Rochester Institute of Technology News
Sustainability Ph.D.

Thought leaders and executives from around the world gathered in Rochester earlier this week for the fifth RIC-RIT World Remanufacturing Conference, which highlighted how “reman” is contributing toward a more sustainable future in the United States and beyond.

The RIC-RIT World Remanufacturing Conference will feature a world-class line-up of keynote speakers and panel sessions with industry practitioners, tech innovators, policy experts, and scientific researchers discussing “Remanufacturing a Sustainable Future.”

Constanza Berron, a Fulbright Scholar from Argentina, went to Ireland to present her research on the circular economy in e-waste management. Berron is a master’s student in sustainable systems.

Nathan Williams, an assistant professor in sustainability whose research focuses on African energy systems, will play a key role in a project made possible by a $5.5 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to accelerate development and promote climate resilient infrastructure investment across sub-Saharan Africa.

RIT will begin offering two new Ph.D. programs beginning in the fall of 2023: business administration and cognitive science. Today, RIT enrolls 300 students in 11 Ph.D. programs.

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) is accepting applications for the organization’s 2022-2023 Community Grants Program. Founded in 2008, the program is part of the NYSP2I’s ongoing efforts to continue improving the health and environmental quality of New York state.

RIT’s strategic plan calls for adding six to 12 new Ph.D. programs and conferring 50 doctoral degrees every year by 2025. The university already reached the latter goal with 51 Ph.D. degrees conferred in the 2020-2021 academic year.

Spectrum News talks to Callie Babbitt, professor of sustainability, and Diana Rodriguez Alberto, a sustainability Ph.D. student, about their research on reducing food waste.

A $250,000 grant from the U.S. State Department will fund a program led by RIT professors Clyde Hull and Eric Williams to help entrepreneurs in Jordan form circular economy businesses.

A $15 million grant from the National Science Foundation will be used to establish the first national academic research network on wasted food in the United States. Under the grant, researchers from American University will lead 13 other institutions, including RIT, in a five-year project.

Guiping Hu recently began her new role as the sustainability department head at Golisano Institute for Sustainability. Hu arrived on campus from Iowa State University, where she served on the faculty of the Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering department.

Assistant Professor Nathan Williams and doctoral student Sherralyn Sneezer to lead research that will help identify potential pathways to energy sovereignty in Native American communities.