Class Notes

Name: Dallas Calkins

Class Year(s): 2022

Note: Dallas Calkins BFA ’22 began her career at Mountain House Media, founded by RIT Alum, Jeremiah Gryczka BS ’19, where she worked in camera for the NFL and A&E networks. Dallas moved to LA two years ago and began working as a freelance electric in the film industry. Since moving, she has worked with SnapChat Inc., F1, Faze Clan, The Pentatonix, Chris Brown, and many other high profile brands and influencers. After the effects of industry strikes and Covid restrictions had finally subsided, she began taking jobs in her aspired position as a director of photography. At the moment, Dallas continues to freelance with Mountain House Media and on her own in narrative, live TV and music video filmmaking as a cinematographer, with the intention to keep growing. Dallas works very often with other Tigers who live in LA, and their little community helps them grow together. She is thankful to have come this far, only 3 years out of school, and she looks forward to future growth with her fellow Tigers.

Submitted on: July 11, 2025

Name: Brian Shapiro

Class Year(s): 62

Note: Brian Shapiro AAS ’62 was flown from his house in Pine Bush, NY, to Congregation B’nai Brith in Santa Barbara for the unveiling of his ten-foot-wide painting depicting fifty recognizable people celebrating Touching the Torah. See more work at his website, BrianShapiroArt.com.

Submitted on: July 11, 2025

Name: Tisa Zito

Class Year(s): 2009

Note: Tisa M. Zito BFA ’09, director, producer, and cinematographer, has been acting as DOCUTAH’s program director and film producer at Utah Tech University and is now working on her second feature doc film about the nuclear industry. Her first film Forevermoore; The Angelo Project, can be found on iTunes, Amazon, and others.

Submitted on: July 11, 2025

Name: Laurie (MAYNARD) White

Class Year(s): 89, 98

Note: Laurie (Maynard) White BS ’89, MS ’01, retired from 30+ years in higher ed communications. Laurie wrote and published a syfy novel, Secrets in the Bay - Time Will Tell.

Submitted on: July 11, 2025

Name: Deborah Marcuccilli

Class Year(s): 1978

Note: Deb Marcuccilli BS ’78 was chosen by the United States Equestrian Federation USEF, to represent the US at the 2025 Para World Championships in Combined Driving, Sept. 5-7 in Germany. Para drivers are athletes with a disability. Combined Driving includes competition in Dressage, Marathons, and Cones. Deb graduated from RIT with a BSME degree from KGCOE.

Submitted on: July 11, 2025

Name: Christina Werth

Class Year(s): 2013,2017

Note: Echomentor, an online community for sonographers of all disciplines, founded by Christina Werth BS ’13 and Hayley Bartkus BS ’17, successfully hosted its first live, virtual event this spring, Mentor Week 2025. This premier, 4-night professional event included a speaker lineup featuring elected officials from multiple regional and national sonography professional societies, prominent sonography writers and researchers, industry leaders, and content experts from all over the country. The event, free and open to the entire sonography community, garnered international attention and received approximately 220 sonographer registrants.

Submitted on: July 10, 2025

Name: Alan Gordon

Class Year(s): 1991, 1993

Note: Asher Gordon BFA ’26, son of Christie (Bucalo) Gordon BFA ’02 and Alan Gordon BFA ’91, MFA ’93, is entering his senior year in film and animation. He had an animated film accepted into the 69th annual Finger Lakes Exhibition and was one of eight award winners of the Arthur and Ronan Christopher Louis award.

Submitted on: July 10, 2025

Name: Bruce Lovelace

Class Year(s): 1984

Note: Bruce Lovelace BS ’84 retired from shooting location portraits as the traveling photographer.

Submitted on: July 10, 2025

Name: Kelly Burns

Class Year(s): 2010

Note: Kelly Burns MBA ’10 previously served as the director of tourism for Livingston County. Kelly recently started a position as vice president of Marketing and Visitor Services at the Genesee Country Village and Museum in Mumford. The role provides leadership and management of a variety of public-facing departments and overall strategy for marketing the Museum’s many offerings. The Museum is New York State’s largest living history museum, and it will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026.

Submitted on: July 9, 2025

Name: Shqipe Neziri Vela

Class Year(s): 2007

Note: Shqipe (Neziri) Vela BS ’07 has been named one of Reuters’ Trailblazing Women in Energy 2025, an annual recognition awarded through a global nomination process. The award celebrates ten exceptional women who are driving innovation, advancing inclusion, and shaping the future of the energy sector worldwide.

Submitted on: July 9, 2025