Experiencing the future with technology, the arts, and design

Are you ready to explore? Are you ready to experience the unexpected and extraordinary? We commonly pose these questions to RIT students. Today, their level of curiosity, energy, and enthusiasm is back to pre-pandemic levels, perhaps even higher.

Our university has been on to something during the pandemic—planning, designing, building, and executing on ideas from students, faculty, and staff. We have the proof points to show RIT is among the top universities in the nation integrating technology, the arts, and design. And perhaps equally important at this time in history, we put a premium on bringing goodness to the world.

RIT is in high demand with undergraduate applicants—we have experienced our two largest incoming classes in 2021 and 2022. We are seeing a higher-quality pool of applicants, based on standard measures such as GPAs, rank in class, and leadership traits, as well as stronger interest from underrepresented populations. Overall, about 19,700 undergraduate and graduate students will add to our family of more than 145,000 alumni. This includes our overseas campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo.

Our students are thriving, taking home top prizes at national and international collegiate competitions. They are squaring off against some of the best universities in the world and bringing home trophies in cybersecurity, gaming, racing, and design competitions. When teams from around the world arrived at RIT last summer for the Baja SAE competition, the RIT team entered the event ranked No. 1 in the world. These Baja racers climb hills, surmount obstacles, and survive endurance challenges. And RIT Baja stepped up to the challenge, winning yet again.

Embracing challenges brings out the best in RIT. The university is coming off a record year in sponsored research awards, attaining $92 million. Some key areas of investigation include nanotechnology, imaging science, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, accessibility, public policy, and the life sciences.

We are also reimagining our future by forging ahead with the largest construction projects in our history with nearly $500 million in capital investments on the books. We are transforming RIT by building places and spaces for creators and makers.

This transformation includes the Student Hall for Exploration and Development, or what we call the SHED. This showcase facility will open in fall 2023 as the creative and innovative hub of the university. 

We literally are setting the stage for performing arts as we break ground on the first theater in our performing arts center this year. 

Let me conclude and summarize by saying that RIT is embracing and designing a very bright future. Our amazing community of creators and innovators is shaping the world through ideas that inspire, inform, and improve lives.

Proudly yours,

David C. Munson Jr., President
munson@rit.edu
Twitter: @RITpresident