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Biology BS

Once RIT secured enough antigen tests for students for the spring semester, plans for administering saliva tests were put on hold. But this did not stop faculty and students in RIT’s College of Science from creating a Plan B of new lab activities, research, and community outreach.

The Washington Post interviews Rebecca Hull '13 (biology), who has coordinated a campaign to distribute clear face masks.

Members of RIT Ambulance this academic year have continued to answer 911 calls on the RIT campus all while taking additional precautions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. They responded to simple traumas, such as patients falling off a bike, falling out of bed, hitting their head or an allergic reaction. They also transported students to quarantine locations.

The unexpected transition to remote learning during the spring semester challenged faculty across RIT to experiment, create, and deploy new methods of instruction to ensure student success. As the university gears up for in-person and online classes—or a combination of both—faculty members are applying a wide range of lessons learned from the spring to keep academic momentum moving forward in the fall.

Douglas Merrill, who inspired countless students during his 40-year tenure in the College of Science and the College of Health Sciences and Technology, has retired. He developed the Premedical Advisory Program and created the Center for Bioscience Education and Technology. And he retires with numerous honors recognizing his outstanding teaching and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Founded by a group of RIT Alumni, the grassroots organization looks to put homemade masks and other protective equipment in the hands of Western New York front line workers.

RIT will use a substantial gift of real estate in Penfield to expand the university’s research and educational offerings in ecology, agriculture, sustainability and other fields. Amy Leenhouts Tait and Robert C. Tait have gifted to the university their 177-acre property, which will be dedicated as the Tait Preserve of RIT.

WROC-TV talks to Maureen Ferran, associate professor of biology, about a technique to fight human papillomavirus, or HPV.