History of College of Science
1888-1920
Science course is offered in support of Household Arts and Sciences, Industrial Arts.
1897
Course in electricity (Ohm’s Law) is offered.
1900-1901
Courses in qualitative analysis, physics, electricity, algebra, and geometry are
offered.
1913-1914
A course in botany, the careful study of anatomy and morphology, physiology, ecology,
and natural science, is offered. Courses in zoology and astronomy are offered.
1915
A course in chemistry of textiles is offered.
1916
Courses in household chemistry and household physics are offered.
1917
Courses in algebra, geometry, and trigonometry are offered in the School of
Industrial Arts.
1906-1907
Requirements for admission include a high school diploma and a full year’s work
in physics or biology.
1920
A two-year course of study in chemistry designed to prepare people to become managers
of industrial plants where chemical processes play an important part is introduced.
1921
Tuition for a course of study in industrial chemistry is approximately $200 a year.
1926
A course in industrial chemistry is started.
1930
Physics and chemistry courses are taught in support of the photographic technology
program. (The program is a precursor to imaging science).
1950
Industrial chemistry becomes the chemistry major. Chemical engineering and metal
finishing begin alternating periods of on-campus instruction with cooperative
education. Courses in microbiology and biochemistry are offered.
1951
The college offers an associate of applied science degree in chemistry, the first of
its kind in New York state.
1953-1954
The college offers the associate of applied science degree in medical technology. The
full-time two-year program is designed to prepare individuals to work in hospitals,
clinics, and pharmaceutical companies. The program receives board certification.
1954-1955
The college’s organizational structure changes. The college is now made up of
departments and divisions.
1955-1956
The division of engineering and science now offers the associate of applied science
degree in chemistry and clinical laboratory technology and the bachelor of science
degree in chemistry.
1957-1958
The division of applied science is established.
1960-1961
The department of chemistry is established and a program in medical technology is
offered.
1963
The College of Science is established. The department of mathematics is established.
1963-1964
A zoology course is offered.
1964-1965
Ralph L. Van Peursem is named Dean of the College of Science. The college now consists
of the departments of biology, chemistry, math, and physics. The institute’s
first computing course, computer techniques, is offered through the
math department.
1965-1966
The chemistry department offers the master of science degree in chemistry. Tuition is
$1270/year. The college offers a two-year degree in industrial chemistry technology
that consists of 190 credits. Medical technology and industrial chemistry technology
degrees are 185 credits. The fourth year of the program is spent at a hospital.
1967
Bachelor of science degrees are introduced in biology and applied mathematics.
1968
The bachelor of science degree in physics is introduced.
1968-1969
The College of Science opens the Computer Center. Director Frederick R. Henderson
describes the center as “an integral part of the College of Science. It offers
courses which supplement the instruction given in other departments of the
institute.” The Computer Center occupies the first floor of 50 West Main Street.
1973
The bachelor of science program in medical technology is offered.
1974
The bachelor of science program in nuclear medicine technology is introduced.
1975
The bachelor of science program in clinical chemistry is offered.
1976
The college establishes the clinical sciences department. The department includes
medical technology, nuclear medicine technology, and biomedical computing programs.
The bachelor of science program in computational mathematics is introduced.
1978
The bachelor of science degree in biomedical computing is introduced.
1982
The bachelor of science degree in diagnostic medical sonography is introduced.
1983
A program in biotechnology begins.
The Munsell Color Science Laboratory is established at RIT with a grant from the Munsell Color Foundation. Its first director is Professor Franc Grum of the department of photographic science, forerunner of the Center for Imaging Science.
1986
The bachelor of science degree in polymer chemistry is introduced.
1988
The doctorate program in imaging science begins. The program is the first Ph.D.
offered at RIT and the first such program in the U.S.
The Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science is dedicated and houses the new program in imaging science.
1990
The symbolic computation room opens, followed later by a symbolic computation lab and
statistics lab.
The dual BS/MS in applied statistics is introduced.
The dual BS/MS in computational mathematics/computer science is introduced.
1993
The bachelor of science physician assistant program is introduced.
The dual BS/MS degree in chemistry is introduced.
The dual BS/MS degree in polymer chemistry/chemistry is introduced.
1995
The Carlson Center for Imaging Science joins the College of Science.
Photographic science and instrumentation along with imaging and photographic science become the imaging science program.
Color science, appearance, and technology becomes the color science program.
The dual BS/MS industrial engineering/applied statistics is offered.
1996
The bachelor of science degree in biochemistry is offered.
1996-1997
A joint interdisciplinary course called The Clock is offered by the College of
Science, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Applied Science and
Technology.
1997
The bachelor of science program in chemistry, with the environmental option, is
introduced.
1998
The dual BS/MS in computational mathematics/industrial and applied mathematics is introduced.
The dual BS/MS in applied statistics/industrial and applied mathematics is introduced.
The dual BS/MS in applied mathematics/industrial and applied mathematics is introduced.
1999
Environmental science BS/MS degrees are introduced.
The environmental science program is introduced. This innovative program was designed in cooperation with practicing environmental professionals in the College of Science and College of Liberal Arts.
The bachelor of science in biochemistry and the master of science in chemistry degrees are introduced.
2000
RIT imaging scientists Robert Johnston
and Roger Easton Jr. use imaging technology to reveal a transcription
of Greek mathematician Archimedes, hidden under a later manuscript
using ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelengths to separate the
faint script and 55 geometric drawings from liturgical writings made
over original writing.
2001
A new cross-disciplinary course,
Analogy, Mathematics, and Poetry, is developed and team-taught by
Professor Marcia Birken of the department of mathematics and statistics
(College of Science) and by Professor Anne Coon of the department
of language and literature (College of Liberal Arts). The course
explores analogy as the glue that links math and poetry.
The physics department, in conjunction with the College of Science and the First-In-Class program, establish the NanoPower Research labs.
Student Meghann Lyons is named a Fulbright Scholar. She will study human genetics in Iceland during the summer as part of the scholarship.
The dual BS/MS degree in biomedical computing/computer science is offered.
A new BS and MS program in bioinformatics, which merges biotechnology and information technology, is introduced.