Two faculty members installed as Kevin O’Sullivan Endowed Professors in Cybersecurity

A new space has opened on campus to create community, have conversations, and foster learning through educational and unique programming focusing on women, queer students, and their allies. PRISM, an acronym for the PRogressive Intersectional Space to Meet, is managed by the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Resource Center and is located on the second floor of the Campus Center in the former Reading Room. “We realize that our student population is evolving and changing, and every student brings not just one aspect of identity, whether they are a Caucasian woman, an African-American man, or identify as non-binary with different abilities,” said Shawna Lusk, senior associate director for student belonging. “We want to recognize that we celebrate that, and we have a space for whatever identity people are bringing with them.” Lusk said data has shown that almost 35 percent of RIT’s student population identifies as a gender or sexual minority. “PRISM is a space that allows us to meet student needs and encourage learning from one another and sharing lived experiences,” she said. Skye Murphy, assistant director of 2SLGBTQIA+ Programs and Outreach, hopes PRISM will be a community and programming space that is a welcoming and affirming environment, with its focus not only on intersectionality, but also on queer students, women, their allies, and those working to become allies. ‌ Ye Hlaing/RIT Visitors tour PRISM during its open house Sept. 16 in the Campus Center. The space, operated by the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Resource Center, features more than a dozen works of art by three artists with intersectional identities, including two who attended RIT. “We want it to be a champion for celebrations, advocacy, and education, in addition to fostering and providing space to uplift and empower,” Murphy said. “PRISM should be a place for students to find their community, to learn, grow, and for the campus to use this space to come together.” Opened on Sept. 3, the space has already been used in orientation and training for the Disability Leadership Scholars Program, and student groups have been holding weekly meetings there. “I am extremely excited about the opening of PRISM,” said Eliot Gavin, a third-year museum studies major from Conesus, N.Y., who serves as the Women’s Senator for Student Government. “I hope that this space can serve as a place for all women and non-binary students to be themselves and be a place where they can recharge.” Also located in PRISM is a low-sensory space, specifically designed for people in search of a calming and quiet environment. Designed with consultation from RIT’s Spectrum Support Program, the space is soundproof, offers variable lighting, and has comfortable furniture with lots of textures. And PRISM also houses a fully operational branch of the Wallace library, where its PRISM Library collection of related materials is housed. The space has been completely renovated and is decorated with pieces of art by three artists with intersectional identities, including two who attended RIT. “It’s important for us to have art that reflects the intended users of our space,” Lusk said. “We have 13 pieces now, and we intend to add more.” PRISM is open when the Campus Center is open. Groups may reserve space through EMS or reserve.space.edu. Community hours are set aside each weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. when no one can reserve the space, so anyone from the RIT community can show up then to hang out or do work. At other times when the space is not reserved (a screen posted outside the entrance will list a schedule of reservations), students may tap their RIT identification to open the door.

B. Thomas Golisano announced Tuesday that he plans to award Rochester Institute of Technology $10 million. The gift is part of $360 million that the Paychex founder is distributing to nonprofit organizations across upstate New York. “This award is unrestricted and given with the confidence and understanding that it will be used to strengthen your organization and our community through the outstanding work you do every day,” Golisano said in a letter to RIT. “I’m extremely pleased to provide this financial support to your organization and look forward to receiving yearly updates on the planned use of this award.” ‌ A. Sue Weisler In 2001, Paychex founder Tom Golisano gave a $14 million gift to the university to create Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. RIT will receive $2 million a year for five years from the Golisano Foundation. Eighty-two organizations in Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse are receiving funding. The unrestricted, multiyear awards range from $250,000 to $20 million each, paid over four to five years, spanning healthcare, education, animal welfare, disability services, and other community needs. “Tom Golisano has been a magnificent supporter of the Rochester community and today’s announcement strongly reinforces his love for the nonprofit sector that benefits the people in our region so greatly,” said RIT President David Munson. “We are truly appreciative of this wonderful and unexpected gift to RIT. We cannot thank Tom enough.” Golisano has been a longtime supporter of RIT. The gift Tuesday brings his total giving to RIT to $36.2 million. In 2001, RIT President Albert Simone presented Golisano with the opportunity of investing in a new computing college at RIT. It didn’t take Golisano long to consider what that might mean for Paychex and people around the world. With a $14 million gift from the philanthropist, RIT’s Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences was launched. The college now enrolls more than a quarter of RIT’s students. In 2007, he donated $10 million to RIT to create the Golisano Institute for Sustainability, one of the first of its kind in the nation, focusing on research and education in sustainable design, pollution prevention, remanufacturing, and alternative energy development. In 2011, Golisano joined forces with the Polisseni Foundation to give a $4.5 million gift to name the Gene Polisseni Center. The center is home to RIT men’s and women’s hockey. In 2015, the Golisano family selected RIT as the home for the leader’s archives. The collection is housed in RIT Archives, with a multimedia display available for the public to see in the atrium of Golisano Hall. Golisano is an emeritus trustee on RIT’s Board of Trustees. According to the Golisano Foundation, the $360 million announced Tuesday nearly doubles Golisano’s lifetime giving, bringing the total to $775 million, with more to be expected. “The only wealth that you get to keep is the wealth that you give away,” said Golisano.

