Itā€™s possible that a universityā€™s image has never been more important than it is today, and thatā€™s because the higher education environment has never been this fraught.

Starting this fall, universities are expected to spend the next two decades competing for a shrinking pool of college-aged students, bringing the concerns of the ā€œenrollment cliffā€ to bear. Ā With families struggling financially, thereā€™s growing skepticism about the value of a degree. Geopolitical volatility has complicated global recruitment strategies for students and faculty. Federal policy changes have created many uncertainties for the future of research and healthcare.

The is meeting the moment with a refreshed brand strategy and identity. Launched in October 2025, the refreshed brand reflects °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s evolution while creating a new foundation to strengthen its global reputationā€”one of the five pillars of , the Universityā€™s strategic plan.

Sid Bhattacharya, the associate vice president for marketing, and Michelle Hildreth, the director of creative strategy and solutions, are two of the people from °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ marketing and communications (UMC) who were integral to °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s first brand refresh in almost 20 years. In a Leadership Conversation, Bhattacharya and Hildreth offered a behind-the-scenes look at their ongoing work on the brand, including multichannel national campaigns that aim to enhance °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s reputation worldwide.

Here are five takeaways.

Marketing isnā€™t an act; itā€™s a system.

Until 2023, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ was primarily engaged in what Bhattacharya called ā€œrandom acts of marketing.ā€ That started to change when was hired as the Universityā€™s first vice president for marketing and communications. Redefining the legacy position to include marketing paved the way for a marketing division, which began to take shape in September 2024 when Bhattacharya joined the University.

The primary goal of the marketing team was to re-envision °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s brand and develop ongoing initiatives to convey the Universityā€™s strengths for contemporary audiences. Bhattacharyaā€™s earliest conversations put the ultimate goal of his teamā€™s work in clear terms.

ā€œThere was consistent drumbeating around being sick and tired of °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ being a hidden gem. How do we lose ā€˜hiddenā€™ and become just a gem?ā€

A big part of Bhattacharyaā€™s role was to unleash °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. To give the University the spotlight it deserves, the marketing team is executing a strategy that is taking place across five platforms:

• Brand
• Enrollment (undergraduate and graduate)
• Storytelling (e.g., Social Media, News Center, Rochester Review)
• Digital (including web modernization)
• Strategic internal communications

Bhattacharya has overseen a deliberate shift toward a more comprehensive, layered approach that employs strategic tactics and initiatives, working with partners across the institution.

One of the latest examples of this work is the flagship brand video The 90-second spot presents °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ as a place that thinks in terms of ā€œand,ā€ not ā€œor,ā€ celebrating the way its community blends ideas, supplements interests, and connects disciplines. Hildreth noted that the video features more than 40 students, faculty, and staff and an original score composed by the Emmy Award-winner , an associate professor of contemporary media and film composition, which was performed by the .

Higher ed audiences want less polish and more proof.

More and more students and families are looking at the cost of tuition and the prospective debt that comes with a degree, and theyā€™re wondering, ā€œIs this worth it?ā€ Hildreth shared that not only are they more skeptical than previous generations, theyā€™re also better at tuning out traditional marketingā€”and almost instinctively rejecting it.

So, how does °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ ensure itā€™s heard? Hildreth pointed to five strategies.

The first is audience-specific storytelling. A prospective student wants different information than an alumnus considering a gift or a research partner exploring collaboration opportunities. °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s challenge is to tailor stories that resonate with each group without straying from its overarching brand message.

Outcomes-first messaging is another approach that emphasizes how °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ degrees and research lead to careers and real-world solutions.

Authenticity and ā€œpeer voiceā€ have also become increasingly important. Hildreth noted they are leaning into student-generated content, highlighting real experiences because it helps build trust and works a lot better than ā€œsizzle marketing.ā€

Equally important to using an authentic voice is being transparent and accountable, especially with current or prospective donors or external partners and the broader public. These groups want clear evidence of institutional impact, including how °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is using philanthropic funds and the outcomes of research.

Finally, thereā€™s the rise of a brand systemā€”enemy to random acts of marketing. The marketing team is moving away from one-off campaigns and brand moments to ensure °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ expresses itself consistently across all touchpoints.

ā€œThe universities that ā€˜winā€™ in the next decade of brand perception arenā€™t going to be the ones that spend the most on marketing. Theyā€™ll be the ones that have the clearest sense of who they are and have the courage to express it.ā€

AI is reshaping how people discover °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ.

Student search behavior is changing in a big way. Instead of pulling up Google and typing specific topics like ā€œno core curriculumā€ into the search bar, they are increasingly using AI-driven platforms, such as ChatGPT and Claude, to ask complex, multi-variable questions.

Bhattacharya addressed this shift, explaining that while traditional paid search or search engine optimization remains important, they also need to consider answer or generative engine optimization. These days, even if a student uses Google to search, the first thing they will see is an AI overview, which may provide whatever information they are looking for. The rise of ā€œzero-click searchingā€ has many universities working to enhance their discoverability. Bhattacharya shared that his team conducted some testing and didnā€™t love the way °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ currently appears in these instances.

ā€œIn order for us to show up better when prompt queries we care about are used, we have to do some content, website organization, and structural work. So, weā€™ll be thinking about how we can show up in the right way, at the right times.ā€

Social media is another area where the marketing team is leveraging AI, specifically through , a comprehensive social media management and intelligence platform. The platformā€™s AI-assisted content publishing and generation feature enables the team to quickly and easily develop a range of content options that they can shape to fit the moment. Other examples include generating alt text for images and ā€œinbox automation,ā€ which simplifies how °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ accounts engage with followers by categorizing messages and suggesting responses. By automating some of the more routine work in this space, the social team is freed to spend more time on creative strategy and storytelling.

Hildreth acknowledged AI is a hot-button issue for creatives, some of whom wonā€™t consider using it at all. However, her team embraces it for research and the synthesis phase of the creative process (e.g., mood-boarding). And thereā€™s one critically important rule: nothing goes out without a human touching it.

House of brands < Branded house

April 15 was a big day at °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ, and the reason may have flown under the radar for many (especially if they missed the April 20 issue of @Rochester). The Universityā€™s health system formally changed from ā€œUR Medicineā€ to ā€œ°µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicine.ā€ It may seem like a minor change, but itā€™s a major move for brand and visual alignment that reinforces the One University philosophy in a meaningful way.

Historically, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ schools and units operated with significant independence in how they presented themselves, creating an institution of many brands. The marketing teamā€™s work has helped to bring those brands (i.e., UR Medicine) under a single umbrella where they can share a visual and messaging framework that allows for some flexibility.

Hildreth explained that the value of the brand system is the way it relieves University entities from having to spend time explaining who they are, what they stand for, or how they are part of °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€”itā€™s all baked in.

The marketing team has empowered schools and units to be good brand and University citizens by offering guidelines and an array of resources at . Thereā€™s also the brand activation tool, , which offers hundreds of ready-to-use, customizable templates.

ā€œFolks are realizing how much better this landscape is for creation. Weā€™re giving them little nuggets, and theyā€™re really running with them. It is good to see people adopting it and making it their own.ā€

Bhattacharya added that brand unity not only creates a stronger, more recognizable identity but also offers practical benefits, such as cutting costs and minimizing duplicative efforts. Thereā€™s also some data that shows the brand work is working.

In February 2024, the marketing team used a comprehensive Harris poll to gauge how well people know who °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is, what it does, and whatā€™s distinctive about it. In the last year and a half, brand awareness has gone from 11 percent to 24 percent.

Undergraduate applications were up almost nine percent, and early decision applications are up 17 percent. Both are important signals as admission is the Universityā€™s revenue engine. In all cases, Bhattacharya emphasized these gains arenā€™t just the product of recruitment marketing; theyā€™re part of a cumulative effort and everyone aligning with the University brand.

The work is far from done.

°µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is part of a crowded and increasingly competitive market. Although the marketing teams have reinvigorated the brand and produced some early results, the efforts to date should be considered an initial set of moves in a long game.

Hildreth shared that as the marketing team continues to strengthen the brand, they will look to elevate their video content and digital work. Bhattacharya is looking forward to expanding °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s market presence beyond the 11 core markets of its current image campaign.

Given the long tail of brand work, Bhattacharya and Hildreth were asked to consider what makes a brand last. What gives a brand power?

Hildreth believes a strong brand is clear and confident.

ā€œThere are a lot of universities and companies out there that are afraid to have a point of view. But the brands that stand out stand for something clear, and they do it in a way that helps the audience see themselves in it.ā€

Bhattacharya emphasized authenticity. As his team developed °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s brand strategy, they focused on what is genuinely unique about the University, grounding it in strong proof points. He also expressed gratitude for the Universityā€™s initial investment in the brand because consistency is critical to the momentum and visibility that builds recognition. Finally, he pointed to credibility and trust, as once those are lost, branding no longer matters.

Developing a brand that is clear, confident, authentic, consistent, and trustworthy isnā€™t achieved by policing the University community; rather itā€™s cultivated by a community of evangelists.

ā€œA brand is never done,ā€ said Bhattacharya. ā€œAnd maintaining it is not solely the role and responsibility of the marketing team; itā€™s on all of us.ā€

Academic medical centers are constantly striving to do three very difficult things at the same time: deliver world-class, cost-effective care; train a new generation of clinicians; and push the standard of care through research. Today, more than ever, delivering on each mission is complicated by federal and state policy changes, a significant reduction in federal funding, and increasing labor costs and expenses.

is one of about 225 academic health systems across the country that are pivoting and evolving, reshaping how they heal, teach, and discover. And how it continues delivering is being guided by Boundless Possibility, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s 2030 strategic plan. At and those efforts are being led by , the president and CEO of both hospitals.

Parrinello has been with °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicine since 1975. Starting at Strong, she worked in nursing through the 1990s and then moved into central administration and eventually became Strongā€™s chief operating officer. Now the president and CEO of two hospitals, Parrinello offered a glimpse into her corner of °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicine in a Leadership Conversation.

Here are five takeaways.

ā€˜System-nessā€™ is Meliora.

Most of todayā€™s academic medical centers have moved from providing care through a single hospital to operating as multi-campus health systems composed of specialty hospitals, centers, and research institutes. Parrinello explained that evolution began at °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ in the late 1990s. Strong was becoming increasingly crowded, while Highland had room to grow. Rather than expanding Strong, the University began thinking strategically about how to work collaboratively.

What started as taking advantage of natural synergies between two Rochester hospitals became the foundation for expanding access to care regionally. °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicine embraced affiliation with smaller, rural hospitalsā€”such as those in , Ā , ,Ģż , , and ā€”to maintain strong community hospitals close to home for residents across the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier, with access to highly specialized care in Rochester.

Parrinello calls this ā€œsystem-nessā€ and pointed to °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicineā€™s cancer care as one of its best outcomes. (In his Leadership Conversation, David Linehan, the CEO of the Medical Center, dean of the , and senior vice president for health sciences at °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ, also talked about the concept of system-ness, which he described as ā€œusing all the pieces on the chessboard.ā€)

ā€œHealthcare is very, very complex these days. It takes teams of highly trained individualsā€”oftentimes with very specialized skill sets to provide optimal care for our patients.ā€

Parrinello spoke of system-ness as both ethos and aspiration. Itā€™s being one team with one purpose and a shared commitment to delivering high-quality care at the right level, in the right place, seamlessly. But itā€™s also striving to be ever better at doing it.

The goal isnā€™t more space; itā€™s better care.

Overcrowding in emergency departments is a national problem with local complications. In 2001, within months of Strong completing renovations to its current emergency department, one longstanding community hospital announced it was closing and another significantly downsizing. These changes put a strain on all remaining emergency departments in Monroe County, including Strong, which today provides care for more than 110,000 emergency patients each year in a space designed for 66,000.

The Strong Expansion Project is °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicine investing in a structural solution to an issue the community has faced for years.

When completed, theĀ new nine-story patient towerĀ will give the hospital more than 650,000 square feet of new, modern space and more than triple the size of the hospitalā€™s Emergency Department (ED). Another important feature is the addition of more than 100 inpatient beds.

ā€œPatients are often waiting to get to beds. Moving patients when they need to be admitted is the real key to managing overcrowding in the ED.ā€

Parrinello made it clear that the tower isnā€™t just about more space (or beds); itā€™s about the right space. The new tower will provide one critical care bay designed for treating high-intensity trauma cases and another critical care bay for patients who need immediate medical intensive care for cardiac or neuro emergencies. Children in need of emergent care and patients experiencing mental health crises will also be treated in environments that are better suited for their needs.

°µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicine is taking another, more innovative approach to capacity issues by moving care beyond hospital walls. A new program that Parrinello is particularly excited about is , an option for patients with acute needs who can be safely and effectively treated in their home with daily visits from care teams and telemedicine connections to the hospital.

ā€œItā€™s been really exciting. Once families become more competent and confident in providing care in the home, readmission rates tend to be lower because they know they can reach out to their provider and get the services that they need.ā€

Hospital at Home is a new form of inpatient care, but patients can also receive a whole array of more medically advanced services in outpatient settings. Parrinello noted that leadership is continually thinking about how °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicine can maximize efficiencies and patient convenience in roughly 250 off-site clinical locations, including the for Orthopaedics and Physical Performance in Henrietta.

Strongā€™s expansion is for staff, too.

Parrinello explained that the expansion project was also designed with employee well-being in mind, and simply starting construction provided a much-needed morale boost to faculty and staff in Strongā€™s perpetually overcrowded ED.

ā€œWatching that building be built is really encouraging, because we owe it to our teams. We need to make sure they have the right spaces to work in so they can provide the best care to patients.ā€

But thereā€™s more to well-being than providing staff members with the space and time to have meals, exercise, and recharge. Parrinello noted that , °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicineā€™s inaugural chief well-being officer, is working with IT teams and clinical leaders to design more efficient workflows. Parrinello added that part of creating efficiencies is making sure they have the right personnel and the right patient-to-staff ratios. Rooney is helping there as well.

Currently, Strong is staffed to care for around 950 patients every day, and frequently more than that, despite having only 897 licensed beds. The expansion will drastically improve the working conditions for staff and the privacy and comfort provided to patients. Although the incremental increase in overall patient volumes will be gradual given the current volume, Parrinello said more nurses and clinical support staff will be needed to serve the much larger facility. Recruitment plans are being developed to ensure the hospital is fully staffed when Phase 1 of the expansion project opens in May of 2027.

Policy and funding remain wildcards.

Forces beyond the hospitalā€™s wall have the potential to reshape °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicineā€™s care far more than the current expansion project. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, cuts $1 trillion from health programs over a period of eight years, including $120 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly ā€œfood stampsā€).

Additionally, if the legislation continues as projected, an estimated 10 million people will lose their health insurance coverage, which is especially worrisome to Parrinello.

ā€œFor healthcare providers, thatā€™s scary. When people lose insurance, itā€™s very difficult for them to get scheduled appointments with a provider. If they have no insurance and no ability to pay, what do they do? They come to the ED.ā€

With Josh Farrelman, the vice president for government relations, Parrinello and other leaders have been working closely with legislators to ensure °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicineā€™s interests are reflected in New York Stateā€™s budget, which goes into effect this fall. They are also working with local government leaders and community partners to help area residents understand and comply with changing eligibility requirements for Medicaid and SNAP.

The future is bright and more automated.

Whenā€™s the last time someone talked about the future without mentioning AI? This isnā€™t one of those times.

Acknowledging that there are reasons to be cautious, Parrinello believes AI will be a transformational technology in healthcare. She called out Gregg Nicandri, the inaugural chief digital and innovation officer, who is leading °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Medicineā€™s . Nicandri and his team are charged with helping the health system leverage AI and other emerging technologies to help providers and clinical teams work more quickly and efficiently.

is also helping the hospitalsā€™ digital leadership teams determine how best to use AI to create efficiencies and improve patient care. Parrinello shared an existing example of that: DAX, an AI-powered documentation tool that uses ambient listening. Unburdened by notetaking, physicians using DAXā€”with the patientā€™s permissionā€”can now shift focus solely on the patient. Itā€™s also a big win for provider wellness.

