This is a temporary landing page while we build Virtual UR.
(Please be patient. Our project is only one week old!!)

Below is a little background to let you know who we are and how we came to be. Check back soon for our new website!

Virtual UR is an independent initiative started by University of Rochester students during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in March 2020.

As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, university students who became accustomed to a life beside the Genesee found themselves spread far apart geographically from their peers and their alma mater. To help foster community from afar, project cofounders Alexander Pavlicin and Kyhl Weber set out to build a full-scale Minecraft replica of some of the most memorable icons of River Campus, beginning with Rush Rhees Library and the Eastman Quad. The goal was to make a virtual server where students and families could freely interact with each other and their alma mater from anywhere in the world.

Shortly after the conception of the program, the team realized other students had also been working on Minecraft projects, artwork, and other forms of expression surrounding commencement and the university as a whole. The team expanded the project to merge together their fellow students’ efforts with their own, taking on the name “Virtual UR” and creating a new website and dedicated Minecraft server.    

The aim of Virtual UR is to: 

• Foster community between University of Rochester students, families, and educators while they are separated due to geography and the global pandemic 
• Connect the university’s senior class of 2020 to each other and their home beside the Genesee through a series of virtual commencement events aimed at honoring the class’s many achievements 

Here on Virtual UR’s website, VirtualUR.com, we will provide resources and opportunities related to holding virtual commencement events in support of our mission.

On behalf of all the individuals who helped make this project a reality, we hope you find solace during this troubling time. Stay safe and be well!

Virtual UR’s core team:

• Alexander Pavlicin (‘21), Cofounder and Project Manager
• Kyhl Weber (‘21), Cofounder and World Developer
• Sean Lee (‘21), World Developer and Social Media Communications
• Serena Flint (‘21, T5 ‘22), World Developer

Special thanks to:

• Elva Resa Publishing for donating the VirtualUR.com domain and hosting
• Jayda Medina (‘21) for assistance with website development
• University Archivist Melissa Mead for assistance obtaining an architectural drawing of the Rush Rhees Library facade

More very soon!

Contact the Virtual UR Core Team.
(Please be patient for a response since we just started our full course load of online classes as well!)

We are also setting up our @VirtualUofR social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Please follow us!

Minecraft players: the server IP address will be released after we have the Virtual UR world developed.
Our events will not just take place in Minecraft. We are working to make sure every student who wants to participate will be given the opportunity.
Our new site will have FAQs about the plans.

In the meantime, also please enjoy reading this blog post and news item about the genesis of our project:

Building a Virtual World When the Real World Shuts Down

How to Make a Virtual River Campus, One Minecraft Cube at a Time

Sneak peek at progress inside virtual Rush Rhees Library: