DDI Good News | April 2025
Register Now for the Division of Diversity and Inclusion’s Celebration of Excellence Awards Ceremony Tuesday, April 22, 6-7:30pm Ingle Auditorium. Let’s celebrate our amazing faculty, staff, students, and alumni! Register here
They Attained Dean’s List!
A round of applause for each of the 550 students, some are recent graduates in the Division of Diversity and Inclusion who were honored last month for their academic achievements at RIT! They attained Dean’s List in the Spring and/or Fall of 2024. Deans and department leaders from across campus joined the celebration at a special reception hosted by DDI in Fireside Lounge. Dean’s List consists of students who have received a GPA of greater than or equal to 3.40 and do not have any grades of incomplete, D or F. They must also be registered and complete at least 12 credit hours. We are proud of you!
CSTEP/McNair/LSAMP Students are Busy!
Four students attended the National Society of Black Engineers conference in Chicago last month with financial support from the LSAMP and CSTEP programs. They are Christabel Osei, a third- year computer science major; Kiffy Nwosu, a second- year computer science major; Emmanuel Boakye, a third- year SOIS student majoring in software engineering and neuroscience; and Jaharie Waterman-Jordan, a fifth- year robotics and manufacturing engineering technology major.
Two more students presented their research to national audiences with financial support from the McNair Scholars Program. Ethan Feldman, a fourth-year applied statistics major, presented at the BizAI Conference: AI in Business Research held March 28-30 at the University of Texas at Dallas, TX. Mya Soto, a fourth-year biochemistry major, presented at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Conference held March 23-27 in San Diego, CA.
Additionally, Mya was recognized at ACS for the Priscilla Carney Jones Scholarship she was awarded last year This award was presented by the Women's Chemist Committee (WCC) and the Younger Chemist Committee (YCC) of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and funded by the Alpha Chi Sigma Educational Foundation.
On March 4th, three students attended the Affinity Networking Reception representing CSTEP, LSAMP, and the McNair Scholars Program; Reg Chuhi, fourth- year computing and information technology, Maria Htoo – fourth-year biomedical engineering, and Alia Ulanbek Kyzy – second- year computer science. The Affinity Networking Reception, sponsored by IDI Billing Solutions, brings together more than 20 RIT special interest student affinity groups and employers committed to recruiting a diverse and talented workforce. The event allows students to talk with employers before the University-Wide Career Fair. Student groups set up tables and employers walk around and interact with students.
Submitted by: Kate Torrey, Ting Zhang and Megan Kalloo/ CSTEP, McNair/LSAMP
I Stand With You
Taj Smith, executive director for Culture and Diversity Education, Mei Qi, assistant director, and Aubrey Hillman, coordinator in Community and Belonging led this campus- wide effort.
The I Stand With You project was a community-driven initiative aimed at fostering solidarity among students, faculty, and staff at RIT. The project featured two activities: the Community Collage and Solidarity Statement Photos. Through the Community Collage, participants contributed to a multi-piece collage through text and visual representations of their identities, emotions, experiences, and expressions of solidarity. With the Solidarity Statement Photos, RIT community members took photos with a variety of pre-written statements as a show of collective support. Photos were shared on MOSAIC Center’s social media at the end of the day.
To reach as many students, faculty, and staff as possible, MOSAIC staff and student workers tabled across campus in the Gosnell College of Science, Golisano College of Information and Computing Science, Saunders College of Business, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, College of Art and Design, the SHED, and the SAU over the course of four weeks. These activities provided a space for reflection, creativity, and connection, reinforcing the idea that solidarity is an active and ongoing commitment. As we wrap up this initiative, we hope it has encouraged meaningful conversations and strengthened our community’s dedication to standing together. Stay tuned for future displays of the photos and finished collage!
Submitted by: Aubrey Hillman, coordinator for Community and Belonging
DDI Student Volunteers in the Dominican Republic
We hope you caught this news about fourth-year student Tobi Fadipe, featured earlier in University News and Events!