DDI Good News | September 2024
We want to issue a formal welcome to Aubrey Hillman who joined the DDI family as the Coordinator for Community and Belonging effective June 4th. She previously worked with the RIT K-12 University Center and also has teaching and curriculum development experience with both the Brighton Central School District and Palmyra-Macedon Central School Districts. She is from Spencerport, is very active in the climbing community and is a huge fam of the food scene.
DDI sends a warm welcome to Mei Qi, assistant director of Community and Belonging whose first day was July 22, 2024. She is responsible for DDI’s signature events, heritage month programming and student belonging activities and is using her bridge building talents and experience in planning large scale events. She believes in the importance of partnerships and reaching out to create solidarity. She loves sports, with hockey ranking high on her list, cooking and celebrating culture through reading and eating.
Alexandria Collins, assistant director of Student Development (MCAS) is one of three people at RIT who are part of the 2024 cohort of the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) Closing the Gap program. The six-month mentorship initiative focuses on professional development and career growth. It offers participants the opportunity to interact with a network of experienced BIPOC professionals from across the country, who guide and share valuable knowledge on a variety of topics in a safe space. Joining Collins in the 2024 cohort are RIT professionals Domonique Sak and Jazzmyn Ivery-Robinson in Student Affairs.
Tina Chapman-DaCosta, director of Diversity Theater, traveled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina this summer for a screening of DDI’s short’ film, DEAR ELEANOR. Chapman-DaCosta also presented a workshop entitled “Origins - How to Turn Family Histories into Compelling Media Content” while she was there. You can catch DEAR ELEANOR at the Rochester Fringe Festival Saturday, September 21st at CenterStage Jewish Community Center.
Sandra Whitmore, executive director for DDI marketing and operations co-presented a workshop to Workforce Diversity Network (WDN) on Simple Designs, Diversity Dialogue in the Workplace on Thursday, August 15th at the United Way.