Photo Spotlights

The second annual Social Media and Communication Symposium Sept. 29 featured keynote speakers and panel discussions led by social- media insiders. The symposium, sponsored by RIT’s Department of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts, included presentations and panels on the business of social media, academic research into social media and the skills students must know in order to successfully navigate through social media. Nichelle Stephens spoke about the benefits of blogging, specifically about baking and cupcakes.

The Fall Career Fair, which took place Sept. 28, is one of two major employment events held at RIT every year that’s open to RIT students and alumni. Employers are recruiting for co-op and full-time openings. 231 companies participated, with more than half from outside of New York State.

Richard Sands, chairman of the board of Constellation Brands Inc. and an RIT Trustee (left); his wife, Jennifer Sands; and New York State Sen. Jim Alesi were honored by RIT President Bill Destler and others for investing $2 million toward the renovations of the School for American Crafts. In addition to the Sands family and Alesi, a $1 million donation from an anonymous donor and several other generous donations helped make the Sands Family Studios a reality. A formal dedication ceremony was held Sept. 27. The funding supported renovation of the studio spaces inside James E. Booth Hall and an addition to the building’s west side. The School for American Crafts offers undergraduate and graduate programs in ceramics, glass, metals and wood.

Members of a South Korean delegation visited RIT on Sept. 26 to learn more about implementing “Neighbors Building Neighborhoods,” a citizen engagement program, in their country. The guests visited with RIT instructors, including science, technology, and society/public policy chairperson Deborah Blizzard and distinguished professor Bill Johnson; political science assistant professor Ray Dongryul Kim; and sociology/anthropology assistant professor Jessica Pardee. Johnson traveled to the country this past summer at the invitation of the mayor of Goyang, South Korea. Yun-Sig, mayor of Siheung, South Korea, participated in the discussion.

RIT students, faculty and staff participated in the 16th annual Mud Tug 2011, the all-out tug-of-war tournament held behind Grace Watson Hall on Sept. 24. Coordinated by RIT’s Zeta Tau Alpha and Phi Kappa Psi (shown here, member Taylor Deer) Greek groups, the event drew a large crowd. More than 150 teams of 2,000 people raised more than $10,800 for Hillside Family of Agencies. Hillside provides counseling and support for youth and their families throughout central and western New York.

RIT students participate in Mud Tug 2011, the annual all out tug-of-war tournament held behind Grace Watson Hall, Sept. 24.

Dan Loh ’95 and six other Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalists received the Isaiah Thomas Award in Publishing on Sept. 22 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. All seven winners, who have won a combined 11 Pulitzer Prizes, are RIT alumni.

RIT alumni, including Bob Snyder ’56, professor emeritus, Kate Gleason College of Engineering (left), and Jon Rodibaugh help sort food at Foodlink, the Rochester-area food bank, as part of the alumni community service day on Sept 10.

Barnes & Noble @ RIT features a fair-wage clothing line that is one of the hot clothing items this year. Alta Gracia fair-wage clothing, produced in the Dominican Republic, offers a selection of sweatshirts and T-shirts. Fair-wage clothing is not produced in sweatshops and is priced to cover the cost of production as well as a living wage, rather than minimum wage or lower, to cover basics such as food, clothing, shelter, education and medical care for workers.

Pickleball, a combination of tennis and ping pong, uses oversized paddles and a Wiffle Ball. Pickleball is one of the new club activities that will be offered to students this fall.

RIT participated in the inaugural Greentopia Festival at High Falls on Sept. 17 and 18. The RIT eBike Fleet was one exhibit on display at the RIT tent.

RIT’s premier lecture series, the Caroline Werner Gannett Project, launched its 2011-2012 series, “Visionaries in Motion V,” with a Sept. 15 presentation by National Medal of Science recipient Esther Conwell. Conwell discussed her current research and delivered her talk, “Conductive Properties of DNA,” to a standing-room-only crowd. A member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, Conwell has been a pioneer woman in science for 70 years. Next up for the series is a talk by Canadian journalist and screenwriter Ryan Knighton on Oct. 10.