BRIGHT IDEA
BRIGHT
IDEA
Building Representation and Integrity in Health Care and Biomedical Science: Increasing Depth and Empowerment in Academia (BRIGHT IDEA)
BRIGHT IDEA is a leadership development program designed to support BIPOC students pursuing careers in health care and science. By connecting students with experienced professionals and mentors, BRIGHT IDEA inspires curiosity, empowerment, and career exploration in fields where BI*POC representation remains limited.
Through a series of mentorship opportunities, networking events, and professional development workshops, students will gain valuable insights, build meaningful connections, and develop the confidence towards pursuing their career goals. BRIGHT IDEA is committed to closing equity gaps in healthcare and science by creating an inclusive, supportive community that uplifts and inspires future BI*POC leaders in these fields.
BI*POC students who are deaf or hard of hearing, current undergraduates in good academic standing, and majoring or interested in healthcare and/or biomedical science fields are encouraged to apply. If their majors are related to STEM or different fields, they are highly encouraged (or strongly recommended) to get in contact with us.
*Black and Indigenous groups are being prioritized due to their heavily marginalized and underrepresented status within the healthcare system and biomedical science.
Program Philosophy
Deaf Health Care and Biomedical Hub (Deaf Hub) has substantial influence and focus on those in health care and biomedical science careers as a team where understanding, kindness, compassion, inclusion, and empathy are the norm, achieving collaborative work towards dismantling negativity and -isms.
LeeAnne Valentine, the Director of Representation in Health Care and Biomedical Sciences at the Deaf Hub, oversees the BRIGHT IDEA program.
News & Community
Community News
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December 18, 2024
![Emma Kane, a young college student, sits in a black shirt with a tiger on it in front of an orange background.]()
Student spotlight: Researching health care for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people
Emma Kane, a third-year public policy major, has spent the past year working at the Deaf Health Laboratory, led by the mentors at the Deaf Health Care and Biomedical Sciences Hub (Deaf Hub) at RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
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October 24, 2024
![Graphic with purple background and RMSC Rochester Museum and Science Center in white.]()
RIT/NTID partners with Rochester Museum & Science Center for Deaf Culture Day, Nov. 2
Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf is partnering with Rochester Museum & Science Center for Deaf Culture Days, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2, at RMSC, 657 East Ave., Rochester. The event provides an accessible and friendly experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the community.
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November 8, 2023
![researcher looking at a glass container with a yellow liquid inside.]()
Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate partnership continues with grant to increase the number of deaf, hard-of-hearing scientists
A fruitful partnership between NTID and University of Rochester has earned a funding boost to help meet the long-term goals of the Bridges to the Doctorate for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students program. A grant from the National Institutes of Health will help increase the number of deaf and hard-of-hearing students entering Ph.D. programs in biomedical science fields and the number of deaf and hard-of-hearing students who successfully earn Ph.D.’s in biomedical sciences.
