Contact

Office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs

PhD and Master's program directors and administrative contacts can be found on our Program Representatives page.

Other University of Rochester faculty, staff, and students can be found via the Faculty/Staff Directory.

Contact Information

Office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs
University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 316
Rochester, NY, 14642-8316

Phone: (585) 275-4522
Room: G-9556
Email: SMDGEPA@urmc.rochester.edu

Office Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., 12:30 p.m.–4 p.m., and by appointment

Faculty and Staff

Colleen Bailey, Secretary and Assistant to the Dean

Colleen serves as Secretary for the Office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA), acting as a secondary receptionist, serving as assistant to the Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (SAD-GEPA), and helping to monitor department budgets. She also provides support to the UR Postdoctoral Association.

Trainees typically contact Colleen with general inquiries to discuss spending and reimbursement for events sponsored by GEPA and myHub, and to discuss Postdoctoral Association events.

To contact Colleen, call her directly at (585) 275-5022 or email Colleen Bailey.

Tori D'Agostino, Senior Business Administrator, Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs

Tori serves as the Senior Business Administrator for the Office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA), managing all financial and HR-related matters for the office and its’ programs. 

Trainees typically meet with Tori to discuss graduate student payroll matters and postdoctoral appointment policies.

To request a meeting with Tori, please contact her directly at (585) 273-4650 or email Victoria Dagostino.

Kandice King, Director of Graduate Enrollment

Kandice King, Director of Graduate Enrollment Kandice King serves as the Director of Graduate Enrollment for PhD, Master’s, and Certificate programs for the School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD) in the office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs. Students are welcome to meet with Kandice to discuss the admissions process for SMD graduate programs, including how to apply, application requirements, recruitment events, and general application questions.

To contact Kandice, please contact her directly at (585) 275-0102 or email Kandice King.
 

Rick Libby, Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs

In addition to being Dean, Rick is a Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Genetics and a member of the Center for Visual Science.

While students and postdocs are welcome to meet with Rick to discuss any topic, trainees typically meet with Rick to discuss concerns related to coursework, research or related academic progress, and program/committee/advisor dynamics.

To request a meeting with Rick, please call Colleen Bailey at (585) 275-5022 or email Colleen Bailey.
 

Benjamin Lovell, Admissions Coordinator

Ben serves as the Admissions Coordinator, managing the day-to-day admissions operations. He also serves as Course Administrator for the “Ethics and Professional Integrity in Research” course, taught in the fall semester.

Trainees typically contact Ben to discuss the graduate or preparatory program application process and for assistance with issues relating to the Ethics course.

To request a meeting with Ben, please contact him directly at (585) 275-2933 or email Benjamin Lovell.
 

Sharon McCullough, Director, Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs

Sharon serves as deputy to Dean Libby and oversees the operations and staff in the office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA).

While students, postdocs, faculty, or staff are welcome to meet with Sharon to discuss any topic, trainees typically meet with Sharon to discuss general concerns related to learners, learner organization matters (including the GSS and PDA), and postdoctoral policies/appointments/related concerns.

To request a meeting with Sharon, please contact Colleen Bailey at colleen_bailey@urmc.rochester.edu.

Kelly Nagel, Administrative Coordinator, Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs

Kelly serves as the Administrative Coordinator for the office of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA), providing administrative support for the staff within GEPA, acting as the primary front desk liaison between students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and visitors, and the GEPA Deans and staff. Kelly supports recruitment and admissions, the PREP and Summer Scholars programs, myHub, and student/postdoc organization initiatives. Trainees typically contact Kelly with general inquiries or to discuss myHub or other event management.

To contact Kelly, please call (585) 275-4522 or email Kelly Nagel.

Amber Rivera, MSW, Director of Learner Life and Wellness 

Amber is the Director of Learner Life and Wellness for SMD’s graduate student and postdoc community, ensuring trainees’ awareness of and access to the academic and non-academic resources required for a positive and productive educational experience.

While students, postdocs, faculty, or staff are welcome to meet with Amber to discuss any topic, trainees typically meet with Amber to discuss concerns related to learners, learner wellness initiatives, and learner organization matters.

To request a meeting with Amber, please contact her directly at (585) 275-7288 or email Amber Rivera.

Nathan A. Smith, Associate Dean for Research Mentorship

In addition to being Associate Dean, Nathan is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience. While students, postdocs, and faculty are welcome to meet with Nathan to discuss any topic, trainees and faculty typically meet with Nathan to discuss concerns related to research, equity, mentorship, and communication challenges that can arise during academic training.

To request a meeting with Nathan, please call Kelly Nagel at (585) 275-4522 or email Kelly_Nagel@urmc.rochester.edu.

Elaine Smolock, PhD, Director of Writing Services and Training Grant Development

Elaine serves as the Director of Writing Services and Training Grant Development and assists graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, and alumni with writing assistance in the Office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA). In addition, Elaine also serves as PREP Education Director for GEPA.

While trainees are welcome to meet with Elaine to discuss any topic, trainees typically contact Elaine to discuss any writing project, including, but certainly not limited to, manuscripts, qualifying exams, grants, and dissertations. Each trainee who meets with Elaine will receive individualized assistance based on the trainee’s needs and writing project.

To schedule a meeting with Elaine, please visit the Handshake schedule an appointment webpage.
 

Eric Vaughn, Director of Career Services

Eric serves as the Director of Career Services and assists graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, and alumni with career service and employment search needs in the office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA).

While trainees are welcome to meet with Eric to discuss any topic, trainees typically contact Eric to discuss career-related topics, including career exploration, CV/resume and cover letter writing, job search strategies, and employment application assistance. interviewing techniques, mock interviews, LinkedIn profile development, networking strategy, and Individual Development Plans (IDP).

To schedule a meeting with Eric, please visit the Handshake schedule an appointment webpage.

Affiliated Faculty and Staff