Dedication of the Performing Arts Center
On April 10, 2026, RIT dedicated its new Performing Arts Center. RIT President Bill Sanders welcomed a large audience. Here are his opening remarks:
Good morning, and welcome to RIT, home of the Tigers and one of the nation’s leading STEM universities.
As someone who has had the privilege of serving as president for less than a year, I can say how truly excited, and honored, I am to be here with you today to celebrate the opening of our new 750-seat Performing Arts Center, or PAC. Moments like this make clear just how special this university community is.
RIT has always been a place for makers, innovators, and problem-solvers. We imagine, we design, we engineer, and we create. This Performing Arts Center was built not just for performance, but for possibility. It will be a space where technology enhances artistry, where access is foundational, and where collaboration thrives.
For decades, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf has been a powerful force in shaping that vision, creating opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing students to express themselves through dance, mime, visual theater, and production. Even without a formal theater major, NTID graduates have gone on to perform on Broadway, at regional theaters, and on international stages. Their impact has been extraordinary and that spirit inspired our entire university. Building on that foundation, and under the leadership of my predecessor, Dave Munson, RIT launched a nationally recognized
performing arts program for non-majors, along with a Performing Arts Scholarship, further expanding opportunities for students across disciplines.
The growth of our Performing Arts Scholars program tells a compelling story. Our students are engineers who sing, designers who dance, and coders who compose. They demonstrate that STEM and the arts are not competing forces, they are complementary, and together they prepare our students to lead in a world that demands both technical excellence and creative thinking.
Today’s celebration would not be possible without the dedication and partnership of so many who will be recognized throughout the day however I want to add my personal thanks to our faculty and staff, who inspire our students every day; our architects, builders, and project teams, who brought this vision to life; and our generous supporters and donors, whose belief in this project made it possible.
Thank you all for being here on this very special day. It is now my pleasure to welcome our emcee, Provost Prabu David.