Students on the Move | May 2025
We’re happy to share this good news about Damarley Barrett! He is a second-year electrical engineering technology major and received a Community Impact Award during the Student Leadership Awards ceremony and dinner last month. In addition, he will begin a co-op with Simcona as a Panel Builder intern this summer!
Congratulations to third-year student Nalin Cooper, majoring in human-centered computing with immersion in women’s and gender studies. Cooper was awarded the Marlon Joris Endowed Scholarship for the fall ‘25 and spring ‘26 semesters by RIT’s Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement in conjunction with its annual Community Impact Awards. The endowed scholarship was created by Joris, an RIT alum (BS ‘05) who is an IT leader with Microsoft Corporation. It is funded in part by matching gifts from Microsoft.
Congratulations to Jalyn Hardaway who was recently initiated into Alpha Chi Sigma, a professional, co-ed fraternity with members interested in or associated with the field of chemistry. Hardaway is a third-year biomedical sciences major (BS/MS). There are close to 80 collegiate and Professional Chapters of Alpha Chi Sigma in the U.S. Membership is for life.
Well done! Check out this artwork by first-year student Jude Hare, one of our DDI Summer Experience students. His art was on display as part of the Support Program artist showcase, Neuro-Perceptions, held during About Autism Acceptance Month. The exhibition highlights the talents of autistic students at RIT with different ways art can provide a deeper understanding of autism. Hare is working toward a BFA in illustration with an immersion in comics studies.
Be sure to check out the work of Kasim O’Meally. It’s on display in the SAU, across from Ingle Auditorium, near the Frederick Douglass statue. It is an ALANA student organization History at RIT project, led by O’Meally. The project is a partnership between DDI and RIT Archives Staff with Elizabeth Call. It shows the history of African, Latino, Asian and Native American student organizations at RIT. O’Meally is a fourth-year web and mobile computing major.
Fourth-year student Jessie Shelton is headed south! The management information systems major who is working toward her MBA, will begin a co-op this summer with Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is part of the Analytics and Data Undergraduate Program (ADUP). Shelton is active with MCAS, Women of Color, Honor and Ambition (WOCHA) and she is a CSTEP student.
Steven Anthony Simmons, a fourth-year student majoring in international business with minors in human resources and marketing has been awarded the Live Mas Scholarship from the Taco Bell Foundation. It is to be used for educational purposes. Simmons created a video that talks about the importance of businesses valuing different cultures and how that can impact smart decision-making. By the way, Simmons has worked as a “Food Champ” at Taco Bell for almost five years, starting while in high school.
These students have been busy! In April, six students were funded by the CSTEP and McNair Scholars programs to attend and present their research at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Annual Meeting held in Chicago. They are Christina Ciko, fifth-year biomedical sciences major; Halley Deme, third-year biotech and molecular bioscience major; Mia Kushner, fourth-year biochemistry major; Nikita Robinson, third-year biochemistry major; Mya Wynn, fourth-year biochemistry major; and Mya Soto, fourth- year biochemistry major. Thanks to RIT Professor Lea Michel who accompanied the students.
RIT’s Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) was awarded an additional five years of funding by the New York State Department of Education in its latest grant competition for CSTEP. This new grant funding cycle begins in summer 2025.
Four students participated in national conferences or explored graduate school opportunities this month with financial support from the McNair Scholars Program. Two of them, Crystal Lee, fourth-year bioinformatics and computational biology major and Sarah Hong, fourth-year nutritional sciences major, presented their research at the 2025 Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM last month in Atlanta. Tahaara Gazali, fourth- year biomedical sciences major, attended the 2025 National Conference on Undergraduate Research last month in Pittsburgh. Bethany Cacayorin, a fourth-year human centered computing major, came back from her graduate school visit.
McNair staff welcomed in their new cohort of student scholars: Joseph Bean third-year computational mathematics major, Emmanuel Boakye third-year software engineering and neuroscience major, Talayeh Delis, fourth-year biomedical science major, John Fernandez third-year biochemistry major, Juan Hernandez-Guerrero third-year fine arts in photographic and imaging arts major, Gabrielle Gomes third-year economics major, Kamyah Johnson second-year psychology major, Michelle Kimball third-year nutrition science major, Lun Kung second-year applied mathematics & individualized studies double major, Kaya Miller second-year physics major, Kifekachukwu Nwosu second-year computer science major, and Chenxin Wang third-year biomedical science major. New and returning McNair scholars spent a half day at the Spring Semester Retreat celebrating success stories and exploring journeys and opportunities. The program commends McNair Scholars James Campbell fourth-year psychology major, Joseph Vazquez Mercado fifth-year mechanical engineering major, Joel Salas fourth-year biochemistry major, and Mya Soto fourth-year biochemistry major, as well as RIT alumnus Rodney Sanchez for generously sharing their time and first-hand experiences with those just beginning their academic paths.
Welcome back! RIT/HEOP alum Tonia Bledsoe, BS '96, was one of four keynoters April 25th at the Futurists Symposium on campus. But before she spoke, she spent quality time in an informal setting in MOSAIC with HEOP and DDI students and some of her Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. members. Bledsoe was an HEOP student at RIT and shared some of her experiences. She also talked about the work she is doing now as an AI consultant, founder of Bledsoe Legacy,co-founder of EmpowerAI Collective and author.
Graduating HEOP student Deja Bonney accompanied Bledsoe at the post-event dinner at the Tait Preserve. Bonney will begin the MBA program at RIT this May.