DDI Good News | April 2024
There’s no place like home! Congratulations to Tina Chapman DaCosta and Diversity Theater. The award winning film, DEAR ELEANOR has been accepted into the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) which runs April 3-13. Cleveland is her hometown and the setting for DEAR ELEANOR which is based on the life of her mother and father. Chapman DaCosta says, “I’ve been trying to get our films into this major East coast festival for four years, and to present in the “birthplace” of my stories.” She adds that CIFF is an Oscar qualifying film festival. The film is screening Tuesday, April 9th and several RIT alumni, film crew, and production partners will be there including Dallas Calkins, former MCAS student 2021 SOFA alum and cinematographer, Raquel Estrada, 2021 SOFA alum and Line Producer. DEAR ELEANOR was produced through Diversity Theater and is used in diversity training at RIT.
Kendall Scott, director, Native American Future Stewards Program, is keeping his bags packed. This month he will be in Washington DC to propose his Climate Change Policy to policymakers at the Indigenous Youth Climate Resiliency Through Public Policy Program. Next month, he is heading to Carthage, Wisconsin for NASA’s Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium’s 15th Annual First Nations Launch National Rocket Competition.
Thank you and Well Done!
We want to say “thank you” to two DDI colleagues and friends who announced last month they are leaving RIT effective March 29th. David Benitez, ’85 (finance) whose work in MCAS over the last decade includes serving Rochester City Scholars and MOCHA students, has decided to take the next step in his journey. His dedication to and mentorship of RIT students over the years is invaluable. Robert Hoggard joined the Division of Diversity and Inclusion in February of last year as director of MCAS. It was a natural fit. He previously worked with RIT’s Division of Advancement where he partnered with DDI. He is leaving Rochester and returning to Connecticut to care for a family member.