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AdvanceRIT’s mission is to enable all faculty at RIT, particularly women, to contribute their full potential, to increase their representation and retention, and to advance their careers. 

Advance RIT is open to all faculty, regardless of gender.

AdvanceRIT started as an ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant from the National Science Foundation (Grant No. 1209115) and the office was institutionalized in 2019. 

AdvanceRIT plays an instrumental role in:

  • Connecting and engaging women faculty in the RIT community.
  • Providing opportunities for professional and leadership development for women faculty.
  • Supporting efforts for recruiting a diverse faculty critical for achieving excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service.
  • Partnering with affiliated groups, departments, and colleges to support their efforts and bring positive change to RIT.
  • Improving the quality of women faculty’s work life.
  • Ensuring RIT is a place where all faculty are supported, valued, and respected.

Learn more

$425.3K

in Connect Grants. Connect grants support faculty networking, research, professional development and community building efforts.

900+

More than 900 faculty, staff and students have participated in professional development workshops and events led by AdvanceRIT.

66.7%

of RIT’s deans are women (6 out of 9).

14

Number of years since RIT first received an NSF ADVANCE grant. In 2008, RIT received an NSF Advance Catalyst award. An Institutional Transformation award was received in 2012.

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Advance RIT Newsletter

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RIT women faculty in the news

  • September 22, 2023

    graphic with a portrait of Sherry Perry Tshibangu, 20 23 to 20 24 Frederick H. Minett Professor.

    Distinguished Professor Sherry Perry Tshibangu named next Minett Professor at RIT

    Sherry Perry Tshibangu, Distinguished Professor and experienced small-business owner, has been announced as the next Frederick H. Minett Professor at RIT for the 2023-2024 academic year. The Minett Professorship brings distinguished Rochester-area multicultural professionals to the RIT campus to share professional knowledge and experience.

  • September 14, 2023

    several selections of images from the James Webb Space Telescope, showing different stars and galaxies and their placement in space.

    Collaboration with global team confirms, disproves distant galaxies

    RIT scientists have once again used data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as part of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey to change the way we think about the universe and its distant galaxies. Jeyhan Kartaltepe and Rebecca Larson co-authored a paper confirming very bright galaxies in the early universe, while also disproving the identification of what would have been the most distant galaxy ever found.

  • September 1, 2023

    two researchers standing next to each other in a lab.

    RIT researchers pioneer solutions for degenerative disc disease and back pain

    Researchers are improving non-invasive treatment options for degenerative disc disease, an ailment that impacts 3 million adults yearly in the U.S. Using state-of-the-art gene editing technology in mesenchymal stem cells, the researchers will add to the growing field of regenerative medicine, the process of producing cellular therapies to alleviate pain and lack of mobility.

Creativity begins with people from all walks of life. The credit for the RIT difference belongs to its people. We will attract and support an extraordinary mix of increasingly creative multi-talented students, faculty, and staff; and continue to diversify all segments of our community.
David C. Munson Jr,
President
Diversity and inclusion are fundamental aspects of RIT's identity as an institution and are intrinsically tied to its historic strength as one of America's most innovative and forward-looking universities.
Keith Jenkins,
Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion