News

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.

Peyton D’Anthony enjoys identifying patterns and creating new connections. Those are just two of the skills she hopes to instill in her students as a teacher in Kosovo this fall.

Throughout the course of the academic year, hundreds of RIT students prepare to compete for some of the most prestigious international fellowships and scholarships available. Intensive research projects, applications, essays, and interviews all play a critical role in their selection.

Nickesia Gordon has always had hopes of using her knowledge and expertise in health communication, gender, and social change to make the world a better place. Now, having earned a prestigious Fulbright Scholars award, she will travel back to Jamaica to begin the process of establishing a graduate program in health communication.

Joseph Casale had hardly been on a plane when he traveled to Malaysia to do research a year ago. Now, he gets the opportunity to do it again.

Conducting hands-on research was a hallmark of the time Mikkael Lamoca ‘24 (biomedical engineering), ‘24 MS (science, technology, and public policy) spent at RIT. A Fulbright award presents him a new opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research at one of the top universities in Asia.

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.

Studying abroad can open doors to new adventures and experiences for any student. For Sarah Sabal, her experiences helped solidify and reinforce her sense of self.

While sharing insights from her own transformative journey, Patricia Moore, a distinguished designer and trailblazing alumna of the class of 1974, encouraged this year’s RIT graduates to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and answer the call for change.

Nastaran Nagshineh, a Ph.D. candidate at RIT, successfully bridged the Rochester and Dubai campuses, paving the way for future international students. Nagshineh is one of 67 Ph.D. students who defended their thesis this academic year and who will earn their doctorate.

Hosted by the Black Awareness Coordinating Committee (BACC), the event featured Minett Professor Sherry Tshibangu addressing the graduates during the ceremony, sharing that the graduates’ journeys were taken with exceptional courage, and that their legacy is one to be continued.