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Before Elyse Rood started working on her senior physics capstone project, she didn’t envision herself working for a software company. But after the commencement ceremony on May 10, she is moving to Madison, Wis., to start a career as a technical solutions engineer at a healthcare software company called Epic Systems.

Emma Sarles ’17 (industrial design) has taken the road less traveled to become an engineer. Without ever earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering, Sarles has spent the last two years working toward a customized professional studies master’s degree that specializes in medical device engineering and applied biomaterials.

Growing up in Youngstown, N.Y., near Niagara Falls, Alessandra Santarosa always had the urge to explore. As she readies to graduate this month from RIT with a bachelor’s degree in political science and minors in German, and sociology and anthropology, Santarosa is ready for more adventures: joining the Peace Corps and teaching English in Kosovo for two years.

Abraham Glasser, a fourth-year computer science major from Pittsford, N.Y, wasn’t certain where he would land after graduation. But he credits his co-op experiences at Microsoft and NASA for helping him determine that he didn’t want a typical 9-to-5 job. Instead, he realized that a career developing accessible technologies for deaf and hard-of-hearing people would fulfill a passion for research.

When Gabrielle Cole starts her new job, she will be the only female engineer at the company. Her journey from academics to professional was influenced by several factors—from family and hometown to campus and co-op experiences. She was able to build on these foundations toward an ideal first job.

Growing up in India, Shahana Althaf thought earning a doctorate was a distant dream. But, despite potential roadblocks, she persevered and will receive her Ph.D. from the Golisano Institute for Sustainability on May 10.

John Seely Brown, former chief scientist of Xerox Corp. and director of the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), will be the keynote speaker for RIT’s annual commencement celebration.

Several students at NTID were honored with their families and friends at an academic awards ceremony May 11.

Thomas Wheeler, former director of the Federal Communications Commission, told some 2,400 graduating students during Academic Convocation that they are challenged to humanize technology-driven changes.

After more than 50 years, Bob Fitch will finally walk across the graduation stage this May. The 81-year-old will be handed an applied arts and sciences diploma from RIT’s School of Individualized Study.

Nathan Raw considers himself an expert at providing simple answers to complex questions, thanks to the undergraduate research he has done at RIT’s Saunders College of Business. He says his immersion into research led him to his next chapter as a data scientist for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

As she nears her graduation from RIT’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability, Jennifer Russell wants to prove to forward-thinking businesses and communities that development and the environment do not always have to be at odds.