AlumniNews by Topic: Technology

Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf will host an evening with artist and alumna Christine Sun Kim as part of the college’s Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series, 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in the new RIT Performing Arts Center. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, with support from Google.org, has developed “Grammar Laboratory,” a learning tool that uses artificial intelligence to assist deaf students with English grammar.

Researchers from RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf have identified an AED that includes visual and text prompts, making it accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing users and those not familiar with the English language.

CEOs, Chief Financial Officers, and Chief Technology Officers are among the 12 RIT alumni honored with Distinguished Alumni Awards for the 2024-2025 year.

Valerie Horn believes accessibility should be at the forefront of entrepreneurs’ minds when developing their businesses. This belief pushed her to co-found Zestability, a consultation firm that advocates for prioritizing accessibility and inclusive business practices.

Adam Stone ’04 has been named to the board of the Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf’s Alumni Association.

Studying abroad can open doors to new adventures and experiences for any student. For Sarah Sabal, her experiences helped solidify and reinforce her sense of self.

Kayley Judd, an RIT/NTID student majoring in mechanical engineering technology, led the Deaf in STEM Conference last month, inviting deaf and hard-of-hearing alumni and professionals to the RIT campus to present on various STEM topics. This student-led conference was a tremendous success, drawing more than 100 attendees, including students, faculty, staff, volunteers, and walk-ins. 

NTID’s Co-op and Career Center and Student Life Team hosted RIT/NTID alum Toby Fitch (new media design ’13), a product designer at Microsoft, who visited RIT on Monday, February 12, to give a presentation, “Deaf in Tech: Design and Software and AI, Oh My!” Fitch discussed how his career in media design led to Microsoft, how design has a strong impact on the world today, and why it is important to stay on top of new developments in tech, such as AI. He also shared handy tips on how to succeed in the tech industry.

Ebony Watson ’04 (applied computer technology) shattered accessibility barriers in the footwear industry, becoming the first deaf footwear designer to earn recognition for her work. Watson has loved footwear since childhood, but she says her journey into fashion was far from easy.  

RIT/NTID alumnus David Cardenas SVP ’07, ’11, ’15 (AAS in information and computing and BS in applied networking and systems administration) developed a passion for information technology and network security to help organizations and customers in protecting and securing their information and networks from cyberattacks.

Michael Roppolo ’14 (journalism) is an accomplished broadcast journalist and an award-winning content creator who develops engaging content to distribute across digital media platforms. Roppolo serves as a social media associate producer at CBS News, producing content related to crime and justice for 48 Hours, a documentary and news magazine that broadcasts real-life cases affecting the human experience.