ODI Newsletter – Spring 2022
Message from Dr. Alesia Allen
To RIT/NTID students, faculty, staff and alumni,
I trust that you all have had a safe, healthy and productive academic year! I am proud to announce the release of our office’s first newsletter, where our main goal is to share the many exciting and compelling stories that characterize our community and highlight the work being done in association with the greater university’s Action Plan for Race and Ethnicity.
With NTID’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for students, faculty, staff and alumni alike, we look forward to equipping everyone with the resources they need to celebrate diversity on their teams and continue to collaborate with an inclusive attitude.
As always, stay safe, caring, and healthy. Have a great summer!
Warmly,
Alesia
Antiracism and Social Justice Plan Update
With our ongoing commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment at RIT/NTID, we have updated NTID’s Anti-Racism and Social Justice Plan website to be navigated easily. You can now filter each initiative by their respective groups, making it easier for the community to stay up-to-date with the NTID community’s progress.
Featured Student Spotlight: Dhruvesh Patel
Dhruvesh Patel ‘22 is one of 20 M.O.C.H.A. (Men of Color, Honor and Ambition) men in this academic year’s cohort and is the only deaf student involved. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree, he is working towards his MBA at RIT. He sat with us to talk about his experience in M.O.C.H.A. and his hopes for the future.
Interview with International Student Surya Sahetapy
We caught up with international Master of Science in Secondary Education student Surya Sahetapy and learned more about his growth since studying abroad from his home city, Jakarta, Indonesia and his story of navigating his academic journey as an international student working with the International Educational Outreach department.
Featured Staff Spotlight: Denise "Dee" Herrera
Denise “Dee” Herrera, an interpreter with the Department of Access Services and program coordinator of the Randleman Program is no stranger to the RIT/NTID community. Going on her 20th year with us, Denise shares what it’s like being a woman in today’s world and how she finds fulfillment in giving back to those who inspire her.
RIT Diversity Terminology
Led by Dr. Taj Smith, Director of Diversity Education, a group of RIT Rochester administrators, staff and students from various backgrounds and expertise helped to shape a list of diversity terminology used at RIT. These common yet ever-changing terms and their definitions should be applied to employees’ work and help to foster informed and constructive conversations across campus.
Special Acknowledgements
Dr. Thomastine Sarchet and Dr. Christopher Kurz presented their World Around You (WAY) initiative at #ZeroCon22 in Vienna, Austria, after being selected as one of more than 70 recipients of the Zero Project Innovative Solution 2022 award. After presenting their project, they were chosen as one of 10 initiatives for the Zero Project Impact Transfer Program and were given training, mentoring, tailored support, networking and visibility to improve their programs and scale up WAY into Latin America. Out of 381 nominations, they were awarded for the best innovative program.
Kristi Love, Denise Herrera, Amberlee Jones, and Emilio Hernandez of The Randleman Program were awarded an Excellence Award during the Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff ceremony. The award is presented to staff members who exemplify outstanding service and dedication to the university and who exhibit a high degree of personal ethics and integrity while consistently demonstrating a strong commitment to student success.