Honors Council

Ethan Connolly

President

Hi everyone!  My name is Ethan and I am a 5th year Mechanical Engineering major and this is my second year as the Honors Council President! I'm a huge sports fan (Go any Boston team) and also am huge on spending time hanging out with friends doing whatever we can do. I'm also a part of the Men's Soccer Club and KGCOE's Pi Tau Sigma. I'm super excited for my second year as the head of Council and cannot wait to see what our amazing committees plan for this coming year.  I'm planning on trying to get more full Council events that celebrate everyone in Honors and continue unifying the program's community.  Keep an eye out for our events!

The Executive Committee is made up of a President who is elected by the Honors community, and the chairs of each of the three committees. The Executive Committee is responsible for ensuring committees have the resources they need to succeed, distributing information to the Council and the broader Honors community, and making sure students have opportunities to engage with the Honors Program.

Connect with the Executive Committee members at full Council meetings (see meeting dates on the "Upcoming Events" page) or reach out via email with questions or thoughts about how Council can best serve the Honors and RIT community.

Ethan Connolly

President

Cassandra Kehler

Academic Excellence Chair - Student Athlete Delegate

Hi everyone! My name is Cassandra Kehler, and I am a 2nd year Biomedical Science major with pre-med aspirations serving as this year's Student Athletic Delegate. I play on the Women's Division 1 ice hockey team, and I absolutely love everything related to sports. Off the ice you'll also catch me in Wallace (especially when the SHED is loud), working on the whiteboards with my friends. I'm a strong advocate for getting involved on campus no matter what it is, and creating a university experience that balances the importance of both athletics and academics. I'm here to show that it is possible. Feel free to reach out anytime. I am so excited to see what this year brings!

Srikar Marellapudi

Community & Wellness Chair/Co-Chair - KGCOE Delegate

My name is Srikar Marellapudi, and I am a fourth-year student in the Mechanical Engineering BS/MS program. As a deaf student, I am passionate about engineering design, building, and hands-on problem-solving. I am also actively involved in the ASME club, where I enjoy collaborating with peers on engineering projects and community events. I’m excited to represent our community and help strengthen the Honors experience for all students.

Brayden Dennis

Community & Wellness Chair/Co-Chair - SCB Delegate

Hi there! I'm Brayden and I'm a second-year marketing major with minors in advertising and public relations as well as music and technology. I am a local commuter from Webster, NY. Outside of the classroom I participate in MADPR club, Performing Arts Scholars, and Esports on both a competitive team and on the marketing operations team. In my free time you can find me playing guitar, writing music, or watching hockey. I'm excited to represent SCB and feel free to reach out if you need anything!

Lun Kong

Service & Leadership Chair/Co-Chair - SOIS Delegate

Hello! My name is Lun Kong, and I am a 4th-year double major in BS/MS Applied Mathematics and BS Individualized Program in SOIS, focusing on Meteorology. I was born in Hong Kong and moved to Delaware when I was seven. This is my second year as part of the Honors Council! In addition to serving as the Service and Leadership co-chair in the Honors Program, I also serve as a member and Peer Mentor within the College of Science Advisory Board (COSSAB). I love the weather, Excel sheets, and Nathan's soup. I am excited to serve in the Honors program. Feel free to ask me any questions if you have Honors questions, math help or weather forecasts!

Ryan Jackson

Service & Leadership Chair/Co-Chair - CET Delegate

Hello everyone, my name is Ryan Jackson, and I am a third-year mechanical engineering technology student. I am serving as the college of engineering technology delegate for the second year as well as the Service and Leadership committee co-chair. I love the outdoors, and I am into woodworking and metalworking. Around campus I love going to honors events, and I'm involved in Woodworking club, French club, Running club, and Steel Bridge team. I am excited to see what we can accomplish together this year! Feel free to reach out at rsj3768@rit.edu.

The Academic Excellence Committee (AEC) is responsible for supporting and celebrating academic excellence in the Honors Community. This includes helping to run the Honors Research and Creativity Symposium in December!

The AEC meets Mondays from 3:00-4:00 pm, SAU 1500 (Alumni Room). All Honors students are welcome to attend to get involved with the efforts of AEC and Honors Council.

Alaina Mupparthi

BIPOC Delegate 

Hey everyone! My name is Alaina Mupparthi and this will be my 4th year with Honors Council. I've served as the Internal Admit Delegate, a General Delegate, and, most recently, the GCCIS Delegate! I'm a 4th year Computer Science major originally from California. On campus, I'm the President of the Google Developers Student Club and President of Latin Rhythm Dance Club as well as a member of WiC and SHPE. Outside of school, I am an avid reader, love photography, and enjoy trying new foods. Nice to meet you all!

Elena Meckel

NTID Delegate 

Hey! My name is Elena and I am an 4th year ASL Interpreting major with a minor in Psychology. Outside of the classroom I enjoy rock climbing at Red Barn and really anything outdoorsy. I am also often involved in the school of performing arts productions through out the semester.

