Alumni News

Environmental science alumna Sydney VanWinkle ’19, ’21 MS will head to Madagascar this fall to study the impact that conservation initiatives have on local communities and the environment as part of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

After a three-year pause because of the pandemic, students, faculty, staff, and alumni from the College of Art and Design will descend on Manhattan this week for NYCxDesign—New York City’s annual celebration of design that attracts hundreds of thousands from around the globe—which is marking its 10th year.

Non-profit partners from RIT's annual interdisciplinary workshop have recently implemented ideas developed by teams of students working to use their skills for social good.

The field of museum studies is changing. Not only are the people working in nationwide cultural institutions becoming more diverse, but the narratives told within those institutions are more inclusive and equity-focused. RIT’s museum studies program, led by Program Director Juilee Decker, aims to accelerate this momentum.

Hope Drummond BS ’91 is founder of Dreamseeds Children’s Program, is an RIT Trustee, and is being honored by Saunders College of Business.

Catherine C. Lange ’16 M.Arch (architecture) developed a passion for sustainable architecture when she learned the impact the world’s built environment has on climate change, and that buildings designed to limit humanity’s impact on the planet’s resources offer a real and pressing opportunity to combat the climate crisis.

Debbie Lesser '19 is a catalyst, facilitating crucial conversations taking place in often highly sensitive situations. As a certified medical interpreter, she assists deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing patients and health care providers in communicating with one another regarding everything from mental health crises to detailed complex medical procedures.

Christine Sun Kim BS ’02 is an artist and is being honored by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

Chinese tea culture, with its rich history existing since before the third century, has always been a lifelong passion for Tian Tian and Zining Chen. The graduates of RIT’s advertising and public relations program (2017) and master’s in entrepreneurship program (2019), yearned to share their culture in a new and exciting way—by founding Taichi Bubble Tea. 

Robert Spina, Ph.D., MS ’89 is chief technology officer of Bowhead Specialty Insurance and is being honored by Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Ryan Bowen BS ’08, MS ’13, Ph.D. ’16 is chief technology officer at NRGXP and is being honored by the Graduate School.

Franklyn Athias BS ’85 is chief technology officer and senior vice president of Xfinity Mobile Retail Convergence and is being honored by the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.