Class of 2023 | College of Art and Design

Congratulations to the College of Art and Design's newest graduates! As the Class of 2023 gets set to make its creative mark on the world, we celebrate its ingenuity and countless accomplishments.

A GIF that reads Congrats Graduates with grad caps flying over the text.

Animation by Priscilla Nascimento '24

450+

Total degrees to be conferred in 2023 across the College of Art and Design

List of graduates

360+

Number of undergraduate candidates

90+

Number of graduate candidates

Congratulations to the Class of 2023! I am so proud of the challenges you met, head-on, and your growth during your time here at RIT! I hope you relish and reflect on all that you have achieved both personally and professionally. You have much to be proud of! I am always amazed to learn about how our alumni are out in the world making an impact! And you are officially joining the ranks of our incredible College of Art and Design alumni. Wishing you much success in your future endeavors. I look forward to what is next for all of you. Go Tigers!

Todd Jokl
Dean
College of Art and Design

Renowned artist Charles Gaines ‘67 MFA (art and design) shares a message for the College of Art and Design Class of 2023. Gaines, the first Black man to be accepted into RIT’s MFA program, received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts during Academic Convocation.

Delegates

Vincent Alban (undergraduate)

Vincent Alban is graduating with a BFA in photographic and imaging arts-photojournalism and is a student in the RIT Honors Program. His passion for photojournalism comes from the desire to connect to the community around him. His list of awards and honors include being named the 77th College Photographer of the Year in 2022, the 2022 White House News Photographers Association Student Still Photographer of the Year, and receiving an Award of Excellence in the Local Photographer of the Year category for the 2023 Pictures of the Year International Competition. Vincent was the visual intern at The Baltimore Sun last summer and will be interning at The Boston Globe and National Geographic following graduation.

Meagan Snavely (graduate)

Graduating with an MFA in ceramics, Meagan Snavely earned her BFA at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. Her professional experience includes working as an RIT graduate teaching assistant, a featured artist at Lou Bleu, and the ceramics studio manager at the Currier Museum of Art. Her work has been included in exhibitions in the U.S., South Korea, and England. “Ceramics is a lot like life; things break, and we pick them up, and make things work the best we can," Snavely said. After graduation, Snavely will be pursuing a career in higher education and expanding her studio practice.

Commencement Gallery

Photos of the convocation and commencement ceremonies by Elizabeth Lamark.

Dean Todd Jokl addresses the commencement crowd.

Willie Osterman carries the mace for commencement.

Two student smile and give the thumbs up signal.

Three graduating students smile for a photo.

Candidates of RIT's MST program pose for a group photo.

A student wearing sunglasses receives his diploma.

Student Vincent Alban speaks at a lectern with one of his images projected on a large screen.

Graduate candidate Meagan Snavely speaks at a podium.

Six students smile in unison before their commencement ceremony.

Retiring faculty Willie Osterman and Kim Sherman shake hands on stage.

A glittered RIT Tiger rendition on a grad cap.

Student Alex Jarus poses in their regalia.

Alumnus Charles Gaines is bestowed an honorary doctorate of fine arts degree.

Faculty Mari Jaye Blanchard stands up as she is recognized during commencement.

Janet Gibbons Morris stands as he is recognized by the commencement crowd.

Shaun Foster stands as he is recognized by the commencement crowd.

Peter Pincus stands as he is recognized by the commencement crowd.

Anna Jordan stands as he is recognized by the commencement crowd.

Graduate candidate Ariella Knight stands as he is recognized by the commencement crowd.

Ive Leong stands as she is recognized for an award.

Lorrie Frear stands as she is recognized for an award.

A group of students raise their arms in excitement.

A photo of someone's custom-designed graduate cap.

A person uses a long selfie stick to take a photo.

School directors Peter Byrne, Elizabeth Kronfield, Shanti Thakur and Christye Sisson pose for a group photo.

A family embraces outside of the commencement ceremony.

Profiles

A young boy tries on shoes that belonged to his father.

Vincent Alban (photojournalism)

Finding resilient moments in the wake of tragedy

A portrait of Nava Barenji in her painting studio.

Nava Barenji (fine arts studio MFA)

Painting powerful messages (includes video)

Gia Caruso uses a touchscreen display she helped design.

Gia Caruso (new media design)

Getting a head start

Allie Cervantes poses in front of a large, 15-foot interactive display of the classic game Chute and Ladders.

Allie Cervantes (graphic design)

Bringing board games to life

Side-by-side images of trees and a person looking out at the ocean.

Louis Chavez (photography and related media MFA)

Examining queer life and sexual culture

Mikey Gambino works on a ceramic vessel.

Mikey Gambino (ceramics, industrial design)

Combining technology, the arts and design

A portrait of Mitch Goldstein in the furniture design studio.

Mitch Goldstein (furniture design MFA)

Lifelong learner

Josh Owen, Melissa Dawson and Clare Maxwell pose in front of Vignelli fabric, while a second photo of regalia using Vignelli fabric sits below.

Clare Maxwell (Industrial Design)

Designing modern regalia

Payton Schleh (motion picture science)

Researching motion capture technology

A person riding a horse in a field full of donkeys.

Marielle Scott (photojournalism)

Merging nature and storytelling

Connect

A student donning regalia at a commencement ceremony.