The Community & Wellness Committee (CWC) is responsible for fostering wellness and community among students in the Honors Program through events that promote fellowship and stress reduction as well as cultural events. The committee also focuses on special attention to the needs of students living in Gibson Hall, the Honors dormitory. 

The CWC meets Fridays from 4:30-5:30pm in LBR 1202 (Dane Gordon Room). All Honors students are welcome to attend to get more involved in the work of CWC and Honors Council. 

Daniela Benitez

First Year Delegate

Hello! My full name is Daniela Alejandra Benitez Moreno Tirado Villegas Fuentes Gonzalez Rivas Garcia, but I go by Dany. As my long name suggests, I am of Hispanic descent, specifically from Mexico and Venezuela. I am a COLA double major in International Global Studies and Political Science, so I am always interested in having meaningful conversations with people. I am thrilled to advocate for all my fellow COLA Honors peers.

Zoe Kerns

CAD Delegate

Hello! I'm Zoe Kerns, and I'm serving as your CAD Honors Delegate this year. I'm a third-year Medical Illustration major with a Biology immersion, and I'm from Austin, Texas! I enjoy half marathons and anything relating to art. Feel free to reach out to me!

Andrew Waite

General Delegate

Hey, everyone! My name is Andrew Waite, and I am a second year Software Engineering major from New York's Southern Tier. Outside of Honors, I am an active member of the RIT Performing Arts community as a saxophone player, and I have a passion for all sports. You can often find me playing soccer, dodgeball, or running on campus. I'm looking forward to a great year with the Honors program!

The Service & Leadership Committee (SLC) is responsible for finding, creating, and hosting events that, with the approval of the Honors Program, help you fulfill your complementary learning requirements. 

The SLC meets on Mondays, 7:00-8:00 pm in WAL 3530. Two meetings will take place on the following Wednesdays: 9/9 and 10/14 in WAL 3530. All Honors students are welcome to attend to get more involved with the work of SLC and Honors Council. 

Haneefa Wahab

CHST Delegate

Hello! My name is Haneefa Wahab and I am a second year biomedical sciences major, interested in becoming a physician! Within RIT, I am on the e-board for the BSSA as their social media coordinator and I am also an SI for Gen Chem 1 and 2. Outside of RIT, I do colorguard in local, WGI, and DCI circuits, and have competed in many different states across the country! I am excited to be a part of this program and see what the year brings! Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Katie Neiderhoff

GCCIS Delegate

Hello! I'm Katie (they/them), a Software Engineering student with a minor in Psychology. Outside of Honors, I'm the co-chair of Outreach and a tutor for Women in Computing, a mentor for the SSE, and a representative of the Voter Advocacy Network. I like hiking, baking, and playing guitar in my free time, and look forward to serving the honors community!

Pratosh Tiwari

General Delegate

Hello everyone! I am Pratosh from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I am a second-year student majoring in Computer Engineering. Outside of academics, I love working on projects that lean towards robotics and defense. Other than that, you will find me playing tennis in my free time.

The Honors Council is made up of College Delegates that represent each academic unit on campus, as well as communities of students in the Honors program. These individuals serve on committees and act a liaisons to each College. They are a resource for all Honors students and are able to answer questions about Honors within your specific College, discipline, or community. Please feel free to connect with them directly using the contact emails below.

Executive Council Delegates

Honors Council President: Contact Ethan Connolly at emc9483@rit.edu
Academic Excellence Chair: Contact Cassandra Kehler at ck6080@rit.edu
Community & Wellness Chairs: Contact Srikar Marellapudi and Brayden Dennis at ssm6586@rit.edu and bkd2522@rit.edu
Service & Leadership Chair: Contact Lun Kong and Ryan Jackson at lsk8365@rit.edu and rsj3768@rit.edu

College-Specific Delegates

CAD: Contact Zoe Kerns at zek2109@rit.edu
CET: Contact Ryan Jackson at rsj3768@rit.edu
CHST: Contact Haneefa Wahab at hw3713rit.edu 
COLA: Contact Daniela Benitez at dab6762@rit.edu 
COS: Pending Elections, Contact honors@rit.edu
GCCIS: Contact Katie Niederhoff at kmn5445@rit.edu
KGCOE: Contact Srikar Marellapudi at ssm6586@rit.edu
NTID: Contact Elena Meckel at emm1714@rit.edu 
SCB: Contact Brayden Dennis at bkd2522@rit.edu
SOIS: Contact Lun Kong at lsk8365@rit.edu

Community Delegates

BIPOC Delegate: Contact Alaina Mupparthi at asm1075@rit.edu
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Delegate: Pending Elections, Contact honors@rit.edu
Internal Admit: Pending Elections, Contact honors@rit.edu​​​​​​​
International Delegate: Pending Elections, Contact honors@rit.edu
Student Athlete Delegate: Cassandra Kehler at ck6080@rit.edu
General Delegates: Pratosh Tiwari at pt8990@rit.edu, Andrew Waite at apw7192@rit.edu, or Liat Mekonnen at lm6867@rit.edu