Megan Mack, Author at News Center /newscenter/author/mmack/ Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ Tue, 13 Dec 2022 20:08:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Daguerreotype exhibit explores nanotechnology’s role in preserving local history /newscenter/daguerreotype-exhibition-explores-universitys-nanotechnology-research-and-history-surrounding-unique-photographic-process/ Fri, 13 Nov 2015 17:49:57 +0000 http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/?p=128532 In 1839, Louis-Jacques-MandĂ© Daguerre unveiled one of the world’s first successful photographic mediums: the daguerreotype. The process transformed the human experience by providing a means to capture light and record people, places, and events. The Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ is leading groundbreaking nanotechnology research that explores the extraordinary qualities of this photographic process. A new exhibition in Rush Rhees Library showcases the results of this research, while bridging the gap between the sciences and the humanities. “Researching the Daguerreotype at the URochester: Nanotechnology Meets Local History” features daguerreotypes from the River Campus Libraries’ Department of Rare Books, Special Collections and Preservation; the Rochester Museum and Science Center; and the George Eastman Museum.

“This is a rare opportunity to see a variety of daguerreotypes in one exhibition, especially numerous plates created in Western New York,” said Mary Ann Mavrinac, vice provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of River Campus Libraries. “It is truly remarkable to highlight this research—research that may help develop future non-altering techniques for the preservation of this precious cultural process.”

For over 175 years, surviving daguerreotypes have been carefully preserved in private and public collections and displayed in museums and cultural institutions around the world. While damage to daguerreotype plates is often visible by eye, evidence of further deterioration may only be detected at the nano level, by looking at features that are hundreds or thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. From 2010-2014, a National Science Foundation grant supported nanotechnology research conducted by two Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ scientists—Nicholas Bigelow, Lee A. DuBridge Professor of Physics, and Ralph Wiegandt, visiting research scientist and conservator—who explored how environment impacts the survival of these unique, non-reproducible images. In addition to conservation science and cultural research, Bigelow and Wiegandt are also investigating ways in which the chemical and physical processes used to create daguerreotypes can influence modern nanofabrication and nanotechnology.

“The daguerreotype should be considered one of humankind’s most disruptive technological advances,” Bigelow and Wiegandt said. “Not only was it the first successful imaging medium, it was also the first truly engineered nanotechnology. The daguerreotype was a prescient catalyst to the ensuing cascade of discoveries in physics and chemistry over the latter half of the 19th century and into the 20th.”

Blending the past with the future, the exhibition displays the first known daguerreotype of a Rochester graduating class (1853) alongside a 2015 daguerreotype of current University President Joel Seligman, created by Rochester daguerreotypist Irving Pobboravsky. The exhibition will also include a rare daguerreotype of famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass on loan from the Chester County Historical Society in Pennsylvania. Once owned by Susan B. Anthony, this unique portrait will be examined under electron scanning microscopy and displayed with new research findings into its creation and preservation.

The exhibition is on view through February 29, 2016 in the Friedlander Lobby of Rush Rhees Library. A special presentation about the scientific advances surrounding the daguerreotype and their relationship to cultural preservation will be led by Bigelow, Wiegandt, and Jim Kuhn, assistant dean for Special Collections and Preservation, on December 14 from 7-9 p.m. in the Hawkins-Carlson Room of Rush Rhees Library. For more information visit: or call (585) 275-4477.

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Barbara J. Burger commits $1 million to River Campus Libraries /newscenter/barbara-j-burger-commits-1-million-to-river-campus-libraries/ Fri, 30 Oct 2015 20:07:18 +0000 http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/?p=126792 Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ Trustee Barbara J. Burger, Ph.D., has committed $1 million to the River Campus Libraries for the creation and implementation of the iZone, a collaborative, technology-rich space that will provide students with programs, services, and resources to explore their ideas and develop innovative projects for social, cultural, community, and economic impact. Upon completion of the iZone project, the space will be dedicated as the Barbara J. Burger iZone at the River Campus Libraries.

“I am deeply grateful for Barbara’s leadership and this wonderful commitment supporting student entrepreneurship and innovation at the University,” said Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ President and CEO Joel Seligman. “The Barbara J. Burger iZone will be a timeless testament to Barbara’s passion and a resource that will help nurture the development of a new generation of visionaries.”

