Look What We Did This Summer! |
From high schoolers and first-year college students to those considering graduate school, the Division of Access, Engagement, and Success offered programs and initiatives with opportunities to grow academically and socially this summer.
AES Summer Experience
The AES Summer Experience is hosted by the Center for Engagement and Student Success and the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and welcomed 64 incoming first year students to campus. Among this group, 20 are Rochester City Scholars and 24 are part of HEOP, its largest class since 2016.
No time is wasted getting students acclimated to college life. Holley Gallo, associate director, Engagement and Student Success, says AES is structured to create academic momentum for incoming first year students. “The pace is fast and the learning is rigorous. Our students quickly learn that college success requires hard work, commitment, and clear focus on their goals- academic, social, and personal and professional.”
Over a four-week period, students can earn six college credits in math or sociology. Writing seminars and classes in literature and cultural studies are also offered. Peer advisors helped with social programming ranging from leading walking tours around campus to organizing movie and trivia nights and birthday celebrations for several students who turned 18 during their time on campus.
HEOP Program Director Jessica Saltzberg, says helping students build confidence in their ability to navigate college life also included off-site field trips to Camp Stella Maris for boating, swimming and community building activities, with some competitive play and fun at Lasertron.
“They participate in fun weekend community building activities, make new friends, build a support network of students, peer advisors, academic coaches, among others. They also get a chance to acclimate to RIT before the rush of the fall and come back knowing their way around, with a group of friends, and with a sense of just what they’ll need to succeed at RIT.”
This year Summer Experience introduced two new initiatives. The Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (CLCE) facilitated a service-learning project on culture, care and giving back. Students not only toured Bern’s Closet and Food Share, but they went to work, helping CLCE staff organize donations from the previous year that will be available this fall.
The other new addition is The Insider’s Series where students are able to engage with different units on college. For example, RIT Dining provided information on nutrition and meal plan budgeting. At Wallace Library, topics ranged from using AI to reading a syllabus. The Ombuds Office shared advice on working through conflicts first year students can encounter. EDGE offered advice on academic strategies and time management and CaPS focused on mental health. Gallo says during the final week, students had a chance to meet with staff, faculty, deans and students within their individual colleges.
“ During these sessions, students got to ask questions, get tours of labs, studios, and lounges, learn more about scholarships, research, student employment opportunities, and get familiar with the spaces they will spend most of their time in. The Insider Series will continue in the fall semester with monthly gatherings and is open to all students with a focus on first generation college students.” The series is facilitated by the Center for Engagement and Student Success and all students are welcome to take part.
AES Summer Research Initiative
The McNair Scholars Program, in partnership with the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) recently concluded another transformative 10-week AES Summer Research Initiative.
Running from May 26 through July 30, the initiative offered undergraduate scholars an intensive, immersive experience combining faculty-mentored research, structured academic coaching, and direct preparation for PhD education. In addition to their laboratory and field work, scholars took part in targeted scholarly development workshops and off-campus academic enrichment trips, including a regional graduate school visit and a partner museum tour.
Fifteen McNair Scholars and CSTEP participants successfully presented their findings at RIT’s 35th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Among them, 12 were directly funded through McNair and CSTEP, with an additional participant supported by our partner program at Monroe Community College.
The Initiative’s long-term impact is equally evident in the continued success of its participants: Lun Kong, a fourth-year accelerated BS/MS in applied mathematics and Brett Renaud, a fourth-year accelerated BS/MS in physics both alumni of the AES Summer 2025 cohort, advanced to conduct competitively funded research this summer, including the Honors Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship and a NASA Fellowship Grant awarded through the College of Science.
That momentum is carrying directly into the 2026–2027 academic year, with scholars including Sway Issifou , a fourth-year biomedical sciences major, already gearing up to represent RIT on the national stage at academic conferences such as the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS).
Ting Zhang, director of the McNair Scholars Program says, “For almost 20 years, the RIT McNair Scholars Program has been dedicated to empowering first-generation and low-income undergraduates to see themselves as emerging researchers, graduate school candidates, and future leaders in industry and academia. Early research capacity building anchored by activities including the Summer Research Initiative elevates our students' confidence and graduate school readiness. This fall, six McNair graduates are heading to elite institutions including Cornell and Columbia. That track record is a direct testament to their resilience and the competitive edge gained through the program experience.”
Zhang says milestones like these highlight the extraordinary outcomes achieved when student ambition meets robust, intentional institutional support, and the faculty mentors across colleges who devoted their summer to guiding student projects. The AES Summer Research Initiative reflects RIT's commitment to shaping the future through research and opening doors to high-impact opportunities for all students.
Go to our section: Students on the Move to see who took part in RIT’s 35th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and learn about McNair Scholar Kiffy Nwosu ‘s experience at a Texas Boot Camp!
AES Upward Bound Summer Program
What is life like for college students? Ten area high school students spent two weeks this summer finding out through the Upward Bound Summer program. From living in dorms to attending enrichment classes with RIT faculty, students learned what is expected of college students. That glimpse into the future can be life-changing according to Victor Davidson, program director.
“This program is important because it provides fundamental support to participants to succeed in their precollege performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits.”
The program has a strong support system within the RIT community of faculty, staff and students. There were educational workshops on English, science, and math facilitated by RIT Professors Katrina Overby, Robert Osgood and Nourridine Siewe. The teenagers lived in Residential Hall B with RIT student mentors.
Davidson says the final week wrapped up with a road trip off-site where the students got a major shout-out from a national professional sports team.
“We took a trip to Annapolis, Maryland where we visited the United States Naval Academy. Students embarked on a tour and watched an amazing 4th of July fireworks display. We attended a Major League Baseball game, the Washington Nationals, and the team gave us a warm welcome on their jumbotron.”