ā€œWeā€™ve heard doctors say this has changed their lives. Because physicians see patients back-to-back-to-back, they often spend their evenings with their notes. Itā€™s the work after workā€”thatā€™s a stressor.ā€

The potential applications for AI are exciting, but Parrinello is moved more by conversations that tackle fundamental questions Strong and Highland face.

How do we provide better care in off-site locations closer to patientsā€™ homes?

How do we build stronger synergies across the network?

How do we make sure weā€™re leaving room to focus on learning and innovation?

As her teams work to answer those questions, Parrinello is inspired by the improved success both hospitals have had recently in recruiting clinicians, nurses, and support staff in the wake of the pandemic.

ā€œA lot of people left healthcare jobs during the scary pandemic times,ā€ she said. ā€œNow, weā€™re seeing a resurgence in interest with many more healthcare students and applicants for jobs in healthcare, and Iā€™m very, very excited about that. I love the energy that comes with new people coming into our organization.ā€

At this time last year, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ President Sarah Mangelsdorf issued a message to the University community in response to federal actions affecting its international students and scholars. In her message, she shared that nine °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ students and recent graduates had their records terminated in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System by the Department of Homeland Security, which meant they no longer had valid legal status in the United States. Fortunately, all were reinstated.

Throughout 2025, a cluster of executive actions made it more difficult for international students to enter, stay, and feel secure at universities across the US. An notes that although students still want to study in the US, the chaos of 2025 has made them less confident about pursuing itā€”2026 saw a 17 percent decrease in international student enrollment across the nation. As the path to American universities has become more unpredictable, a combination of forces is not only complicating the landscape but also redefining ā€œglobal higher education.ā€

Since October 2025, Reitumetse ā€œReituā€ Mabokela, the vice provost for global engagement, has led the University in rethinking how it attracts talent, establishes partnerships, and delivers education and scholarship. In a Leadership Conversation, she discussed her charge: help the University of Rochester remain competitive, connected, and forward-looking in a rapidly shifting global higher education landscape.

Here are five takeaways.

Four global trends are influencing °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s global strategy.

After covering some fundamentals about the Office for Global Engagement Mabokela dove into the forces acting upon universities across the country. (For background on the office, check out .)

The first is a demographic shift. Referencing , she shared that the UN estimates that, in the next two to three decades, the majority of the worldā€™s projected population growth will occur in the southern hemisphere. By 2050, nine countries will account for more than 50 percent of global population growth and five of them are in Africa. Mabokela thinks it would behoove the University to reexamine how itā€™s engaging with parts of the world where thereā€™s growing demand for what °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ offers.

Geopolitical volatility is another force that has manifested in several ways. Mabokela is focused on how the multitude of conflicts challenges °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s ability to attract the most talented faculty, students, and staff. Thatā€™s problematic because of the third trend: increasing global competition. Institutions around the world are making significant investments in their own higher education systems. And itā€™s working. Mabokela pointed to China as an example of a country that has positioned itself to send fewer students abroad and compete more successfully for international students who would have typically chosen to study in the US.

ā€œMaintaining global appeal really requires strategic program alignment as well as targeted outreach beyond the countries where we have historically drawn students.ā€

The final trend is the rise of generative AI, which is changing the most fundamental aspects of how °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ conducts the business of higher education, including teaching, learning, and research.

Hybrid and virtual programs will provide global access.

Transnational educationā€”where learners are not located in the same countries as the programs in which theyā€™re enrolledā€”isnā€™t new. But global trends have people such as Forbes writer Maja Zelihic asking, Mabokela didnā€™t specifically advocate for this, but she did suggest that we continue to make use of what we learned from COVID-19.

The pandemic forced the University to utilize virtual spaces like never before, creating new norms for hybrid and online programs. This is where Mabokela sees potential for °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ to enhance and extend its global reach. She also sees room for growth in education abroad.

ā€œWe know that thereā€™s a certain percentage of our students who will simply not be able to get on a plane and go far away, for any number of reasons. It is still our institutional responsibility to provide opportunities that ensure our students are globally prepared.ā€

With education abroad numbers not where Mabokela would like them to be, sheā€™s looking to course correct through the classroom. By integrating global education into the curriculum through flexible delivery options, including virtual programs, more students could enjoy a global experienceā€”which is an objective of °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s , the 2030 strategic plan.

Global engagement isnā€™t a bonus; itā€™s essential to solving real-world problems.

Amidst the geopolitical turmoil, some might wonder why higher education institutions are still putting effort into enrolling international students or sending students abroad. And the answer is that some are not, but instead are choosing to dial back their global engagement activities due to visa issues and political pressure. Others, such as °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ, are doubling down because itā€™s mission-critical.

ā€œWhen one looks at the nature of global issues that weā€™re dealing with, many of them transcend geopolitical boundaries. It is imperative that we have that global fertilization of ideas and engage and collaborate with each other to address global challenges.ā€

Again, COVID-19 served as an example for Mabokela. Could humanity have overcome the pandemic without the partnerships and collaboration around vaccine development and distribution? It seems borderline impossible. Mabokela took that idea further, saying that finding meaningful solutions to societyā€™s greatest problems isnā€™t feasible when working in silos.

But global engagement isnā€™t just about research, innovation, and pandemic-readiness. Mabokela touched on its value at the human level. When people spend time in foreign environments with people from different cultures who hold different views, they gain a unique education and level of understanding that is more important than ever.

Partnerships should prioritize depth over volume.

Talent and excellence can be found in universities around the world. So, when Mabokela thinks about how °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ approaches a partnership with University X in Country Y, it starts with mutual benefit and respect for the collaborating partners.

So, what are the areas of strength °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is bringing to the table that complement an area or areas of strength at the prospective institution?

If the University receives a partnership proposal, Mabokela wants clear terms. What are the priorities? What are the goals? The partnership also needs to be strategically aligned with °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s mission and the objectives of its strategic plan.

ā€œOne of the things that would benefit us is to really think about fewer but more impactful relationships.ā€

For °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ to develop sustainable relationships, it must accept that it canā€™t be everything to everyone. It must be clear about who it is and what it excels at. Mabokela expressed that sheā€™s thinking beyond higher education, including partners in the private and government sectors.

The status quo needs to go.

Fast forward to October 2030. Mabokela will be celebrating five years with °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ (and the University will be marking the completion of Boundless Possibility). What does she hope to have achieved at that point in her tenure?

In short, transformative change.

ā€œBusiness as usual is no longer viable.ā€

Mabokela identified five prospective markers of success for her office.

1. They will have stabilized and expanded °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s international enrollment, especially in regions of the world where the University hasnā€™t historically been well-represented.
2. They will have developed multifaceted, mutually beneficial partnerships with a variety of stakeholders.
3. They will have seamlessly integrated the education abroad and global education initiatives into the University of Rochester curriculum.
4. They will have helped elevate the Universityā€™s reputation.
5. They will have enhanced graduate student enrollment through innovative 3+2 and 4+1 programs.

Mabokela noted that if she only achieved that last marker, she would feel like she made a meaningful contribution to the University. The key is change. ā€œWeā€™re simply not going to be successful doing what weā€™ve been doing for the last 20, 30 years,ā€ she says. ā€œOur history has served us well, but we have to be forward-looking.ā€

With a collection of more than 13,000 works, representing cultures from around the world and across millennia, there is no shortage of opportunities to wow a first-time visitor to the (MAG). So, why does Sarah Jesse, the Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director of the Memorial Art Gallery, choose to bring new visitors to see William Partridgeā€™s marble statue ?

Itā€™s a lasting symbol of the museumā€™s roots.