Located on the ground floor of Rush Rhees Library, the iZone will include collaborative workspaces, consultation and team rooms, exhibition areas, and computer workstations where students from all disciplines can meet with like-minded peers. Students will benefit from a community of experts—including faculty members, librarians, local business leaders, and entrepreneurs—with whom they can consult for assistance in developing their ideas.

“The support Barbara Burger has demonstrated to the River Campus Libraries is invaluable,” said Mary Ann Mavrinac, vice provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of River Campus Libraries. “Her commitment to the iZone will directly benefit our students’ desire for peer-to-peer experiential learning opportunities and the availability of professional expertise.”

The iZone’s programs will help students become better prepared to participate in activities offered by the other innovation-focused groups on and off campus. Pilot initiatives include an entrepreneurs-in-residence program; professional development workshops; and a match-making program that connects students with services, mentors, and project partners. The River Campus Libraries will partner with the College, the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship, the Gwen M. Greene Career and Internship Center, Ronald Rettner Hall for Media Arts and Innovation, University Information Technology, and a variety of student groups. The iZone will also create opportunities for students to engage with the City of Rochester community and area organizations, such as High Tech Rochester.

“I am truly honored to play a part in the creation of the iZone,” said Burger, who was appointed to the Board of Trustees in May. “The iZone will be a collaborative environment that gives people with ideas, passions, and complementary skills the programs and resources they need to turn their visions into plans and, ultimately, actions. The ideas—all in some way focused on changing the world—are seeds, and the elements of the iZone will help them as well as their owners grow.”

“The Barbara J. Burger iZone will enable students to turn their ideas into reality,” said Grant Dever ’16, president of the Students’ Association. “The benefits will be tangible and a great addition to the resources already available to us on campus.”

Burger is president of Chevron Technology Ventures, an organization focused on identifying and integrating into Chevron innovative, externally-developed technologies that yield strategic and financial value to the corporation. She joined the company in 1987 as a research chemist and held numerous executive leadership positions in International Marketing, Chemicals, Technology Marketing and Lubricants before being appointed to her current role in 2013. Burger is an active member of the Chevron Executive Women’s Network and enjoys mentoring mid-career employees. She also serves on the board of directors for the Houston Technology Center and the Houston Symphony Society and is a member of Houston’s Committee on Foreign Relations, in addition to working with several foundations.

Burger graduated from the Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She went on to receive a doctorate in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1987 and an MBA in finance from the University of California, Berkeley in 1994. In addition to her service on the Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ Board of Trustees, she is a member of the River Campus Libraries National Council, the Texas Regional Cabinet, and is a founding member of the San Francisco Bay Regional Cabinet. She is also a charter member of the George Eastman Circle, the University’s leadership annual giving society, and previously established an endowed scholarship in the sciences at the University and has supported the chemistry department and athletics. In 2013, Burger received the Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝â€™s John N. Wilder Award in recognition of philanthropy that inspires others to support the pursuit of an “ever better” University.

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Melissa Mead receives 2015 Messinger Award for outstanding service as University archivist /newscenter/melissa-mead-receives-2015-messinger-award-for-outstanding-service-as-university-archivist/ Sun, 04 Oct 2015 01:02:05 +0000 http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/?p=122352 Melissa MeadThe photographs, texts, recordings, and additional items that fill the University Archives paint a full picture of the Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝â€™s 165-year history.  Few know this history better—or are more familiar with these materials—than Melissa Mead, the John M. & Barbara Keil University Archivist and Rochester Collections Librarian. Mead’s leadership, creativity, and dedication to keeping  the University’s history alive and accessible have earned her the 2015 Messinger Libraries Recognition Award. The annual award, created and funded by life trustee Martin E. Messinger ’49, includes a $5,000 prize.

“Melissa’s commitment and devotion to the River Campus Libraries and the Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ are outstanding and an inspiration to her peers,” said Mary Ann Mavrinac, vice provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of River Campus Libraries. “She goes above and beyond to respond to questions accurately, comprehensively, and in a timely manner, exceeding the expectations of the administrators, faculty, staff, and students who request information from our archives and beyond. This award is our way of thanking Melissa for her cumulative contributions that, no doubt, will continue to accumulate.”

