NTID AlumniNews

NTIDAA’s Engagement with the Alumni Community

News and updates from the NTID Alumni Association Board of Directors
Group photo of the NTIDAA, everyone is making the sign for 'tiger'

The NTID Alumni Association Board of Directors had an outstanding October meeting during RIT Brick City Homecoming. The weekend was filled with honoring alumni for their contributions, getting updates on NTID programs and activities, and board discussions. Then, we finished it off with a fantastic RIT Men’s hockey team win! 

To be more transparent with the alumni community and keep you all informed of what the NTID Alumni Association Board of Directors is doing, we have created this “From the NTIDAA Board” update, which we will regularly send out via Alumni News. 

Here is a snapshot of events over the Brick City weekend to give you an idea of what we do during our board meetings. We kicked off Thursday evening, October 13, with a reception to honor Robert Sidansky BS ’77, this year’s NTID recipient of the RIT Distinguished Alumni Award. Robert has supported NTID in various capacities since he graduated. How wonderful to see a friend and mentor being honored in such a beautiful way. You can read more about this here.

On Friday, October 14, NTID President Gerry Buckley delivered a State of the Institute address, and we received other updates. Dr. Matt Lynn, associate dean for curricular affairs, discussed new degree programs that are on the horizon. We also met the new director of the Dyer Arts Center, Fran Flaherty, and watched a panel of current students discuss their post-pandemic campus life and how students are adjusting. Students are happy to be back on campus full-time and have access to all the social life that college brings. 

On Saturday, our committee chairs provided updates. Here are some key takeaways from each one:  

  • Alumni in Training is working on bringing back social networking for students and alumni for spring 2023. 
  • Diversity and Governance is supporting efforts to engage our diverse alumni better and help the NTIDAA grow in membership.
  • Alumni Programming is continuing to advise on growing the NTID Alumni Ambassador program. 
  • Development is identifying scholarships that support students. 
  • Communication is spotlighting alumni who are doing great things in their communities. 

We will continue to provide regular updates following our board meetings and share our progress with these projects moving forward. Meanwhile, please watch the NTIDAA Facebook page and NTID Alumni News for updates and stories connected with the above efforts. Thank you to all of you who continue to support RIT/NTID.

Contributed by Anna-Marie Unger, NTIDAA President, and Bola Desalu, NTIDAA Vice President

Topics
Events
NTIDAA Updates

Latest Stories

Deaf Day of Play at The Strong Museum of Play Danny Maffia interviewed by a local TV news outlet during the event. Sarah Gordon (left), 2007 RIT/NTID alumna and dean of students at Rochester School for the Deaf, hosted a table at the event to promote Deaf awareness. Brain Haak, 2012 ASLIE alumnus and event manager in NTID Office External Affairs, chatted with RIT/NTID students during the event.

Deaf Day of Play

Students from NTID’s Department of American Sign Language and Interpreting Education provided sign language interpreting throughout a Deaf Day of Play event at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester. Several RIT/NTID ASLIE alumni attended the event on Sunday, March 5, to celebrate Deaf Awareness Month. Danny Maffia, ASLIE alumnus and interpreting program director, said the event provided interpreting students the opportunity to get real-world interpreting practice, and it provided the Deaf community a more accessible experience at the museum. 

Portrait of Cortez Harris

RIT/NTID alumnus builds a career in law enforcement to make a positive difference in the lives of others

RIT/NTID 2019 criminal justice graduate Cortez Harris launched his career in law enforcement to help people and make a positive impact on his community. He is a passionate advocate for social justice, dedicated to the principle that people deserve equal rights and opportunities and ensuring they get the support they need. 

Photos by Matthew Sluka and Lindsay Dobson Photos by Matthew Sluka and Lindsay Dobson Photo by Lindsay Dobson Photos by Matthew Sluka and Lindsay Dobson Photo by Kashif Bin Arif

Daniel Durant visits RIT/NTID

Daniel Durant, an RIT/NTID alumnus and award-winning actor, made an appearance at RIT as part of the NTID Lyon Lectureship Series for a special screening of the movie “CODA” and Q&A Session with the audience in Ingle Auditorium on Thursday, February 16. The following day, Durant spent time with faculty, staff and students on the RIT campus, sharing his acting experience and journey in Hollywood and delivering messages of inspiration and hope to RIT/NTID students. 

exterior of a brick building at dusk

RIT/NTID receives federal funding appropriation from 2023 Omnibus budget

At a press briefing at the Canandaigua Veterans Administration facility on Jan. 4, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced an increase in the annual appropriation for RIT/NTID. RIT/NTID received $92.5 million for the fiscal year 2023, a $4 million increase from 2022.

More Stories