News

RIT has named Erica Haskell professor and inaugural director of the university’s new School of Performing Arts. Haskell comes to RIT from the University of New Haven. She was selected as school director following a nationwide search and will begin her new role on July 1.

TikTok has become one of the most popular social media apps to hit the market in a decade. Billions of social media users have found both community and entertainment in the vertical short videos that are central to TikTok’s format. With a combined nearly 1 million followers and 25 million “likes” between them, four RIT alumni are establishing themselves as social media influencers.

RIT’s bootcamp prepares professionals from all backgrounds and abilities—including those who don’t know code—for critical entry-level cybersecurity jobs.

Environmental science alumna Sydney VanWinkle ’19, ’21 MS will head to Madagascar this fall to study the impact that conservation initiatives have on local communities and the environment as part of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

While many colleges and universities require general education courses, RIT’s immersion requirement takes it a step further. Beyond the typical writing, math, science, social science, global studies, art, and ethics requirements, students are asked to fulfill an additional nine credits in a topic of interest. The intended result is to produce well-rounded students who have gained broader, more diverse perspectives.

Catherine C. Lange ’16 M.Arch (architecture) developed a passion for sustainable architecture when she learned the impact the world’s built environment has on climate change, and that buildings designed to limit humanity’s impact on the planet’s resources offer a real and pressing opportunity to combat the climate crisis.

Ryan Bowen BS ’08, MS ’13, Ph.D. ’16 is chief technology officer at NRGXP and is being honored by the Graduate School.

Sherry Dadgar ’08 MS (bioinformatics) wants the future of medicine to empower patients. Dadgar, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at George Washington University, launched her company, Personalized Medicine Care Diagnostics (PMCDx), in 2020 with a goal of delivering advanced clinical genomic diagnostic testing to patients and their physicians.

RIT celebrated its 137th academic convocation Friday morning in the Gordon Field House and Activities Center. Keynote speaker Kimberly Bryant, founder of the nonprofit organization Black Girls CODE, told the graduates to be proud of their achievement, be excited about what is next in their lives, and remember—with grace—what it took to get to this milestone.

RIT’s graduates shape the future and improve the world through creativity and innovation. Our graduates are leveraging the power of technology, the arts, and design for the greater good. See how they are doing it and what is next for them.

Rochester Institute of Technology will host a day of empowering workshops for Latina girls and young women. ¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 30 in the RIT Student Alumni Union.

As the nation’s reshuffled economy rebounds from the pandemic, RIT students graduating from a university renowned for its academic rigor combined with successful internships and co-op experiences are leveraging multiple job offers into their top choices.