Throughout her 20-year career at the River Campus Libraries, a large part of Mead’s job has been collaborative: in addition to working with faculty, staff, and students from every division of the University, she provides assistance to offsite scholars and researchers in search of primary sources about University history. She supplies University Communications, University Advancement, and the Office of the President with hundreds of digital images every year selected from the special collections and University Archives. She also provides images for the University’s homepage, for local and national media, and most recently, for Our Work Is But Begun, the University’s new history book by Janice Bullard Pieterse. Mead’s work on this project earned her and her fellow contributors a 2015 Meliora Award.

In 2014, Rochester Review launched a new, regular column—“Ask the Archivist”—in which Mead answers readers’ questions and shares interesting stories about the University’s history. She also edits and acts as coordinator for the , the University’s digital collection of oral history interviews. Mead also frequently curates exhibitions of materials from the archives for display in Rush Rhees and Carlson Libraries.

“Melissa Mead has been tireless in her conscientious, creative, and enthusiastic support for our University Archives and their increased use,” said Jim Kuhn, Joseph N. Lambert and Harold B. Schleifer Director of the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation. “Her efforts have helped to unlock and to share this rich history with students, faculty, and scholarly researchers.”

Mead joined the River Campus Libraries in 1994 as a special projects coordinator in the Preservation Department. In 1998, she became a librarian in Rare Books and Special Collections, where she managed the department’s digital projects and website. From 1998 to 2000, she managed library renovation projects, including the Messinger Periodical Reading Room, the Plutzik Library, the Gamble Room, the Welles-Brown Room, and the Friedlander Lobby. In 2010, she became director of the Digital Projects Research Center, and in 2012 was named the John M. and Barbara Keil University Archivist and Rochester Collections Librarian. She is the recipient of two Meliora Awards: one in 2010 and the second, a team award, in 2015 for her contributions to Our Work Is But Begun. She has been a member of the teaching team at Rare Book School (University of Virginia) since 2001.

“It is an honor to have my name added to the roster of previous winners, my colleagues in the library,” Mead said. “That the award was created by Martin Messinger–whose generosity restored some of our most beautiful and historic spaces–is a great joy for me.”

The annual Messinger Award honors contributions that advance the educational mission of the library or the library profession. Previous Messinger awardees include Kathy Metz, head of Patron Services (2014); Nora Dimmock, assistant dean for information technology, research, and digital scholarship (2013); and Nancy Fried Foster, former director of anthropological research for the River Campus Libraries (2012).

A longtime supporter of the libraries, Martin E. Messinger provided support for the 1998 restoration of the Periodical Reading Room and the creation of two graduate student study rooms in 2010. The Messinger family is a generous supporter of the Center for Jewish Studies, the Debate Union, and the Eastman School of Music, where Messinger and his wife, Joan, endowed the deanship. They also funded the building that houses the Eastman Community Music School, which is dedicated in memory of Anne Waltuck Messinger.

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New director appointed for Robbins Library, Koller-Collins Center /newscenter/new-director-appointed-for-robbins-library-koller-collins-center-107832/ Tue, 16 Jun 2015 20:35:44 +0000 http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/?p=107832 Marie Turner
Marie Turner

Marie L. Turner has been appointed director of the Rossell Hope Robbins Library and the Koller-Collins Center for English Studies at the River Campus Libraries, effective Sept. 15, 2015. Turner is currently a research associate at the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies in the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts at the University of Pennsylvania. She succeeds Alan Lupack, who retired in February after nearly 27 years of service.

Located on the fourth floor of the University’s Rush Rhees Library, the houses one of the most comprehensive medieval studies collections in North America. The began as the English Department’s core collection for graduate study of literature. The collection has evolved from representing the canon of the field into a reference collection for literary study.

Mary Ann Mavrinac, vice provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of River Campus Libraries, made the announcement following a national search.

