Regional Alumni Activities

To stay informed about alumni events in your area--or to get involved--contact the Office of Alumni Relations by phone, 716-475-2586, or browse the Web connection, www.rit.edu/alumni.

Albany
Plans are underway for renewing the annual River Rats/Amerks hockey game event. (As of press time, the 1999-2000 schedule was not available.) The Albany chapter is in need of a new alumni leader to help plan future events. For more information, contact Mark Emblidge by phone, 716-475-2586, or by e-mail, maealum@rit.edu.

Atlanta
A group of enthusiastic alumni attended the Braves' game on Oct. 2 versus the Florida Marlins. The Atlanta chapter is in need of a new alumni leader to help plan future events. For more information, contact Mark Emblidge by phone, 716-475-2586, or by e-mail, maealum@rit.edu.

Boston
The Boston chapter is in need of a new alumni leader to help plan future events. For more information, contact Mark Emblidge by phone, 716-475-2586, or by e-mail, maealum@rit.edu.

Buffalo 19 alumni and guests, led by Tom Stumpf '89, attended the Buffalo Sabres' last home game of the regular season on April 18. (We are quite certain that the support of the RIT group is what sparked the Sabres' victory and carried them to the Stanley Cup finals.) The chapter also had its annual Bisons' game event in early September. Plans for future events are underway. For more information about getting involved with chapter activities, contact Tom by phone, 716-668-7914.

Chicago
On July 16, several area alumni and guests enjoyed an evening of fun, food, and games at Dave and Buster's. Vivek Khosla '94 and Laura Khosla '91 hosted the event, which included plenty of food and a huge selection of arcade and casino-style games. To get involved in future events in the Chicago area, contact Vivek and Laura, 630-953-2506.

Los Angeles
Almost 45 alumni and guests attended the Anaheim Mighty Ducks hockey game in March. Eric Senna '91 coordinated this event, which started with a pre-game reception at J. T. Schmid's microbrewery. Contact Eric, 805-483-1177, for more information about future alumni events.

New York City
Alumni in the tri-state area are all geared up for Big Shot 1999, which will take on historic proportions this year aboard the Intrepid Sea, Space, Air Museum. Hundreds of members of the RIT community, including countless alumni, are planning to participate in this monumental event, scheduled for Oct. 28. After the shoot is concluded, an RIT reception will be held on board. On Sept. 12, more than 175 alumni and guests attended the Yankees/Red Sox game in the Bronx. Beth Sabbatini '89 coordinated the event. For information about future events in the area, contact Beth, 212-253-5503.

Orlando (Central Florida)
Tom Ingle '84 is the coordinator of the Central Florida chapter. For information on future chapter activities or how you can become involved, contact Mark Emblidge by phone, 716-475-2586, or by e-mail, maealum@rit.edu.

Philadelphia
On July 25, a throng of RIT alumni and their guests came out to an afternoon at the ballpark to cheer on the Phillies as they battled the Atlanta Braves. The game was preceded by an RIT reception in the stadium's VIP Room. Aviva Dickstein '91 spearheaded the event. For information about future events, contact Aviva, 215-951-9353.

Phoenix
Our Phoenix chapter held its inaugural event on June 3 at Motorola University. Coordinated by Stacy Kalisz '96, this networking reception attracted 44 alumni and guests. Stacy led the group in an icebreaker, then introduced two speakers from RIT, Edward Lincoln '79, executive director of Alumni Relations, and Dr. Lynn Fuller '70, chair of the microelectronic engineering department. To keep the momentum from this first event going, Stacy also coordinated an impromptu dinner outing to Old Chicago Pasta and Pizza on June 30. About 20 people attended and they discussed hosting bi-monthly dinners. In addition, numerous alumni and their guests attended an Arizona Rattlers arena football game versus Portland on Aug. 1. For information about other events in the area, contact Stacy, 480-545-8246.

Raleigh-Durham
On April 29, the Raleigh-Durham chapter held its inaugural event, a successful networking reception, at the Holiday Inn. Led by Jeff Benck '88--with assistance from Michael Pail '98 and Suzanne Traynor '98 --the group of 66 alumni and guests enjoyed the opportunity to meet and mingle. Edward Lincoln '79, executive director of Alumni Relations, spoke to the group. Due to inclement weather, the event was moved from the outdoor courtyard into the hotel lobby. Crowded? Perhaps, but very conducive to networking. For information on future events or to get involved, contact Jeff, 919-847-3791.

