Rochester Review Rochester FROM NIH TO NOBELIST PANDEMIC HISTORIAN VISIONARY WOMEN Harvey Alter ’56, ’60M What does 1918 teach Celebrating the pioneering (MD) receives Nobel Prize. about 2020? women who shaped our world. UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER /FALL 2020 FALL 2020FALL UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER Rochester Responds National clinical trials experts Angela Branche and Ann Falsey are among the many members of the University community who joined forces to fight COVID-19. , Let s do this. It’s about everyone pitching in. It’s about helping our students and graduates find internships and jobs. It’s about promoting equity and access. And it’s about communicating how important our network of alumni, volunteers, and friends is to our future. Will you join us? Together for Rochester a one-year campaign to make life better rochester.edu/together #TogetherForRochester Features FALL 2020 50 Rochester Responds diseases, Rochester is a crossroads 22 for coronavirus vaccine trials, a place As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps 22 where interdisciplinary research meets through the country, members of the innovative applications. By Lindsey Valich University community take on new roles and quickly revamp old processes— always with compassion and character. 48 ‘Always Tell the We highlight a small sample of those Truth’ efforts. Historian John Barry ’69 (MA), who wrote the book on the 1918 flu pandemic, The Road to a offers lessons for 2020 and beyond. 42 Interview by Kathleen McGarvey Vaccine May Lead to Rochester 50 Visionary Women With a distinguished record in of Rochester vaccine technology and infectious As the nation celebrates the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, the University celebrates women who had ON THE COVER: Angela Branche and Ann their roots in Rochester (above)—and Falsey, nationally recognized clinical trial who made an impact worldwide. leaders. Photograph by J. Adam Fenster J. ADAM FENSTER (BANNERS); COURTESY OF MOLLY BALL (TEACHING) Fall 2020 ROCHESTER REVIEW 1 Departments Fall 2020 3 President’s Page | 18 Books & Recordings FALL 2020 VOLUME 83, NO. 1 In Review Class Notes Editor Scott Hauser 4 A ‘Good Doctor’ Receives a Nobel 54 College Arts, Sciences & Engineering Associate Editors Prize NIH researcher Harvey Karen McCally ’02 (PhD) 58 Those We Lost Remembering some Alter ’56, ’60M (MD) receives the Kathleen McGarvey of the members of the University Nobel Prize for work to reduce the Contributors community taken by the COVID-19 transmission of a potentially deadly Jeanette Colby, Matt Cook, J. Adam Fenster, pandemic. virus. Emily Gillette, Peter Iglinski ’17 (MA), Sandra 62 University Launches Three New Knispel, Jim Mandelaro, Phyllis Mangefrida, 6 University News President Bob Marcotte, Mark Michaud, Melissa Mead, Affinity Networks for Alumni and Mangelsdorf honored, Hajim dean Sara Miller, Dennis O’Donnell, Leslie Orr, Friends. reappointed, and new support for Scott Sabocheck, Kristine Thompson, Laura equity and diversity. 63 Women Who Roc: Voices of Our Torchia, and Lindsey Valich Leaders A panel of Rochester’s Business Manager 7 Recent Graduate Receives Rhodes women leaders offers perspectives Maureen Baisch Scholarship Beauclaire Mbanya ’20 and advice in a discussion on Editorial Office becomes Rochester’s third Rhodes leadership. 147 Wallis Hall Scholar. University of Rochester 68 Graduate Arts, Sciences & Box 270033, Rochester, NY 14627-0033 8 Super-duper Superconductors Engineering (585) 275-4118 Rochester researchers demonstrate Fax: (585) 275-0359 superconductivity at room 69 Eastman School of Music [email protected] temperature, a sought-after Rochester.edu/pr/Review 72 School of Medicine and Dentistry breakthrough in materials science. Address Changes 72 School of Nursing 300 East River Road 10 Empowering Science Advocates Box 270032 and InfluencersThe Warner School 73 Simon Business School Rochester, NY 14627-0032 and the School of Medicine and (585) 275-8602; toll free: (866) 673-0181 73 Warner School of Education Dentistry team up to develop a new [email protected] science curriculum. 74 In Memoriam Rochester.edu/alumni/stay-connected/ alumni-update-form 12 University Launches Anti-Racism 76 Tributes Remembering community Design Initiatives Examining past practices members who died this year. Tucker Creative Co. and taking steps to address injustice 80 Jazz Music Is Protest Music For and inequity. Published four times a year for alumni, jazz composer and trumpeter Nabaté students, their parents, and other friends 13 Simon and Warner Appoint Isles ’99E, jazz is inseparable from of the University, Rochester Review is New Deans Sevin Yeltekin and the history and culture produced by University Communications. Sarah Peyre take the helms of two of the people who Opinions expressed are those of the Rochester graduate schools. invented it. authors, the editors, or their subjects 14 University Notebook The School of and do not necessarily represent official Arts & Sciences establishes its first positions of the University of Rochester. named department, new trustees join ISSN: 0035-7421 the board, a noted scholar is named director of the Frederick Douglass Credits Institute, and other news. Alumni photographs, courtesy of the subjects. Unless otherwise credited, all 16 Discover Can Navy ships be powered others are Rochester Review photos. by seawater? How can we see molecules wobble? A roundup of recent research. 