truth
freedom
beauty
happiness
wonder
The mission of the Agathon Institute is to provide students with opportunities to engage in intellectual inquiry and to discover principles found in the great books and classical traditions.
2026 Seminar Series
In Memoriam
Kevin Parker
The Agathon Institute family has lost a dear friend. Kevin was a model of kindness, generosity, excellence and faith. Without him, there would be no Agathon.
Kevin earned his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981. He returned to Rochester, where he devoted himself to a distinguished academic career at the University of Rochester. He served as Professor and Department Chair of Electrical Engineering, Director of the Rochester Center for Biomedical Ultrasound, and Dean of the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Over the course of his career, he received the Eastman Medal, the AIUM Joseph Holmes Pioneer Award for Contributions to Medical Ultrasound, the Eastman Kodak Outstanding Innovation Award, and the Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology World Federation Prize.
He held 33 U.S. patents and 14 international patents, licensed to 25 companies. He was a co-founder of VirtualScopics, Inc., and authored more than 290 journal articles, along with numerous book chapters. Kevin was a fellow of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM), the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).
For all his professional achievements, Kevin found his greatest success and happiness in being fully present to his family and friends. He was a devoted husband and father to Jean and their four children, beloved brother-in law, and uncle to dozens of nieces and nephews.
In Memoriam
Alisia Chase
Friends and colleagues at the Agathon Institute deeply mourn the passing of Dr. Alisia Chase this May, 2026.
An Art Historian and Professor of Art and Visual Culture of SUNY Brockport for over two decades, Dr. Chase was a respected scholar educator, and mentor. She leaves behind an everlasting impact on students, colleagues, and scholarly record in the academic community. She devoted her career to teaching with passion, intelligence and kindness. She was a recipient of the Chancellor's Award for Teaching, awarded by SUNY. A Magna cum Laude graduate of Harvard, she earned her PhD from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, in Minneapolis.
Alisia is survived by her family whom she adored and were her guiding lights. She was a loving wife, mother and caretaker who made sure everyone in her orbit knew they were loved. She will be deeply missed and fondly remembered for her sharp wit, loyalty, generosity, profound intellect, strong faith and contagious smile.
