Who We Are

New Saunders students at orientation
 

Who We Are

Small School Attention. Large University Resources.

Come and meet your new community and support network that is as unique as it is powerful. As part of the Saunders Community, you experience small class sizes and a faculty to student ratio that allows faculty to get to know you by name and care about your career success.

Saunders College of Business is staffed by dedicated and accessible advisors and faculty. They give you the personalized attention of a small school while you access the resources of one of the largest technical universities and faculty that are recognized in the top international academic journals. Advisors are dedicated to student success academically, personally, and professionally, throughout your academic career and beyond.

Your Team

As a student at Saunders College of Business and RIT, you have a support system of staff dedicated to your education and career goals. From application to graduation, Your Team coaches you along the way and is there to answer any questions you may have.

Admissions representatives are here to assist with your application process.

Undergraduate Admissions Representative

Graduate Admissions Representative

Dedicated academic, faculty, career and co-op advisors are here to assist you throughout your academic experience at Saunders College of Business.

View Undergraduate Advisors and Resources

View Graduate Advisors and Resources

Every college at RIT has a dedicated College Librarian available to help you with research endeavors. Our librarian helps connect you with information and resources to  complete class projects, including research papers, marketing plans, business plans, research employers, and more.

Jennifer Freer headshot
Jennifer Freer
College of Business Liaison/Librarian
RIT Libraries - Research and Instruction Services
Academic Affairs
jlfwml@rit.edu
585-475-7731

Your financial aid representative is dedicated to all business students to assist you with any questions regarding how to support you financially.

Alumni relations representatives are here to assist you after graduation to help find meaningful ways for your to stay connected and engaged.

Honors Program

In the Saunders College Honors Program, “Product and Service Leadership for a Global Economy,” students take courses, participate in seminars, visit companies, and undertake research focused on this global business leadership. Students benefit from the Renee A. and Charles S. Brown Jr. family endowment that generously funds travel and research in support of the program’s goals.

Learn more about honors program requirements and required research experience. Contact Lisa Boice with any questions, lboice@saunders.rit.edu.

Honors Program Interdisciplinary Seminar

Saunders College students in the Honors Program participate with Honors students from the Kate Gleason College of Engineering in an interdisciplinary, three-course seminar sequence: “Product and Service Innovation for a Global Economy.” Over three semesters, one-credit seminars help students develop an appreciation for the product and service development cycle, from concept to realization. Engineering and business faculty members, along with local business leaders, address how ideas for goods and services are conceived, how product concepts are refined and produced, and the unique challenges of developing and marketing products and services for a global marketplace.

Honors Program Business Trips

Honors Program students from Saunders College of Business have the opportunity to take business trips to domestic and international companies across various industries. Students see first-hand how different sizes of companies address product and service development for domestic and global marketplaces. Recent trips to Seattle, Chicago, New York City, Silicon Valley, Toronto, and Dubai have allowed students to visit Amazon, Bloomberg, Boeing, EY, the Federal Reserve Bank, Google, IDEO, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Alumni events, organized in conjunction with these trips, also provide the opportunity for students to interact with a wide array of business professionals.

Women in Business

INNOVATE.
INFLUENCE.
INSPIRE.

Saunders College helps to meet the growing demand for women in business disciplines. Saunders' history includes three women deans, beginning with the naming of our first dean Edwina Hogadone: The first woman in the nation named dean of a college of business. Throughout her 10-year term, she was the only woman dean of a College of Business in the United States. 

Today, Saunders is led by Jacqueline R. Mozrall, advancing our leadership position in business and technology, coming to Saunders after 20 years in engineering.

Save the Date!

2025 Women's Leadership Weekend

At RIT and Saunders our commitment to women's leadership is found through many initiatives and events:

Or explore the many RIT Clubs and Organizations (click and search for "Women")

Note: Saunders programs and events are open to all eligible individuals regardless of sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, and/or national origin. View RIT nondiscrimination statement

Spotlights

Saunders College of Business is the first choice for resourceful students and creative enterprises. We attract those who possess driving curiosity and place a premium on entrepreneurial thinking and innovative solutions. With a variety of different backgrounds, interests, and aspirations, our students and alumni are what make Saunders College powerfully dynamic. Learn more about their experiences inside and outside the classroom.

Co-op Spotlights

Operated through the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education, co-op at RIT is unique, differing from summer employment and internships: Our co-ops are integrated into the curriculum. Throughout the co-op process, students get coaching from dedicated academic advisors and career services counselors while accessing resources from one of the largest and oldest co-op programs in the world, placing over 5,000 students and graduates at over 3,000 employers each year.

Are you interested in being featured in a Saunders student spotlight? Tell us your story, and we'll take care of the rest.

View Co-op Spotlights

Alumni Spotlights

RIT Business alums are part of a dynamic, impactful network of more than 25,000 Saunders College of Business alumni and 130,000 RIT alumni. Upon graduation, Saunders alumni continue to be supported by dedicated Alumni Relations and Development advisors from the RIT Advancement offices. Saunders alumni can check out Saunders Alumni Resources for alumni and ways to engage, or share their success stories by submitting an Alumni Spotlight.

Meet Saunders Alumni

See where Saunders alumni are today. Hear about their accomplishments and what advice they have for those that follow in their footsteps. Saunders students come from around the globe to learn the skills necessary to provide real-world business solutions. Upon graduation, our alumni pursue ambitious careers and make successful transitions into the workforce. We couldn't be more proud to showcase some of our Saunders alumni as they reflect on their RIT experience.

Are you interested in being featured in a Saunders alumni spotlight? Tell us your alumni story, and we'll take care of the rest.

View Alumni Spotlights

Alumni Creating Student Opportunities

Saunders College takes great pride in the relationships we build with our alumni and donors. Our state-of-the-art facilities, scholarship opportunities, mentorships, and entrepreneurial support would not be possible without the generosity and contributions of Saunders supporters. Visit our Industry Advisory Board pages to connect with a board member or inquire about joining a board yourself! Meet many of our Saunders alumni by checking out our Alumni spotlights to hear their career success stories. Or check out some of these outstanding opportunities Saunders alumni have created for our students.

  • December 12, 2024

    people sit on both sides of a fashion show runway where a person in a dress in clown styling walks down the center.

    Designers leave nothing on the table during the Beyond Fashion showcase

    Decked out with technicolor lights and vibrant animated displays, RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios soundstage became a runway last week during Beyond Fashion. The rainbow runway featured a diverse collection of garments and wearables crafted by local designers and RIT students across multiple disciplines.

  • December 9, 2024

    The R I T lacrosse team celebrates on a turf field in front of a crowd of people.

    Carrying coach’s lacrosse lessons into life

    Jake Coon has turned RIT men’s lacrosse into a national powerhouse. Coon, though, prefers to talk about the 15 classes of leaders he helped shape and the assistant coaches who worked with him to build a top-notch program. He has built a community that is there for his players long after they graduate.

More News  

Awards and Recognitions

Saunders College of Business recognizes it outstanding students, alumni, faculty, and staff that are leaders in their fields.

Student Awards and Recognitions

The Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Student Award is presented to an RIT student who has proven their potential to become a successful entrepreneur.

A lifelong resident of Livingston County, NY, Mr. Saunders is a tireless promoter of the Upstate NY economy and believes strongly that an educated workforce is the key to economic growth in the region. As part of his commitment to RIT and to the naming of its College of Business, in July 2006, Mr. Saunders established the E. Philip Saunders Endowed Business Scholarship, providing two four-year academic scholarships annually, one each to a graduate of Dansville (NY) High School and of Livonia (NY) High School, who have been accepted to Saunders College of Business at RIT.

Alumni Awards and Recognitions

Saunders College of Business and Rochester Institute of Technology have a variety of awards to recognize outstanding alumni. We welcome your input to help select future award winners. Awardees will be selected & notified in June of every year. The college’s awards program, Recommence, will take place in October during Brick City Homecoming & Family Weekend.

Nominate an alum today!

Saunders Alumni Awards and Recognitions

This award is presented to a graduate, faculty, staff or friend who exemplifies a groundbreaking spirit and gives selflessly to Saunders College of Business and RIT through philanthropic support. The awardee has impacted Saunders College of Business students, alumni, faculty, staff and the RIT community.

The Business Leader Award recognizes individuals who personify the mission of Saunders College of Business. Alumni are chosen annually to represent three of the four college departments, MBA program, and EMBA program. Through outstanding achievements and civic, cultural, and charitable contributions, these individuals bring honor to Saunders College of Business, their respective department, Rochester Institute of Technology, and over 25,000 alumni the college represents. Ideal candidates have made a significant impact on their field and/or contributed to the success of their respective department.

The alumni award is given by the Department of International Hospitality & Service Innovation to an alumnus/alumna who has distinguished themselves in a significant way in a hospitality career. Criteria for the award is based on the recipient's outstanding contribution to hospitality services and excellence within industry and community.

The Sarah Margaret Gillam Award is named for the 1916 graduate of the Mechanics Institute. Sarah Margaret Gillam taught and developed new courses in foodservice, consulted for both the Veterans Administration and the New York Hospital-Cornell medical center, was a dietitian at Rochester General Hospital and former president and member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was named RIT's 1967 Outstanding Alumna.

This award is given to exemplary business, corporation, foundation, or non-profit partner of the Saunders College of Business. Eligible candidates have shown a long standing commitment to employment of our students and alumni, have engaged in various academic research/sponsorship collaborations and/or have philanthropically supported the college to help foster innovation and student success.

RIT Alumni Awards and Recognitions

Awards presented by RIT is the highest level of recognition for Saunders alumni. All RIT alumni award categories can be viewed online. For each specific award please visit one of the following links, or consider submitting a nomination form. 

Faculty Recognitions

Click to learn more about Saunders faculty, Distinguished Professorships and Zutes Faculty Fellowships.

Awards and Recognitions for Staff

Saunders College is proud to offer exceptional faculty and staff to serve our students and prepare them for greatness. Many distinguished faculty and staff have been recognized at a college and university level for their efforts. Saunders is thankful for their service.

Given annually to a Saunders College staff member who takes a student-centered approach to completing their job. The awardees provide a supportive environment and are highly accessible and approachable to the students they serve. The awardees are individuals who will assuredly follow up to ensure each student’s needs are met and are always cooperative and collaborative in doing so.

Given annually to a Saunders College staff member who has embraced and excelled in his or her position. Recipients of this award have displayed great enthusiasm towards their jobs, team, department, and college goals. Winners of the ‘Difference Maker Award’ are also proactive in identifying challenges and suggesting viable solutions. They are those who have earned the respect of their colleagues for their professionalism and integrity.

The Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff include the Staff Recognition Awards, the Albert J. Simone Legacy Award, and the Isaac L. Jordan, Sr. Staff Pluralism Award. In 2019, four Saunders staff members were nominated. For full details on the awards and nominees, visit the RIT Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff web pages.