Rochester
For the second consecutive year, the RIT Alumni Network volunteered its time to public television by working at the WXXI Auction. A group of 24 alumni, faculty and staff helped sort bids, staff the phones, process bid data and work in the warehouse. Ted Solarek '64 served as an auctioneer and Robert Berl '88 also had plenty of "on air" time reporting high bids. On May 14, Ken Reed '71 and Shirley Reed volunteered with the Alumni Relations staff at RIT's annual Senior Night. Eagle Vale Country Club was again the host of the 17th Annual Tiger Open Golf Tournament, which was held on June 7. Numerous alumni were among the 144 participants in this year's Open, which is run by the RIT Athletic Association and the Office of Alumni Relations. Sharyn Duffy '87, Mike Russo '81, and Lynn Siverd '88, were among the alumni who helped out at this year's "Alive at the MAG" event on June 11. Nearly 100 alumni stopped by the RIT tent. Alina Palis '79 and Terry Palis '77 headed a group of 250 alumni and guests in cheering on the Rochester Rhinos soccer team on July 30. Not to be outdone, the Rochester Red Wings also had their share of RIT supporters on Aug. 21, led by Shirley Murphy '95 and her husband, Jim. Ray Olszewski '66, once again organized a dedicated group of alumni and students in a community service project at the Tinker Nature Park in Henrietta.

Upcoming alumni events (and their respective coordinators) include the Stonehurst Regatta on Oct. 10, Terry Brady '59; an evening of dinner theater in November, Alina Palis and Jennifer Kopicki '98; and--for those planning well in advance--a bus trip to Toronto to see The Lion King on Sept. 17, 2000, Judi Sturge '61. For information on these events and other alumni opportunities, call Mark Emblidge, 716-475-2586, or browse the Web connection at www.rit.edu/alumni.

San Francisco
Erin Cline '89 will host a wine tour and reception at Cline Cellars, a family-run vineyard in Sonoma, in October. For information about this and future events in the Bay area, contact Mark Emblidge by phone, 716-475-2586, or by e-mail, maealum@rit.edu.

Seattle (Puget Sound)
A group of 11 RIT alumni and guests attended a Seattle Thunderbirds hockey game versus Spokane on Feb. 28. Now our alumni in the Pacific Northwest are ready to welcome the Buffalo Bills to Seattle when they play the Seahawks on Oct. 24. For information on this and future events with the Puget Sound chapter, contact Michael Woods '92, 206-523-6629.

Syracuse
The Syracuse University/UConn basketball game on Feb. 28 was a classic rematch of an upset by the Orangemen earlier in the season. Although Syracuse came out on the short end this time versus the eventual national champions, the 100 alumni and guests who were lucky enough to get tickets enjoyed the camaraderie, not to mention the delicious food at the pre-game reception. (Next year we will order 200 tickets!) Approximately 100 people are expected for the next chapter event, an SU/Boston College football game and reception on Oct. 30. For information about this and future events in the area, contact Michael Sciotti '88, 315-452-0832.

Washington, DC
In her first event as chapter leader, Vicki Decker '93 organized an excellent networking reception on June 19 at Clyde's Restaurant in Chevy Chase. A dynamic group of 24 alumni and guests participated in this event, which featured a classic atmosphere and a delicious variety of food. Jim Cockey '82 helped to organize the chapter's largest annual event, an Orioles' game on Aug. 8. More than 60 alumni and guests attended this year's game, which included a pre-game reception in the Camden Yards Warehouse. For information about other alumni events in the Baltimore/Washington area, contact Vicki, 703-971-4217.

Alumni Admissions Network
One of the best ways for alumni to stay involved in the growth of the Institute is through participation in the Alumni Admissions Network. These dedicated alumni have volunteered their service by assisting the Office of Admissions with its efforts to attract qualified students to attend RIT. By representing RIT at area college nights or participating in admissions receptions, alumni can play an important role in helping prospective students learn more about RIT. For more information about the Alumni Admissions Network, contact Mark Emblidge by phone, 716-475-2586, or by e-mail, maealum@rit.edu, or Jill Szczesek, 716-475-6631.