Photo Spotlights

Storyteller Perry Ground, second from left, helped RIT celebrate the Oct. 29 kickoff to Native American Heritage Month. Ground, a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, has been telling stories for more than 15 years as a means of educating people about the culture, beliefs and history of the Haudenosaunee. The program, sponsored by RIT’s Native American Future Stewards Program, also featured drummers including RIT student Ben Parker (Squaxin, Turtle Mountain, Ojibwe) and singer Leah Shenandoah (Oneida), along with artwork created by RIT alumni Lauren Jimerson (Seneca), Awenheeyoh Powless (Onondaga) and Shenandoah. Native foods were also available for tasting. Other events associated with RIT’s commemoration of Native American Heritage Month include a film screening of Crooked Arrow, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 27, Bamboo Room; and a presentation by activist, model and singer Radmilla Cody on Nov. 29.

RIT students joined staff from Rochester’s Seneca Park Zoo Oct. 26 in planting a butterfly garden on the third floor “green roof” area of the building that will house the Golisano Institute for Sustainability. From left are J.D. Harper, a Master of Architecture student; Eric Tank, a master’s student in sustainable engineering; and Tina Crandall-Gommel, the zoo’s conservation education coordinator.

RIT Ambulance crews have been wearing pink uniforms for the month of October in observance of breast cancer awareness month. In addition to wearing the shirts, the ambulance membership donated a significant amount to the Wilmot Cancer Center at Strong Memorial Hospital. From left, Harrison Co, Katie Marquis and Matthew Lockhart check some equipment in the ambulance. For more information about RITA, go to ambulance.rit.edu.

Andrew Quagliata, lecturer in RIT’s communication department and co-organizer of this quarter’s public speaking contest, far right, discusses the Oct. 19 competition with finalists, from left, Laura Schiller, Wesley Musgrove and Josaphat Valdivia. The themes for this quarter’s contest, open to all undergraduate students, were elections and politics. Valdivia won first place for his speech “Why People Don’t Vote.”

Students checked out books and DVDs for the weekend at the Tiger Book Mobile, parked by the Sun Dial outside Grace Watson Hall on Oct. 5. The pilot project offers library resources and services close to the residential side of campus. The next trip will be noon-2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, at the Sun Dial.

RIT will contribute to revitalizing the city of Rochester with a new Center for Urban Entrepreneurship in the heart of downtown. University leaders announced Oct. 22 they have acquired a landmark building, the former Rochester Savings Bank, which will serve as the new center and be converted into a multi-use venue for other RIT activities. RIT acquired the building at 40 Franklin St. through a donation from Rochester-based Broadstone Real Estate. The university has pledged to invest approximately $1.2 million in renovations in the four-story, 47,000-square-foot building.

Luis von Ahn, developer of the anti-spamming technology CAPTCHA, spoke at RIT Oct. 19. He talked about his newest service Duolingo, a language learning platform that helps people learn new languages for free, while at the same time helping to translate text on the Web.

RIT welcomed film, stage and television actor Alec Baldwin as this year’s Horton Distinguished Speaker Oct. 20 in the Gordon Field House and Activities Center as part of Brick City Homecoming & Family Weekend, Oct. 19-21. Baldwin has appeared in more than 40 films, including The Cooler, The Hunt for Red October and The Departed. On television, Baldwin currently stars as Jack Donaghy on NBC’s 30 Rock. Baldwin is also a dedicated supporter of causes related to public policy and the arts.

RIT leaders and dignitaries participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking Oct. 19 for the future Gene Polisseni Center. The arena will be the home of the men’s and women’s hockey teams and is expected to be open for play in fall 2014.

RIT’s cooperative education program, which kicked off in 1912 with 32 students at a dozen local companies, turns 100 years old this academic year. A celebration was held Oct. 18 recognizing past achievements and the important role co-op had on the success of RIT graduates. Here, Salvatore Di Schino ’36 (mechanical engineering) accepts an award during the ceremony.

Austin McChord, who graduated from RIT with a degree in bioinformatics in 2009, is the CEO and founder of Datto, recently recognized as the No. 1 Fastest Growing Backup and Security System in the U.S. by Inc. 500. McChord was the keynote speaker at the ninth annual Entrepreneur’s Conference sponsored by the E. Philip Saunders College of Business on Oct. 19.

RIT’s cooperative education program, which kicked off in 1912 with 32 students at a dozen local companies, turns 100 years old this academic year. A celebration was held recognizing past achievements and the important role co-op had on the success of RIT graduates on Oct. 18. The keynote speaker, Lindsey Pollak, a career expert and spokesperson for LinkedIn, discussed career trends of the future.