The is easing back into its beloved traditions this fall with a variety of virtual and in-person events for alumni, students, parents, and friends.

“Meliora 2021” is the first large alumni event of the academic year. Scheduled for Friday, October 1, and Saturday, October 2, the celebratory weekend is designed especially for the Class of 2020, parents and families, and reunion classes whose year of graduation ends in 0, 1, 5, or 6. It also marks the first reunion celebration for the Class of 2021.

The signature event of the weekend will be the “One University” Commencement Ceremony on Saturday morning for all students who had degrees conferred in 2020.

Last year, President Sarah Mangelsdorf promised 2020 graduates an in-person commencement as soon as it was feasible. “I am so happy we are able to offer the Class of 2020 their moment,” Mangelsdorf says. “These students persevered through such a difficult time in our history. Some never had the opportunity to return to campus to say goodbye to friends and classmates, or to thank faculty and staff. I look forward to seeing them and their families back on campus this fall.”

, the Academy Award–winning actor, producer, and gender equality advocate, will give the commencement address on Saturday. As the founder and chair of the nonprofit Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, she is working to increase the representation of women and reduce gender stereotyping in media and films targeting young audiences. Davis’s speech will be broadcast live to all Rochester alumni and parents through a special website.

On Friday night, comedian, actress, entrepreneur, advocate, and author will perform. Named one of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics by Rolling Stone, Cho is active in antiracism, anti-bullying, and gay rights campaigns and was recently honored with the Intrepid Award from the National Organization for Women.

“We are eager to welcome back to campus our alumni and friends who missed out on so much last year—our 2020 graduates, our reunion classes, and of course our parents and families,” says Thomas J. Farrell ’88, ’90W (MS), senior vice president for University Advancement. “We are planning a variety of intellectual and entertaining programs that will allow our guests to fully experience Rochester while we celebrate and honor the important life milestones that happened during the pandemic.”

Meliora 2021 will feature academic lectures and programming as well as a social village with food trucks, live music, and more. All events will be subject to campus safety guidelines and visitor policies. Check the Meliora 2021 website regularly for updates.

Meliora Weekend will fully return in 2022 when the annual event will once again be open to all alumni, families, and friends.

It’s not every year that Meliora Weekend guests have the opportunity to participate in the inauguration of a new University president. On Friday, October 4, the Ģą˝´«Ă˝ community will come together to commemorate the inauguration of Sarah Mangelsdorf, the University’s eleventh president. Members of the local community, University trustees, delegates from colleges and universities across the country, government leaders, and other invited guests are expected to attend, and many activities will be available for students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends. A complete schedule of Inauguration Week activities will be announced later this summer.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Sarah Mangelsdorf’s inauguration will occur during Meliora Weekend,” says Thomas J. Farrell ’88, ’90W (MS), senior vice president for University Advancement. “Combining the energy and excitement of Meliora Weekend with this historic occasion will ensure that as many members of the Ģą˝´«Ă˝ family as possible can be part of this special set of activities. This is going to be a fun, interesting, and memorable Meliora Weekend!”

Other highlights of the weekend include:

A Conversation with Ann Patchett

Saturday, October 5

Celebrated author Ann Patchett has written seven books, including international bestseller Bel Canto. In September, she releases her newest novel to date, The Dutch House, a moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Patchett has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Women’s National Book Association’s Award and the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for Fiction by an American Woman. Her books have been both New York Times Notable Books and New York Times bestsellers. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. Patchett is a frequent contributor to many publications, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Eastman Presents: Jon Batiste

Saturday, October 5

Jon Batiste’s latest album, HOLLYWOOD AFRICANS, takes listeners on a journey of his own personal and cultural heritage, weaving a tapestry out of original material and American standards that carries the listener from the early jazz of New Orleans to the present day. The acclaimed singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and leader of the group Stay Human—the house band of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert since 2015—has performed in more than 40 countries and on notable stages including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Grammys.

Comedian Vanessa Bayer

Saturday, October 5

Emmy-nominated actress, comedian, and Saturday Night Live alumna Vanessa Bayer is best known for her hilarious sketches, Weekend Update routines, and recurring characters such as weather women Dawn Lazurus. She spent seven years on the hit sketch show from 2010–2017. Bayer is also recognized for her roles in films such as Trainwreck, Office Christmas Party and Netflix’s Ibiza. Adding author to the list of achievements, she will release her children’s book, “How Do You Care For A Very Sick Bear?” in June.

