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E R S I V I N T Y U GOOD ISSUE No . 1 MELIORA THINGS FOR O R SPRING 2021 ALUMNI AND F EVER BETTER E T FRIENDS R S O E C H BUZZ WOMEN WHO ROC Gail Lione shares her passion for women’s issues AMONG THE FIRST First-generation alumni on the power of mentorship REPRESENTATION MATTERS Introducing students to classical music composed by people of color JUST FOR FUN Season of Warhol, What to Stream, For Your Health, What’s Cooking, coloring pages, and more CONTENTS 7 11 15 Together for Rochester WOMEN WHO ROC a one-year campaign to make life better 3 A conversation with Gail Lione ’71—lawyer, volunteer leader, and cochair of the Women’s Network AMONG THE FIRST 7 First-generation alumni Sean Bajwa ’18 and DEAR READER, Genessis Galindo ’20 on the power of mentorship I’m pleased to introduce you to the spring edition of Buzz, our new lifestyle magazine for alumni, parents, and friends of the University of Rochester. 11 REPRESENTATION MATTERS Travon Walker ’21E introduces young people to At the start of the pandemic, we launched Together for Rochester, a yearlong effort classical music composed by people of color to help each other through the tough times. We started streaming faculty lectures and providing career coaching. We launched new affinity groups for networking and 23 support. We grew our mentorship program, launched a virtual book club, and hosted ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT 15 real conversations focused on social justice. As a result, we’ve had thousands of new Season of Warhol and What to Stream people get involved with the University. FOR YOUR HEALTH This special edition of Buzz should reach your home at a time when winter hibernation 19 University of Rochester Medical Center experts weigh in is nearing its end and new hope is on the horizon. As we enter this next phase of the on fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness pandemic and start to imagine what’s next, we want to build on the sense of community that has been so important to our daily lives during the past year. WHAT’S COOKING? If you have feedback on this publication, or want to reconnect with Rochester, feel free 23 A Crockpot comfort and an inspired cocktail to contact me at [email protected]. WHO KNEW? Sincerely, 19 25 Rochester points of pride E R S I V I N T Y U GOOD COLORING PAGES 26 THINGS FOR O R ALUMNI AND F E T FRIENDS R S Thomas Farrell ’88, ’90W (MS) O E C GIVE ME FIVE H Senior Vice President for University Advancement 29 Q+A with President Sarah Mangelsdorf ON THE COVER: The University’s flower, a dandelion, and our mascot, a yellowjacket, represent UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER BUZZ MAGAZINE | 2 strength and resilience. Illustration by Chris Lyons. VISIONARIES March is Women’s History Month, a dedicated time to highlight women who have made significant contributions to history and contemporary society. These include women such as Loretta Ford ’00 (HNR), Olivia Hooker ’62 (PhD), Amy Tait ’85S (MBA), Sylvia Kornberg ’38, ’40M (MS), and others who all share Rochester connections. Learn more about their profound impact on our community and around the world. rochester.edu/2020-celebration WOMEN WHO ROC A conversation with Gail Lione ’71 “ We have a lot more “ history to make. by KRISTINE THOMPSON ail Lione ’71, a successful lawyer and first to take a position for the desegregation graduated from Rochester—gender pay G volunteer leader, is passionate about of baseball. Keep in mind that this was in inequity, inadequate childcare and family women’s issues. Lione and her generation 1939. Jackie Robinson didn’t even start leave, and challenges to ballot access. One would become the first in many areas—in playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers until 1947. of the significant issues facing women today locker rooms, conference rooms, board is still not having a real voice at the table or rooms, and other places. They were inspired WHAT DOES MENTORSHIP MEAN TO YOU? enough voices at the table or any women of by people like Gloria Steinem, Dorothy Pitman The wonderful thing about mentoring is color at the table. A few of us may be seated Hughes, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. that it is mutual. You learn from each other. at the table or on the bench or “be in the room It’s is about forming and nurturing where it happens,” but are we heard? rochester.edu/2020-celebration Lione’s career now spans more than relationships, and it is a foundational aspect 40 years. For the last four, she has been of the new Women’s Network. We aim to I believe that as a collective of women, with senior counsel for Dentons in Washington, connect, support, and engage each other the support of our allies, we can move forward D.C. She is also a sought-after corporate in