News Stories

For more than 30 years, Robert Rothman has led hundreds of RIT students on tours to the Galápagos Islands to observe the wildlife and landscape that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. Rothman’s A Paradise for Reptiles, an homage to the 19th century scientist, is an accessibly written guide for anyone interested in Darwin, the Galápagos, and reptiles in general.

The speedy “elevator pitch” has become an essential component of selling one’s business idea to potential investors. RIT’s Center for Urban Entrepreneurship recently gave local entrepreneurs the opportunity to compete—in five minutes or less—for the grand prize in the Pull Up & ROC the Pitch competition.

The Democrat and Chronicle talks to Irshad Altheimer, professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and director of the Center for Public Safety Initiatives, about the local impact of homicide prevention efforts.

Kenzie Moore, a fifth-year electrical engineering technology major from Los Gatos, Calif., volunteered with the Engineering Up afterschool program, partnered with the Rochester City School District (RCSD), which engages K-12 students in STEM-related fields.

A pair of RIT students who played a rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” on their cellos won best performance and a $1,000 prize in this year’s Ovation: RIT Performing Arts Showcase, held Friday night in Ingle Auditorium.

Spectrum News talks to Jerrie Hsieh, professor, and Muhammet Kesgin, associate professor, both in the Department of International Hospitality and Service Innovation at Saunders College of Business, about a new workforce training program aimed at refugees.

When RIT President Mark Ellingson moved the campus from downtown Rochester to farmland in the nearby town of Henrietta in 1968, it was visionary. Ellingson was confident RIT’s academic leadership and reputation would progress “at a constant accelerated pace.” Today, RIT is taking a leading role on the global stage.

Students in Campus Ecology explored how culture, art, science, and design influence their views and understandings of nature. They also discussed how interdisciplinary collaboration and leaning into the intersection of technology, the arts, and design could improve communication and understanding of ecological concepts and sustainability goals.

There's more than 300 student clubs on campus involving art, gaming, music, politics, science, sports, and theater, including the RIT Beekeeping Club.

The trial-and-error process of artisan crafts like throwing clay on a pottery wheel or carving a wood sculpture is something that students outside of RIT’s art and design programs may not be familiar with. Through a new program called RIT Art Experience (ArtEx), students from across the university can enjoy hands-on creative exploration with a variety of artistic media ranging from ceramics and wood to molten metal and glass.

RIT’s makerspace capacity has grown exponentially from a crowded room on the fourth floor in an engineering building to three floors in the centrally located SHED. New last fall, the SHED complex showcases different kinds of making and learning under one roof—in workshops, performing arts spaces, and extra-large classrooms designed for active learning.

WHAM-TV features the donation of texts by early astronomers Copernicus and Sacrobosco to RIT's Cary Graphic Arts Collection.