Photo Spotlights

RIT President Albert Simone addresses guests at the groundbreaking for the New York Wine & Culinary Center on Aug. 10. RIT joins Constellation Brands, Wegmans and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation as partners in the $7 million venture. The center, scheduled to open in Canandaigua next summer, will showcase the state's wine and agricultural products while attracting tourists. New York Gov. George Pataki, left, and State Sen. Michael Nozzolio were among those taking part in the ceremony.

Nabil Nasr, director of RIT's Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies, and his research team are embarking a new program to enhance the performance of America's public transportation fleet. CIMS is receiving $4 million in federal funding to study alternative fuel sources and issues related to life-cycle engineering. U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer secured the funding as part of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill.

Art supplies at RIT's book store, Campus Connections, are restocked in preparation for a new school year. Many of the text books required for fall instruction are currently being organized and shelved on the stores upper level. Classes for the 2005-06 academic year will kick off on Monday, Sept. 6.

Antonio Torrence from Buffalo tests his flexibility during physical training at the 2005 North Star Academy. Torrence is among 60 incoming RIT AALANA (African American, Latino American and Native American) students taking part in the 3-week summer program. The Academy is designed to acclimate students to the challenges of college life while providing them the opportunity to generate academic credit, experience faculty mentorship and develop lasting friendships.

Participants in RIT's Colleges and Careers program listen to a student representative during a tour of campus. College and Careers is a comprehensive academic and social orientation program for incoming high school seniors and their parents. It includes over 60 seminars on different courses and majors and also offers a chance to spend a night in the residence halls and interact with current students in a number of social activities. The first of two sessions were held July 22 and 23.

Rochester dignitaries and neighborhood leaders participate in the groundbreaking of Sector 10's Urban Agricultural Center. The facility is sponsored by the Northeast Neighborhood Alliance (NENA) and the Greater Rochester Urban Bounty (GRUB) and will serve as a nutrition education center and headquarters for GRUB's 2.7 acre urban farm located on Sanders Street in the heart of Sector 10. RIT students will work in the center assisting neighborhood volunteers through a partnership with NENA.

Associated Press president and CEO Thomas Curley, left, accepts the 2005 NRS Award for his contributions to the advancement of RIT. The award was presented at the Nathaniel Rochester Society's annual summer gala by awards committee chairman John Carver. Curley earned his MBA in 1977 from RIT's College of Business, and he joined the university's Board of Trustees in 1988. He currently serves the board as a vice chairman.

The "Wizard" of RIT, President Albert Simone, reminds guests at the Nathaniel Rochester Society Summer Gala that "there's no place like home." The event, which took place July 14 in RIT's Student Alumni Union, is traditionally held off campus. NRS members attending this year's gala were treated to an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, featuring third-year communication student Jessica Ginnan as Dorothy and Dr. Simone as the Wizard.

High school interns in RIT's Center for Imaging Science tour Melles Griot, a precision optics manufacturing lab located in Rochester. The students, entering their senior years, were selected for a seven week summer program to assist CIS faculty in various research projects. The Melles Griot tour is one of three field trips to area businesses and laboratories that the students will undertake during the course of the program.

R. Thomas Flynn, president of Monroe Community College, congratulates local scholars during the inaugural White Coat Ceremony on July 14. The event welcomed 12 minority students into the Rochester Biomedical Experience, a joint academic venture by MCC and RIT. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the program seeks to increase minority participation in biomedical related professions. Chaz Francis (right) from Wilson Magnet High School and Derik Grant from Charles Finney High School are among those taking part.

High school educators get a lesson in engineering technology as part of Project Lead the Way's Summer Training Institute at RIT. The goal is to enhance pre-engineering courses for middle and high school students in order to encourage young people to consider careers in engineering. More than 875 schools in 39 states now take part in Project Lead the Way. Summer Training Institute sessions continue through July.

Aspiring young basketball players take instructions from a counselor during the Ben D'Alessandro Basketball Camp at RIT. The camp focuses on individual and team skill development in a large group setting over five days.  Dozens of local youngsters, ranging from 7th to 12th graders, are taking part in the camp through July 9.