Photo Spotlights

NASA astronaut Don Pettit delivered opening remarks for his “Portraits of a Planet: Photographer in Space” exhibition, which will be on display inside University Gallery through Imagine RIT on April 28.

RIT President David Munson acknowledges Kathryn Gardner during the 2018 Outstanding Undergraduate Scholars award ceremony on March 22. Since 1976, RIT has honored the top 1% of undergraduate students that are able to maintain a high standard of academic excellence while also giving back to their community through civic or volunteer work, conducting research, or being engaged in co-op or work in their field of study. For more information, go to https://www.rit.edu/academicaffairs/outstanding-undergraduate-scholars/overview

Students were treated to a seafood themed dinner, "Under the Sea", at Gracie's on March 22. A cold bar of shrimp, crab and calamari was offered along with a variety of decorated desserts. The Trinidad and Tobago Steelband entertained.

RIT Trustee Ronald Zarrella, left, prepares to view an interactive game developed by Rochester Prep students Terrell Marble and Zaid Abdulsalam, on right. This fall, seven seniors from Rochester Prep High School met with RIT faculty to work on capstone projects varying from photojournalism to microbiology to game design and development. The students presented the final results of their projects at a special capstone showcase ceremony March 21.

Zaid Abdulsalam presented an interactive game he developed with fellow Rochester Prep student Terrell Marble. This fall, seven seniors from Rochester Prep High School met with RIT faculty to work on capstone projects varying from photojournalism to microbiology to game design and development. The students presented the final results of their projects at a special capstone showcase ceremony March 21.

ThermApparel co-founders Kurtis Kracke, right, and Bradley Dunn show off their cooling vest that is uniquely designed for people living with MS. The company, which is currently in RIT’s Venture Creations incubator, has formed a partnership with the MS Foundation to provide vests to people who couldn’t otherwise afford them.

The 2018 Finger Lakes Regional FIRST Robotics competition took place March 16-17 at RIT. Groups from China, Brazil, Canada and the United States (shown here) performed their national anthems before the games began. More than 35 high school teams from across New York state, New Jersey and Canada participated in POWER UP, where students build robots and competed as if they are part of the inner workings of a video game. Winners from the regional move on to the national championships in April.

The 2018 Finger Lakes Regional FIRST Robotics competition took place March 16-17 at RIT. More than 35 high school teams from across New York state, New Jersey and Canada participated in POWER UP, where students build robots and competed as if they are part of the inner workings of a video game. Winners from the regional move on to the national championships in April.

Computer Science Professor Paul Tymann works with students from Nicholas High School in Buffalo, N.Y. From left, Lucas Balbach, Jack Schlehr and Zach Carter work on a programming exercise in a computer lab. Sixty high school students from the Rochester-region competed in the first RIT High School Programming Contest March 12 at RIT’s B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. The teams of three worked to solve as many programming problems as they could in the least amount of time.

Brandon Hudson, a fourth-year student in the School for Individualized Studies, is CEO of Connexus, a heating and cooling company in Venture Creations that has developed a unique web-based thermostat system.

Certified therapy dogs visited at the Bow Wow Wellness event in Fireside Lounge March 8. The event was sponsored by the Center for Student Wellness as a stress reduction activity. Research indicates that pet therapy improves psychological well-being and self-esteem.

Celeste Kidd, left, one of the co-claimants in the University of Rochester sexual harassment case and named as one of Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for her role as a silence breaker, and Lindsay Wrobel, a UR student who went on a hunger strike, spoke at RIT as part of International Women’s Day March 8. The event was sponsored by RIT’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program, the School of Communication, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Department of History.