<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;
panose-1:2 11 0 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Times New Roman \(Body CS\)";
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#467886;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.MsoSmartlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
background:#F3F2F1;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.cvgsua, li.cvgsua, div.cvgsua
{mso-style-name:cvgsua;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;}
span.agcmg
{mso-style-name:a_gcmg;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ligatures:none;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Good morning,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Joe’s presentation has been rescheduled to September 18<sup>th</sup> – therefore,
<b>GR is CANCELLED this week</b>. See schedule: <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://upstate0-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/r/personal/cifonela_upstate_edu/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=*7B04436298-39FB-494F-A220-F40F2473FFD1*7D&file=Grand*20Rounds*20Schedule*2025-26.xlsx&action=default&mobileredirect=true__;JSUlJSU!!GobTDDpD7A!MNU0REw-2JN6yyke-tgWPn7Apz_C2PtkQaJ3O2KlxJXB8NKp6387L_ZNvM-ZEVAZRCTMz26BdnNxiBSEJKfLBatVPQ$">
<span style="color:blue;background:#F3F2F1;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="16" height="16" style="width:.1666in;height:.1666in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DC15A0.7E1CF590" alt="xlsx icon"></span><span class="MsoSmartlink"> Grand
Rounds Schedule 25-26.xlsx</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">In the spirit of supporting each other, please take a moment understand Joe’s situation.
</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">The Supreme Court is allowing Trump to block DEI grants (again), and it appears Joe will be losing his funding again. He needs to refocus his efforts this week, and that
is the reason for rescheduling GR for his presentation.</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Please take a moment to read Joe’s message from last month’s newsletter here:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="cvgsua" style="line-height:22.5pt"><span class="agcmg">Earlier this year, I was devastated to learn that my F31-Diversity grant had been terminated as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to dismantle federally supported diversity,
equity, and inclusion programs. As a first-generation student and underrepresented minority in medicine and science, this felt deeply personal — a stark reminder of how political decisions can ripple down and threaten the very opportunities meant to level
the playing field.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="cvgsua" style="line-height:22.5pt;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;color:rgba(0,0,0,var(--O42jJQ,1));caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);word-spacing:0px">
<span class="agcmg">What followed was a period of uncertainty, frustration, and emotional fatigue. But I wasn’t alone. With the support of my mentors, the research office, and a strong community, I continued to advocate, and thanks to a federal court ruling
that overturned the termination, my funding has now been fully reinstated.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="cvgsua" style="line-height:22.5pt;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;color:rgba(0,0,0,var(--O42jJQ,1));caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);word-spacing:0px">
<span class="agcmg">This experience reinforced how crucial it is for us — especially those from marginalized backgrounds — to keep showing up, speaking out, and leaning on each other. We shouldn’t have to fight for the basic support others are granted without
question, but when we do, we fight not just for ourselves — we fight for the next generation too.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="cvgsua" style="line-height:22.5pt;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;color:rgba(0,0,0,var(--O42jJQ,1));caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);word-spacing:0px">
<span class="agcmg">Joe</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Andrea<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none">Andrea Cifonelli (she, her, hers)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none">Coordinator of Combined Programs and Special Initiatives<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none">MD-PhD Program Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none">PREP-Up and SURF Program Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none">Postdoctoral Affairs Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none">College of Graduate Studies<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none">Weiskotten Hall 3118<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:cifonela@upstate.edu"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0563C1;mso-ligatures:none">cifonela@upstate.edu</span></a></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>