Drama Among Chemistry Regents Leaves the U of R in Disarray

Drama Among Chemistry Regents Leaves the U of R in DisarrayA recent report claims that a previously unidentified NY chemistry Regents will be removed from the board to avoid scandal. Although the exact cause for the removal is not known, the report states that it is a direct result of the questionable handling of the situation.The Chemistry Regents in New York City are appointed by the New York City Council to serve on the Board of Regents. These are the individuals who make decisions regarding policy and policies of the University of Rochester. When the Council does not appoint someone to fill a vacancy or the appointment is not permanent, a Regent is appointed to fill the vacancy.Recently, two individuals have been placed on the Chemistry Regents. One is David H. Pobregzki, and the other is Leslie C. Horowitz. Both of these individuals have issues with each other and should be considered to be an issue for the future of the chemistry department.David H. is not a member of the U of R Board of Trustees. He has no relevant experience when it comes to chemistry, nor does he hold any experience in the field. Instead, he is a private businessman. This is clearly a conflict of interest that should be seen as one.Pobregzki, on the other hand, was appointed to the Board of Regents in May of 2020. In order to be considered for the position, a candidate must have earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry. However, according to the recent report, David H. received a master's degree in chemistry and took this information into consideration when making his decision to appoint someone to the Board of Regents. This is clearly a conflict of interest and should be addressed in the future.Additionally, the report claims that when Horowitzwas appointed to the Board of Regents, she was only appointed until the end of this year. A new candidate, Samantha Cohen, was put forward and even though Horowitz was appointed by the Council, Cohen received the appointment. So, in essence, a pe rson was appointed to the position for only three months. If this type of conflict of interest is acceptable for a four-year term on the Board of Regents, it is certainly an issue that needs to be resolved.Regardless of the actions of the individuals in question, this is now out in the open that the U of R's business is being handled in an unorthodox manner. This should make all those who are involved in the process worry.Students should know that the Chemistry Regents, and the Board of Regents in general, need to be transparent about their operations. These individuals should be held accountable when things go wrong. This is why transparency in their operation is essential in keeping the integrity of the University of Rochester as a whole.