DDI Good News | May 2025
Here’s something to talk about! Alexandria Collins, assistant director for MCAS: Student Development, shares that Real Talk was nominated for New Student Organization of the Year! As the advisor, she got involved with this community-based and student co-led group since fall of 2023. Real Talk allows BiPOC students to connect with one another every Friday to talk about any number of topics from relationships, bias and discrimination to just life in general. The Student Organization Awards Ceremony, hosted by Student Affairs, was held last month in the Gene Polisseni Center and is a celebration of the achievements made by student-led groups that are making a difference on the RIT campus and beyond.
Congratulations are in order for Kendall R. Scott (Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma), director of the Native American Future Stewards Program. He was nominated for two honors: RIT’s Presidential Award for Outstanding Staff in recognition of his commitment to student success, leadership, and collaborative impact across campus-and- a Health Equity Award from the Speak Life! Health Equity Conference for his work in improving the health of underserved racial and ethnic groups in the Finger Lakes region. Beyond RIT, Kendall continues to gain national recognition. He was selected as a 2025 Public Policy New Voices Fellow, joining a cohort of 40 BIPOC graduate students shaping the future of public policy. He was also named a 2025 Healers Community Circle Fellow, where he is creating a culturally grounded wellness guidebook to support Native students pursuing careers in healthcare.
We will miss you! Sending our very best wishes to Teresa Long, director of Assessment and Research Management, who has accepted a new position in her professional career. She is joining FIRST® Robotics, a nonprofit organization that helps prepare students for careers in STEM. In addition to her work in assessment and research within DDI, Long served on the University Assessment Council, University Survey Committee, Middle States Reaccreditation Working Group for Standard Six, and co-led the work in sharing those results for the RIT Campus Climate Survey. Her last day was May 2nd.