Commissioned by MAG founder Emily Sibley Watson, Memoryā€”depicting a woman hugging an urnā€”memorializes Watsonā€™s son, James Averell, while communicating her grief. The sculpture stands among Renaissance and ancient art on MAGā€™s second floor, near the entrance to the original 1913 building, which is also a memorial to Averell. Watson gave the building to the with the proviso that it be used as ā€œa means alike of pleasure and of education for all the citizens of Rochester.ā€

The MAG has taken its adherence to Watsonā€™s stipulation to a new level with the . Jumpstarted by a $3 million commitment from civic leader Abby Bennett, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Trustee Doug Bennett ā€™06S (MBA), the Sands Family Foundation, and MAG, the challenge seeks to build an endowment that enables free admission to the museum.

Jesse discussed the fundraising challenge in a Leadership Conversation that touched on topics such as access to art, industry trends, and connection to the community.

Here are five takeaways.

Accessibility is a matter of practicality and perception.

Since 1940, Oberlin College students, faculty, staff, and community members have had the opportunity to from the Allen Memorial Art Museum for $5. Thatā€™s how Jesse got to spend a semester as an undergraduate student with a Robert Rauschenberg print hanging in her dorm room. It was also part of a seminal experience that shaped her view on how museums should serve communities.

Expanding access to MAG has been one of Jesseā€™s top priorities since she arrived in February 2024. Knowing the MAG to be a genuine civic treasure and learning how many people love it led her to ramp up outreach to those who have no relationship to the museum.

ā€œWe have placed a lot of emphasis on programs that eliminate practical barriers, like fees, and perceptual barriers that lead to people thinking a museum isnā€™t for them, or they donā€™t belong.ā€

One of the most fruitful examples of those efforts is a partnership with the , which placed passes for free admission at all 32 of the systemā€™s branches. Thereā€™s also the partnership with the , where students receive a 90-minute MAG visit once a week for four consecutive weeks each year, from Grade 2 to Grade 4.

Jesse shared a story of an RCSD student who touched a piece of artwork on his first visit because he was so excited to be at MAG. He then wrote the museum an apology letter, vowing to never do it again. The same student burst into tears on the last day of the program because he was so sad to be leaving the teaching artists. MAG gave his family a pass to visit whenever they want. Jesse shared the story because the desire to have community members visit MAG again and again was the impetus for the Free For All Forever Challenge.

Collections can deliver Boundless Possibility.

One of the that °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s 2030 strategic plan, Boundless Possibility, was built around is that the Universityā€™s future is inextricably linked to the city of Rochester. By committing to economic, educational, social, and cultural partnerships, the University can perpetuate the conditions that keep the city and region just and vibrant. ā€œJustā€ and ā€œVibrantā€ resonated with Jesse.

ā€œI think thatā€™s MAGā€™s sweet spot. We expand worldviews. We nurture empathy and acceptance for differences through exposure to other cultures. And a community that enjoys that enrichment, creativity, and connection is a community that thrives.ā€

MAG, as described by Jesse, is a quintessential encyclopedic museum in that its holdings satisfy most checklists. Egyptian sarcophagus? Check. Renaissance armor? Check. Japanese woodblock prints? Check. The work of Monet? Rembrandt? Oā€™Keeffe? Check. Check. Check. The reason the museum has such incredible breadth and depth is its second director and first curator, , respectively. Knowing that some of their fellow citizens might not ever leave Rochester, the Herdle sisters developed a collection that would expose them to art from around the world.

Today, museums across the US are facing the reality that great collections come with great responsibility. Jesse touched on this, noting the growing practice of ā€œinstitutional critique.ā€

ā€œThereā€™s a sense that we need to reckon with the exclusionary practices that have led to a perception of elitism and really examine the bias of the art history canon.ā€

Right now, MAG is rethinking its American art galleries, including reexamining what ā€œAmerican artā€ means and how it can tell a more nuanced narrative. Jesse noted that museum patrons are currently seeing MAG curators experiment with gallery storytelling through anchor objects. For the longest time, the American art collection was anchored by a marble sculpture called , which, in the context of the gallery, could be interpreted as a symbol of manifest destiny. Jesse is thinking about how patronsā€™ perceptions and consumption of the gallery might change if the first piece they saw was a Mesoamerican ceremonial object. This is one example of how MAG is not only diversifying its collections and storytelling but also interrogating the biases of the art-history canon.

At any given time, MAG is only displaying about eight percent of its collection (which is normal for institutions like MAG), so Jesse and MAGā€™s curators have plenty of options for experimentation throughout the museum.

Greater capacity is the key to growth and stability.

One question Jesse frequently gets is, ā€œAre you going to expand the museum?ā€ People see the big empty field behind MAG, and they, understandably, see opportunity. Jesse admits even she was enchanted by the idea when she first arrived. But the work she and her team have put into their five-year strategic plan has made it clear they must first take care of the existing structures.

ā€œMuseums have to be physically beautiful to work their magic and convey to people: this is a place of consequence. This is a place of ideas. Itā€™sĀ an elevated realm.ā€

Enhancing and beautifying the gallery spaces is among the MAGā€™s focus areas moving forward. Jesse pointed out that the first-floor galleries used to have floor-to-ceiling windows. She sees opening those up again as a way to help make the first floor as physically inspiring as the second floor.

For Jesse, the path to growthā€”and stabilityā€”starts with bolstering MAGā€™s capacity. Capacity begets great programming, and great programming leads to better visibility among the community, creating a larger network of people who care about and invest in the museum. The more people who invest in the museumā€”primarily as membersā€”the more MAG can do.

The strategic plan and the Free For All Forever Challenge are driven by MAGā€™s desire to be a more generous institution. That being said, MAG also exists because of the generosity of its community. People are often surprised to learn that every single object in the museumā€™s collection was a gift of some sort. In fact, a huge reason MAG has a world-class collection is the Marion Stratton Gould Fund. The fund was established by MAG board member Hannah Durand Gould in 1938 with a $365,000 bequest, which would be the equivalent to $7.1 million today.

Any today, including memberships, counts toward For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester.

MAG is both balm and wellspring.

In November 2025, the New York Times published a piece by critic A.O. Scott that highlights a poem by Robert Hayden called ā€œMonetā€™s ā€˜Waterlilies.ā€™ā€ Many people sent the article to Jesse because, at the time, MAG had a Monet waterlily painting. But Jesse knew it was also because of this excerpt: ā€œArt canā€™t save us from anything, but we need it as a reminder of something betterā€”of a world that is the antithesis of what we inhale with the news.ā€

Jesse shared that there was a day when a visitor paused to put on her coat at the front desk, and as she did so, she sighed deeply and said, ā€œThat was just what I needed today.ā€

ā€œI think more than ever, people are turning to MAG as a space of creativity, beauty, community, and joy.ā€

Jesse is thinking about the many roles MAG plays in the community, especially given the implications of a successful Free For All Forever initiative. MAG will attract many more first-time visitors, many of whom may be unsure about how to view art or otherwise engage with what the museum has to offer.

ā€œFirst-timersā€ represent an important MAG demographic for Jesse as she wants people to fall in love with the museum. She aims to stoke those feelings by embedding opportunities to make art, read, and socialize within the galleries.

However, MAG is more than an oasis for weary souls. As an academic museum, it occupies a unique hybrid space, simultaneously a civic institution and university resource. Because of its location, itā€™s currently easier for the museum to serve the public than the academic community. Jesse is working on that.

Jesse would love for °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ students to have the kind of relationship with MAG that she had with the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin. She knows itā€™s a tall order. An early win for that student connection was making sure the museum is a destination for University shuttles. Another way she aims to move the needle is by working with faculty to see where MAG can be integrated into coursework.

Research is an under-recognized MAG role in the academic sphere. Curators are actively doing original research in art history. Jesse cited the work of Jess Marten, who is working on an exhibition that will give overdue recognition to a woman artist, Maria Oakey Dewing, who was widely dismissed for her penchant for painting flowers.

Enjoy MAG.

