemiology classes at the School of Medicine and Dentistry, something that’s been helping him in his work.

Meanwhile, he continues his service as a squad leader with the 680th Engineer Company Army Reserve unit based in nearby Webster, New York.

A history of service

Today, we say “thank you” to students, alumni, faculty, and staff — past and present — who are veterans of our armed forces.

Historic photos provided by Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation.