Photo Spotlights

IMAGINE RIT—A billboard on Route 490 invites the Rochester community to attend the second annual Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival on May 2. Last year’s festival drew more than 17,000 people.

Babak Elahi, associate professor of English, discusses portions of Barack Obama’s memoir Dreams from My Father with students in the elective course Philosophy and Literature: Barack Obama. The class, which Elahi team teaches with John Capps, associate professor of philosophy, focuses on Obama’s writings and what they say about his political philosophy.

IMAGINE RIT exhibit—Students in the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences will offer demonstrations of a variety of studio techniques, such as glass blowing, during the Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival on May 2.

The RIT United Way campaign culminated with the Taste of RIT on April 23. The fundraiser featured all-you-can-eat food stations from various vendors.

IMAGINE RIT exhibit—The RIT Cycling Club has mastered the art of multitasking. When these students work out on their bikes, they power a blender in the process and have a cold, refreshing smoothie waiting for them when they finish. The Innovation and Creativity Festival takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 2.

Leroy Hood, pioneering microbiologist, co-inventor of the DNA sequencer and founder of the Institute for Systems Biology, conducted a lecture on the applications and risks of microbiology on April 23. The talk was part of the RIT Caroline Werner Gannett Project “Visionaries in Motion”.

The World of Plant Scene Investigation, presented by Dawn Carter, College of Science, was one of the offerings at Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day. The daylong event was sponsored by the RIT Women’s Center on April 23.

In commemoration of Earth Day on April 22, RIT President Bill Destler signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment during a ceremony in the Student Alumni Union. The Presidents Climate Commitment, which has been signed by hundreds of college and university presidents nationwide, provides support and a framework for America’s colleges and universities to go climate neutral.

Kitty Van Bortel gets a congratulatory hug after receiving the 2009 Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award from RIT’s E. Philip Saunders College of Business on April 22.

Glass artist Nancy Gong works on a large scale installation in RIT’s new Student Innovation Center. The 10-foot-high and 54-foot-wide wall is titled In Art, Science & Life, What is the Question? and is the dominant art piece in the building.

RIT’s Triangle fraternity and Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority teamed up April 18 for the fifth annual bed push. The group pushed a bed 23 miles to Black Creek Park in Chili to raise money for the American Diabetes Association.

Actress Marlee Matlin spoke about her recently published book, I’ll Scream Later, April 19 at RIT. Her talk, in Clark Gymnasium, was part of RIT Student Government’s Distinguished Speakers series.