Historically, museums focused on the stewardship of their collectionsā€”an inherently flawed practice because if done perfectly, collections would remain locked away, never seeing light (or being seen). But, as museum directors wrote in in the wake of a spectacular heist, ā€œMuseums are neither bastions nor safes. While creating a safe environment for art and its audiences, theirĀ raison dā€™ĆŖtreĀ lies in their openness and accessibility.ā€

For more than two decades, museums have shifted from object-centered institutions to people-centered spaces for education and engagement. The MAG is all-in on the latter. Jesse sees sharing MAGā€™s collection as MAGā€™s most important mission.

ā€œI just want people to come enjoy this resource. It is for you, so take advantage of it.ā€

Jesse encouraged those who havenā€™t become members to do so and to remain members even after they meet the Free For All, Forever goal. She explained the predominant reason museums are hesitant to eliminate their admission fees is that admission is a perk of membership, and those memberships are critical to the museumsā€™ health.

ā€œMembership is a sign of health in the community,ā€ she says. ā€œSo, I really hope when we go free, we see more members than we have ever had because theyā€™re excited to be part of an institution that is doing such important work for the community.ā€

At the end of 2025, the published a report that explores the economic and social impact °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ has on the Greater Rochester and upstate New York regions. Commissioned by the , the report, created by , used fiscal year 2024 data to quantify and articulate the Universityā€™s annualized economic footprint through its operations, academic activities, and healthcare system.

The reportā€™s findings showed °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is far more than a provider of education. In short, the University, UR Medicine, and University affiliates are, collectively, a transformative economic force, driving prosperity and innovation, attracting investment, and creating opportunities for residents and industries across the region and the state.

Josh Farrelman, the vice president for government relations, provided context and answered questions that °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ community members might have about the report.

Q&A with Josh Farrelman

Why does the University commission reports like this?

Farrelman: The economic impact study we commissioned is a way we can validate the decisions of policymakers, community members, and donors by more clearly demonstrating the return on their investments and, more generally, our public value. It also helps us articulate how investment in higher education, healthcare, research, and arts and culture is safeguarding our regionā€™s and stateā€™s economic future and their residentsā€™ quality of life.

Taxpayer dollars and philanthropic contributions enable and enhance our ability to successfully educate the next generation of leaders, provide care for chronic illness and complex disease, discover new technologies, enrich our culture through the arts, and strengthen our national and economic security. We deeply appreciate the funding we receive and take our stewardship of these funds very seriously because they are vital to our mission.

What can you tell us about this specific report?Ā 

Farrelman: This was our first time working with ESI. They have worked with a number of peer institutions and brought a level of analysis that we didnā€™t have previously. One thing that excited me more about this report than previous reports is that it allowed us to gauge our estimated impact at different levels and quantify the Universityā€™s growing footprint statewide and even at a national level. For example, the study showed weā€™re a powerful economic development engine in the Finger Lakes region. Given our regional footprint, particularly due to our hospital affiliates, this was important. Thatā€™s also true statewide, with an estimated 66,700 jobs (1 in every 126) in New York being directly and indirectly supported by °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ.

Additionally, it was important that we could do some micro-targeting, specifically on our impact within the City of Rochester.

Were there any other notable aspects of the report?

Farrelman: I really am glad we were able to dig deeply into the research enterprise. At a time when federal research is being cut and undervalued, we wanted to highlight our robust innovation ecosystem and its positive impactā€”within New York State, the research enterprise had an almost $1 billion impact and generated almost $20 million in tax revenue.

The findings highlight our ability to attract research funding and top talent and how valuable that is to our community and state. Both enhance our ability to drive discovery, develop technology, inspire the creation of new companies, enter industry partnerships, lead economic development initiatives, and be a destination employer.

Another element of the report that was new to us was the ability to estimate alumni ā€œwage premiumsā€ā€”how much more they earn over the course of the year than those with only a high school diploma. Within the City of Rochester, alumni, cumulatively, earn $218 million more each year. That number jumps to $338 million when youā€™re looking at all of Monroe County. Looking at the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier Regions, the premium is $161 million, and statewide, itā€™s $1 billion.

Is there anything about the report you think will surprise readers?

Farrelman: I think the wage benefits our alumni enjoy in our community and throughout the state will be the most surprising. These figures are significant because when those earnings are spent or taxed, they support their respective economies. Within our state, the additional spending generated an estimated $785 million in annual economic activity and around $50 million in tax dollar support.

Not only do these figures help us articulate the value of a degree, but they also shine a light on how communities and states benefit from our alumni.

I also want to emphasize the Universityā€™s strong and growing commitment to our community. Our impact in this space is also hard to measure, but the report highlights everything from the direct annual support we provide to the indirect roles we play to support economic, workforce, and community-building activities. Our community members see this play out in the form of hundreds of free concerts offered by , a commitment to increased accessibility to the , and more than $2 million in community health improvement services through the .

When will the University conduct another study?

Farrelman: Since I joined the University in 2005, there have been eight economic impact reports created. I aim to commission a report every couple of years; this one was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but we hope to return to a more regular schedule going forward. Theyā€™re a huge undertaking. The data my team and dedicated staff across the University and its affiliates need to collect has become an enormous effort as we have grown into a larger, more complex institution. Plus, itā€™s an effort we try to align with the Universityā€™s strategic planning process, which has a much different creation and implementation period. We aim to commission a new report in 2028ā€“2029.

A °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ degree does not come easy. Even the brightest, most dedicated students can veer off track or find themselves dangerously overwhelmed. Consider the following hypothetical °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ students:

• Student A, a first-year, is shockedā€”and devastatedā€”by their poor performance on a heavily weighted mid-term exam.
• Student B, a sophomore, has spent two semesters exploring a variety of disciplines, despite having declared a major.
• Student C, a junior, is exhausted and increasingly anxious about managing a 20-credit schedule.

Each circumstance could needlessly lead to the student transferring or not graduating. However, with the right support systems and guardrails in place, these situations could largely be avoided altogether. Providing the framework that ensures °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ studentsā€™ success is among the responsibilities of °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s inaugural senior vice provost for academic excellence, Elaine Sia.

Sia, a biology professor, is focused on building and leveraging partnerships across schools and units. Working closely with the faculty, deans, and other senior leadership, she aims to strengthen the quality and impact of °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s academic programs, research, and student success initiatives.

Established by Provost Nicole Sampson in 2025, the new position carries a portfolio that complements the work of John Blackshear, the vice president for student life. Together, Sia and Blackshear give the University a two-pronged approach to improving studentsā€™ competency development, academic outcomes, sense of connection, and wellness, as outlined in , the 2030 strategic plan.

January 1 marked one year since Sia was appointed. She joined Joe Testani, the deputy to University President Sarah Mangelsdorf, for a Leadership Conversations webinar to discuss her first year in the role and how she will continue to facilitate an exceptional learning environment.

Here are five takeaways.

Teamwork makes the academic dream work.

At °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ, the shorthand for this concept is ā€œOne University,ā€ a collaborative philosophy that undergirds every aspect of the institutionā€™s work, including academic excellence. Sia aims for her team to serve not only as a bridge between student-facing systems (e.g., advising services and the Learning Center) and faculty-facing systems (e.g., the Teaching Center). By cultivating connections among these various offices, the University opens itself to innovative faculty support, more flexible learning pathways, and the creation of more interdisciplinary degrees.

And because this role is University-wide rather than specific to any one school, Sia is working not only to bridge systems, but also to establish a network that facilitates efficiencies and removes barriers.

Having been a faculty member since 2000, Sia is especially well-suited to serve as connective tissue between learning and teaching. However, sheā€™s not looking to make decisions on things like curriculum and policy in a vacuum.

ā€œItā€™s really helpful when people want to get involved and share their experience and expertise.ā€

Sia said thereā€™s a big role for faculty to play in this space on committees and working groups, and she encouraged their direct input and feedback, a point she punctuated by sharing her office hours.

Additionally, Sia noted that she and Blackshear have spoken at length about building stronger structural connections between their teamsā€”that could take the form of committees or scheduled check-ins. An example of success here is knowing exactly whom to contact when a student is in trouble.