“Meliora Weekend is the ideal occasion to rekindle your school spirit, experience something new, learn from an inspiring faculty member, or join your classmates at a reunion gathering,” says Carol Karp ’74, P’11, University trustee and chair of both the Alumni Board and River Campus Libraries National Council. “We are especially lucky this year to be part of such a historic event as we all officially welcome Sarah to our community.”

Meliora Weekend 2019 runs Thursday, October 3 through Sunday, October 6. While keeping true to the academic and intellectual traditions our alumni, parents, and friends have come to expect, the weekend also features a fun new social village, food trucks, live music, carnival games, and much more. Please check the website for updates.

Robin Roberts to deliver keynote

Robin Roberts, coanchor of ABC’s Good Morning America will deliver the keynote address from the Palestra in the River Campus’s Goergen Athletic Center on Saturday, October 14.

Under Roberts’ leadership, Good Morning America won five Daytime Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Morning Program” from 2007 to 2009 and again in 2014 and 2017. She has conducted interviews with a diverse group of newsmakers, including former President Barack Obama and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and has done extensive reporting around the globe on breaking news events such as the devastating earthquake in Haiti and the AIDS crisis in Africa. She has also won personal fights against breast cancer and the bone marrow disease myelodysplastic syndrome, which she recounts in her memoir, Everybody’s Got Something (2014).

Peggy Noonan offers an afternoon of perspective

On Friday, October 13, Peggy Noonan, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Wall Street Journal and best-selling author, will bring her thoughtful analysis of the nation and its leaders to the annual Presidential Symposium hosted by President Joel Seligman.

Noonan’s political experience as a member of the White House staff and a keen observer has given her humorous anecdotes and thought-provoking insight. She has authored nine books on American politics, history, and culture, and her essays have appeared in TIME, Newsweek, The Washington Post, and other publications. This year, she received the Pulitzer Prize for Political Commentary for her coverage of the 2016 presidential election.

Corea/Gadd Band brings jazz to Kodak Hall

With a new studio album dropping this fall, the Corea/Gadd Band will perform in concert at Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre on Friday, October 13.

Keyboardist and composer Chick Corea is a 63-time Grammy Award nominee (fourth-most of all-time) and a 22-time Grammy Award winner. He’s also earned three Latin Grammy Awards.

Drummer and Rochester native Steve Gadd ʼ68E is among the most well-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers. Co-leading a band for the first time, Corea and Gadd have previously produced albums together including The Leprechaun and My Spanish Heart. Both have performed to sold-out crowds at Rochester’s International Jazz Festival in recent years.

Mike Birbiglia brings his comedy show to the Palestra

Comedian and storyteller Mike Birbiglia will take the stage at the Louis A. Alexander Palestra at the Goergen Athletic Center for two shows on Saturday, October 14.

Birbiglia has performed in front of audiences worldwide, from the Sydney Opera House to Carnegie Hall. His most recent shows, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend and Thank God for Jokes, were both filmed for Netflix. Birbiglia has released four albums for Comedy Central Records, including My Secret Public Journal Live, which was named one of the “Best Comedy Albums of the Decade” by The Onion AV Club. In addition to performing live, Birbiglia is an author and filmmaker who wrote, directed, and starred in the acclaimed films Sleepwalk with Me and Don’t Think Twice. His book, Sleepwalk with Me and Other Painfully True Stories, was a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. As an actor, Birbiglia has appeared on Orange is the New Black, Inside Amy Schumer, and Girls, as well as in the films Trainwreck, The Fault in Our Stars, and Popstar.

Miller’s Court welcomes distinguished panelists

On Saturday, October 14, Jeffrey Toobin, staff writer for The New Yorker and senior analyst for CNN, will join noted attorney and broadcaster Arthur Miller ’56, ’08 (Honorary) to discuss and interpret the law in one of Meliora Weekend’s signature events, Miller’s Court.

