Photo Spotlights

Nearly 10,000 runners toured the RIT campus Thursday as part of the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge. This was the first time that RIT hosted the annual event, which has grown in size dramatically over the years. Rainy skies gave way to a beautiful rainbow at the conclusion of the race, as participants took part in a picnic-style celebration. RIT fielded 282 runners, the third largest team at this year's Challenge.

Xerox CEO Anne Mulcahy delivers RIT's commencement address, May 21, in RIT’s new Gordon Field House and Activities Center. The event served as kickoff to RIT’s 175th anniversary celebration, which will be commemorated throughout the 2004-05 academic calendar.

Ed Alexander, left, and Chris Gotie, mechanical engineering technology majors, prepare to smash a brick as part of an end-of-quarter project in Machine Design class on May 21. In place of a final exam, student teams designed and built brick-bashing devices in RIT's first-ever "Brick Bash." Course instructor Marty Gordon says the competition also served as a stress reliever for students. Bricks were donated by Miller Brick Co.

Second-year graduate ceramics student Holly Brown carefully forms miniature heads for spectators at the School for American Crafts walkthrough event on May 17. Students from the woodworking, glass, metals and ceramics programs put on demonstrations to entertain visitors while displaying their work from throughout the year.

Students browse through illustration portfolios at a walkthrough event on May 13. The illustration, medical illustration, art education, and fine art studio departments all opened their facilities for tours and curious onlookers.

Joe D’Amato, left, and Justin LaChausse, mechanical engineering majors and members of RIT’s Formula SAE team, work on this year’s newly designed, student-built racer in the mechanical engineering department’s machine shop on April 28.

RIT’s mini-Baja team captured fifth and sixth places among nearly 90 challengers in the Mini Baja West in Portland, Ore., in April. RIT's two cars, which were entered separately, also earned top-10 placements for design, endurance, hill climbing, maneuverability, “rock crawl” and sales report.

Fifth-year software engineering student Chris Boncha discusses his senior project with a fellow student at the Software Engineering Senior Projects Poster Day, May 7. A total of seven projects were on display, including an online co-op evaluation system and a telephone fraud monitoring and detection system. View the projects at http://www.se.rit.edu/current_projects.php.

Andrew Street pushes hard to the finish as the RIT Moon Buggy nears the finish line at the Great Moon Buggy Race held April 3 in Huntsville, Ala. Despite breaking three chains in competition, the team went on to finish in 12th place, posting their best finish yet at the national competition.

Geneticist, author and filmmaker, R. Spencer Wells visits RIT to talk about his groundbreaking research in population genetics that traces humanity back to a single ancestor. Wells’ work—the subject of a PBS National Geographic documentary—follows humanity’s migration from Africa to the far reaches of the world. Here, Wells (left) talks to students Rebecca Rigden, Chalonda Rolle, Jody Pape and Daniela Palacio.

Sparks fly as Erica Sacheli, a third year student from Rochester, works to complete the final project for her Welded Sculpture class in RIT's School of Art. During 10 weeks of training, Sacheli and her fellow students get to combine steel with their unique visions to create works of art. Mahany Welding Supply in Gates donates its facilities, which feature the latest in welding technology, to members of the class. Mahany's staff has been on hand throughout the period to help students turn their visions into reality.

Kelly Benjamin, fourth year environmental science student, takes in the festivities at RIT's Celebration of Scholarship. The annual event salutes scholarship donors while providing them an opportunity to interact with the students assisted by their generosity. More than 100 scholarship donors took part in this year's celebration. There are 478 scholarhsip programs that benefit RIT students.