NTID 50th anniversary reunion dates announced

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RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2018.

The 50^th anniversary of Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf will culminate in a reunion hosted on campus from June 28 to July 1, 2018.

The announcement appeared in a joint video statement from reunion co-chairs Chris and Staci Wagner of Bradenton, Fla., and NTID Alumni Association president Joe Riggio of Fishers, Ind.

The anniversary marks 50 years since the first cohort of students matriculated at NTID, one of the nine colleges of RIT, in 1968. A kick-off event during RIT’s Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend festivities in October 2017 will inaugurate a yearlong celebration culminating with the reunion the following June.

The theme of the reunion will be “Reconnect. Reunite. Reflect.”

“This reunion represents an opportunity for fellow RIT/NTID alumni to celebrate the connections both new and old with each other as well as the campus and the college itself,” said Staci Wagner. “Many of them feel a debt of gratitude to NTID for the impact it’s had on their personal journeys and professional career.”

RIT/NTID President Gerry Buckley, the first alumnus to hold the position, is looking forward to welcoming back alumni for the reunion events.

“Being able to look forward to the reunion is just the first of many things to anticipate during the celebration of NTID’s 50^th anniversary,” said Buckley. “Having alumni on campus to help honor this milestone in NTID’s history will make it all the more special.”

More than 7,000 students have graduated from RIT/NTID.

Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized as a leader in computing, engineering, imaging technology, fine and applied arts, and for providing unparalleled support services for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. RIT is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

Established by the U.S. Congress in 1965, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf is the first and largest technological college in the world for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. NTID offers associate degree programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and provides support and access services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students who study in the other eight colleges of RIT. NTID also offers a bachelor’s degree program in sign language interpreting and a master’s degree program in secondary education for individuals interested in teaching deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Deaf and hard-of-hearing students come from all over the United States and around the world to take advantage of the opportunities available to them at RIT/NTID.

For more information, go to www.rit.edu/NTID.