News

US Black Engineer features Clayton Turner ’90 (electrical engineering), director of NASA Langley Research Center, who received the Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) STEM Award.

As businesses look to reopen and jumpstart the COVID-19 stalled economy, RIT alumnus Jim Swift finds himself a much sought-after adviser. Swift ’88 is president and chief executive officer of Cortera, a national business intelligence company that is providing analytics on an estimated $1.5 trillion annual business-to-business transactions — data that businesses need to determine their future.

RIT plays a starring role in the April virtual wedding of Zahal Kohistani ’15 and former Tiger Thomas Doolittle. The couple met while they were students living in Global Village. Their first date was at SpringFest. They got engaged in front of Salsarita’s. They celebrated their engagement at the Joseph M. Lobozzo Alumni House. And they were married on Zoom by Kelly Redder, executive director of the Lobozzo Alumni House.

Intersections: The RIT Podcast, Ep. 37: Printing, a storied industry, continues to see an evolution. RIT alumnus Henry Freedman and Professors Robert Eller and Bruce Myers discuss the strength of the industry, the rise of inkjet printing and the role RIT plays in developing professionals who can take the printing industry to the next level.

The Democrat and Chronicle features Arkady Belozovsky '94 (applied computer technology), '97 (small business management), a sign language interpreter for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's coronavirus briefings.

RIT photojournalism alumna Chloe Coleman ’13 was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team announced last week. Coleman, a photo editor with The Washington Post since 2014, helped the newspaper staff win the top prize in Explanatory Reporting.

RIT will help nourish a community that is meeting the many challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than $300,000, donated by members of the university during the United Way Campaign—Mission 2020—will go toward building a healthy community for all, providing educational opportunities for youth and to increase economic mobility for Rochester’s citizens.

Intersections: The RIT Podcast, Ep. 36: The right academic major can be a pathway to a dream career. Professor Tina Lent, director of RIT’s museum studies program, talks with 2019 alumna Katherine Hensel about how her degree in museum studies led to her dream job as a U.S. national park ranger.

Jonathan Witmer ’91 (computer science) sits at the helm of WestPoint Home, one of the world’s most successful luxury linen and textile companies. But Witmer’s company has shifted its focus and its workforce is now using its textiles to produce reusable facemasks for the nation’s frontline workers.

Jeff Benck ’88 (mechanical engineering) is the president and CEO of Benchmark, a global provider of engineering, design and manufacturing services. Benchmark is working with about 10 clients who are making products that will help treat patients infected with COVID-19.

Callie Donahue ’18 (biotechnology and molecular bioscience) is helping to test thousands of compounds on human cells infected with live samples of coronavirus in search of medicine that can be effective in deterring the virus’s infection and replication cycle.

Intersections: The RIT Podcast, Ep. 35: It’s been said that diversity happens when people of different backgrounds share space in a community, but inclusion only happens when they spend quality time together. Taj Smith, director of diversity education, talks with Stephanie Rankin, director of foundation relations, about her participation in the Breaking Bread program.