Donald L. Boyd, Ph.D.
Vic President for Research, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Dr. Boyd received a Ph.D. in Computer Science in 1971 from the University of Iowa.
He was Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Minnesota from 1971 through 1976. Dr. Boyd joined the Honeywell Corporate Technology Center in 1976 as a principal research scientist where he conducted research in software design methodologies and distributed computer software. In 1981, he became Director of Honeywell's Computer Science Center; in 1986, he was appointed Director of Engineering and Technology for Honeywell's System Development Division. Dr. Boyd joined Kodak in August 1989 as Director of Systems Development for the Integration & Systems Products Division. He managed multiple product development units in Boston and in Rochester. These units were responsible for development of software products for IBM's ImagePlus, Kodak's Photo CD, Kodak's color management, and government contracts.
In 1993, Dr. Boyd was also appointed Chairman of the Kodak subsidiary, Imagery Software, Inc., a supplier of image enabling software for networked PC applications; these products enabled users to integrate documents, fax, and color images efficiently into their existing applications. Imagery developed the first release of document imaging products for Lotus Notes.
In 1995, Dr. Boyd became general manager of the "Systems" Strategic Business Unit for Kodak's Business Imaging Systems Division where he had P&L responsibility for software products and system solutions for commercial applications involving document imaging and computer output stored on optical media.
In December of 1997, Dr. Boyd became the President of RIT Research Corporation, a wholly own subsidiary of RIT that conducted proprietary R&D with worldwide industry and government agencies. The corporation focused on solutions involving imaging and information system technologies. In 2002, it was closed and replaced by a new High Technology Incubator. Dr. Boyd is now President of the RIT High Technology Incubator, known as the RIT Venture Creations Incubator
In January of 2000, Dr. Boyd was appointed Distinguished Lecturer in the Department of Software Engineering in the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences at RIT.
In March of 2000, Dr. Boyd was named the Associate Provost for Outreach Programs and Director of the First in Class initiative at RIT. As Associate Provost for Outreach programs, he reported to the Provost and Vice president for Academic Affairs and is responsible for university-wide industry outreach and research relations. The First in Class initiative was established to further RIT’s partnership with industry and government through investments in selected academic and research programs. In January of 2006, Dr, Boyd was named RIT’s Vice President of Research.
Dr. Boyd is now Executive Director of the NYSTAR designated New York Strategically Targeted Academic Research (STAR) Center called the IT Collaboratory. This STAR Center is led by RIT and partners with the University at Buffalo, Alfred University and local industry to conduct research on technology for the next generation of IT Systems. Dr. Boyd is also Director of the Albert J. Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and is President and Board Member of its Venture Creations Incubator, a subsidiary of the RIT focused on entrepreneurial business development. He is also a Board member of the Infotonics Technology Center, Inc. Infotonics is a New York State Center of Excellence focused on research and development in technology and applications of photonics and micro/nano-systems.
Dr. Boyd is a member of the IEEE, ACM, AIIM, and Sigma XI. He has served on the National Research Council (NRC) committee on Computer to Computer Communications Protocols, Project 2061 of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Board of Directors for the Microelectronics & Information Sciences Center (MEIS) at the University of Minnesota, the Board of Directors and Technical Advisor Board for the Microelectronics & Computer Technology Corporation (MCC), and was President of the WNY Chapter of the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM).
