NTID AlumniNews
Susan Murad

RIT/NTID names Rosa Lee Timm as Distinguished Alumna for the 2023-2024 year

Timm, division president at CSD Social Venture Fund, is an executive leader, entrepreneur, and performance artist
portrait of Rosa Lee Timm.
Rosa Lee Timm ’00 was named the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for the 2023-2024 year at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf has named Rosa Lee Timm ’00 as the recipient of its Distinguished Alumni Award for the 2023-2024 year.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented annually by each of RIT’s nine colleges, the School of Individualized Study, and the RIT Graduate School to alumni who have performed at the highest levels of their profession or who have contributed to the advancement and leadership of civic, philanthropic, or service organizations.

It is the highest award an RIT college can bestow upon its alumni. The 2023-2024 recipients will be honored during presentations throughout the academic year.

“Rosa Lee’s commitment to the college and our mission is evident through her dedication as a member of the NTID Foundation Board of Directors,” said Gerry Buckley, NTID president and RIT vice president and dean. “We are thrilled to be able to honor Rosa Lee for her impact on the Deaf community and her service to RIT/NTID.”

Timm, ’00 (social work), is a biracial Deaf woman, known for her versatility as an executive leader, entrepreneur, and a performance artist. Her achievements include the creation of American Sign Language music videos, the establishment of a Deaf music camp, her starring role in the feature film Versa Effect, and captivating audiences with her one-woman show for nearly two decades. She earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from RIT in 2000, and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling on deafness from Western Oregon University in 2003.

Her unwavering dedication to marketing, creativity, and entrepreneurship paved the way for her current role as division president at CSD Social Venture Fund, a division of Communication Service for the Deaf, one of the nation’s largest Deaf-run nonprofit organizations.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Timm is a loving partner and a devoted mother to two children.

A celebration honoring Timm will be announced.

Topics
Arts
Business
Culture
Events

Latest Stories

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.

image of Amberlee Jones and Sam Sepah

Two appointed to RIT/NTID Foundation Board of Directors

Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf has appointed Amberlee Jones, of Rochester, New York, and Sam Sepah of Pleasanton, California, to their Alumni Association Board of Directors.

More Stories