“We are very pleased that Dr. Turner will be joining us,” she said.  “Her academic qualifications, experience in traditional and digital scholarship, and collaborative spirit ensure a bright future for the Robbins Library and the Koller-Collins Center.”

Turner received a doctorate in English from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014. Her research specializes in Middle English and Anglo-Norman literature, manuscript studies, and digital humanities. Since 2013, she has served as a fellow and research associate at the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies, where she directs the development of the Penn Roll Project, a forthcoming online portal dedicated to the study of 15th-century genealogical rolls. This digital resource will provide a scholarly introduction to late-medieval genealogical literature, displaying images and transcriptions of manuscripts from around the world.

Turner is recognized for her strong paleographical and transcription skills, as well as her experience with digital projects that include Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) and data visualization. She is also a lecturer in the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of English.

Jim Kuhn, assistant dean and Joseph N. Lambert and Harold B. Schleifer Director of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, chaired the search committee.

“The Robbins Library is a unique and treasured medieval studies resource,” he said. “We are very fortunate to have Dr. Turner join us as our new director. Her doctorate in English medieval romance, combined with her experience in leading and collaborating on digital projects, position her well to lead the Robbins Library in serving diverse academic communities both on and off campus.”

The Robbins Library’s physical holdings include all aspects of Middle English literature, as well as Old English, Anglo-Norman, and medieval French literature; medieval history, art and stained glass, philosophy, and theology; witchcraft; manuscript studies; and Arthurian studies. The –including The Camelot Project, TEAMS Middle English Texts Series, and Visualizing Chaucer–are highly regarded for their use in teaching and research across the globe.

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Evans and Susanna Lam commit $1 million to River Campus Libraries /newscenter/evans-and-susanna-lam-commit-1-million-to-river-campus-libraries-98732/ Mon, 20 Apr 2015 12:41:47 +0000 http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/?p=98732 Evans and Susanna Lam have committed $1 million to the River Campus Libraries to establish the Evans and Susanna Lam Library Revitalization Fund. The fund will support the modernization of the patron services area in Rush Rhees Library, which will be named Evans Lam Square.

“I am deeply appreciative of the wonderful commitment by Evans and Susanna to transform this learning space in Rush Rhees Library,” said President Joel Seligman. “Everyone who uses the library will benefit from this innovative project. They are making a difference with their generosity.”

Evans Lam Square, a state-of-the-art meeting space located off the Roger B. Friedlander Lobby of Rush Rhees Library, will serve as the central location for library users to do research, collaborate on projects, explore new technology, and unwind.

“We are deeply grateful to Evans and Susanna for their support,” said Mary Ann Mavrinac, vice provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of River Campus Libraries. “Evans Lam Square will be the ideal setting for discovery and exploration, where students can access the staff expertise, collections, and technology that support their scholarly ambitions.”

The square will be home to technology-enhanced spaces that facilitate in-depth research consultations with librarians. A “technology sandbox” will serve as an open space for exploring cutting-edge tools that can be used in coursework. Evans Lam Square will also be the central location for Rush Rhees Library’s Q&i service, which provides circulation and basic research support for patrons. Evans, who worked at the Rush Rhees circulation desk as an undergraduate, has a personal connection to the library.

“I am forever grateful to my alma mater for offering me a scholarship to pursue the best education and realize my American dream,” said Evans, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees since 2012. “The center of my college life was the iconic Rush Rhees Library. It was my home where I could learn, discover, network, and even sleep and enjoy a good rest. It was also the hub for my various on-campus jobs to pay for my room and board. I hope the Evans Lam Square with the state-of-the-art amenities will continue to function as the center hub for our students to explore knowledge, generate ideas, establish friendship, and attain their aspirations. Meliora!”

In 2012, the Lams endowed the Susanna and Evans Y. Lam Professorship, which supports a professor at the Simon Business School who is an excellent scholar and teacher in a field of specialization vital to the school. In 2014, the Lams created the Evans Lam Scholarship at the Eastman School of Music in honor of Jamal Rossi’s investiture as the Joan and Martin Messinger Dean of the Eastman School of Music, as well as the Evans Lam Study Abroad Scholarship, sponsoring five undergraduates annually to pursue scholarly exchange in Hong Kong, China, beginning this summer. Evans and Susanna are also charter members of the George Eastman Circle, the University’s leadership annual giving society.

