Photo Spotlights

RIT students are honoring the memory of former classmate George Delany by lobbying Congress to pass “Billy’s Law.” Students held a petition drive May 11 in the Student Alumni Union in support of legislation that would link the FBI and Department of Justice databases to help find more than 40,000 missing Americans and identify their remains. Students have also launched an online petition at www.change.org.

Ritchie’s Ice Cream Experience, an interactive exhibit at the 2011 Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival, concludes with an ice cream sundae. Here, three-year old Olivia Little samples the treat with her father, Jonathan.

Phyllis Wade Albro, instructor, First Year Enrichment, Student Affairs, is the 2011 winner of the Isaac L. Jordan Faculty/Staff Pluralism Award. The award is given to an RIT faculty or staff member who advances diversity efforts and pluralism on campus and in the community. RIT President Bill Destler announced that for the first time the honor includes a monetary award of $1,000 in addition to a statuette and community recognition.

The RIT Pep Band performed a selection of songs on the Eastman Kodak Quad steps during the 2011 Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival on May 7. Approximately 32,000 visitors explored 350 exhibits showcasing technology and creativity.

Mechanical Engineering and the Golisano Institute of Sustainability collaborated to create an interactive exhibit that allowed visitors to explore wind power using four fans at the 2011 Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival on May 7.

Andrea Hickerson, assistant professor of communication in RIT’s College of Liberal Arts and Victor Perotti, associate professor of management information systems at RIT’s E. Philip Saunders College of Business, have been awarded a $154,000 grant from the Knight Foundation for “Rising Above the Crowd,” a real-time experiment in community engagement using mobile devices and interactive displays. It will be formally launched during Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival on May 7.

Gerard Buckley, standing with RIT President Bill Destler, is the first alumnus in NTID’s history to be named president of the college. The academic installation was held May 6 in Panara Theatre. Buckley has served NTID for 20 years, most recently as assistant vice president for college advancement.

For the first time in 14 years, a musical production is on the stage of NTID’s Robert F. Panara Theatre. Guys and Dolls features more than 50 actors and dancers and an 18-piece live orchestra—something the theater has not seen in more than 30 years. The show opened May 4, with daily performances through May 8. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. May 5-7, with matinees at 2 p.m. May 7-8. Tickets are $7, or $5 for students and seniors available at the NTID Box Office (open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and one hour before curtain).

The Strong’s National Museum of Play was the subject of the 2011 RIT Big Shot on May 5. Close to a thousand volunteers, manned with flashlights, illuminated The Strong’s campus while RIT photographers shot an extended exposure from the terrace rooftop of the ESL Federal Credit Union on Chestnut Street.

RIT faculty, staff and students enrolled in Brandy Morrison’s hip-hop fitness class perfect their routine. The class is just one of the unique fitness courses offered through RIT’s Center for Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation.

For the first time in 14 years, a musical production is on the stage of NTID’s Robert F. Panara Theatre. Guys and Dolls features more than 50 actors and dancers and an 18-piece live orchestra—something the theater has not seen in more than 30 years. The show opened May 4, with daily performances through May 8. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. May 5-7, with matinees at 2 p.m. May 7-8. Tickets are $7, or $5 for students and seniors available at the NTID Box Office (open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and one hour before curtain).

RIT student filmmakers screened their films at the 360 | 365 George Eastman House Film Festival in Rochester on April 30 at the Little Theatre. Audience members weighed in on their favorite film. Third-year film and animation major Jeremy Sickles’ film You’ll Feel Better (seen above) tied with the film Bitter Tea by Cai Cai Lui, a graduate student, for the most votes. There were 10 films, done at the graduate and undergraduate level, that were part of the School of Film and Animation’s Emerging Filmmakers show.