Rochester Institute of Technology’s annual Big Shot is returning for its 36th event on Friday, Sept. 20. The Rochester community is invited to shine a light on RIT’s Student Hall for Exploration and Development (SHED), the university’s newest facility housing makerspaces, performing arts areas, and high-tech classrooms.  The event is free and open to the public. RIT students, faculty, and staff can RSVP online, but volunteers outside of RIT do not need to register. Registration is not required to participate. Volunteers are asked to arrive by 7:15 p.m. and check in at the welcome tent adjacent to the SHED between the Student Alumni Union and Eastman Hall. The first 500 attendees to arrive will receive a flashlight and Nikon hat.  “The SHED was chosen because it’s a brand new structure at RIT and we wanted to highlight it and share it with the world,” said Dan Hughes, lecturer and lead coordinator for this year’s Big Shot. “It’s a new and exciting community-based place where students can embark on cool projects, so we thought the location would be a great fit for us.” RIT Big Shot, described as “painting with light,” engages student and community volunteers by asking them to provide a light source while RIT photographers shoot an extended exposure image. It’s a signature event for RIT’s College of Art and Design and is led by the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences (SPAS), which is nationally recognized for its degree programs. Hughes said that the SHED presents some unique technical challenges for this year’s project. “With the SHED, we've got two of the most difficult kinds of lighting situations to control because it's all reflective metal and glass. Glass transmits light, or it lets light through, whereas the metal reflects the light,” said Hughes. “We have to be even more precise when asking volunteers where they need to be lighting the subject so we can achieve that aesthetically pleasing effect.” Hughes and the Big Shot team plan to take the first photograph at 8 p.m., with three photographs to follow before wrapping up at 8:30 p.m. The event is part of RIT FallFest and is sponsored by the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, NTID’s Department of Visual Communications Studies, and Nikon. For help with navigation and parking, participants can reference the interactive campus map. About RIT Big Shot RIT started its Big Shot project in 1987. The event has traveled to several national landmarks and twice crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Through their viewfinders, RIT Big Shot photographers have captured landmarks in the United States such as Kodak Tower in Rochester; Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.; the Alamo in San Antonio; and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Internationally, the RIT team has captured Pile Gate in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. To learn more about the project and view photographs of past Big Shot images, go to the Big Shot Facebook page or the Big Shot webpage. The project also can be followed on X at @RITBigShot along with the hashtag #RITBigShot.

Award-winning Queer Latina changemaker Sady Alvarado-Fischer has been announced as RIT’s Frederick H. Minett Professor for the 2024-2025 academic year. Alvarado-Fischer serves as the vice president, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion officer at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and volunteers for numerous community organizations. As a result of her own intersecting identities, she has a strong passion for social justice with a special interest in women, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ issues. “I am honored to be named the next Minett Professor, joining a list of dedicated leaders in our community whose shoulders I stand on.,” said Alvarado-Fischer. “RIT has a robust diversity and inclusion division and I’m excited about the partnership and the ability to both share my expertise and learn from what the campus community is doing in the DEI space. I truly believe that inclusion, diversity, equity, and access is everyone’s responsibility and look forward to advancing positive change together!” The Minett Professorship brings distinguished Rochester-area multicultural professionals to the RIT campus to share professional knowledge and experience, emphasizing the connections between education and industry while highlighting the value of diversity. The position is an annual appointment with the honoree selected by the Minett Professors Emeriti and appointed by RIT President David Munson and Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Keith Jenkins. “Sady is a proven changemaker,” said Jenkins. “Her experience and accomplishments will be an asset to students, faculty, and staff across campus. We are thrilled to name her this year’s Minett Professor.” In her current professional role, Alvarado-Fischer leads the company’s DEI strategy, including developing a framework that became one of the company’s core values. Her leadership has led Excellus BCBS to receive numerous workplace inclusion awards. Alvarado-Fischer is also involved with the Rochester Latinx Roundtable, the United Way’s Leadership Development programs, the Rochester Chamber of Commerce Women’s Council, YMCA of Greater Rochester, Greater Rochester Health Foundation, and Causewave Community Partners. Her list of awards includes the Power List of LGBTQ+ Business Leaders by the Rochester Business Journal, the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Colors of Success DEI Leadership Award winner, and one of 200 women featured in the Changemakers exhibit at the Rochester Museum and Science Center. Alvarado-Fischer takes over the professorship from Distinguished Professor Sherry Perry Tshibangu, who served the previous academic year. Others who have held the role include many prominent business, academic, medical, and law enforcement professionals working in Rochester. The professorship is named after one of RIT’s early benefactors, Frederick Minett, who started a tool and die company on Water Street in downtown Rochester in the early 1920s. He was familiar with RIT, formerly called the Mechanics Institute, and employed some students. Minett died in 1971, leaving a more than $5 million endowment to RIT. Originally divided between RIT’s College of Continuing Education and the general endowment, the bequest was intended to support Minett’s and RIT’s vision of career education.

