DDI Good News | March 2021
Congratulations to Elizabeth Caito, financial coordinator for DDI grants, for her 20 years of volunteer commitment to the annual RIT United Way Campaign. The acknowledgement comes from RIT’s Office of Government and Community Relations. For two decades, Beth has served as a United Way Key Captain, responsible for sharing campaign updates and information to staff within DDI. This includes sharing campaign posters, sending e-mails, sharing campaign videos and volunteering at campaign fundraising events held on campus each year.
Tina Chapman DaCosta, director of Diversity Theater, was invited to present their film, BRICK BY BRICK to the Gallery Council of the Memorial Art Gallery last month. (Feb 17th). The film is used to promote discussion on diversity and inclusion issues.
Jonathan Ntheketha, associate director Student Success and Engagement, MCAS, delivered the keynote address at the Western New York Advising Conference held virtually this past month. His talk, entitled Doing The Work: Making Space at the Center, discussed the challenges institutions face when endeavoring to engage in meaningful dialogue, reconciliation, and accountability, as well as the important position academic advisors play in their respective school communities. Close to 300 advisors from across the country registered for this year’s conference.
Taj Smith, director of Diversity Education and Tomicka Wagstaff, assistant vice president for Academic Access and Success, are sharing their expertise by helping to develop 540W Main’s Antiracism Facilitator Fellowship curriculum. 540WMain, a virtual community space, offers a variety of programming, including antiracism education for the Greater Rochester area. Applications for the fellowship began March 1st.
Devon Watters, communication and design specialist, has been selected to serve on the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) PRism Award Committee for the 2021 PRism awards. She will assist with communications and designing collateral, as well as the planning of the Rochester Chapter PRism Award program to be held this summer.
Sandra Whitmore, senior director of Operations, served as a judge for the virtual New York State Human Resource Student Case Competition on Friday, March 5, 2021. Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) Collegiate HR Chapters competed in undergraduate and graduate competition as they navigated a Human Resource Case Study supplied by SHRM National. SUNY Buffalo won the graduate award of $1,000 and SUNY Geneseo won the undergraduate award of $1,000 for their chapters.