Evans is senior vice president of wealth management and senior portfolio manager at UBS Financial Services, Inc. in Pasadena, Calif. Prior to joining UBS in 2008, he was senior vice president at Citigroup Smith Barney for 17 years. From 1989 to 1991, he served as vice president of Bankers Trust Co. He was director of corporate finance for Toronto Dominion Bank from 1987 to 1989. Susanna is a retired CPA, as well as an accomplished Chinese opera singer and performer.

A native of China, Evans was recognized as one of Hong Kong’s top 50 high school graduates in 1979. He was honored as a Genesee Scholar by the URochester, and earned his B.A. in economics magna cum laude in 1983. He received his M.B.A. from the Simon Business School in 1984.

Evans remains closely connected to the University as an advisor, leader, and philanthropist, serving on the Simon National Council and on the Simon Executive Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the University’s Los Angeles Regional Cabinet.

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Libraries commemorate 150th anniversary of Civil War /newscenter/river-campus-libraries-commemorates-150th-anniversary-of-the-civil-war-96192/ Thu, 02 Apr 2015 19:27:42 +0000 http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/?p=96192 The Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ River Campus Libraries is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War throughout the month of April with a series of events and an exhibition.

“The Glory of Old Monroe: Rochester in the Civil War”

Exhibition, Talk, and Tour

WHEN/WHERE:
Talk and Tour: Tuesday, April 14 at 7 p.m. in the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation (Room 225) in Rush Rhees Library.

Exhibition: On view through April 19 in Rush Rhees Library in the following areas:
William Henry Seward Room: M-F 9-5, Sa 11-3
Q/I: See Rush Rhees
Digital Humanities Center: M-F 9-5

WHAT: 150 years ago this month, Rochester celebrated the end of four years of bloody conflict. More than 1,000 men from the area had given their lives for the Union, and the war transformed the city’s culture in profound and painful ways. An exhibition at Rush Rhees Library commemorates the experiences of Rochester’s soldiers and citizens, from national heroes to unsung drummer boys, prisoners of war, and humanitarians.

On April 14, Eitan Freedenberg, exhibition curator and Ph.D. candidate in visual and cultural studies; Dan Cody, registrar of the Rochester Historical Society; and Bob Marcotte, author of Where They Fell: Stories of Rochester Area Soldiers in the Civil War, will lead a discussion about the city’s vital role in the conflict, while highlighting materials featured in the exhibition. A Q&A session and a reception will follow.

ADMISSION: The events are free and open to the public.

CONTRIBUTORS AND SPONSOR: The Rochester Historical Society and the Rochester Museum and Science Center contributed items from their collections for the exhibition. The events are sponsored by the River Campus Libraries and the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering at the URochester.

“Bells Across the Land”

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, April 9 at 3:15 p.m. the bells will peal for four minutes.

WHAT: The University’s Hopeman Memorial Carillon will participate in the National Park Service’s “Bells Across the Land” event, which marks the Confederacy’s surrender to the Union in Appomattox, Virginia in 1865. The bells will peal for four minutes—each minute representing one year of the war. Musical selections will include “Battle Hymn of Republic,” “Tenting on the Old Campground,” “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” and “Ashokan Farewell.”

The bells of the Mt. Hope Cemetery Gatehouse and Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School will accompany the University’s carillon during this community-wide event. Area churches are invited to participate.

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Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ Libraries join HathiTrust /newscenter/university-of-rochester-libraries-join-hathitrust-94502/ Mon, 23 Mar 2015 21:28:35 +0000 http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/?p=94502 The Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ Libraries have become one of the newest members of , a worldwide partnership of more than one hundred major research institutions and libraries working to preserve and provide access to the cultural record in digital form. The University’s membership offers students, faculty, and staff access to nearly five million books in the public domain.

“HathiTrust demonstrates the depth and richness of collections that result from the combined resources of many institutions,” said Mary Ann Mavrinac, vice provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of River Campus Libraries. “We are delighted to give our patrons access to this digital collection and to join this groundbreaking, collaborative effort.”

