Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series

The Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series, established in 1980, brings distinguished speakers to RIT/NTID to share expertise and scholarly contributions that stand on the cutting edge of advancement in the education and career success of deaf persons. Edmund Lyon (1855-1920) was a noted manufacturer, inventor, humanitarian and philanthropist in Rochester, who served as a trustee of both RIT and the Rochester School for the Deaf.

Upcoming Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Events

Stephanie Nogueras

Lyon Lectureship Series features deaf actress Stephanie Nogueras ’11

Headshot of Stephanie NoquerasDate: Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: CSD Student Development Center 1300/1310 on RIT Campus

Click here to register.

Event Poster
[Poster ID: Text: "Deaf, Latina, Actress, Advocate". Star of TV, movies, and Latinx/a/o advocate, Stephanie Nogueras '11. Date/time/location/qr code. Photo: Latina female with long dark brown hair wearing a red tank top with black trim looking sideways.]

NTID’s Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series features Stephanie Nogueras at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27, in the CSD Student Development Center-1300/1310 on the RIT campus. Join us for a moderated Q&A with RIT/NTID alumna Stephanie Nogueras as she discusses her acting career, which was launched with a lucky break while she was an RIT student.

Nogueras is a deaf Latina actress best known for her role as Natalie Pierce on ABC Family’s Switched at Birth. She has appeared in several films and television series, including Grimm, Unfriended: Dark Web, Criminal Minds, American Diablo, and The Good Fight, Killing It, and Accused. In addition to her acting career, Nogueras is a motivational speaker and the founder of Pepita Productions, which provides support for actors identifying as Latinx/a/o.

If you plan to attend this event, please register here: https://forms.gle/MSwRxRpcaTzbE3SM6. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Interpreting services have been requested. Don’t miss this exciting and inspiring evening!

For more information, contact Brian Haak, event manager in NTID’s Office of External Affairs, at behoea@rit.edu.


Show/hide speaker biography...

Speaker Biography

Nogueras is a deaf Latina actress best known for her role as Natalie Pierce on ABC Family’s Switched at Birth. She has appeared in several films and television series, including Grimm, Unfriended: Dark Web, Criminal Minds, American Diablo, and The Good Fight, Killing It, and Accused. In addition to her acting career, Nogueras is a motivational speaker and the founder of Pepita Productions, which provides support for actors identifying as Latinx/a/o.


History

Photo of young Edmund LyonEdmund Lyon (1855-1920) was a noted manufacturer, inventor, humanitarian, and philanthropist in Rochester, New York. Mr. Lyon graduated with honors from the University of Rochester in 1877 and received his law degree from Columbia University in 1880. After practicing law for a short time, Edmund Lyon turned his attention to business, travel, and philanthropic endeavors, devoting himself passionately to education, most notably the education of deaf persons. During seven years of service at the Rochester School for the Deaf (then called the Western New York Institute for Deaf-Mutes), Mr. Lyon developed an intricate system of manual symbols to be used in speech training. His Lyon Phonetic Manual became a highly regarded resource and was used widely around the world. In 1895, Edmund Lyon was appointed Secretary of the New York State Board of Charities and subsequently was appointed by that Board as State Examiner of the nine schools for the deaf in New York State. In 1896, Mr. Lyon married Carolyn Hamilton Talcott, whom he had met at the Rochester School for the Deaf and who had taught there since 1879. The Lyons had three daughters.

Later, Mr. Lyon served as a trustee of both the Rochester Institute of Technology (1905-1920) and the Rochester School for the Deaf (1911-1920). He died on April 23, 1920. In 1980, the daughters of Edmund Lyon established the Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship. The purpose of this lectureship series is to bring distinguished speakers to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), one of the nine colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology. In the past, speakers have included distinguished deaf persons who have excelled in their careers with hearing colleagues in science, business, technology, industry, arts, or public service and who stand as models to the faculty and students of NTID for their career attainments. A current goal of the lectureship series is to bring in speakers whose expertise and scholarly contributions stand on the cutting edge of advancement in the education and career success of deaf persons.

Past Speakers

Venue Information

Directions to the RIT campus

From the airport
Turn right onto Brooks Avenue, then a quick right onto I-390 South. From 390, take the next exit (Scottsville Road) and turn right at the end of the ramp. Drive for approximately three miles, then turn left onto Jefferson Road (Route 252). Proceed east a short distance to campus, RIT's main entrance will be on your right. Continue to the next light and turn right.

From the NYS Thruway
Take exit 46 and proceed north on I-390 to exit 13 (Hylan Drive). Take a left onto Hylan Dr. and continue north to Jefferson Road (Route 252), and take a left at the light. Proceed west a short distance to the main campus.

NTID venues:
From Jefferson Rd. (Route 252) proceed to the entrance west of the Radisson Hotel (Max Lowenthal Rd.). Enter the campus at this location. At the first stop sign, you will be facing Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Hall. Turn left onto Andrews Drive. At the first road (Edmund Lyon Crescent), turn right. You will see a sign for visitor parking (Parking Lot L).

Venue: NTID Dyer Arts Center – LBJ Hall
As you enter the front doors of LBJ, the gallery is located on the first floor as you enter the building. Turn right in the lobby and the gallery is on the left.

Venue: NTID CSD Student Development Center - 1300/1310
Enter the front door of LBJ Hall. Follow the main hallway and turn right immediately after the central staircase. At the end of the hallway turn left -- the CSD/SDC (building 55) will be straight ahead (attached to the southwest side of LBJ). Room 1300/1310 is down the stairs and to the right.

RIT Venues:

Venue: RIT Ingle Auditorium
From Jefferson Rd. (Route 252) proceed to the main campus entrance at Lomb Memorial Drive. Enter the campus at this location and drive straight ahead. Consult this map for location of the auditorium and nearby parking locations.

Contact Us

Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series Committee Members

Karen Beiter
Interim Department Chair
Department of Engineering Studies
kjbndp@rit.edu
VP: 585-286-4546

Kelly Metz Davis
Senior Lecturer
Department of Business Studies
kmmsfs@rit.edu

Peter Hauser
Interim Associate Dean of Research
Office of the Associate Dean for Research
pchgss@rit.edu
VP: 585-286-4259

Christopher Kurz
Professor
MS in Secondary Education Program
caknsp@rit.edu
VP: 585-286-4611
585-475-4263 (TTY)

Dino Laury
Associate Professor
NTID Engineering Studies
djlnet@ntid.rit.edu
VP: 585-286-4613

Kathryn Schmitz
Department Chair
Department of Liberal Studies
Kathryn.Schmitz@mail.rit.edu

Kurt Stoskopf
Associate Professor
Department of Visual Communications Studies
kwsnda@rit.edu
VP: 585-286-5345