Newsmakers | College of Liberal Arts

Highlighting the professional and academic accomplishments of College of Liberal Arts students, faculty, and staff.

Newsmakers are a quick and easy way to acknowledge the professional and academic accomplishments of RIT students, faculty, and staff, such as publishing an article in a scholarly journal, presenting research at a conference, serving on a panel discussion, earning a scholarship, or winning an award. Newsmakers appear in News and Events as well as the "In the News" section on faculty/staff directory profile pages.

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March 2024

March 18, 2024

Rebecca Scales, associate professor of history, edited a roundtable discussion published in the journal French History about the past, present, and future of disability history in France and Francophone contexts.

February 2024

February 29, 2024

Afnaan Qureshi, a third-year philosophy major, published the article “Towards a Pragmatic Understanding of Law: Promoting Legal Positivism as a Meta-Philosophy of Law and Its Implications for Abortion Rights” in the Washington University Undergraduate Law Review. His article examines the legal and moral context for the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
February 28, 2024

Kelley Holley, assistant professor in the School of Performing Arts, published the article “Subway Crush” in Theatre Research International on Feb. 26. The article examines the artistic representation of density on the subway, pre- and post-pandemic, and how subway density impacts access to the city.
February 9, 2024

Ben Willmott, director of operations for the School of Performing Arts, published the article, “Assessing the Performing Arts Experience at a STEM-based Institution” in the February 2024 edition of the American Journal of Arts Management. The article highlights Willmott’s qualitative research study focused on students engaged in RIT’s Performing Arts Scholarship Program and explores efforts to integrate performing arts and STEM-based curricula at the higher education level.
February 6, 2024

Joseph Henning, associate professor in the Department of History, published the article “Ozawa v. United States, Japanese Immigration, and William Elliot Griffis” in the Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus. The article analyzes the significance of a U.S. Supreme Court decision in the history of U.S.-Japanese relations, legal scholarship, and critical race theory.
February 2, 2024

Amit Batabyal, Distinguished Professor, the Arthur J. Gosnell Professor in Economics, and interim head of the Department of Sustainability, has been selected to be the next president of the Southern Regional Science Association.
February 1, 2024

Three students involved in last year’s theatrical productions of “Deaf Republic” and “Thy Name is Woman” brought home awards from the Region II Kennedy Center American College Theatre Fest, held Jan. 24-27 in Pittsburgh.

Ace Gray, a fourth-year English major from Silver Spring, Md., won the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition. Gray and their acting partner, Sarah Appel, a School of Individualized Study student from Austin, Texas, will go to the national competition in April at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Serena Rush, a fourth-year psychology major also from Silver Spring, Md., received the best classical acting award. She also directed a 10-minute play for the National Playwriting Program and was recognized with the Outstanding Ensemble Performance award.

McClain “Mac” Leong, a fourth-year SOIS major from Sterling, Va., will be one of eight finalists to participate in the national competition in Washington as a stage management fellow.

January 2024

January 24, 2024

Eric Hittinger, associate professor and director of the master’s program in science, technology, and public policy, took office as the president of the United States Association for Energy Economics on Jan. 1, 2024. This national organization brings together researchers and practitioners from industry, academia, government, and non-profit sectors, and supports the understanding and application of economics across all facets of energy development and use.
January 23, 2024

The 38th edition of Signatures Art & Literary Magazine received the rank of Superior from the National Council of Teachers of English as part of the annual Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines awards. Francesca Delaney, a fourth-year graphic design student, Katarina Boss ‘23 (illustration), London Emmerich, a fourth-year game design and development student, and Richard Kennedy, a fourth-year journalism and English student, were the student editors of the 38th edition. Principal Lecturer Karen Van Meenen and Professor Lorrie Frear are the faculty advisors for the publication.
January 17, 2024

John E. Edlund, professor in the Department of Psychology, was recently named a Distinguished Member by Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. The title is the highest honor the organization bestows. Psi Chi cited Edlund’s service to its Research Advisory Committee and his contribution to the creation of new student research opportunities for the study of human behavior.