Thursday, September 23, 2010

Some Upcoming Events

I wanted to update you on some events the Conference and Events Office will be working on over the next couple of weeks:

The 4th annual Simon School Convocation will be held on Thursday, September 23 at 4:30 p.m. in the University of Rochester’s Interfaith Chapel. Convocation is the official kickoff to the academic year at the Simon School of Business. Remarks will be given by Chairman Emeritus G. Robert Witmer, University President Joel Seligman, Simon School of Business Dean Mark Zupan, and Sarah Pare, Simon School Class of 2011 and President of the Graduate Business Council. Joseph Abrams ’74, co-founder of MySpace and a member of the Simon School National Council and Executive Advisory Committee, will give the Convocation Address. Simon School faculty, staff, and students are invited to a reception in the Eisenberg Rotunda in Schlegel Hall immediately following the Convocation ceremony.

Make sure you plan on attending the 2010 Benefits EXPO, held September 28-30. This event gives University of Rochester employees a chance to speak with representatives from carriers, third-party administrators, and investment companies under the University’s various benefits plans. In addition, employees can receive information regarding health and wellness initiatives, tons of freebies and handouts, as well as raffle prizes!

Some of the participants include:
Retirement Companies
TIAA-CREF, Fidelity,
T. Rowe Price, Vanguard
Health Care Plan Administrators
Aetna, Excellus
Dental Plans
Excellus
Flexible Spending Accounts Administrators
Life Insurance
Securian Life
Auto and Home Insurance
MetLife
Home Ownership Programs
Advantage Federal Credit Union,
Bank of America,
Canandaigua National Bank,
Chase, City of Rochester,
HSBC, M&T, NeighborWorks Rochester
URMC Fitness & Wellness Center
River Campus Athletic Facilities
Employee Assistance Program
Well-U
. . . and many more!

Tuesday, September 28, Medical Center
Arthur Kornberg Medical Research Building
(Sarah Flaum Atrium), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, September 29, Medical Center
Arthur Kornberg Medical Research Building
(Sarah Flaum Atrium),10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Thursday, September 30, River Campus
Wilson Commons (May Room), 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hope to see you at some point over the next few weeks!

-Scott

Thursday, July 29, 2010

A Couple of Upcoming August Events

We have some exciting events coming up in August I wanted to share with everyone.

Our office has been involved with the planning of the 4th Annaul CEIRS (Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance) Network Meeting that will take place August 3-5. This meeting brings together representatives of the CEIRS network, including research scientists, public health experts, government representatives, wildlife biologists and veterinarians from all over the world to exchange and discuss critical scientific information on influenza virus infection in animals and humans.

The business meeting will take place at the Woodcliff Hotel and Conference Center. On Wednesday evening, conference attendees will attend a dinner outing at Pier 45 on the shore of Lake Ontario.

One of the many traditions at the University of Rochester starts at Freshman Orientation. All incoming freshmen sign the “Freshmen Roll.” Once all of the signatures are collected, our office has the book professionally bound, and then it is sent to the University Archives at Rush Rhees Library to be stored forever!

Each year our office oversees the College Commencement Rehearsal the Friday of Senior Week. This gives graduating seniors an idea of what to expect come Commencement Day. Following Commencement Rehearsal is a champagne toast and lunch. Each year the graduating class’ freshman roll is signed out of Rush Rhees Library and on display for the students to look at. I always get a kick out of the graduating seniors scurrying to the scroll to find their John Hancock.

This year’s signing of the Freshman Roll will take place on Wednesday, August 25 from 5:45pm to 6:30pm on Meliora Plaza, right outside of Rush Rhees Library.

-Scott

Friday, July 16, 2010

Summer Update!

It looks as though it has been awhile since we have updated our blog, so I thought I would give you an update on what has been happening in Conference and Events this summer.

The academic year officially closes with Commencement Weekend. While other campus departments are winding down, Conferences and Events is just gearing up! Between Friday, May 14 and Sunday, May 16 our office oversees a total of seven degree conferral ceremonies: School of Nursing, School of Medicine and Dentistry, the Doctoral Ceremony, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development, the College and the Eastman School of Music. The Simon Graduate School of Business Administration is our eighth degree conferral, which takes place in June due to their quarter system.

In additional to the seven degree conferrals taking place that weekend, there are also close to 30 diploma ceremonies (ceremonies where the students will physically receive their diplomas), receptions, dinners, and awards ceremonies. If you have never witnessed Commencement Weekend at the University of Rochester, you are missing out on quite an event. Mark your calendars for next May 13-15, 2011. Our office is always looking for ushers during the College Commencement that takes place on Sunday morning. Ushers assist with passing out programs, giving directions and seating families and friends.

Right after Commencement Weekend, our office’s attention focuses on Conference Summer Housing. Conference and Events oversees housing for close to 30 groups who spend the summer in the residence halls on River Campus. These groups range from academic groups coming to campus to take classes on River Campus, conduct medical research at Strong Memorial Hospital, or sports camps run through the Athletics Department. Conference and Events facilities the groups check-in and check-out dates, contracts, invoices, and works with offices such as Residence Life, Athletics, the Post Office, ID Office, Campus Dining and University Information Technology to make sure our guests’ stay is as smooth as possible.

While we are still a few weeks away from wrapping up another year of Conference Summer Housing, I think it is safe to say this summer has been one of the most successful summers we have ever had. The College made a push this year to make the summer vibrant and alive for our guests. The Office of Residential Life combined many programs into closer proximity to each other, creating a “community feel” which was sometimes missing during the summer months. Campus Dining offered extended summer hours and very flexible meal options and packages. The Student Activities Office offered a variety of events from movies, to shuttles to local festivals and events, to many recreational activities. A new initiative from the Student Activities Office I heard great feedback from was their weekly “Summer Weekend Highlights” email that went out to summer guests, noting what was taking place not only on campus but in the community.

Has your office thought about housing guests in the summer, whether it is for research, an internship, or community work? Feel free to contact me at 585-273-1765 or at scott.verrenti@rochester.edu and we can discuss what options would work best for your group.

In the next blog entry I will be talking about how Conference and Events is planning some very interesting events within the next couple of months. Stay tuned!

-Scott

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Monroe County Math League: Part Two

On Tuesday, March 9, 2010 over 35 schools from all over Monroe County came together for the annual Monroe County Math League competition. The event featured over 600 high school students, along with approximately 70 teachers in the day-long math contest.


Students started the day at Strong Auditorium for a welcome. From there, they broke off into over 30 classrooms all over the River Campus. Lunch was served in Douglass Dining, and then the students were back into their classrooms for their afternoon competitions. While the judges were calculating their scores, the students participating in math contests in Strong Auditorium.

The top three large school winners were Brighton, Fairport and Penfield High Schools, while the top three small school winners were Pittsford Sutherland, Honeoye Falls-Lima and Wayne County High Schools.

Congratulations to all of the area high school students, and we hope to see the Monroe County Math League back at the University of Rochester next year!

-Scott

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Monroe County Math League

On Tuesday, March 9 the University of Rochester will host the annual Monroe County Math League. This day long event brings together over 500 high school students in a day long mathematics competition in various classrooms across campus. The winners will advance to a final round that will take place in Strong Auditorium later that day. The top competitors from this event will move on to a state wide competition later this spring.

Be sure to check back next week for a post-event write up and pictures!

-Scott