Photo Spotlights

Irene Brooks, commissioner of the International Joint Commission, chats with James Quick, of Wolcott, who came to RIT Nov. 10 for a discussion on the future of the Great Lakes. In her talk, “The Great Lakes: The Challenge Is Yours,” Brooks discussed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the regulation of Lake Ontario outflows and levels, and the International Joint Commission watershed initiative. The commission is an independent advisor to the United States and Canada on boundary and transboundary issues. Brooks visit was sponsored by the mechanical engineering department in RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering.

Teresa Drilling, ‘83, a key animator on such hit films as Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the WereRabbit and Chicken Run, returned to her alma mater on Nov. 11. She critiqued the work of students in the computer graphics design program and the School of Film and Animation. Drilling was a featured presenter at this year’s High Falls Film Festival in Rochester. She entered the field of stop motion animation in the mid-eighties. Drilling grew up in Oakfield, N.Y. and currently lives in Portland, Ore.

An automated playing-card shuffler/dealer was among computer-controlled senior-design inventions demonstrated by computer engineering majors Nov. 10 in Erdle Commons in the James E. Gleason Building. Justin Madigan, left, and Matt Erhard, along with Brian Cody (not shown in photo), fifth-year B.S./M.S. computer engineering majors, built the device for less than $100. It includes settings for the number of players and the number of cards per player. Other projects demonstrated include an automated driver’s license test monitoring system and an automated pool maintenance system, among others.

Assemblyman Joe Morelle, right, examines the progress of construction to RIT's Center for Bioscience Education and Technology. Morelle, who helped to secure funding for the $12 million project, joined representatives from the local building trades on a tour of the site Nov. 14. At left, Jim Yarrington, RIT's director of campus planning and design services, discusses features of the new facility, which is scheduled to open next summer.

Directed by Ed Schell, music program director in RIT’s College of Liberal Arts, The RIT Singers, along with a string quartet, clarinetist, flutist and percussionist, premiered the classical piece “Away.” “Away” was composed by David Liptak and is a setting of a poem written by Dane Gordon, RIT professor emeritus and university historian. The concert featured The RIT Singers, The RIT Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble, and two local high school jazz ensembles. All of the music was commissioned by The Commission Project, a national music education organization based in Rochester.

The RIT Singers rehearse for a community concert at RIT. Directed by Ed Schell, music program director in RIT’s College of Liberal Arts, The RIT Singers, along with a string quartet, clarinetist, flutist and percussionist, premiered an original piece of music commissioned for RIT’s 175th anniversary at a community concert earlier this month.

James Winebrake, chair of the department of science, technology and society/public policy, testifies at a public hearing of the New York State Assembly held at RIT recently. The hearing was sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Energy and focused on the growing crisis surrounding energy costs. Professor Winebrake testified on the use of alternative energies to deal with the problem. Carl Lundgren, professor of manufacturing engineering technology, is also pictured.

Members of the RIT community participated in the eighth annual Campus Week of Dialogue, Oct. 24-28, sponsored by the Commission for Promoting Pluralism. This year’s theme, Focus on Women, explored the role of women in their personal and professional lives. Here, NTID’s Patti Durr spoke about deaf women artists.

Fashions inspired by the 1988 comedy movie Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy, were featured during RIT's annual Unity Fashion Show on Nov. 5. Student organizers partnered with participants from other area high schools and colleges to coordinate the program, hosted by RIT's Black Awareness Coordinating Committee and the North Star Center for Academic Success and Cultural Affairs.

Audience members follow along with a presentation about podcasts at HighEdWebDev 2005, one of only a few Web-related conferences tailored exclusively for higher education. The conference, held Nov. 6-9 at the RIT Inn & Conference Center, offered several workshops by leading Web development experts, and featured showcase presentations and social events.

DMG engineer Suresh Makkenchery (left) and RIT student Alex Kinlock check out state-of-the-art equipment at an Oktoberfest-themed open house at RIT’s Brinkman Manufacturing Lab in the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies on Oct. 20. Presented by RIT and DMG America, the event served to showcase machinery available in the lab to over 200 local manufacturing companies and technical associations.

Lella and Massimo Vignelli, who have influenced the world of design for more than 40 years, will be lecturing at RIT from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, in Webb auditorium in the James E. Booth Building. The lecture, Design is One, is free and open to the public.