Get Social

Share your decorated caps and commencement moments on social using #RITartdesigngrad and #RITgrad

Tiger Wisdom

Alumni share their words of encouragement for RIT's newest graduates

View messages

A student takes a selfie with faculty Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez

Picture Perfect

Capture the excitement of graduation by taking photos at hand-picked campus locations

See all

Spring Exhibitions

Each spring, RIT's galleries and other locations showcase thesis and capstone work by graduating students across the College of Art and Design's wide portfolio of undergraduate and graduate programs. Below is a collection of highlights from some of the exhibitions and screenings! *Hover over an image for photo credit.*

Vincent Alban projects his capstone project on the screen in a theater.

Two gallery visitors look at a glass installation with photographic prints on glass sculpture.

Ceramics MFA candidate Meagan Snavely smiles and talks to gallery visitors.

An overhead view of an exhibition in Bevier Gallery.

Photojournalism student Daniel Sarch smiles while standing at a podium in a suit and tie.

An audience covers all the seats in a packed theater.

Gallery visitors look at work by photography and related media MFA candidates.

Gallery visitors look at photographic work in a book.

A person takes a photo of images on a gallery wall.

Two students look at photos on a gallery wall.

Gallery visitors looking at art, beside a wall that has the exhibition name Sleight of Hand.

Gallery visitors smile as they look at industrial design MFA projects.

A student and faculty member talk in University Gallery.

Two students hug during an industrial design MFA exhibition in University Gallery.

Gallery visitors look at an industrial design project.

People in University Gallery look at industrial design BFA capstone projects.

A gallery visitor plays a guitat prototype made by an industrial design student.

Gallery visitors look at a coffee machine prototype made by an industrial design student.

A student Imagine RIT exhibitor shows an attendee a project on a computer.

Two Imagine RIT visitors touch a screen hosting a new media design capstone project.

A student works on a computer hosting a capstone project.

A student demonstrates a capstone project for two Imagine RIT visitors.

A wall-to-wall metal sculpture in Bevier Gallery.

Gallery visitors look at a sculpture on a wall.

Ceramic pieces — both vessels and sculptural — by Mikey Gambino on display in Bevier Gallery.

A visual media student shows her magazine project to an Imagine RIT visitor.

A wide view of an RIT illustration showcase.

Dean Todd Jokl and faculty Aaron Delehanty look at illustrations created by students.

Student Nevada Scott shows her medical illustrations to School of Art Director Elizabeth Kronfield.

A group of students look at medical illustrations.

Awards

Faculty, students and staff across RIT are annually recognized for their outstanding efforts in and out of the classroom with awards from the Office of the Provost. Additionally, the College of Art and Design gives out end-of-year awards. This year's honorees were:

A portrait of Mari Jaye Blanchard in a drawing studio.

Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching

Mari Jaye Blanchard
Associate Professor, School of Film and Animation

A supportive approach and an engaged classroom earned Blanchard RIT's highest honor for tenured faculty.

Learn more

Provost's Innovative Teaching with Technology Award

Shaun Foster
Professor, School of Design

This award recognizes full-time RIT faculty who use technology to teach in effective and innovative ways that improve the student educational experience.

Peter Pincus instructs a student in the ceramics studio.

Provost's Innovative Teaching with Technology Award

Peter Pincus
Assistant Professor, School of Art

This award recognizes full-time RIT faculty who use technology to teach in effective and innovative ways that improve the student educational experience.

Outstanding Graduate Student Award

Ariella Knight
Industrial Design MFA

Awarded annually to an MFA, MS or MST candidate in the College of Art and Design.

Staff Recognition Award

David Walter
Operations Manager, School of Photographic Arts and Sciences

The award recognizes a College of Art and Design staff member for their outstanding contributions within the college and RIT campus community.

Edline M. Chun Award

Janet Gibbons Morris
School of Art

The Edline M. Chun Award for Outstanding Teaching and Service recognizes an adjunct faculty member who has shown excellence in teaching and provided exemplary service to their affiliated school and the college.

Romano Prize

Mari Jaye Blanchard, School of Film and Animation

The Frank J. Romano Prize for Publishing Entrepreneurship is given to a College of Art and Design faculty member/team who works with students to create innovative publications using new technologies and/or workflows.

Lorrie Frear and Ivy Leong pose for a photo side by side.

Pfizenmaier Award

Ivy Leong
Graphic Design student
Lorrie Frear (mentor)
Professor, School of Design

The Irene Pfizenmaier Award for Excellence in Graphic Expression is given each year to a student recipient, who selects a faculty mentor to share the honor with.

Gitner Family Prize

Anne Jordan
Assistant Professor, School of Design

The award is given to a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in an area related to graphic communication who has been judged to have made an outstanding contribution to their profession.

Retirements

Side-by-side headshots of Mary Barnard, Willie Osterman, Kim Sherman, and David Walter.

The College of Art and Design congratulates the following faculty and staff who retired this year after amazing careers at RIT (and read more about them!):

Mary Barnard (25 years, Senior Staff Assistant, School of Film and Animation)
Willie Osterman (39 years, Professor, School of Photographic Arts and Sciences)
Kim Sherman (25 years, Principal Lectuer, School of Design)
David Walter (23 years, Operations Manager, School of Photographic Arts and Sciences)

Alumni Message