Sentinel Society Member Newsletter: December2023

Karen Roth BS ’06

It started with a phone call.

Karen Roth BS ’06 was in high school, but she still remembers the day her mother made an ordinary telephone call that ended up shifting her daughter’s career aspirations.

“My mom was speaking with a tech support representative about our computer, and she just had to mention me and how I was interested in programming,” Karen laughs. “The rep said he thought that was pretty cool. Then he told her that software engineering was the next big thing and suggested that I should look into pursuing that.”

At the time, Karen didn’t know what software engineering was. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, her high school offered only basic computer courses that inexperienced teachers—who were not in the discipline—instructed. After diligently researching the field and looking into some colleges that offered software engineering degree programs, Karen applied to RIT and was accepted on merit and need-based scholarships.

“I fell in love with the campus and possibilities at RIT, and the scholarships were a huge help for my family in keeping costs down,” says Karen. “I remember feeling infinitely lucky to have found a place right for me.”

As a student, Karen quickly found her passion and her people. Joining RIT’s section of the Society for Women Engineers (SWE) was life-changing for her.

“SWE was a critical part of finding myself and helping me to grow into who I am today,” Karen explains. “It was incredible to work alongside a community of women in technology. Being a part of the group provided me many opportunities and gave me confidence.”

Participating in co-ops at RIT and traveling to an SWE conference were also significant milestones for Karen during her undergraduate studies. She recalls how the co-ops allowed her to “try out” her field of interest and determine the type of work best suited to her. Her academic endeavors were a cross-college collaboration between the Kate Gleason College of Engineering (KGCOE) and the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences (GCCIS), and ultimately, the dean of GCCIS used discretionary funds to ensure Karen could travel to a crucial SWE conference.

It was this special accommodation that influenced Karen’s Sentinel Society membership and decision to allocate her gift to the college’s general fund.

“Having the dean permit the use of college funds to cover the conference costs was remarkable. He knew how important it was for me to be there, and that made a huge impact on me,” Karen shares. “That’s why I’m a Sentinel member. I want to help provide those same types of prospects for students. Every financial contribution makes a difference and can go a long way to help someone. The college unrestricted funds are vital to helping students when the situation arises, just as it was used to help me when I needed it.”

After RIT, Karen went on to earn a master’s degree in systems engineering at Cornell University and an EMBA from Indiana University. She currently works as a deputy director at AFWERX within the United States Air Force. As of July 2024, Karen will assume the position of president for SWE, which she is still largely involved in.

^{The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.}

Sentinel Impact in the College of Science

It was mid-fall 2023 that Dean André Hudson shared an extraordinary story of how Sentinel Society funds significantly impacted one of his international graduate students in the College of Science (COS.) Isaac Olatunji MS '23, a master’s student in the bioinformatics program and published author in the National Library of Medicine, desperately needed emergency funding to complete his degree. With nowhere else to turn, it was the support from critical Sentinel funds that saved the day.

“Isaac came to me earlier in the semester in tears because he exhausted all means for funding, including attempts at getting a loan from a U.S. bank to cover tuition for his last semester. Being on a financial hold, he couldn’t register for classes and was considering dropping out of his program to return home to Nigeria,” recalls Dean Hudson. “I told him that his thesis advisor and I would not let that happen.”

Because of the unrestricted and discretionary nature of Sentinel funds, Dean Hudson’s office, working with campus partners, provided the much-needed aid from the COS general fund to Isaac, who could then register for classes and continue on the path to graduation.

In November, Isaac successfully defended his master’s thesis.

“Isaac did a fantastic job with his thesis,” Dean Hudson comments. “I am so proud and happy for him. The Sentinel Society has such an important impact on our scholars, and I thank them for their meaningful gifts.”

As in Isaac’s case, the promise of a scholarship can literally change someone’s life. Gifts from Sentinel members truly have the ability to transform aspirations into achievements, enabling students to benefit from the life-changing experience of an RIT education.

Tom Gaborski

Congratulations to Sentinel member Tom Gaborski, professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, who was recently appointed to a three-year term as a standing member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Training and Workforce Development Study Section. This study section reviews institutional training grants at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels, meeting three times per year.

Learn more about Tom

Alpha Phi Alpha Mu Sigma End. Schol. Anniversary

Alpha Phi Alpha Mu Sigma brothers visited campus on Oct. 14 to celebrate the 10-year milestone of the Alpha Phi Alpha Mu Sigma Endowed Scholarship. To date, the scholarship has provided financial support to 11 students who were selected by members of the leadership and humanitarian-focused fraternity. Sentinel Society member and scholarship co-founder Marcus Parker BS ’98, MS ’02 worked closely with RIT staff to coordinate the event. In attendance were scholarship recipients, alumni, fraternity brothers, and university leadership.

Steven M. Wear Unmanned Aircraft Systems Lab

A dedication ceremony was held on Oct. 16 to celebrate the Steven M. Wear Unmanned Aircraft Systems Laboratory, named after Sentinel member and distinguished alumnus Steve Wear MS ’91. The Laboratory is focused on the design, engineering, and implementation of multimodal imaging systems, calibration techniques, and processing algorithms to help solve problems in the fields of precision agriculture, infrastructure inspection, and wildlife management.

Sklarsky Glass Box Theater Inauguration

The inaugural production in the newest building on RIT’s campus, AstroDance II: Across the Universe, premieres Dec. 1 to 3, featuring a variety of dance, aerial and circus arts, and augmented reality, which will be presented in the new state-of-the-art Sklarsky Glass Box Theater.

The theater, named for RIT benefactors and Sentinel members Frank and Ruth Sklarsky, is one of the main features of the new Student Hall for Exploration and Development (SHED.)

Read more about the Sklarsky Glass Box Theater

Renovations to NTID’s Department of Performing Arts have concluded, expanding the spaces for more accessibility and multi-purpose capacity. Panara Theater will begin hosting events in the spring.

Learn more about the renovations

Keep an eye on your mailbox! The annual Sentinel Gratitude Report will be on its way to your household in late January 2024.

RIT Alumni Reception at Schmoocon

Friday, January 12, 2024
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
MadHatter
1319 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
Register now >