News
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology

The Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented annually by each of RIT’s nine colleges and the School of Individualized Study to alumni who have performed at the highest levels of their profession or who have contributed to the advancement and leadership of civic, philanthropic, or service organizations.

Engineering technology and computing students at RIT found ways to reduce energy consumption at the university’s Margaret's House Child Care Center. Members of RIT’s student chapter of National Electrical Contracting Association (NECA) worked this spring with child care staff as part of the annual NECA Green Energy Challenge, an annual student design competition.

Dean Nguyen created RIT’s Game Symphony Orchestra when he was a freshman. Now a fifth-year year computer engineering technology major, the GSO conductor is performing with a smaller ensemble at Dr. Munson’s Performing Arts Challenge.

Undergraduate students from RIT ROC-ed the Project during a local project management competition to increase awareness and volunteer services for Rochester’s M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. Their solution, “The Common Source,” took top honors recently in the annual ROC the Project competition, a regional challenge for college students.

Hassan Eissa has a life journey that reads like a Hollywood script – born in Chad, left home at an early age, traveled across the continent before making his way as a refugee to the United States. And he has a résumé to match – shepherd, transporter of camels – and now engineering technology student and standout cross country runner at RIT.

Matt Frizzell ’16 (electrical engineering technology) shared his experiences as a pilot and first lieutenant during a recent visit with RIT’s Air Force ROTC detachment.

Kevin J. Surace ’85 (electrical engineering technology) will be honored for his support of the university with the Outstanding Alumnus of 2019 award at the Presidents’ Alumni Ball on Oct. 18 during Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend. The award is the highest honor RIT can bestow upon an alumnus.

A uniquely designed magnetic coil piston that will improve suspension systems in on- and off-road vehicles took first place in RIT’s semi-annual Tiger Tank entrepreneurship competition. Sponsored by RIT’s Saunders College of Business and hosted by RIT’s Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Tiger Tank gives students the opportunity to pitch a business idea to a panel of judges with a chance to win cash prizes.

Sabina Ismailova ’13 created Education for All, a growing nonprofit organization for children with developmental disabilities in Kazakhstan.

Steven Ciccarelli is being honored with a 2018 Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching.

REDCOM, a long-time partner of the telecommunications engineering technology program at RIT, recently donated its call control software to the university to provide students access to the latest technology being used for digital and IP-enabled telecommunications networks.

Sheldon Lewis, a second-year computer engineering technology major, will appear on the 2018 Jeopardy! College Championship round, airing on April 9.