News

A team of RIT researchers will explore how tiny particles of plastic pollution are impacting Lake Ontario thanks to new funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The multidisciplinary group will examine how microplastics are transported and transformed in the lake, where they ultimately end up and what effects they have on the ecosystem.

Students interested in learning more about building, programming and developing robots and robotics apps will be able to participate in RIT’s annual RoboCamp during online sessions this summer. Camps will be offered starting June 29 through Aug. 14 with several sections to accommodate age and skill level of participants.

RIT continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with the creation of the Fall Planning Task Force and the work of three committees.

RIT will distribute nearly $5.2 million in emergency federal funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to assist students with unexpected costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RIT will make submitting ACT and SAT scores optional for prospective students applying for admission for fall 2021 and beyond. RIT joins a growing number of colleges and universities who are no longer requiring applicants to submit their test scores.

Darci Lane-Williams, assistant director of Title IX and Clery Compliance, has received the 2020 Edwina Award for her significant contributions to enhance gender diversity and inclusiveness at RIT. In addition, 10 graduating students were also named as “Legacy Leaders.”

RIT honored its 2020 class of Distinguished Faculty—Manuela Campanelli, Satish Kandlikar and James Perkins. The Distinguished Professor designation is given to tenured faculty who have shown continued excellence over their careers in teaching, scholarly contributions, lasting contributions in creative and professional work and service to both the university and community.

Friday’s celebration of the Class of 2020 certainly cannot replace the atmosphere of a traditional commencement, which RIT plans to host on campus when it’s deemed safe. But many of graduates say they won’t let the pandemic, or the circumstances surrounding the virtual celebration, define them or their feelings about their time at RIT. (Pictured: Bradley Speck, who will finish his classes online this summer, has a job waiting for him at GE Aviation in Cincinnati, where he completed four co-ops.)

Alyssa Owens is contributing new ways to diagnose breast cancer and Poornima Kalyanram has discovered how fluorescent molecules might help to identify diseased cells. Karen Soule and Fatemeh Shah-Mohammadi are part of breakthrough work in developing carbon nanotubes and cognitive radio networks—advances in technology that will power tomorrow’s electronic devices. All four are on track to graduate with a Ph.D. in engineering.

RIT President David Munson will host a virtual town hall Thursday, May 7, to discuss the current and future state of the university in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Spectrum News talks to mechanical engineering student Sean Mahaney and computer science student Esteban Polanco about the end of the academic year.

Morgan Mistysyn, who will graduate this May with a Master of Engineering in engineering management and a bachelor’s in industrial engineering, is the recipient of this year's Outstanding Graduate Woman Award for her leadership role in the RIT chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World.