College of Engineering News

A multidisciplinary contingent of RIT faculty, students and alumni is creating awareness and innovative design solutions to improve the quality of medical care and education for some of the most vulnerable in Central America.

Associate Professor Marcos Esterman and several RIT senior engineering students are on a mission to empower citizens of Cali, Colombia, through cutting-edge technology including solar-powered 3D printers and aquaponics.

When he was in high school, Josh Geise, a fifth-year computing security student, was involved in a program that donated refurbished computers to local families. To continue his work in computer refurbishment and help increase computer accessibility in the Rochester area, Geise and friend Brian Martens ’18 started their own nonprofit organization that donates refurbished computers to people in need.

RIT’s College of Liberal Arts honored student achievement in writing on Friday with the presentation of more than a dozen writing awards for essays varying from sanctuary cities, how democracies can withstand outside meddling, and the excavation, preservation and reconstruction of a London theater where Shakespearian plays debuted.

More than 100 RIT students were honored Thursday as Outstanding Undergraduate Scholars. The students were also able to invite the high school or community college teacher that made the most impact on their education.

In 2015, the Genesee Country Village & Museum stopped firing cannons during Civil War reenactments in the historic village because the black powder charges appeared to be damaging windows and buildings. To help reintroduce cannon fire, four fifth-year engineering students are identifying the cause of the damage and creating a best practices procedure to protect the buildings while maintaining authenticity.

Launched in 2012, the RIT Venture Fund invests in early-stage, high-growth companies founded by students, faculty, staff, alumni and RIT Venture Creations client companies in fields that complement RIT’s core academic competencies. From block chain and clean-energy technology to telecommunications, manufacturing and game development, the Venture Fund looks to create industry diversity and a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.

When Aaron Bailey and Tigran Vardanyan restyled a shoulder rest for their own violins, little did they know their simple design, made in Bailey’s home workshop, would be sought by musicians around the world.

Mark Oney ’81 (electrical engineering) has created eight startups. His current startup, EmployeeChannel Inc., provides communication software and services that help employers better communicate and engage with employees using mobile, cloud and artificial intelligence technologies.

RIT alumni and long-time supporters of FIRST Robotics, Dan Schneiderman and Joe Kessler, were recognized as the 2019 Regional as Volunteers of the Year during the FIRST Robotics Finger Lakes Regional competition March 15 and 16. Both were honored for their contributions to the organization and the regional competition, serving in a variety of roles from advocates and team mentors to field judging, set up and match coordination. 

Intersections: The RIT Podcast, Ep. 11: Artificial intelligence and deep learning have many research applications. Ray Ptucha, assistant professor of computer engineering in RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering, talks with computing doctoral student Robert Jimerson from the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences about a project using deep learning systems to help preserve the Native American Seneca language.

Futurism reports on a toilet-seat based cardiovascular monitoring system created by a team of RIT researchers, led by postdoctoral fellow Nicholas Conn.