News by Topic: Faculty

In his welcome to the community for the start of a new academic year, RIT President David Munson asserted the university is well positioned to thrive while laying out “challenges, opportunities, and vision” for RIT’s future.

RIT students, faculty, and staff will contribute music, dance, comedy, poetry, photojournalism, and more during the 12th annual Rochester Fringe Festival, which begins Tuesday, Sept. 12, and runs through Sept. 23 in downtown Rochester.

Christopher Collison was appointed to the Jane King Harris Endowed Professorship and Emmett Ientilucci was selected for the Gerald W. Harris Endowed Professorship by College of Science Dean Andre Hudson. RIT alumnus Jeffrey Harris ’75 (photographic science and instrumentation) and his partner, Joyce Pratt, established the professorships in 2022 with a generous gift in honor of Harris’s parents, the namesakes of the positions.

Researchers are improving non-invasive treatment options for degenerative disc disease, an ailment that impacts 3 million adults yearly in the U.S. Using state-of-the-art gene editing technology in mesenchymal stem cells, the researchers will add to the growing field of regenerative medicine, the process of producing cellular therapies to alleviate pain and lack of mobility.

As students and faculty return to classes, generative AI tools are presenting many challenges and opportunities. At RIT, the community is acknowledging that generative AI is here to stay and can be used as a force for good.

The Student Hall for Exploration and Development (SHED) welcomed students, faculty, and staff into its teaching and learning spaces on Aug. 28. The SHED includes five new active learning classrooms alongside the newly renovated Wallace Library with its 22 new classrooms.

Turn big dreams into reality. That was just one piece of advice for the newest Rochester Institute of Technology students who attended the New Student Convocation on Aug. 24. The annual event included welcomes from administrators, the new Student Government president, and a lesson in adventure featuring RIT President David Munson.

Saunders College of Business is entering its first cohort of students into the college’s new Ph.D. in business administration this fall, marking the university’s inaugural social sciences doctoral program. The program is designed to inspire and train scholars to identify, investigate, and solve unique business challenges that influence business and society.

AIM Photonics hosted several days of training Aug. 15-17 in Photonic Integrated Circuits: Testing and Packaging Boot Camp, including one day at RIT.

Symmetry magazine talks to Michael Zemcov, associate professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy, about line-intensity mapping and issues with interloper lines.

The Democrat and Chronicle talks to Rajendran Murthy, associate professor in the Department of MIS, Marketing, and Analytics, about robocalls and robotexts.

RIT is offering a new bachelor’s degree in neuroscience beginning this fall. The Bachelor of Science degree will focus on how the brain works and how to apply that knowledge to develop systems for new frontiers, such as advancing artificial intelligence, combating neurodegenerative diseases, and assisting those with learning disabilities.