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

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.