Sia also discussed her teamā€™s partnership with student life on a new first-year experience course. Sia and her student life partners are putting together a program that creates an established community connecting first-year students with the offices and people who help them to feel comfortable, welcome, and confident that they have what they need to succeed, starting on day one.

Retention and graduation rates are indicators, not goals.

These are numbers Sia thinks about in her sleep, particularly in terms of what the University is getting right and wrong. For example, the reasons a student transfers to a different school tend to be very personal, yet there are also big common factors, such as academic struggles, a lack of a sense of belonging, or not seeing a return on their investments of time and money.

At a time when many families are struggling financially, the value of a °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ education needs to be clear to undergraduate students, many of whom are considering competitor schools and those in the SUNY system.

ā€œWe think theyā€™ll know theyā€™re learning all of these wonderful skills as part of a liberal arts education. But they donā€™t always know.ā€

Sia wants to bake the value propositions into the curriculum and make them more apparent in the learning process. Another approach to retention is treating the symptom where it lives; here, Sia looks for faculty to provide answers to questions such as:

• Where are students struggling?
• Can we look at curricular modifications or fixes that will help students complete programs more effectively or faster?
• What support can we provide to nurture student success?
• How do we conduct early interventions to get students back on track?

Some interventions might include an advisor helping a student determine whether they have chosen the right path and, if necessary, course-correct.

Sia noted that one of the things she plans to focus on in the coming year is how the University can shine a light on and celebrate the individuals and teams who go beyond showing up and teaching by developing programs and resources that can serve as best practices.

Experiential learning is learning by doingā€”and more.

Experiential learning is one indicator of success for the strategic planā€™s education goal. °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ aims to ensure that all students have at least two high-impact experiencesā€”such as research, internships, mentorships, or community-engaged learningā€”that develop practical competencies. Sia noted that she came into this role with great confidence that °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ students are already averaging more than two. (Some of that confidence came from being the mother of two °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ alumni.)

The challenge for Sia and her team is building the experiential learning infrastructure that makes ā€œbookkeepingā€ easier and clearer. To that end, Sia acknowledged the work done to define ā€œexperiential learningā€ before her appointment.

ā€œAll we want is to be able say what it means to do experiential learning here, so students can go to employers or grads schools and talk about what they gained from their experiences.ā€

And here is what theyā€™re saying:

Experiential learning is a dynamic, multi-sensory teaching and learning process where individuals co-design and navigate unique challenges through cycles of trial and error. It reaches beyond traditional lecture and exam formats, blending planned and unplanned elements, encouraging experimentation, embracing uncertainty, and relying upon continuous reflection and adaptation. In effect, participants are ā€œlearning by doing.ā€

That is only one part of how Siaā€™s team is currently talking about experiential learning. Their comprehensive ā€œdefinitionā€ includes additional principles: reflection and feedback, an authentic audience, and holistic and transformative growth.

The blandest work is the most critical.

Odds are low that many who attended the webinar did so to hear Sia discuss the Universityā€™s adherence to rules and regulations. However, the work she does in this area is critical because it ensures that °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ can continue to operate as a university and confer industry-recognized degrees.

Early on, Sia briefly touched on accreditation and compliance, highlighting the need to be thoughtful and to plan carefully for how the University will define success for new programs. She noted that thinking has been balanced by several conversations with program directors and department chairs who have creative ideas for new opportunities.

ā€œWe are at a moment when people are really thinking about what our students need and what we can give them in this age of AI that they can only get here.ā€

Regarding accreditation, every eight years, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ must reaffirm its institutional accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which was last done in 2024. Accreditation ensures °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s students have access to federal financial aid, researchers have access to federal funding, and the institutionā€™s degrees have credibility.

Sia touched on the Rochester Curriculum and how undergraduate clusters can pose challenges regarding New York State Education Department requirements. °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ studentsā€™ freedom to explore their interests isnā€™t unlimited. Ultimately, the University must ensure that state-defined standards for knowledge in required domains are being met.

Be vocal. Be engaged. Be enthusiastic.

After a year of analyzing °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s academic landscape and reviewing data, Testani asked whatā€™s on the horizon from a tactical perspective.

Sia offered that her team is working to reduce silos and improve coordination across units, departments, and programs. She specifically called out student advising as an area where sheā€™s looking to develop stronger connections. She would like to see more people reach out to advisors, especially in programs and departments with many students and very specific requirements. In general, her primary tactic is openness and a readiness to meet with any and all faculty and staff looking to solve problems.

Sia also shared a conversation she had with some of her team members. They were discussing the state of higher education and how it has created a time of austerity and, in some ways, a crisis for institutions across the country. It unlocked a deeper issue.

ā€œSomething happened to us all during the pandemic that I think has fragmented our community, and in some ways, put a damper on our enthusiasm for our shared endeavor.ā€

Faculty come to the University for the scholarship, but the students come for the educationa nd experience. They come to be taught and inspired by experts in their fields in a hands-on setting. Sia explained that these interactions have meaningful and lasting effects. Thatā€™s why, for her, student-facing spaces need to be a priority. One person or one thoughtful, 10-minute conversation can make an enormous difference in a studentā€™s path, outlook, or connection to °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ.

ā€œI think thatā€™s the key,ā€ Sia said. ā€œWe should focus on experiences that make all of our studentsā€”masterā€™s, undergrads, PhDs, all of themā€”feel like this is a place where they can thrive. We need to remember how to love what we do.ā€

Since 2008, colleges and universities have been on a slow march toward a serious existential threat. It began with the Great Recession, which so thoroughly wracked the economy that many Americans decided to delay having children or not have them at all. Those in higher ed observed that fewer babies in 2008ā€“2012 meant fewer 18-year-olds in 2026ā€“2030, a foreboding that, in the last five or six years, became known as the ā€œenrollment cliff.ā€

For the better part of the next two decades, the will be competing for a much smaller pool of students. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) provides an annual ā€œstudent poolā€ forecast in its report ā€œKnocking at the College Door.ā€ In its (December 2024), the WICHE report says the total number of US high school graduates is expected to peak this year and will decline steadily through 2041.

The cliff is no longer theoretical; itā€™s a current threat, but °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is not in free fall. In a Leadership Conversations webinar, Rob Alexander, the vice provost for enrollment, led a conversation with Joe Testani, the deputy to President Sarah Mangelsdorf, that explored how the University is responding to the decline of this key US demographic. But thatā€™s not the only enrollment challenge °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ faces. Heidi Marcin, the director of enrollment marketing, and Megan Ryan, the assistant vice provost for enrollment, joined Alexander in the conversation to help cover the gamut of enrollment threats and the strategies the University is employing to counter them.

Here are five takeaways.

Up against serious enrollment headwinds, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is overperforming.

A convergence of enrollment challenges is squeezing universities across the country. The enrollment cliff will unquestionably contribute to a steep drop in the number of college-bound students (over time) at °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ, but so will skepticism about the value of a degree, increased sensitivity to cost, and changes in college-going behavior.

Unpredictable federal policy changes compound the demographic decline. For example, visa and immigration uncertainty has led the US to be a less desirable destination for international students, who help stabilize University revenue. Policies that jeopardize federal research funding is another external challenge as they make it harder for American research-intensive universities like °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ to compete globally for graduate students.

Alexander shared that despite all that, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is seeing application growth.

ā€œDomestic applications are up about 33 percent versus two years ago. International is up as well.ā€

In this climate, thatā€™s high-five-worthy data. The headwinds °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ faces seriously hinder enrollment performance, threatening financial stability (potential tuition revenue loss) and student experience (inability to cultivate a well-rounded student body). And that directly affects how successful the University can be in achieving its goals of providing and generating .

Humility has to give way to bold storytelling.

One of the of °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s brand is ā€œgrounded brillianceā€ā€”in other words, striking a balance between humility and boastfulness. Ryan noted that finding that ā€œsweet spotā€ will help the University successfully compete for students as they and their families start to think about college or winnow their preferred institutions. Among the many downstream effects of there being fewer potential students is a zero-sum enrollment landscapeā€”while students are applying to more colleges, they only enroll at one.

