Photo Spotlights

An estimated 2,500 freshmen and 900 transfer students arrived on campus for the first day of classes on Sept.5.

An estimated 2,500 freshmen and 900 transfer students arrived on campus for the first day of classes on Sept. 5.

RIT held its sixth annual Lighting The Way ceremony on Sept. 2 to welcome new female students to campus. The event was sponsored by the Center for Women and Gender, RIT’s Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs and RIT’s Office of the Vice President of Finance and Administration.

RIT community members—including Ritchie, front and center—cheer on incoming freshman students as they take the Tiger Walk to the Gordon Field House for Student Convocation.

RIT community members cheer on incoming freshman students on Sept. 1 as they take the Tiger Walk to the Gordon Field House for New Student Convocation.

Greg Pollock, president of Student Government, welcomed new students and their families during the Student Convocation on Sept. 1. The program included remarks from President Destler; Jeremy Haefner, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs; Mary-Beth Cooper, senior vice president for student affairs, and Sandra Connelly, keynote speaker.

The Resource Fair, held Aug. 31, featured introductions to a variety of RIT departments. In addition, a selection of local businesses participated.

New freshmen arrive at RIT during Move-In day 2011. An estimated 2,500 freshmen and 900 transfer students were welcomed. From left, Lenny, Liz, Linda and Jessica Kellner and Anthony Passerino. Jessica is the first-year student.

New freshmen arrive at RIT on Wednesday during Move-In Day 2011. An estimated 2,500 freshmen and 150 transfer students were welcomed. Here, RIT President Bill Destler lends a hand to Dan Bartz, a first-year student in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

President Bill Destler welcomed back RIT faculty and staff on Aug. 30 during remarks that traditionally begin the academic year. Other speakers included Jeremy Haefner, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs; Paul Tymann, chairperson of Academic Senate; Molly Johnson, chairperson of Staff Council; Greg Pollock, Student Government president; and Kevin McDonald, vice president for diversity and inclusion.

George Zion, chair of the cross-disciplinary committee for RIT’s calendar conversion initiative, says the university is making significant progress in transforming curricula to accommodate a change to semesters in 2013. The New York State Department of Education has already approved the redesign of most of academic programs.

Irma Girón, right, a biotechnology major, presented a poster at the annual meeting of the American Society for Plant Biologists, Aug. 6-10, in Minnesota, describing how the algae enzyme can be used as a target for algaecide. Girón has published two papers on the topic with RIT Professor André Hudson, left.