Launched in 2008, HathiTrust partners have contributed over 13 million volumes to its digital library. More than 4.8 million volumes are in the public domain and are available for users to browse, view, and download at no charge. The University community can access materials through the HathiTrust or through the “Articles and Books” tool on the River Campus Libraries .

“I’m pleased to welcome the Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ to the HathiTrust membership,” said Mike Furlough, executive director of the HathiTrust Digital Library. “Our partnership focuses on improving access to the cultural record today, and ensuring access long into the future. We look forward to working with the University to help it serve its faculty and students.”

As a trusted repository, HathiTrust guarantees the long-term preservation of the materials it holds, providing the expert curation and access long associated with research libraries. It is funded and governed by its members.

The Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ Libraries – which include the River Campus Libraries, the Sibley Music Library, the Edward G. Miner Library, and the Charlotte Allen Whitney Library and Teacher Resource Center – rank among the top academic research libraries in the United States and Canada. Collectively, they hold more than 3.5 million volumes and extensive collections of online databases, electronic journals, rare books, and musical scores. For additional information, please visit .

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Mellon Grant helps River Campus Libraries establish Digital Humanities Institute /newscenter/mellon-grant-helps-river-campus-libraries-establish-digital-humanities-institute/ Wed, 11 Mar 2015 15:18:13 +0000 http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/?p=92982 The Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ River Campus Libraries has been awarded a $100,672 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to fund a pilot program designed to strengthen librarians’ competencies in digital scholarship. “21st Century Skills: Digital Humanities Institute for Mid-Career Librarians” will launch during the summer of 2015 at the URochester.

“We are very grateful to the Mellon Foundation for its support of this project,” said Mary Ann Mavrinac, vice provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of River Campus Libraries. “The Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ is well-positioned to design and deliver a successful institute, as much of the scholarly activity around digital humanities is centered in the Rush Rhees Library.”

Advances in scholarly practices in the humanities and social sciences require a new caliber of skill sets to support the research process. As the nucleus of the production, dissemination, and preservation of knowledge at the University, the River Campus Libraries is an essential partner in this digital future. The pilot institute will provide a three-day residential immersion experience and a yearlong online component for 20 mid-career librarians. Participants will develop proficiency in three core competencies–project management, copyright and fair use, and metadata literacy–while enhancing their technology toolkits and exploring diverse areas of digital humanities scholarship. Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ faculty, River Campus Libraries staff, , and will serve as instructors. Interested mid-career librarians from across the United States and Canada are invited to apply to the institute through a competitive process.

The Digital Humanities Center in Rush Rhees Library has collaborated on research initiatives with faculty members in the School of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering since 2010. Current projects include , which documents Japan’s presence as a foreign destination in visual and material culture; the Seward Family Papers Project, an exploration of digital representations of the letters and diaries written by William Henry Seward and his family; and the , an initiative to create an interactive 3D model of architect Claude Bragdon’s Rochester train station that was demolished in the 1960’s. The breadth and depth of such projects, combined with faculty and staff expertise and the University’s state-of-the-art digital resources, make Rochester uniquely qualified to host the institute.

“This is absolutely the right time for the River Campus Libraries to step into this role stewarding the next generation of digital scholarship librarians,” said Nora Dimmock, assistant dean for IT, research, and digital scholarship at the River Campus Libraries. “We will take full advantage of the expertise we have developed and the outstanding facilities in Rush Rhees Library, Rettner Hall for Media Arts and Innovation, and the VISTA Collaboratory.”

Program managers will evaluate feedback from the pilot institute to guide the development of an expanded program. The full institute is expected to launch in 2016.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit

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Professor’s 5 decades of research on Congress now available online /newscenter/professors-five-decades-of-research-on-u-s-congress-now-available-online/ Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:21:31 +0000 http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/?p=83742 A lifetime of scholarly work by one of the University’s most preeminent political science professors is now available to researchers across the world. For the first time, the papers of Richard Fenno, Jr., Distinguished University Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science, are easily accessible through a new web portal: .

