Photo Spotlights

“Memories, Observations, Experiences, Obsessions” highlights Toby Thompson’s most recent works before he died in 2012 at the age of 79. The exhibition will be held through Dec. 14 in the University Gallery, and the public is invited to an opening reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11. Thompson began his teaching career at RIT in 1968. He received his M.S. degree in fine arts from RIT in 1975, was later appointed chair of industrial, interior and packaging design, and held that position until his retirement in 1996.

Dan Smith, a senior project manager in the Center for Sustainable Mobility in the Golisano Institute for Sustainability, discusses the lab’s capabilities with New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. DiNapoli visited RIT Oct. 1, including the university’s business incubator, Venture Creations, to promote a program for seed funding for start-up companies.

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. (District 1, Sag Harbor) met with Anahita Williamson, director of the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, inside the Golisano Institute for Sustainability on Oct. 2. Thiele, a member of the state’s Environmental Conservation Committee, received an update from Williamson on NYSP2I’s statewide sustainability efforts, including the Long Island wine industry initiative.

Sunflowers line the Quarter Mile near the Gordon Field House. Greg Moss, senior director of the Center for Recreation and Intramurals, started the tradition of planting seeds in the spring several years ago. This year’s crop was the best display ever.

RIT students participate in Mud Tug 2013, the annual all out tug-of-war tournament held behind Grace Watson Hall on Sept. 28. All proceeds from the event, hosted by Phi Kappa Psi and Zeta Tau Alpha, are donated to Hillside Family of Agencies.

RIT students participate in Mud Tug 2013, the annual all out tug-of-war tournament held behind Grace Watson Hall on Sept. 28. All proceeds from the event, hosted by Phi Kappa Psi and Zeta Tau Alpha, are donated to Hillside Family of Agencies. Left to right, Maria de Sande, Jessica Cook, Emily Heitz and Conor McKaig.

Eight Beat Measure, an RIT a cappella group, performed at the Little Cafe during the second annual Fringe Festival on Sept. 28.

Everybody Dancing: The Interactivity of Creativity and Innovation was an audience-participatory performance directed by Thomas Warfield, RIT assistant professor in NTID’s Cultural and Creative Studies Department, at The Little Theatre during the second annual Fringe Festival on Sept. 28.

One of RIT’s musical groups, the Ukulele Club, performed at the Little Cafe during the second annual Fringe Festival on Sept. 28.

Brian Landi ’02, ’06, right, leads research in the Nanopower Research Labs in addition to teaching in the chemical engineering program. He mentored Reginald Rogers, left, who was a post-doctoral researcher in the lab, and recent chemical engineering graduate Garry Clarke. Rogers became a full-time, tenure-track faculty member in 2012 and Clarke began work in Philadelphia in June as a process engineer.

Barbara Cowles, center, manager of the original and iconic Shop One (1953-1977), visited Shop One² in Global Village on Sept. 27. She shared stories with artist Laura Wilder, left, and Wendy Marks, Shop One² manager, about her husband, Hobart Cowles, professor of ceramics at the School for American Craftsmen (now the School for American Crafts) from 1951 to 1980.

Today is ROAR Day, the official launch of the 2013-2014 Fund for RIT annual giving campaign. Stations will be set up across campus to encourage annual gifts to RIT, or gifts can be made online. Donors can designate where their dollars go, and undesignated gifts will go to RIT’s General Scholarship Fund. For more information, go to www.rit.edu/development/giving/ROAR.