Translation: The University has to assert what makes it great.

Ryan emphasized the importance of the strengthened partnership with University Marketing and Communications. Students need to see themselves at °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ, and that requires richer, more personal stories that highlight the value of the University of Rochester experience. And it needs to happen early in the process, which is a multi-year effort. While the University is actively making decisions for the fall of 2026, itā€™s already deep into recruitment for fall 2027.

ā€œFrom the moment theyā€™re connecting with us, weā€™re talking about the experiences that theyā€™re going to haveā€¦ and those stories are coming from our marketing and communications partners.ā€

The enrollment team is also looking to partners across academic departments to create more meaningful connections. °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s faculty is highly accessible for a research-intensive institution, making them one of the Universityā€™s most potent and necessary recruitment tools.

New student journeys require a new mindset.

Itā€™s a new day in enrollment marketing. In addition to factoring in what students expect from a university, institutions now need to consider how theyā€™re moving through the search process. Marcin broke this down by highlighting three major shifts.

1. Students are the captains now. There used to be a predictable, linear funnel, where students requested information, and the institution would deliver it in a certain way and at a certain cadence. Now itā€™s a student-directed journey that has them moving in and out of channels and doing their own research.

ā€œA lot of times, the first contact we have with a student is an application. We call that a stealth applicant, and itā€™s a growing segment every year.ā€

2. Parents arenā€™t side characters. Engaging families is no longer optional as they have become full partners in the decision-making process. And students want them to be. So, communication with and outreach to parents is no longer a courtesy; itā€™s a strategic imperative.

3. Digital marketing had a glow up. There was a time when a static website and some plain-text emails were cutting-edge. That time is long gone. Students live in a multi-platform, multi-device world, and they expect institutions to meet them there. Execution needs to be seamless.

°µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is evolving in response by investing in newer tactics like digital advertising and paid search. Itā€™s also engaging in platform-specific, social media storytelling, where student voices are elevated by making them the content creators and allowing them to tell authentic, relatable stories.

Graduate and international enrollment require rethinking.

Going back to the demographic decline, graduate and international student enrollment are now essential stabilizing forces. Alexander made the point that offsetting the effects of the enrollment cliff means that °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ needs to widen its enrollment strategyā€”especially at the graduate program level.

Alexander pointed out that, compared to its peers, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ has a higher proportion of undergraduates to masterā€™s students, suggesting thereā€™s room to grow across schools. Although individual graduate programs have been recruiting effectively, theyā€™ve done it without the infrastructure and support that a University-wide approach can provide. Thereā€™s also great potential for new partnership agreements with domestic liberal arts schools that donā€™t offer masterā€™s degree programs.

Turning to the international landscape, Alexander noted that °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ has a strong legacy of enrolling students from across the world.

ā€œChina had been the source of the bulk of our international studentsā€¦ but with that single source slowing very precipitously, weā€™re putting a lot of effort into diversification.ā€

Thereā€™s been notable growth in students from India, South Korea, and Vietnamā€”in addition to areas beyond Asiaā€”and partnerships are deepening across Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East.

So how can marketing support these efforts? Not without some complexity.

When it comes to graduate students, Marcin noted that they make decisions in a reverse order from their undergraduate peers. Undergraduate students tend to know where they want to go, but not what they want to study, while graduate students are likelier to know what they want to study, but not where they want to do it. That makes paid search and targeted digital outreach essential tactics.

ā€œIf graduate students are putting ā€˜best [program]ā€™ into Google, we want to make sure our programs are coming up.ā€

Marcin emphasized that ROI, outcomes, and research strengthā€”areas where the University has significant advantagesā€”drive graduate decision-making.

Globally, Marcin pointed to °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s longstanding international identity as an asset. Even as traditional recruitment methods shift and specific markets become more challenging, the University has something many schools lack: a global community ready to help.

Retention is as necessary as attraction.

Nationally, about a third of all college students during their collegiate careers. Keeping °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ students at °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is the most cost-effective way to achieve its enrollment-based goals. Ryan explained that the University is strengthening its internal pipelines.

Ryan noted that students change schools because theyā€™re seeking a stronger sense of belonging. When they donā€™t find that right away, they become open to transfer conversations. Thatā€™s why °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ has expanded its outreach to students who were previously admitted but chose a different path. Itā€™s a new direction for the University, but one that positions it for strategic recruitment with customized messaging that speaks to where a student is and how the University of Rochester experience might offer a better fit.

Overall, the Universityā€™s retention and transfer strategies go hand in hand. Building a more welcoming, transparent, and supportive transfer experience bolsters °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s position on both fronts.

ā€œWe canā€™t just recruit students to get them here,ā€ Ryan said. ā€œOnce theyā€™re here, we have to continue to recruit them and reinforce the value of a °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ education.ā€

Transdisciplinary research is more than academic jargonā€”itā€™s arguably °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s superpower. With world-class resources across the River Campus, the , the , and the ā€”and a community of faculty and students committed to solving humanityā€™s most complex challengesā€”°µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is uniquely positioned to foster innovation and collaboration that can not only reshape existing fields but also create entirely new ones.

To make this vision a reality, in April 2024 the provostā€™s office launched a first-of-its-kind process to identify teams to receive multi-year funding to establish fully realized transdisciplinary centers. After an anonymous faculty committee selectedĀ 10 out of 42 proposals to receive oneā€‘year planning grants, a total of 13 teams submitted comprehensive proposals to be evaluated by faculty, administrators, and more than 60 external reviewers.

Out of this rigorous process emerged four new centers with transformative potentialā€”and a combined $8.5 million investment that drew admiration from the external reviewers themselves. ā€œI canā€™t overstate what a wonderful idea this is,ā€ said John Aldrich ā€™75 (PhD), the Pfizer-Pratt University Professor of Political Science at Duke University, when the awardees were announced in June. ā€œThe courage and commitment of the leadership team to do something bold in research right now is inspiring.ā€

SoundSpace
Award: $4 million over five years

By combining strengths across multiple fields, SoundSpace aims to put °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ
at the frontier of music and technology. Its teamā€”drawn from biomedical and chemical engineering, composition, digital media studies, computer engineering, musicology, and moreā€”will focus on developing a best-in-class hub for research, education, performance, and public engagement. ā€œWe have advantages no one else has,ā€ says the centerā€™s lead, ā€™84 (PhD), a distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Center for Extended Reality
Award: $2 million over five years

CXR seeks to awaken the potential of AR/VR by focusing on how we perceive and experience the world. This involves pulling from optics, engineering, natural sciences, humanities, and medicine to develop platforms that create a seamless connection between hardware and user. ā€œThe idea is that the person isnā€™t using the device as much as the device becomes part of the user,ā€ says CXR co-lead , the Marie C. Wilson and Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Optical Physics. ā€œI donā€™t know of any other places this is being done.ā€

°µĶų³Ō¹Ļ Resilience Research Center
Award: $2 million over five years

Why doesnā€™t stress, trauma, and adversity affect everyone the same? Why are some people able to bounce back faster than others? ±«øéĀ³°äā€™s mission is to identify the factors that perpetuate stress-related health issues to develop ways to prevent and even reverse them. ā€œWeā€™re injecting hope,ā€ says , a professor of psychology and ±«øéĀ³°ä co-lead. ā€œWeā€™d like to build on existing research to provide optimism and sustainability that hasnā€™t previously been available to communities facing dire circumstances or families with generations of adversity or trauma.ā€

Center for Coherence and Quantum Science
Award: $500,000 over two years

°µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is the birthplace of quantum optics and key elements of quantum coherence. Soon, it may also become the birthplace of the first circuit boards for quantum computers. Combining experts in physics, optics, chemistry, and more, CCQS intends to make the University a major national player in this space. ā€œThis is a win-win proposition,ā€ says team lead and Associate Professor of Physics . ā€œThe research weā€™re proposing will have major implications for both understanding how the universe works and harnessing this knowledge for useful technology.ā€

A version of this story appears in the fall 2025 issue of Rochester Review, the magazine of theĀ °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ.

