News by Topic: Alumni

The Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented annually by each of RIT’s nine colleges and the School of Individualized Study and are the highest awards an RIT college can bestow upon its alumni.

RIT’s Black Awareness Coordinating Committee has been moving RIT forward for 50 years.

When his brother’s horse died suddenly from colic in 2013, Michael Schab ’09 (computer engineering) saw an opportunity to create something that would prevent other equestrians from losing their beloved animals to this preventable affliction.

If the old saying, “couples who play together stay together” is true, Jon Podeszek ’10, ’12 MS and Danielle Furman Podeszek ’11 have it made. The two are ultramarathoners who spend their free time training to run 50-plus-mile races.

Fiona Ma ’88 (accounting), California State Treasurer, who attended RIT for its CPA-specific accounting tract, the co-op program and an opportunity to play varsity tennis, has built a career out of championing the underdog.

During a single year, Jessica Salamone ’99 (biotechnology), director of Genetic Counseling and Cancer Risk Assessment at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, will counsel thousands of women on their hereditary cancer risk.

Brigadier General Stacy Babcock ’91 (criminal justice) ’96 (educational interpreting) ’98 MS (instructional technology) assumed duties earlier this year as the Deputy Commanding General at the 63rd Readiness Division in Mountain View, Calif.

Meet Ali Shahidi ’13 (applied arts and sciences), the School of Individualized Study 2019 Distinguished Alumnus.

Meet Jane M. Elliott ’88 (accounting), the Saunders College of Business 2019 Distinguished Alumna.

Meet Michael Rizzolo ’76 (basic interpreter training program), ’78 (social work), ’86 MS (human services management), the National Technical Institute for the Deaf 2019 Distinguished Alumnus.

Meet Clayton Turner ’90 (electrical engineering), the Kate Gleason College of Engineering 2019 Distinguished Alumnus.

Meet Alice Jo Maisel Lichtman ’79 MS (computer science), the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences 2019 Distinguished Alumna.