Photo Spotlights

Digitally archiving and reproducing artwork as it would be seen in a museum is a mathematical conundrum of light and geometry. This painting by RIT color scientist Roy Berns is rendered into a virtual scene with both directional and diffuse lighting using the 3-dimensional software package, Maya.RIT and Berns have been awarded $855,000 by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to develop a practical approach museum photographers can use to eliminate subjective lighting decisions when imaging artwork.

Rendering by RIT color scientist Lawrence Taplin.

Colgate-Palmolive representatives got more than a taste of RIT when they were here in June as part of an executive leader cohort in packaging science --they got a taste of New York state.
The seven students, who hailed from six different countries, joined Deanna Jacobs, the packaging science department's graduate program coordinator, for the inaugural class at the brand new New York Wine & Culinary Center.
The cohort was a first for the packaging science department, developed solely for Colgate-Palmolive employees at the request of the company.

RIT announces the formation of the E. Philip Saunders College of Business at a ceremony July 11. The university is naming its business school in honor of E. Philip Saunders, left, entrepreneur and founder of TravelCenters of America Inc. Saunders announced his commitment of $13 million to RIT’s academic business programs—intended to finance scholarships, recruit and support quality faculty, improve existing facilities, and create an endowment for future initiatives.

RochesterWorks!, Monroe County's largest employment and training initiative, selected RIT President Albert Simone as the recipient of its 2006 "Friend of Business and Workforce Award." Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks (left)) was on hand for the award which recognizes leaders who have been an advocate on workforce and economic development issues that are critical to the economic growth of Monroe County.

RIT announces the formation of the E. Philip Saunders College of Business at a ceremony July 11. The university is naming its business school in honor of E. Philip Saunders, left, entrepreneur and founder of TravelCenters of America Inc. Saunders announced his commitment of $13 million to RIT’s academic business programs—intended to finance scholarships, recruit and support quality faculty, improve existing facilities, and create an endowment for future initiatives.

Thirty junior Girl Scouts spent a week at RIT, June 26-30, for the first Everyday Engineering Summer Camp. Each day, the fourth-through- sixth-graders learned about different engineering applications related to the environment, sports, sound, transportation and the home. In one of the hands-on activities, shown above, the Scouts designed and built miniature catapults used to pitch a ping-pong ball at a target. The camp was sponsored by WE@RIT, an RIT initiative supporting the recruitment and retention of female engineering students, and Girl Scouts of Genesee Valley Inc.

Thirty cyclists are in the midst of the ride of their lives -- and they made a pit stop at Rochester Institute of Technology along the way. RIT hosted the Bike & Build team, a group of college students and recent graduates who are biking across the continent, raising money for poverty housing and stopping to do some charity in five different cities across the United States. RIT provided the riders with food and a place to sleep while they were in Rochester June 27-29. Their stay was sponsored by the Center for Religious Life, Summer Housing Operations and the Habitat for Humanity club.

Dan Gramlich (left) from RIT’s Printing Applications Laboratory shows the Heidelberg Sheetfed Press to Charlie Meyer (center), high school graphic arts teacher at Rush-Henrietta High School and Keith Rankin, graphic arts teacher at Edison High School. Both Meyer and Rankin spent a week at RIT in May learning about the latest print technologies to share with their students. The visit was part of the “Teacher Workshop Scholarship” program sponsored by PAL and the School of Print Media. One of the goals of the program is to promote printing as a viable career path.

Thirty students in RIT’s product development executive master’s program completed a 10-day, four-credit design management course in Milano, Italy — a city recognized as the world capital for design. Students attended lectures and workshops and visited five companies known for product design innovation, including automaker Ferrari. Shown above, Paolo Bocchia, the firm’s vice president of human resources, addresses managing innovation resources. Stefan Carmassi, engineering director, discussed technology developments, design strategy and design management, manufacturing, the customer interface, and teamwork needed among engineers and designers to meet performance and styling requirements for Ferrari automobiles. Students also took a 90-minute tour of the Ferrari plant.

The spring competition of the Institute’s Public Speaking Contest drew 53 participants from across the university. First place and $400 went to Lindsay Lamb, far left, a graphic media major, for her speech on ignition interlock technology and drunk driving. Second place and $200 went to Sarah Ballard, third from left, an industrial and systems engineering major, for her speech on HIV testing. Third place and $100 went to Diane Seaver, second from left, for her speech on the problems with “big box” corporations. The winners are shown standing with Grant Cos, contest organizer and associate professor of communication. The College of Liberal Arts and the department of communication sponsored the event.

RIT mini-Baja driver Paula Minuto navigates through the water, dirt and mud during the 75-mile endurance race at the 2006 Mini Baja East competition, held April 12-15 in Auburn, Ala. Read the News & Events story.

RIT students check out an interactive Web site which takes visitors on a tour through the George Eastman House gardens and provides specifics about the individual flowers. The Web site is one of many multimedia components created by seniors in the new media publishing, design and information technology program who presented their multimedia packages in May. The teams worked with local not-for-profit organizations and designed collateral pieces based on the individual client’s needs.