News
Department of History

Decked out with technicolor lights and vibrant animated displays, RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios soundstage became a runway last week during Beyond Fashion. The rainbow runway featured a diverse collection of garments and wearables crafted by local designers and RIT students across multiple disciplines.

Nestled in the basement of the Student Alumni Union, the WITR radio station space is a treasure trove of music, personalities, and nostalgia. The station and the music have greatly evolved since its first broadcast in 1961, but one thing has remained constant: the tight-knit network of students and alumni.

Rochester First highlights the project put forth by Izzy Moyer '24 (museum studies), which will allow for student interns and co-ops to work across the museum’s departments.

RIT’s Museum Studies Program collaborated to host more than 50 students and archive and museums professionals last week for a workshop on the artificial intelligence trends, tools, and techniques for the industry.

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to expand as more people experiment with the technology. Scholars in RIT’s College of Liberal Arts, the RIT Archives, and the Research Computing services are exploring how AI can aid scholars working with oral histories.

Led by Professor Juilee Decker, Professor David Messinger, and Professor Roger Easton Jr., the development of the MISHA system was originally planned to help small- to medium-sized cultural institutions in the United States.

Emma Herz Thakur ’24 feels fortunate that at RIT she met people who have won major grants, had their work featured in museums, and are connected with scholars from around the world. Now, she is one of them.

Izzy Moyer has a wide-ranging résumé of experiences, from working as an intern at the Seneca Park Zoo through her biology minor to helping create models of historic homes at Genesee Country Village & Museum. Next, she will be taking her talents to Dubrovnik, Croatia, to help The State Archives, thanks to a prestigious Fulbright scholarship.

Published by RIT Press, in partnership with the RIT Department of History and the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, Rochester History Vol 81, No. 2 (spring 2024) is a peer-reviewed biannual journal that explores local issues within a national and global context.

A collection of war era ephemera and propaganda art on display now at the University Gallery connects viewers to the experiences and perceptions of the time.  

Photos from past internships, events, and research projects at Genesee Country Village & Museum stretch from floor to ceiling in the new Wehrheim Gallery on campus. Located on the first-floor of the new Student Hall for Exploration and Development (SHED), the Wehrheim Gallery will be used to highlight work done as part of RIT’s partnership with GCV&M.

The Athenaeum Games—a domestic science fair held Dec. 7 in the RIT Archives—showcased 19th century skills and technology that RIT students learned about in the class Hands on History: Examining RIT’s Domestic Science and Arts Program.