Gifts in Action: A Donor Newsletter - July 2021

Jonathan ‘Yoni’ Leiderman BS ’23
Physician Assistant

More than 80% of CHST students take advantage of experiential learning and research opportunities, and second-year student Yoni Leiderman is no exception. Yoni is a College of Health Sciences and Technology student majoring in the Physician Assistant Program. He is currently completing research with CHST’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. 

The SURF program provides Yoni with funding to complete COVID-19 research at the Scientific Computing and Molecular Visualization Lab at the College of Science. Under the mentorship of Dr. Paul Craig, Yoni’s research focuses on using molecular visualization programs in virtual reality to see how manipulating changes to the SARS-CoV-2 amino acid sequence impacts how well the S protein binds with the ACE2 receptors. This research will hopefully further enhance the understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 can potentially evolve in the upcoming months to not only become more lethal but to increase its likelihood of survival despite the development of the recent vaccines. This can help with the development of future vaccines and medicines that provide protection against current and future variants.

Beyond the classroom, Yoni is the president of the Physician Assistant Student Association. Additionally, he is a receptionist at the Production Services Front Desk and a tour guide with the Brick City Ambassador Program. Yoni is also the recipient of two endowed scholarships that provide awards to hard of hearing students, and Yoni expressed gratitude for this support by saying “RIT/NTID has given me everything I need to be as successful as possible with my academics these last two years. I am so thankful to be getting my PA school education at a place where I am guaranteed all the support services that are needed as a deaf student.”

Abigail Reigner BS ’24
Mechanical Engineering

Between internships and leadership positions at RIT, Abigail embraces all that the university has to offer. 
Currently an intern at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the spacecraft mechanical engineering team, Abigail’s work focuses on mechanical integration for spacecraft, working on components that support the structure while it is being assembled, tested, and transported. Abigail has had the privilege of helping mechanical integration for two missions, Europa Clipper and Mars Sample Return (MSR). For the Europa Clipper mission, Abigail had the opportunity to physically design parts, and for MSR she worked on proof-of-concept studies since the project is in its preliminary stages. This is not Abigail’s first summer as an intern; in summer 2020 she completed a virtual internship with GE Aviation which focused on supply chain and systems engineering. 

Beyond her internship experiences, Abigail takes advantage of additional hands-on learning and leadership opportunities on campus. She joined RIT Racing during her first year, and was the team’s suspension lead for 2020-21. Abigail explains that RIT Racing has provided her with unparalleled educational experiences and problem-solving opportunities. 

Abigail hones her leadership skills as an active member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). As an indigenous woman in engineering, Abigail explained that she spends “a lot of time wondering how I can stay true to my beliefs in stewardship and sustainability while still partaking in industries that can be detrimental to my community and others.” AISES is an organization for indigenous people in STEM to discuss and solve these very problems. RIT’s AISES chapter functioned as Abigail’s home base when she arrived at RIT, and she served as the Northeast region’s student representative the past two years, as well as RIT’s chapter president. Abigail is also involved in Engineers of Color Creating Opportunities, specifically to try and connect with other indigenous engineering students and learn how to overcome these obstacles together. 

Keegan Kresge BS ’22
Computational Mathematics

Keegan Kresge is grateful for the donor support that has given him the opportunity to pursue his education at RIT, and enables him to pursue research, study abroad, and extracurricular activities across campus. 

“Scholarships have allowed me to focus on schoolwork, club activities, and mental health instead of having another financial stress. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities RIT has given me over the past three years, and it is because of this support that I have been able to reach my maximum potential.”

Keegan, a Computational Mathematics major, is incredibly proud of the research he has completed during his time at RIT. Last summer, Keegan had the opportunity to research the effects of network structures on epidemics, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was not only fascinating because of Keegan’s love for programming and data analysis, but because he could also see the impact of his research on the world around him. Keegan’s project explains why different countries experienced drastically different infection counts with the same virus during the pandemic, using interaction diversity as the impacting factor. His research concluded that social distancing mandates drastically decrease the number of infected individuals. Keegan learned that research means changing the world; the results of his paper helped Ohio lawmakers decide what restrictions to put in place during the pandemic. Keegan is proud to say that his paper has been published in the prestigious SIAM Undergraduate Research Online Journal. 

Keegan broadened his global perspective by participating in CIEE’s study abroad program in early 2020. He was in Sydney, Australia when the wildfires were blazing, and Berlin, Germany when the pandemic hit. His experience taught him to appreciate his surroundings and the present moment, because it is impossible to predict the unexpected. For Keegan, “it would be a dream come true to go back to Berlin for graduate school or work some day.” 

Keegan describes himself as a “club-aholic” and enjoys planning events for the three clubs he belongs to. In PiRIT, RIT’s official math club, Keegan has helped to cultivate a safe space for minority groups to feel included and celebrated. Phi Sigma Pi has allowed him to share his passion for learning and cultivate new friendships through the initiation program. Keegan hones his leadership skills as president of the Rocky Horror club, where students are encouraged to celebrate their individual identities.

University Partnership Provides Students with Enriching Internship Opportunities

A university-wide partnership between RIT and the Genesee Country Village & Museum generates enriching opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the public, and experiential learning through paid co-op and internship placements. The first cohort of interns from the College of Art and Design were chosen this past spring.

These opportunities have been made possible through generous support from Philip K. (’66) and Anne Wehrheim, who established the RIT-GCV&M Endowed Partnership Fund in 2019. The fund supports activities related to the partnership, including field trips, research and project support, as well as stipends for students placed at the museum.

The program provides opportunities for RIT students to gain valuable field experience while also benefitting the museum and local community. Sophie Walter, a third-year Production student, and Devin Hull, a fourth-year Fine Art Photography student, spent the spring semester producing new and engaging digital content to enhance the museum’s storytelling efforts. Devin Hull expressed gratitude to RIT donors saying “Thank you for providing me the opportunity to succeed, one which I would not otherwise have had without your help. RIT has opened up so many doors toward a future I never before imagined for myself.”

“As an RIT student, Wehrheim was scheduled for three-month ‘blocks’ that alternated between classroom studies and off-campus work. He compared this to the ways that students learn outside of the classroom today," explains Juilee Decker, associate professor of History and director of the Museum Studies program. "Crediting his own experiential learning opportunities with his success in school, the endowment bears witness to the role that these experiences played in his education, his support for RIT and its long co-op tradition, and also for the opportunities for both the university and the museum.”