February 2025 in Photos
That famous groundboi predicted six more weeks of winter, but February showed no signs of slowing down. Here’s a look back at how we filled the days at the University of Rochester. Photos by senior University photographer J. Adam Fenster.
ALL THAT AND A STACK OF CHIPS: A modular µSiM (m-µSiM) tissue chip platform, used to model vascular barrier tissues containing an easy-access open well for cell culture, in the lab of James McGrath, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Biomedical Engineering. The components are mass-produced and primarily acrylic, which allows for the assembly of highly reproducible devices.
S’MORES THE MERRIER: Rochester students enjoy fire pits and s’mores during Winterfest Weekend, an annual Rochester Tradition.
CLEAN OF ARTS: Kasia Maroney ’92, objects conservator, accompanied by Lauren Tagliaferro, curatorial assistant, cleans a spot on Wendell Castle’s Last Judgment during a visit to the Memorial Art Gallery.
CONVERSATION LESSONS: Yefim Ravin, a Russian-Jewish émigré, speaks with Aaron Do ’26, a Russian and music major, as part of a partnership between Jewish Family Services and the University’s Department of Modern Languages and Cultures’ Russian Language Community-Engaged Practicum. Created in fall 2023 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine—which limited students’ ability to study in Russia—the program pairs students interested in practicing their language skills with Russian-speaking immigrants from countries of the former Soviet Union.
A SURE FRING: Actor Giancarlo Esposito (right) speaks with Assistant Professor of Black Studies Jordan Ealey during the 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address.
PAGES FOR THE AGES: The fore edge of the Ghent-Bruges Book of Hours, recently acquired by Rossell Hope Robbins Library and the Memorial Art Gallery. This example of a prayer book is illuminated with flowers, birds, fruits, and figures rendered in the Ghent-Bruges manner. The paintings are attributed to the Master of the Prayer Books of 1500.
ACCESS FOR ALL: Biomedical engineering PhD student Naomi Guevara demonstrates an ultrasound scanning protocol for breast cancer screening to biomedical engineering major Paula Lopez Fagundez. The ultrasound system and protocol were developed by Professor of Biomedical Engineering Benjamin Castañeda’s lab to provide medical imaging support to rural areas with limited access to technology.
LEADING EVER BETTER: University president Sarah Mangelsdorf, accompanied by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY-D, left) and Medical Center CEO David Linehan, answers questions about the impact of federal cuts to National Institutes of Health funding during a news conference.
INVOLUTION INSTALLATION: Renee Jin, a doctoral student in the Graduate Program of Visual and Cultural Studies, with her works, Mandarin Blossom of the South I and II. Jin’s sculptures examine the concept of involution, which, among contemporary Chinese youth, refers to a rolling or curling up of the insides—a reaction to the pervasive cutthroat competition that is understood as largely pointless yet seemingly inescapable.
PASTRIES ON PARADE: A sampling of croissants (matcha cream, strawberry and cream, and chocolate Oreo and coconut cream) offered at JoyMart Grocery Store and Café in College Town. The specialty Asian market is owned by Yaofang (Vicki) Liang ’23W (PhD).
GROUNDBREAKING NEWS: Director of Planning Charles Gantt; Reverend Brian Cool; Chrissy and William Carpenter, University Trustee Emeritus; President Sarah Mangelsdorf; Bishop Salvatore Matano; Joseph Mack ’55, University Trustee Emeritus; and Amelia Swan ’25, Catholic Newman Student Executive Board President, participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Joseph P. Mack Catholic Center on the University’s River Campus.
DIBS ON THE TOP HAT: A new Rochester edition of Monopoly features spaces for the University of Rochester, Medical Center, Memorial Art Gallery, and Eastman School of Music. You can also draw a Community Chest card with a nod to the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. Pass “GO” and collect $200.
