Gifts in Action: A Donor Newsletter November 2021

Study abroad gives students the opportunity to learn beyond the classroom and develop skills to be successful both personally and professionally in a rapidly changing global society. Unrestricted gifts support RIT Global and make study abroad and international experiences more affordable and accessible to students. Though the pandemic has disrupted plans for international education and global programs, it has not stopped RIT Tigers from engaging with other cultures and working on solving some of the world's biggest challenges. Through innovation, adaptation, and collaboration, RIT created virtual international education opportunities that did not exist prior to the pandemic. These new models enable broader access, are more affordable and more readily available than traditional international experiences. Students have experienced hybrid and virtual programs since spring 2020, with students returning to more traditional study abroad experiences this fall and upcoming winter. The RIT Education Abroad office constantly monitors how COVID-19 affects international travel, with student safety as the top priority.

Nik Delgado (they/them), a New Media Design major in the College of Art and Design completed an in-person and remote internship with Black History Month Florence (BHMF) while studying abroad with RIT affiliate Santa Raparata International School of Art in spring 2020. 

Nik’s main role was to create content for the BHMF Instagram and Facebook pages in order to spread awareness of the organization and bring an audience to the events. Because of COVID, Nik had to return home from Italy early, but they were given the opportunity to continue interning remotely.

Nik says “the decision to continue the internship remotely was an easy decision. I had access to all the social media and google accounts so I could still do the work regardless of where in the world I was. I would absolutely recommend to other students to complete an internship while studying abroad. Working with the BHMF team is part of what made studying abroad in Italy such a fulfilling experience. I never would have interacted with such incredible artists and organizations or seen such diverse aspects of Italian culture had it not been for this internship.”

Thanks to COVID-19 transmission rates abroad continuing to decrease, and restrictions beginning to ease, a small cohort of RIT students are currently participating in study abroad programs this semester. Patrick Edwards BS ’22 (he/him) is currently studying abroad at Oxford University in England. Patrick chose to attend Oxford because their tutorial system and research institutions, like the Institute of New Economic Thinking, aligns well with his coursework and what he hopes to pursue after graduation. After earning his Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Patrick is considering attending graduate school abroad, and hopes that his semester at Oxford will help prepare him for this next step. Patrick expressed that “spending the semester at Oxford has been everything I’d hoped it would be and more. Along with my experiences at RIT, it has been an extremely intellectually demanding environment with plenty of opportunities to interact with both matriculated and visiting students at the university. In my short time here, the best experience has been exploring the city!"

Patrick expressed gratitude to RIT donors by saying “thank you for providing me the opportunity to study abroad. Because of our current pandemic, I was worried I would never study aboard during my undergraduate studies, missing out on one of my goals I set during my freshman year. I’m just grateful that the funds I was provided along with my acceptance to Oxford University gave me this amazing opportunity to live out my dream this fall!” 

Saunders College of Business offers its students educational experiences beyond the classroom, giving them the foundation they need to become the leaders of tomorrow. Unrestricted gifts fund student clubs and research projects, and fund student travel to visit companies and attend conferences like the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. Funds also support Student Accelerator and Tiger Tank teams, nurturing entrepreneurial thinking and providing real-world opportunities for students to develop solutions and creative enterprises. The experiences made possible by gifts to Saunders’ General Fund allow Saunders graduates the ability to differentiate themselves and stand out within a crowded job market.

This semester, funds from Saunders’ General Fund supported the Traveling Tigers program, an opportunity that brings students on location to one of Saunders' valued corporate partners. Last month, 17 students and five faculty members had the opportunity to travel to Buffalo to Delaware North's global headquarters for an introduction to the company and learn about career opportunities. Delaware North is a global leader in hospitality and food service management, providing food and beverage concessions, premium dining, entertainment, lodging, and retail at large venues. The agenda for this month's Traveling Tiger program included a networking lunch hosted by Delaware North CEO Lou Jacobs and his leadership team. The day concluded with an on-site happy hour where students had the chance to network and ask follow-up questions. Students who visited Delaware North learned about the company's summer internship program, and several students have already submitted applications. Unrestricted gifts to Saunders College provide the funding that enables students to benefit from these types of extracurricular and experiential programs, which propel them towards a successful future. ​

Kate Gleason College of Engineering (KGCOE) requires all fifth-year students from the departments of biomedical, computer, electrical, industrial and systems, and mechanical engineering to complete a two-semester Multidisciplinary Senior Design (MSD) project. The MSD experience is a studio course: hands-on, instructor facilitated, and student-centered. Each design team spends 1,300-1,500 person hours of effort on their project. Since the inception of the college wide MSD program in 2003, students have completed more than 1,000 projects.

Students are responsible for the design process from start to finish, from defining the problem through implementing the prototype solution. The students, along with guidance from faculty, manage the project themselves, including the schedule, risk, and problem management. Each team writes either a technical paper or a detailed invention description, and exhibits annually at Imagine RIT.

Beth DeBartolo, PhD, Director of the MSD Program, explains that “annual unrestricted gifts are important for giving KGCOE students the financial resources necessary to build their MSD projects. While competition teams and entrepreneurial projects tend to get a lot of attention, community focused projects, while less “glamorous” can be much more impactful. Two thematic areas that regularly require funding are in assistive devices for people with disabilities and in sustainable living.” 

In 2020, a team of six KGCOE students created a Robotic Drum Assist system. Made possible by donor support to KGCOE’s Unrestricted Fund, the MSD team created a device to increase music accessibility and interactivity, creating valuable opportunities for education. The robot drums feature sensitive buttons that allow students to play different parts of the drum kit, supporting individuals with multiple types of disabilities. The team partnered with Molly King, a BOCES Music teacher, to give her students with limited mobility the opportunity to participate in class.

Another community focused project made possible by KGCOE students is one that will help reduce waste in Haiti. Last semester, a team of six students designed and prototyped a solar fruit drier that will be used by a nonprofit organization and implemented throughout Haiti to help reduce tropical agricultural waste. It was discovered that Haiti experiences massive amounts of spoiled food every year, specifically, tropical fruit. There were no viable options for preserving unsold fruit, either for resale or consumption, in environments with limited resources. Solar crop dryers provide a cost and resource effective means to dry, and thus preserve the tropical fruits found in Haiti. By using heat provided by the sun, moisture can be removed from tropical fruits which normally go to waste, extending their shelf life substantially. The team designed a solar fruit dryer, with major subsystems including a drying chamber and a heat collector. The cost to produce a single device is approximately $341, with construction made possible by gifts to KGCOE’s unrestricted fund. This semester, a new team of students will continue this work, focusing on changes that will improve the safety, durability, manufacturability, and profitability of the solar fruit dryer.