Panelists bring a breadth of experience and knowledge to the event. Robert Sack ’60 is a second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge and Columbia Law School adjunct professor; University President and CEO Joel Seligman is the G. Robert Witmer, Jr. Professor; New York University President Emeritus John Sexton ’05 (Honorary) is the Benjamin Butler Professor of Law and NYU Law School’s Dean Emeritus, as well as a URochester trustee; Congresswoman Louise Slaughter represents New York’s 25th district; and Toobin is a noted lecturer and best-selling author.

Much more to see and do

The Meliora Village returns this year to Wilson Quadrangle, featuring family activities, food trucks, and student performances on Friday and Saturday. There are also sporting events, lectures, music and theater performances, tours, and more offered throughout the weekend. The full schedule is posted at .

Robin Roberts, co-anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America (GMA), will be the keynote speaker for the Ģą˝´«Ă˝â€™s 17th Meliora Weekend, headlining a weekend that also features a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and a 22-time Grammy Award winner.

Meliora Weekend kicks off on Thursday, October 12, and continues through Sunday, October 15. Roberts will deliver her address from the Louis A. Alexander Palestra on the River Campus on Saturday, October 14.

Under Roberts’ leadership, GMA won three consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Morning Program” from 2007 to 2009 and again in 2014. She has conducted interviews with a diverse group of newsmakers, including former President Barack Obama and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and has done extensive reporting around the globe on breaking news events such as the devastating earthquake in Haiti and the AIDS crisis in Africa. She has also won personal fights against breast cancer and the bone marrow disease myelodysplastic syndrome, which she recounts in her memoir Everybody’s Got Something (2014).

Roberts will be part of a cast of special guests who will be featured throughout Meliora Weekend.

An afternoon of perspective with Peggy Noonan

On Friday, October 13, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Wall Street Journal and best-selling author Peggy Noonan will bring her thoughtful analysis of the nation and its leaders to the annual Presidential Symposium hosted by President Joel Seligman.

Noonan’s political experience as a member of the White House staff and a keen observer has given her humorous anecdotes and thought-provoking insight. She has authored nine books on American politics, history, and culture, and her essays have appeared in TIME, Newsweek, The Washington Post, and other publications. On April 10, 2017, she received the Pulitzer Prize for Political Commentary for her coverage of the 2016 presidential election.

Corea / Gadd Band bring jazz to Kodak Hall

With a new studio album dropping this fall, the Corea/Gadd Band will perform in concert at Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre on Friday, October 13.

Keyboardist and composer Chick Corea is a 63-time Grammy Award nominee (fourth-most of all-time) and a 22-time Grammy Award winner. He’s also earned three Latin Grammy Awards. Drummer and Rochester native Steve Gadd ʼ68E is among the most well-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers. Co-leading a band for the first time, Corea and Gadd have previously produced albums together including The Leprechaun and My Spanish Heart. Both have performed to sold-out crowds at Rochester’s International Jazz Festival in recent years.

Jeffrey Toobin serves on Miller’s Court

On Saturday, October 14, Jeffrey Toobin, staff writer for The New Yorker and senior analyst for CNN, will join noted attorney and broadcaster Arthur Miller ’56, ’08 (LLD) to discuss and interpret the law in one of Meliora Weekend’s signature events, Miller’s Court.

Previously an assistant U.S. attorney, Toobin is one of the most recognized and admired legal journalists in the country. He is a noted lecturer and best-selling author. His book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson was the basis for the FX Network’s acclaimed 10-part limited series American Crime Story (2016).

“Meliora Weekend celebrates the best of the URochester, from our ground-breaking research to our spirit of creativity and innovation,” says Paul T. Lanzone ’03, assistant vice president for alumni relations and constituent engagement. “We are pleased to offer such an impressive lineup of special guests this year. Whether you are returning to Rochester, or you call this city home, we invite you to visit our campuses, engage in intellectual conversation, and enjoy the social activity, live music, food and fun. There is literally something for everyone.”

Registering for Meliora Weekend 2017 will be easier than ever before thanks to a new and improved website. Registration and ticketing will be available in late July. For more information or to sign up for all Meliora Weekend event updates, visit , email alumni@rochester.edu, or call 877.MELIORA (877.635.4672).