20 Ask the Archivist Was that a US president on the quad? 21 Meet the Garnish Award Winners Student-athletes earn recognition for academics and athletics. 80 2 ROCHESTER REVIEW Fall 2020 DAVID COWLES FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER (ISLES) President’s Page We Rise to the Occasion The pathbreaking work of our great institution continues—smartly, safely, and in the spirit of Meliora. By Sarah Mangelsdorf focus on a single area of academic strength: the awards have been in Medicine, Phys- I’m delighted that after a bit of a hiatus, ics, and Economics. I haven’t made a care- Rochester Review is once again in print! ful study of this, but I expect that few, The COVID-19 pandemic made it neces- if any, other universities can match this sary for us to focus on other things since achievement. the previous issue last winter, but it’s im- In May, our URMC colleagues began portant that we share a status report of participating in COVID-19 vaccine tri- sorts about how our University has re- als, in large part because of Rochester’s sponded to the challenges of this year. long-standing expertise and research lead- There is much to be thankful for as well as ership in vaccine technology, immunology, notable news to celebrate. and infectious diseases. In November, the We’re obviously not out of the woods yet, entire country was heartened by the an- and, as I’m writing this, there are troubling nouncement that one of those vaccines has reports of increasing infection rates across been identified as being highly effective in the United State. We’ll have to see what the preventing the disease. coming months bring. And recently, a research team led by Pro- What has struck me most during the last fessor Ranga Dias of the Hajim School re- few long months is the resilience and ded- ported in the journal Nature that they have ication of the University’s staff and faculty developed a material that for the first time and the conscientiousness of our students. achieves room-temperature superconduc- We have all had to adapt quickly, whether it is the only publication that is provided to tivity. The significance of this discovery continuing to provide outstanding medical all members of the University of Rochester should not be underestimated and has the care or figuring out how to teach remotely community. So it was extremely important potential to change the world, with appli- or how to feed undergraduates while main- to me that we connect again in a tangible cations from transportation and medicine taining social distancing or providing quar- way through this magazine. to more efficient power grids and elec- antine space—and how to conduct random You’ll be able to read about some of the tronics. This is a discovery that has been COVID surveillance testing. We’ve devel- ways our University has responded to the sought for over a century and has been de- oped new ways of connecting virtually with pandemic in the following pages, but you’ll scribed as a “holy grail” of condensed mat- our graduates and new ways of conducting also find stories about University people ter physics. research in labs. We’ve offered virtual con- and projects that continue to move forward It’s clear that when we are confronted certs, exhibitions, and other events. despite the pandemic. It’s so important to with a challenge, the University of Roch- All of us owe a debt of gratitude to the keep in mind that the work of this Univer- ester rises to the occasion. We continue clinicians, faculty, staff, and students who sity goes on and the impact of this Univer- to learn, discover, heal, and create—even have taken on the challenges of this pan- sity continues unabated. when we’re wearing our masks, washing demic and demonstrated their commit- In October, we cheered the news that our hands, and maintaining social distance! ment to this University and to our Meliora Dr. Harvey J. Alter ’56, ’60M (MD) was I hope you enjoy this issue, and I hope it values. awarded a share of the 2020 Nobel Prize finds you in good health. And our graduates around the world in Physiology or Medicine for his work Meliora.r have demonstrated their commitment, on the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. too, providing encouragement and support That means that in the last four years, three Contact President Mangelsdorf at sarah. and engaging with us from afar. Rochester Rochester graduates have been awarded [email protected].