Minett Memories | September 2022
Thirty years and counting! We continue to celebrate Rochester Institute of Technology’s Minett Professors with a look back at some of the individuals who’ve taken part. The program, launched in 1991, brings multicultural professionals from the Rochester area to the RIT campus to share their expertise for one academic year with students, faculty and staff.
Augustin Melendez, Retired Human Resources Executive
When did you serve as a Minett?
I served during the 2006-2007 academic year.
What was your professional title/role at that time?
Vice President, Human Resources Eastman Kodak Company.
Why did you say yes to the invitation to serve?
President Simone asked, and you never say no to Al, however, I also saw this as an outstanding opportunity to engage the Administration, staff, faculty, executive leadership and overall campus on the relevance and importance on Diversity, Equity and inclusion.
What was your area of focus?
A system wide learning and engagement opportunity with all staff across the campus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
What experiences stand out during your professorship?
First and foremost, the leadership of President Simone to lead this effort and how the executive team supported and embraced the effort, secondly, the level of engagement from all staff, faculty and administration to have healthy debate, to listen, to learn and to practice D,E&I.
What did you learn from your year as a Minett?
RIT is a wonderful and engaging University at the highest level. DE&I has and continues to be an evolving topic as well as becoming part of the fabric that’s differentiates it as a world class educational center of excellence. The participants took the learning and discussions seriously. Furthermore, they recognized that this was a journey and that this had to be ongoing for all, including students. It was a privilege to lead and to be part of this journey as well as to see the evolution at RIT on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion over the past 30 years.