President Destler Delivers First Address to RIT Community on Thursday

MEDIA ADVISORY

RIT President Bill Destler, who joined the university this summer, will address the campus community for the first time as president on Thursday, Aug. 30.

The presidential address will be part of a welcome back ceremony for faculty and staff that begins at 9 a.m. Thursday in the Gordon Field House and Activities Center. The ceremony includes remarks from RIT’s Academic Senate, Staff Council, Student Government and Chief Diversity Officer. Destler’s speech will begin about 9:45 a.m.

During his address, Destler will present themes related to innovation and creativity at RIT. He will discuss the concept of an innovation festival on campus, as well as the university serving as a research and development center for corporations.

“Imagine RIT, not just as a ‘teaching university’ or a ‘research university’, but as the first ‘innovation university’,” says Destler. “Imagine how much fun we can have working together to make RIT the university that captures the new high ground in higher education.”

Destler became president of RIT on July 1. He is the ninth president in the university’s 178-year history. He was formerly senior vice president for academic affairs and provost of the University of Maryland at College Park.