Alumni News

Chinese tea culture, with its rich history existing since before the third century, has always been a lifelong passion for Tian Tian and Zining Chen. The graduates of RIT’s advertising and public relations program (2017) and master’s in entrepreneurship program (2019), yearned to share their culture in a new and exciting way—by founding Taichi Bubble Tea. 

Robert Spina, Ph.D., MS ’89 is chief technology officer of Bowhead Specialty Insurance and is being honored by Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

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

Franklyn Athias BS ’85 is chief technology officer and senior vice president of Xfinity Mobile Retail Convergence and is being honored by the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.

Laurie E. Axelrod BS ’86 is co-founder and CEO of Wheelhouse Group and is being honored by the College of Science.

Ted Van Horne BS ’99 is chief operating officer of Global Medical Response and is being honored by the College of Health Sciences and Technology.

Kristine I. Simmons BS ’90 is vice president of government affairs for Partnership for Public Service and is being honored by the College of Liberal Arts.

Jean-Marc (J.M.) Allain BS ’03 is managing general partner of JA Pro Services and is being honored by the School of Individualized Study.

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.

Jason Aymerich BS ’00 is president of JN White and is being honored by the College of Engineering Technology.

Erin Sarofsky BFA ’98, MFA ’00 is executive creative director and owner of Sarofsky Corporation and is being honored by the College of Art and Design.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented annually by each of RIT’s nine colleges, the School of Individualized Study, and the Graduate School to alumni who have performed at the highest levels of their profession or who have contributed to the advancement and leadership of civic, philanthropic, or service organizations. It is the highest award an RIT college can bestow upon its alumni.