Tiger's Tale: Alumni Tale - March 2021
Tiger's Tale
March 2021
Let's Get Ready to Dig!
Have you heard about the IMLC? The Innovative Maker and Learning Complex will be like no other on the RIT campus, and alum, RIT trustee, and donor, Austin McChord ’09 is helping to make it possible. The 100,000-square-foot-facility currently under construction between Wallace Library and Monroe Hall will draw students from all colleges to its collaborative maker spaces, dance studios, practice rooms, theatres, and learning spaces. But we need a name for it! In the spirit of creativity, Austin is asking the RIT students to give it a name to remember. Learn more about the March 1 - 26 contest to name the IMLC, and watch the video.
Ways to Connect with Alumni
Connect with your fellow alumni and get lost in books from a range of genres. There is no cost to participate, you just need a copy of the book to enjoy.
Master Plan Scholarship
If you graduated December 2019 or after, you’re eligible for RIT’s Master Plan scholarship covering 55% of your RIT graduate tuition. All you need to do is submit a free, one-step application, no GMAT or GRE required, and you’ll receive your admission decision in a week.
Learn about the Master Plan Scholarship
Student Athletes Following Their Dreams
Baylee Trani BS ’21 is the first hard-of-hearing Division 1 athlete at RIT. Baylee expressed that the most rewarding aspect of playing hockey has been “being treated like family by the team, and not feeling like an outsider.”
Show your stripes
New RIT tiger masks are available for purchase at the Digital Den for only $6.95. Limited quantities are available.
Forgot to renew your RIT account? No problem—you can do that here.
Honoring Britta Anne Moberg BFA ’15
Sadly, alumna Britta Anne Moberg BFA ’15, passed away on Tuesday, January 12, 2021. To celebrate her life, Britta’s friends and RIT alumni have launched a crowdfunding campaign to support Club Volleyball and RIT’s Tigers Care Fund. Britta was the founder of Club Volleyball and will be missed dearly by the RIT community.
Celebrating 45+ Years with Lou Spiotti
After over 45 years at RIT, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lou Spiotti has announced his retirement. Help us celebrate his legacy by sharing your thoughts about Lou Spiotti as an educator, mentor, coach, and colleague.
RIT's Sentinel Society
University Advancement has formally launched RIT’s new leadership annual giving program, Sentinel Society. The program aims to build a community of donors who make meaningful annual investments of $1,000 or more to the university. Donors also have the option to establish a Sentinel Scholarship with their multi-year pledge. For a pledge of $5,000 or more annually, RIT will create a scholarship in the donor’s name or in the name of someone they wish to honor. The full gift will benefit a student scholarship awardee.
Upcoming Virtual Events
HawkeyTalk with Wayne Wilson
Tuesday,
March 9, 2021
6 p.m. Eastern
Join Wayne Wilson, Ed Trefzger, and Scott Biggar BS ’89 as they provide an update on this year’s Tiger Hockey season. They'll be reviewing highlights of the action and what we can expect in collegiate hockey as the team heads into the playoffs!
EMBA Webinar Series: The Future of International Travel
Wednesday,
March 10
Noon Eastern
The world is on the verge of opening up again, with restrictions lessening and the economy sustaining. But what does the future hold for international travel in the post-COVID era? Hear from our panel of experts as they do a deep dive into what travelers can expect post-COVID-19.
Club McKenzie: Watching Dying Stars Transform into Butterflies
Wednesday,
March 10
6 p.m. Eastern
Join Dr. Joel Kastner as he shares the first results from his team’s comprehensive, near-UV-to-near-IR Hubble Space Telescope imaging programs targeting two particularly well-studied planetary nebulae, one commonly known as The Butterfly. He will also describe how astronomers understand the disintegration of dying stars and the re-integration of this "star stuff" into subsequent generations of stars and planetary systems.
COVID-19 Against the Ropes – Tigers Fight Back
Tuesday
March 16, 2021
6 p.m. Eastern
RIT Tigers have been frontlines of COVID-19 through their work in vaccine development, variant identification, and genome sequencing. Join RIT College of Science Associate Professor Maureen Ferran, Ph.D. and College of Science alumni as they share their expertise on aspects and implications of their COVID-19 research.
Birth, Medicalization, and the Politics of a Pandemic
Thursday, March 25
12:30 p.m. Eastern
Maternity care in the U.S. was experiencing a crisis before COVID-19 hit, but increasing pressures on hospitals and providers during the pandemic have made the cracks in our maternity care system more apparent than ever. Explore why the U.S. has some of the worst outcomes for mothers and babies in the developed world as well as how interest groups use regulations as a way to jockey for control over women’s bodies.
Innovations in Global Health Conference
Saturday, March 27
10 a.m. Eastern
This global health conference will offer diverse insights and perspectives on global health and will focus on four key areas:
- Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental, Social and Spiritual Health
- Science and Technology Responses to the Pandemic
- Impacts of COVID-19 on Vulnerable Populations
- The Collision of Politics and Public Health Guidance in the Era of COVID-19
Alumni Spotlights
Tiger Heritage Spotlight: Mona Ockenden BS '94
Mona graduated from RIT with a degree in civil engineering technology. After her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, Mona left her position as a senior vice president to start a line of chemical-free beauty products. Since starting Mona Moon Naturals in 2019, she hasn’t looked back.
Student Government Presidents: Now and Then
Greg Pollock was the second deaf Student Government President at RIT. Since graduation, he has worked at the Dow Chemical Company as a public affairs manager and became the vice president of Human Resources and Accessibility Office at PNC Financial Services.
Tiger Job Tips from Career Services
Looking for a job is a job itself. Your search will be an effective one if you have a goal in mind, stay organized, incorporate a variety of methods and follow-up. And Career Connect is here to help you with resumes, cover letters, portfolio preparation, interviewing, and more.
Tap into your RIT resources, and make connections that could eventually lead you back to a traditional work arrangement.
Class Notes
Nazli Paker ’97 (CIAS) and Diego Garcia-Pastor ’94 (KGCOE), MS '97 (KGCOE) met at an RIT Halloween party in 1991. Two children and thirty years later, they're still celebrating Tiger love.
Aurelkys Estevez MS ’12 (CAST) was promoted to Head of the Office of Free Access to Public Information in the Attorney General’s Office in Santo Domingo.