News by Topic: Diversity

RIT is open to all people regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, ability, and culture, and actively supports the inclusion of all communities. Through accessible technologies and academic programs, research on social issues, and celebrations of individuals from all backgrounds, RIT hopes to be the model for a brighter future for all people.

  • February 1, 2023

    college student posing in front of a wall of National Geographic magazine covers.

    Finding a future profession

    Fourth-year student Anna Pasquantonio has always loved National Geographic and has fond memories of collecting animal trading cards from the National Geographic Kids magazine. Pasquantonio’s summer 2022 internship experience at the organization’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., helped turn a life-long interest into a possible career.

  • February 1, 2023

    professor using sign language and sitting with a student in front of a computer.

    Deaf community enriches RIT experience for all

    Nearly 1,000 deaf and hard-of-hearing students supported by RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf help create a welcoming, inclusive, and vibrant environment on campus.

  • February 1, 2023

    man presenting at the front of a room.

    Community members commit to diversity and inclusion

    People from across the university are helping RIT make substantial progress on the initiatives laid out in the Action Plan for Race and Ethnicity. Launched in July 2021, the plan unveiled an extensive series of initiatives designed to make RIT more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

  • January 31, 2023

    three college student assembling a 3D printer.

    Learning the 'Unspoken Rules' 

    The Chronicle of Higher Education features RIT’s Career Ready Bootcamp, led by RIT's Spectrum Support Program. (This content requires a subscription to view.)

  • January 9, 2023

    four esports students posing like an album cover.

    Building an esports community

    Hundreds of millions of people around the globe are engaging in electronic sports, called esports. It’s a billion dollar industry, where fans watch as their favorite professional and amateur players take each other on in some of the most popular video games. Since starting an esports club in 2016, RIT has become one of the nation’s largest and best collegiate esports programs.

  • January 9, 2023

    mosaic of five images of person with a tablet in a remote area, person with an off-road vehicle, person singing, person in a lab, and person with a leafy plant.

    Staying busy between semesters

    During the 15 weeks between spring and fall semester, RIT students are finding ways to embrace new challenges. Some are taking the stage and performing. Others are winning club championships. For many, summer is a time to get work experience and participate in research projects, traveling abroad, and helping others while pursuing their passions.

  • January 9, 2023

    person using sign language.

    Preserving Black ASL

    For years, Joseph Hill, assistant dean of NTID Faculty Recruitment and Retention and an associate professor in the Department of ASL and Interpreting Education, has studied how the segregation of southern Black Deaf Americans, along with their history and culture, has impacted the linguistics of today’s Black Deaf youth. Hill hopes his research will continue to uncover and preserve Black American Sign Language.