Fenno is most recognized for his pioneering work on the U.S. Congress and its members. His research focuses on the lives of political figures when they are outside of Washington and back at home. Fenno joined the Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝â€™s Department of Political Science in 1957. In 2007, he marked his fiftieth year of teaching at the URochester by donating his faculty papers to the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation in Rush Rhees Library. The nearly 80 boxes of scholarly materials now available in digital form include 16 books, interviews and oral history transcripts with members of Congress, and memorabilia from decades of travel and award-winning research. Forty-five previously unpublished talks and lectures have also been made public.

“Professor Fenno’s contributions to the University community and the field of political science have been exceptional,” said Mary Ann Mavrinac, vice provost and Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean of the River Campus Libraries. “We are honored to preserve and share the work of his illustrious career.”

Fenno, who celebrated his 88th birthday on December 12, viewed the website and a related exhibition of his work during a reception in the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation on December 15.

“It amazes me in a way I simply cannot imagine,” he said. “When I walked in, I was flabbergasted. I’ve known that they’ve been going through my materials for some years, and I had no idea what they were doing. I think this is so well done.”

The project is a collaboration between the River Campus Libraries; AuthorBytes.com, a Massachusetts-based web design firm founded by Steve Bennett ’73; and Robert Sachs ’70. Sachs was one of the first Ä˘ą˝´«Ă˝ undergraduates to participate in the created by Fenno in 1968.

“I cannot say that I fully appreciated the breadth or depth of Professor Fenno’s research and scholarship until I got involved in this project several months ago,” Sachs said.

Fenno was named Distinguished University Professor in 1985. He has served as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as chairman of the Selection Committee and Advisory Committee for the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship Program, and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1976. The Richard F. Fenno, Jr. Seminar Room in Harkness Hall was dedicated in 2005 in honor of his service to the University.

The are maintained and made accessible by the River Campus Libraries Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation at Rush Rhees Library.

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Marking nearly three decades of AIDS awareness on World AIDS Day /newscenter/marking-nearly-three-decades-of-aids-awareness-on-world-aids-day-80462/ Wed, 26 Nov 2014 23:57:19 +0000 http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/?p=80462 World AIDS Day, held annually on December 1st, unites us in support of those who are surviving with the disease, in commemoration of those who have died, and in a shared dedication to finding a cure.

Recent scientific efforts have brought an increase in long-awaited treatments that can help to mitigate the effects and rate of transmission of HIV/AIDS. And yet with a rise in infection rates in the past few years among the most vulnerable risk groups, the crisis is far from over.

The AIDS Education Collection, housed in the River Campus Libraries’ Rare Books and Special Collections department, is comprised of more than 8,000 posters from 124 countries in 68 languages and dialects. It documents three decades of public awareness of the AIDS epidemic, revealing the evolution in how AIDS has been viewed and confronted, and the revolutions in attitudes towards the communities it has hit hardest.

The Collection also contains a significant amount of ephemera. Displayed here are a selection of items that were intended to send a message in ways and places a poster could not: coasters, trading cards, T-shirts, and buttons, along with condoms packaged for free distribution, and educational pamphlets.

This exhibit is just one of the events University-wide that will mark World AIDS Day.


World AIDS Day Scientific Symposium

Center for AIDS Research
December 2nd, 2014, 10 AM – 2 PM

10-11 a.m. Keynote Presentation
Prevention-Effective Adherence: A new paradigm for understanding adherence to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis
Jessica Haberer
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital
Class of ’62 Auditorium

11 a.m. –  12:30 p.m. Scientific Poster Session
Flaum Atrium

12:30-1:30 p.m. Keynote Presentation
Update on HIV CURE Research
Robert Siliciano
Professor of Medicine
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Class of ’62 Auditorium


 

Professor Douglas Crimp on the early days of AIDS activism

A persistent voice during the AIDS crisis, Crimp combined activism and scholarship to shed light on gay politics in the 1980s. His work was instrumental in the development of the field of queer studies. He is the author of “On the Museum’s Ruins,” “Melancholia and Moralism: Essays on AIDS and Queer Politics,” and “Our Kind of Movie: The Films of Andy Warhol.”


 

For more on the AIDS Education Collection, please contact the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, or visit:

For more on World AIDS Day visit:

 For more on the Center for AIDS Research visit:

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