meaningful ways. and make Susan B. and others like her proud. board member, a University of Rochester Danica Patrick, a celebrated race car driver, trustee, and cochair, along with Tiffany WHY DO YOU THINK WOMEN HAVE once said after a win at Daytona, “we have a A LOT MORE HISTORY TO MAKE? Taylor Smith ’91, of the University’s recently lot more history to make.” That’s so true, and The year 2020 marked a historic milestone— launched Women’s Network. the Women’s Network at Rochester will be the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. part of that history. | Illustrated by Michael Osadciw WHO IS YOUR GREATEST ROLE MODEL? Women have come a long way since then, My mother, hands down. She was the first but there’s still work to do. For instance, we woman president of her high school’s student have many of the same equity and access READ THE FULL STORY body and its debate team, and she was also a issues that we had in the 1970s when I uofr.us/lione 3 | UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER BUZZ MAGAZINE Visionary Women of Rochester Visionary Women E R S I V I N T Y U GOOD THINGS FOR O R ALUMNI AND F E T FRIENDS R ANISHA KHOSLA ’18 S O E C H ALUMNAE POWER Join the University’s new volunteer-led Ed Hajim ’58, who served as chair of the University Women’s Network and be part of a rich of Rochester Board from 2008 to 2016, tells a powerful community focused on connecting and story that touches on family trauma, deprivation, supporting fellow alumnae through dynamic programming and engaging conversations. and adversity balanced by a life of hard work and philanthropy. Learn about Hajim’s struggles bouncing from foster homes to orphanages to living the American CONNECT TODAY dream as an accomplished Wall Street executive and uofr.us/WomensNetwork family man with the means to give back to a world that seemed intent on rejecting him. Find Hajim’s memoir at booksellers everywhere and on the University’s new Alumni Bookshelf, which features many alumni who are authors: uofr.us/bookshelf BOOKMARK IT Interested in talking about books with fellow alumni? Join the University’s new, virtual alumni book club: ALUMNI BOOKSHELF uofr.us/bookshelf uofr.us/bookclub ALUMNI BOOK CLUB FOLD AT THE PERFORATION AND uofr.us/bookclub PULL TO DETACH BOOKMARK UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER BUZZ MAGAZINE | 6 FIRST IN THE FAMILY Were you the first member of your family to go to college? If so, consider joining the University’s new First Generation Network. Connect, mentor, and network with fellow alumni with similar experiences, and share perspectives and resources with current first-generation students. CONNECT HERE AMONG uofr.us/FirstGenerationNetwork Pilot mentoring program supports first-generation students and THE FIRST recent graduates by KRISTINE THOMPSON ean Bajwa ’18 and Genessis Galindo ’20 are among firsts at Currently, about 28 percent of undergraduates in the College S the University of Rochester. They were both the first in their are low income or first generation—that’s about 170 in the families to graduate from a four-year college. They were also Class of 2024. For students like Bajwa and Galindo, financial among the first to participate in a pilot mentorship match support helped get them here—but having a support system program last summer, which brought together first-generation and a network has helped them thrive. students and alumni through the University’s online networking SEAN BAJWA ’18 The pilot mentoring program, which the Office of Alumni and platform, The Meliora Collective. Constituent Engagement ran in partnership with the Greene Supporting students in their career search has always been a Center for Career Education and Connections, matched 85 priority for the University, but it was elevated during COVID-19 alumni with 85 recent graduates and current students. The as a key area within its new Together for Rochester campaign, program has since expanded. In February 2021, more than a yearlong effort to help make life better for the University 400 mentors and 400 mentees were matched based on their community. Expanding support for first-generation students— expertise, industry, location, interest, and more. and helping them flourish while on campus and later in their In addition to being first-generation students, Bajwa and Galindo careers—is also a campaign priority. GENESSIS GALINDO ’20 were both business analytics majors from Southern California. 7 | UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER BUZZ MAGAZINE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER BUZZ MAGAZINE | 8 AMONG THE FIRST “ I want to provide the kind of support that was so freely given to me, including career advice, decision-making insight, and valuable“ networking opportunities.

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