News

In a biology lab in Gosnell Hall, Professor André Hudson has been spending hours this summer testing products to see whether they are effective at killing and filtering microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi. The effort is part of RIT’s Infrastructure and Health Technologies task force, which is putting changes in place to make RIT’s campus as safe and clean as possible in the fall.

Jo Ellen Pinkham has been named associate vice president and chief human resource officer at RIT. She will join the university in August. Pinkham comes to RIT from Nazareth College, where she most recently served as associate to the president and coordinated Nazareth’s presidential search, COVID-19 response and fall planning task force.

Darci Lane-Williams, assistant director of Title IX and Clery Compliance, has received the 2020 Edwina Award for her significant contributions to enhance gender diversity and inclusiveness at RIT. In addition, 10 graduating students were also named as “Legacy Leaders.”

RIT’s utilization of nearly 71 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually represents more than 92 percent of its total power needs, placing it No. 21 on the EPA’s Top 30 College & University List of the largest green power users among higher-education institutions in the agency’s Green Power Partnership.

As the majority of students moved out of residence housing because of CV-19, several remained behind in quarantine. To ease their temporary stay and to provide better access to services needed, most were moved to different campus accommodations by an FMS van refitted by members of the RIT Ambulance group and Facilities Management Services.

With fewer people eating on campus due to alternative delivery of coursework, RIT Dining has decided to serve a different customer. They’re sending packaged meals to Rochester Regional Health, the university’s affiliated partner, to serve its workers who are helping our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Title IX Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey is conducted every other year and is intended to monitor trends and identify issues that are occurring on campus. It is part of the statewide “Enough is Enough” law designed to help keep students safe.

Plastic bags, straws and stirrers will be a thing of the past beginning Friday at RIT, as the university begins its “Ditch the Disposables” campaign to decrease plastic waste. The initiative comes with student support, and in advance of a state ban on plastic bags that begins March 1.

RIT has financed $346.2 million in bonds, allowing the university to save money by refinancing two prior bond issues at lower interest rates, as well as fund work on several campus priority projects.

Members of RIT Esports and Public Safety are answering the “Call of Duty” to raise money for mental health awareness Nov. 23. The RIT Esports Call of Duty team will compete against members of RIT Public Safety in a two vs. two tournament of the video game. Ticket proceeds will support the office of Counseling and Psychological Services.

Messenger Post Media features Denishea Ortiz, director of Strategic Marketing and Retail Product Management for Student Auxiliary Services, and Orlando Ortiz '04 (manufacturing engineering technology) '08 (MBA).

WROC-TV reports on RIT's hydroponic farm-in-a-box.