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a man explains the rebooting process of a computer with a woman looking on

RIT receives grant to expand access to computing education

RIT's National Technical Institute for the Deaf has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to expand access to computing and information technology education for secondary and post-secondary students.

Members of the NTID Alumni Association Board posing enthusiastically and making tiger claw hand signs in front of a large "TIGER PRIDE" wall mural.

Fall 2026: Alumni Board of Directors Updates

Greetings from NTID Alumni Association Board! As we begin our term as President and Vice President of the NTID Alumni Association Board of Directors, we are excited and honored to serve our incredible alumni community.

Bryan Leeper smiling while wearing a dark suit jacket and patterned collared shirt against a brown backdrop.

RIT/NTID alum builds marketing systems to support businesses and startups

RIT/NTID alum Bryan Leeper ’09 (multidisciplinary studies) is an entrepreneur and marketing engineer who builds marketing systems to help businesses and expand their reach across digital platforms. As a growth marketing leader, Leeper creates work that grows awareness, builds loyalty, and helps brands be seen.

Professional studio headshot of Dhruvesh Patel smiling while wearing a navy blue suit jacket and patterned blue tie against a dark backdrop.

RIT/NTID business alum finds his path to real-world success at PNC

RIT/NTID alum Dhruvesh Patel ’22 (business management) and ’24 (business administration) approached his academic work with a customer-focused mindset, which has helped him find his career success at the PNC Financial Services Group.

Christine Sun Kim returned to RIT as the featured speaker for NTID’s Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series in April in the RIT Performing Arts Center.

RIT grad named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow for her innovative artwork

Artist Christine “CK” Sun Kim ’02 has been named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow, a prestigious award known as a “genius grant” that comes with an $800,000 stipend.

Erica Israel poses outdoors with school children in green and white uniforms, with several smiling and making the 'I love you' hand sign.

Psychology alum travels to Ethiopia to support deaf students’ access to education and literacy

Limited literacy and educational resources are global issues facing deaf youths in developing countries. In August 2026, RIT/NTID alum Erica Israel ’11 (psychology), ’14 (school psychology) joined an annual trip with Visions Global Empowerment (VGE) to Ethiopia with a mission to help ensure that deaf children gain access to language, community, and education. 

Gary Behm, director of the NTID Center on Access Technology, uses Google’s Sign Language-to-Text app, which he and others in the center helped evaluate prior to its release.

RIT helps Google develop new technology that converts sign language into text

Researchers at RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf have collaborated with Google to test new AI technology that converts sign language into text in real time.

Caroline M. Solomon, NTID President, wearing glasses and a black blazer over a white top, smiling in front of a bright orange background featuring photo displays and a potted plant.

NTIDAA Video: An Interview with NTID President Caroline Solomon

Adebola Desalu, former board president of the NTID Alumni Association, interviews NTID President Caroline Solomon, who reflects on her first academic year at RIT/NTID.

Rebecca DeSantis smiling into the camera, leaning against a textured concrete wall while wearing an olive green top and grey cardigan.

RIT/NTID alum credits interpreting education for opportunities in management and leadership

RIT/NTID alum Rebecca DeSantis ’10 credits NTID’s American Sign Language and Interpretating Education program for helping her build the confidence, foundation, and skills that prepared her for a career in interpreting.

A three-panel composite image featuring individual portraits of three smiling professionals standing indoors. From left to right: a woman with long brown hair in a grey long-sleeve shirt and green skirt, a man with glasses and a beard wearing a black quarter-zip pullover with his arms crossed, and an older man with glasses and a gray beard wearing a blue and white checkered button-down shirt.

NTIDAA Welcomes New and Returning Executive Committee Leaders

The NTID Alumni Association is pleased to announce its new and returning Board of Directors executive committee leaders: Megan (Albertz) Gonzalez, Jason Wagner, and Timothy Beatty. 

'Three new trustees—alumni Chris Estrin, Bradley Fluke, and Amy Zhen—have been appointed to the board of Rochester Institute of Technology.'

RIT appoints three alumni to Board of Trustees

Rochester Institute of Technology has appointed three new members to its Board of Trustees, adding to its roster of leaders experienced in technology, business, accessibility, and engineering.

A group of eleven diverse individuals posing together indoors against a brick wall with decorative light panels. Several group members are wearing Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and NTID-branded orange and black apparel, including shirts, hoodies, and hats. In the center, a man in an orange shirt sits in a motorized wheelchair. Everyone is smiling for the camera.

NTID Alumni Association: 2026 Spring Board Meeting Highlights

The spring NTID Alumni Association Board of Directors meeting was filled with energy and insights. We are excited to share the highlights from a full weekend of learning, discussion, and celebration. As usual, we were also joined by the NTID Foundation Board of Directors, which provides us with meaningful connection and partnerships.