Photo Spotlights

A special shrink wrap covering (shown in front) is being developed by Changfeng Ge, assistant professor of packaging science, to provide an alternative to using colored glass bottles. Ge and several students are researching alternative coatings for plastic, or PET, bottles that would protect the beverage from light, oxygenation and moisture, all qualities that diminish the flavor and quality.

John Capps, senior associate dean for the College of Liberal Arts, and his father, Donald Capps, show the connection between jokes and thinking critically. Jokes make us laugh, they claim, because jokes are about people saying or doing something irrational. Figuring out why we laugh is figuring out why something is irrational and that helps people avoid the same mistakes. Web Extra: Hear John Capps discuss his new book: www.rit.edu/news/podcasts.

Christy Smith has made Rochester her home and is now enrolled in NTID’s secondary education master’s degree program. In 2003, Smith became the first deaf contestant on the CBS reality show Survivor. She spent more than a month living in the Amazon jungle. Since then, she has worked as a motivational speaker, taught sign language and developed a television show called Christy’s Kids to encourage children to challenge themselves.

“A Fraternity of Artists” features the creativity of 23 brothers in RIT’s Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity in addition to artists from four other national chapters. The exhibition runs Jan. 8-Feb. 19, at 1570 Gallery, Valley Manor Apartments, 1570 East Ave. An opening reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 8. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Here, Jonathan White, curator and fraternity member, works with other RIT students to arrange and hang the show.

After attending Explore Your Future, RIT’s career exploration program for high school students with hearing loss, Susan DiMeglio decided to apply early decision to RIT. She joined nearly 50 other first-year students who enrolled in University Studies. Launched under the Division of Academic Affairs, the new program is geared toward undergraduate students who have yet to identify an area of study. She has since transferred into RIT’s advertising photography program.

Students return from their holiday break and resume classes on Jan. 4, 2010.

Members of the 2009-2010 Formula SAE team rolled out the new race car of the season and participated in a meet-and-greet with longtime supporters, including RIT President Bill Destler (center). The team celebrated one its most successful seasons in 2009, winning first place in an event in California, the first overall win on U.S. soil for the team after several second place finishes in the last few years.

Tim Trapp ’04 (center) and Brian Argauer ’07 (right), both graduates of the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, talked about their roles as product design engineer and electronics engineer, respectively, at Fisher-Price. They joined Harvey Palmer (left), dean of the college, for a presentation about their work for a group of Engineering Honors students. One of the toys in the foreground will be used as a re-engineering design project for the undergraduate students this quarter.

Undergraduate and graduate students from the School for American Crafts are selling their wares at the annual student holiday sale. Students from the four specialties of clay, glass, wood and metals are participating in the two-day event in the Student Alumni Union. The sale runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 16-17. The items range in price from $10 to $300.

Eric Koslow, a second-year software engineering student, developed the Web site Tutorii.com—a place where high school and college students can find help with complex school work.

Nearly a year after a strategic alliance was announced, RIT and Rochester General Health System are partnering on many projects related to research, education and shared services. RIT President Bill Destler (left) and RGHS President and CEO Mark Clement reported current plans at a Dec. 11 news conference.

RIT hosted Congressman Chris Lee’s inaugural Rochester-area Energy Advisory Board meeting on Dec. 7. The meeting was attended by more than 35 representatives of industry and academia, including Matt Fronk, director of RIT’s Center for Sustainable Mobility. Lee formed the advisory board to provide him with expertise and insights on creating affordable energy, more good-paying jobs, energy independence and a cleaner environment.