David Linehan, the CEO of the , dean of the , and senior vice president for health sciences at the °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ, is frequently asked how he chose a career in medicine. Itā€™s not something heā€™s always known (he swears some doctors knew in kindergarten), and he never had some cosmic epiphany. Instead, his decision was steadily shaped by family, school, and Alan Alda.

Linehan received his first doses of healthcare from his mother; she ran a rehabilitation clinic for men addicted to drugs and alcohol, and sometimesā€”because she was a single parent without alternativesā€”she brought her son to work. Later, as a high school senior, Linehan had the opportunity to do community service in a small community hospital outside of Boston. Although he was able to see many parts of the hospital, his love of the television war dramedy M*A*S*H drew him to the fast-paced, teamwork-intensive environment of the operating room. The combination of these influencesā€”and 13 years of medical trainingā€”set Linehan on a course to become an internationally renowned surgical oncologist.

Before Linehan stepped in to lead the Medical Center in February 2024, he spent a decade as chair of the , specializing in the treatment of cancers and benign conditions of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and bile ducts. So, when he sat with more than 400 °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ faculty and staff in a Leadership Conversations webinar, it was only natural for someone to ask, ā€œDo you still operate?ā€

He doesnā€™t.

Linehan explained that stepping away from the OR was the hardest part of assuming his current role because he loves being a surgeon. ā€œI came to the conclusion that pancreatic and liver surgery arenā€™t the kinds of things you dabble in,ā€ he said. ā€œItā€™s not fair to the patients.ā€

But he still sees patients and believes maintaining a presence in the clinical world is important for understanding the current challenges care providers face.

The rest of Linehanā€™s conversation with Joe Testani, the deputy to President Sarah Mangelsdorf, covered a range of issues around his vision for care delivery, research, and education.

Here are five takeaways.

Resilience still needs support.

Recent reports from the , , and the project severe workforce shortfalls across American health systems during the next 10 years. Itā€™s a scary forecast, but Linehan offered reasons to think UR Medicine will weather whatever lies ahead.

Like all other health systems, UR Medicine had the COVID-19 pandemic as a teacher. As tough as that period was, the real strain came after. Burnout was (and still is) real, and it frequently led to turnover. At one point, up to 30 percent of nurses in UR Medicine facilities were temporary or contract staff, creating a dynamic that drained morale. However, Linehan emphasized the staff was (and still is) incredibly resilient and united in their commitment to the people they serve.

ā€œA resilient workforce that feels well-supported is key to achieving our vision.ā€

Since the pandemic, UR Medicine has turned the tide through a renewed focus on recruitment and retention. Additionally, Linehan highlighted the Medical Centerā€™s , which is delving beneath surface-level pain points to address systemic issues. The goal is to make the work easier. As an example, Linehan offered the implementation of ambient documentation. Itā€™s an AI-based tool that automates note-taking, allowing physicians to spend less time with paperwork and more time with patients.

Linehan underscored the importance of every employee knowing that, no matter their role, they contribute to the level of care UR Medicine provides. When he says, ā€œeveryone is a caregiver,ā€ he means it.

Expect to see new training programs, more integration, and AI.

To continuously improve care through research and innovation, as the Medical Center aims to do, Linehan is thinking about where healthcare is headed over the next 10 years and how °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ can expand its educational footprint to meet it.

Linehan sees a future where the ways we train caregivers will be transformed by artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and competency-based education models that value mastery over time to accelerate training. In the short term, the Medical Center will offer new programs, such as a doctorate in physical therapy and a new certified registered nurse anesthetist as well as additional training pathways for radiology and pathology technologists. Linehan emphasized that education isnā€™t just for those designated as students.

ā€œEveryone in our workforce is getting educated every day, me included. We want people to come here, learn, and advance their careers. Thatā€™s a good way to retain people.ā€

In general, Linehan wants to see the Medical Center take greater advantage of being an academic medical center. Translating science into clinical care should become routine, and it should start in the Medical Centerā€™s education programs. The integration of AI could change a lot of this. Weā€™re already in a time where care can be delivered semi-autonomously, and weā€™re heading toward automation. Linehan is thinking of AI as a tool that caregivers use, rather than a caregiver-replacement, citing the use of ā€œDoctor Chat Botā€ during the pandemic. Itā€™s a simple example, but an early indicator that AI will fundamentally change how medicine is practiced. Linehan wants the Medical Center to be at the forefront of that shift.

As World War II was coming to an end, it was abundantly clear that universities were sources of critical science and technology. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to fuel American prosperity in peacetime, he turned to his science advisor, Vannevar Bush, who provided the answer in his report, : keep funding basic research and have universities conduct it.

Bushā€™s report became a blueprint for the modern research university and sparked an entirely new US research ecosystem, including the creation of the (NSF).

Today, universities like the °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ are trying to find their footing in a vastly different landscape. Federal policies, funding models, and public expectations are pushing universities away from basic research toward economically driven science. In other words, measurable outcomesā€”such as innovation and national competitivenessā€”are favored over discovery, which is less predictable but could yield world-changing results.

In his Leadership Conversations talk, Steve Dewhurst, the vice president for research and chief research officer at °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ, offered a frank assessment of the current and continuously evolving climate (shaped by more than 200 executive orders) and how the University is responding.

Here are five takeaways.

1. Major funding challenges loom large.

Indirect or ā€œfacilities and administrativeā€ costs are effectively what universities pay for lab maintenance, building utilities, and other infrastructure needs, and they were the first serious pain point Dewhurst called attention to.

Typically, universities recoup indirect costs through a portion of federal grant awards. Thereā€™s an expectation that the federal will revise its to cap reimbursements at 15 percent (at least 35 percent less than what was common). If the cap is enforced, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ and others would need to absorb tens of millions of dollars in annual costs.

ā€œOur government relations team and others are very engaged in explaining why we think [a 15 percent indirect cost cap] would be a very bad idea, but itā€™s a possibility.ā€

Dewhurst speculated on the possible adoption of the , a cumbersome and still fairly costly methodology for indirect cost reimbursement.

A second notable concern is the new National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy of . Previously, multi-year NIH grants were funded year by year, but now, funding is provided in a single lump sum. The result means fewer NIH grants each year. Case in point, °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ saw its awards go from 41 (2024) to 15 (2025).

Dewhurst also shared data from a showing a 50 percent reduction in overall funding, where not all disciplines lost equally. The point here was that, over the next several years, it will be very difficult to get federal funding in many areas where °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ has people actively doing research.

2. °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ will respond with resilience.

Despite the financial and policy turbulence, Dewhurst offered some bright spots worth celebrating, including °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ joining the prestigious ranks of Nathan Shock Centers of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging and a °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ-led STELLAR (Science, Technology, and Engineering of Laser and Laser Applications Research) projectĀ being named a finalist in the NSFā€™s ā€œinnovation enginesā€ competition.

Still, many members of °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s research family are stressed, scared, and possibly angry. And many are likely wondering what to do now. Dewhurst gave an unflinching path forward, starting with a call to act with ā€œproductive urgency,ā€ a phrase he borrowed from BrenĆ© Brown, a research professor of social work at the University of Houston.

ā€œWe have to make tough decisionsā€”thatā€™s the nature of the environment weā€™re in right now. But we need to be intentional about priorities and strategic about what we do.ā€

He went on to encourage researchers to pull together and keep submitting grant proposals, stressing the need for resilience and that faculty be ready to pivot and go where the funding is.

Graduate students are also feeling the squeeze of the current research ecosystem, mainly through changes in indirect costs mentioned earlier. The Universityā€”which spends $10 to $15 million annually on graduate educationā€”is planning to begin charging graduate tuition directly to research grants to sustain these programs, which Dewhurst noted, almost all of °µĶų³Ō¹Ļā€™s peers already do. Itā€™s a move Dewhurst is discussing in great detail with the Faculty Senate, although many details still needing to be resolved. Nevertheless, Dewhurst assured that °µĶų³Ō¹Ļ is not dropping graduate education.