New doctoral programs. Huge opportunities in artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship. Enhanced relationships with Rochester Regional Health. Expansion at RIT Dubai … and RIT student victories over the likes of MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Cal Tech, and other globally respected universities. Rochester Institute of Technology President David Munson delivered his annual Welcome and State of the University address Sept. 12, where he also highlighted a strong enrollment, research milestones, the initial stages of a new strategic plan, and achievements by students, faculty, and staff. Despite challenging headwinds faced by all institutions in higher education, the president announced that RIT welcomed more than 3,100 new undergraduates this fall from 47 states and 44 countries. The incoming class boasts an average high school GPA of 93.8 and increased diversity, with 22 percent of new undergraduates identifying as African American, Latin American, or Native American. “Our enrollment situation should be the envy of most universities across the nation,” Munson said. The president also emphasized RIT’s growing research initiatives, noting that the university surpassed its strategic plan goal of $100 million in annual sponsored research a year early, reaching $102 million. Munson also praised student achievements, including a record six Fulbright U.S. Student awardees and victories in various academic competitions. He also noted athletic successes, with 19 Tigers named All-American and strong performances in multiple sports. Looking ahead, Munson outlined several initiatives:Launch of new Ph.D. programs in cognitive science and physics. Creation of an Artificial Intelligence Hub and plans to hire more than two dozen AI faculty members. Establishment of an Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Expansion of RIT’s marketing efforts to elevate the university's reputation nationally and globally. A presence in Los Angeles that capitalizes on RIT’s strengths in entertainment science and technology. Ongoing campus infrastructure improvements, including new facilities for performing arts, athletics, and research. Munson also announced the beginning of a new strategic planning process for the next decade, inviting community involvement through concept papers, town halls, and surveys. The goal is to have a comprehensive plan ready for Board of Trustee approval by October 2025. This was Munson’s last annual state of the university address, as he has announced he will be retiring in June 2025 after serving 40-plus years in higher education. “This is a perfect time to recruit a new president to help shape RIT's future,” he said, emphasizing his commitment to remain focused on his duties over the next year. The address concluded with Munson expressing gratitude for the RIT community's contributions. “Together, we can continue to chart a path to an extraordinary future,” he said. “This remains an extraordinary time for RIT. Thank you all for moving this great university forward. I am honored and humbled to be your colleague.” Read the full text of President Munson’s address.

Five students from RIT combined talents and designed a packaging campaign for garlic that will be among the finalists for the Paperboard Packaging Student Design Challenge. The packaging design for the Grovey Garlic project is one of three finalists among 20 teams from five U.S. universities that participated in the annual challenge. It is a familiar, but hard-won spot for RIT’s teams that have competed in the challenge for nearly 20 years. Each year, the Paperboard Packaging organization develops a different design challenge, and universities like RIT use this as an opportunity for students to apply concepts such as design, material choices, performance, and shelf appeal. Teams detail project needs and possible solutions and, by the end of the semester, they have prototypes. Most are “shelf-ready,” said Lorrie Frear, professor of graphic design in RIT’s College of Art and Design. “The students put a lot of hard work into the projects and doing well in the competition gives a sense of pride. It feels like we were in the Olympics,” Frear said. Grovey Garlic was developed during the previous spring semester course Packaging Design that combines concepts of technology, art, and design, as well as real-world problem solving. Design requirements for the 2024 challenge were to create sustainable paperboard packaging for a fresh produce product that is not typically packaged in this type of material. Packages are designed to protect products, reflect brand messaging and incorporate sustainable materials and practices. They also must be user friendly. “You have to know what the people want, and we have to make a product that people will know how it works,” said Malena Juif, a fourth-year packaging science student from Rochester, N.Y. She worked with Nicole Wright, ’24 (graphic design); Lucy Rose Miles, ‘24, (graphic design); Nathaniel Cardiel ’24 (graphic design); and Mackenzie Gidusko ’24 (graphic design) on the Grovey Garlic team. Frear and Carlos Diaz-Acosta, professor of packaging science, mentor teams to create innovative packaging solutions. RIT has an edge in this area with its focus on alternative packaging materials and sustainability. “Through the Student Design Challenge, students all across the country get to exercise their creativity and apply their knowledge of sustainable design at the same time,” said Heidi Brock, American Forest & Paper Association chief executive officer, in a statement.  “Each year, we are impressed by every submission from the next generation of sustainability leaders. The challenge also gives participants real-world experience. Many Student Design Challenge participants have pursued careers in packaging design.” Winners will be announced at the Paperboard Packaging Alliance’s fall meeting and leadership conference in Atlanta in late September. The Alliance is a joint initiative between the American Forest & Paper Association and the Paperboard Packaging Council. Student teams must present final designs to a panel of judges, all professionals in the field. This year one of the judges is RIT alumna Kelly Fellner ’22 (packaging science), who was on three winning project teams while an undergraduate, and is currently creative manager at Burt Rigid Box, Inc., in Oneonta, N.Y.