Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series


Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series
- RIT/
- National Technical Institute for the Deaf/
- Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series
The Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series, established in 1980, brings distinguished speakers to RIT/NTID to share expertise and scholarly contributions that stand on the cutting edge of advancement in the education and career success of deaf persons. Edmund Lyon (1855-1920) was a noted manufacturer, inventor, humanitarian and philanthropist in Rochester, who served as a trustee of both RIT and the Rochester School for the Deaf.
Upcoming Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Events
Troy Kotsur
Presentation
![]() | Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025 6:30 - 8:00pm Panara Theatre • LBJ Hall |
Event Poster
[Poster ID: Top left orange outline around "2022 Academy Award Winner for Best Actor in a Support Role: Troy Kotsur." Event date, place, ticket info. Bottom right photo of Troy Kotsur, wearing gray & black hat, shirt, suit coat, above NTID Lyon logo.]
NTID is thrilled to host Troy Kotsur for the spring 2025 Edmund Lyon Memorial Lecture Series on Thursday, April 24, in the Panara Theater. Kotsur is winner of the 2022 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in CODA.
If you confirmed that you would KEEP the tickets from the original event in November, those tickets are still valid. You do not need to reserve again.
Admission is free, but reservations are required. A limited number of free tickets (two per request) are still available! Scan the QR code on the poster or go to www.tinyurl.com/NTIDTroyKotsur. Deadline is April 18, 2025.
Questions can be directed to NTID Events Manager, Brian Haak, at behoea@rit.edu.
Speaker Biography
Troy Michael Kotsur is an American actor. Born deaf, Kotsur made his acting debut in the late 1980s working with the National Theatre of the Deaf. Troy was also a member of NTID's traveling performance troupe, Sunshine Too, in the 1990's.
Troy Kotsur has been acting and directing for over 20 years. Deaf since birth, he was raised in Mesa, AZ. In his career he has had critically acclaimed performances in major films, a lead role in the Broadway run of a Tony Award-winning play, and numerous memorable roles on Television.
Troy has garnered rave reviews for his leading role in the 2021 feature CODA, which was awarded Best Ensemble Cast at Sundance. He is credited with being one of the prime reasons for the feature's festival success, which lead to its $25 million sale to Apple. Previous to this, Troy had a supporting role in The Number 23 starring Jim Carrey, and in subsequent years became known for stand-out performances in indie features.
History
Edmund Lyon (1855-1920) was a noted manufacturer, inventor, humanitarian, and philanthropist in Rochester, New York. Mr. Lyon graduated with honors from the University of Rochester in 1877 and received his law degree from Columbia University in 1880. After practicing law for a short time, Edmund Lyon turned his attention to business, travel, and philanthropic endeavors, devoting himself passionately to education, most notably the education of deaf persons. During seven years of service at the Rochester School for the Deaf (then called the Western New York Institute for Deaf-Mutes), Mr. Lyon developed an intricate system of manual symbols to be used in speech training. His Lyon Phonetic Manual became a highly regarded resource and was used widely around the world. In 1895, Edmund Lyon was appointed Secretary of the New York State Board of Charities and subsequently was appointed by that Board as State Examiner of the nine schools for the deaf in New York State. In 1896, Mr. Lyon married Carolyn Hamilton Talcott, whom he had met at the Rochester School for the Deaf and who had taught there since 1879. The Lyons had three daughters.
Later, Mr. Lyon served as a trustee of both the Rochester Institute of Technology (1905-1920) and the Rochester School for the Deaf (1911-1920). He died on April 23, 1920. In 1980, the daughters of Edmund Lyon established the Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship. The purpose of this lectureship series is to bring distinguished speakers to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), one of the nine colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology. In the past, speakers have included distinguished deaf persons who have excelled in their careers with hearing colleagues in science, business, technology, industry, arts, or public service and who stand as models to the faculty and students of NTID for their career attainments. A current goal of the lectureship series is to bring in speakers whose expertise and scholarly contributions stand on the cutting edge of advancement in the education and career success of deaf persons.
Venue Information
Directions to the RIT campus
From the airport
Turn right onto Brooks Avenue, then a quick right onto I-390 South. From 390, take the next exit (Scottsville Road) and turn right at the end of the ramp. Drive for approximately three miles, then turn left onto Jefferson Road (Route 252). Proceed east a short distance to campus, RIT's main entrance will be on your right. Continue to the next light and turn right.
From the NYS Thruway
Take exit 46 and proceed north on I-390 to exit 13 (Hylan Drive). Take a left onto Hylan Dr. and continue north to Jefferson Road (Route 252), and take a left at the light. Proceed west a short distance to the main campus.
NTID venues:
From Jefferson Rd. (Route 252) proceed to the entrance west of the Radisson Hotel (Max Lowenthal Rd.). Enter the campus at this location. At the first stop sign, you will be facing Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Hall. Turn left onto Andrews Drive. At the first road (Edmund Lyon Crescent), turn right. You will see a sign for visitor parking (Parking Lot L).
Venue: NTID Dyer Arts Center – LBJ Hall
As you enter the front doors of LBJ, the gallery is located on the first floor as you enter the building. Turn right in the lobby and the gallery is on the left.
Venue: NTID CSD Student Development Center - 1300/1310
Enter the front door of LBJ Hall. Follow the main hallway and turn right immediately after the central staircase. At the end of the hallway turn left -- the CSD/SDC (building 55) will be straight ahead (attached to the southwest side of LBJ). Room 1300/1310 is down the stairs and to the right.
RIT Venues:
Venue: RIT Ingle Auditorium
From Jefferson Rd. (Route 252) proceed to the main campus entrance at Lomb Memorial Drive. Enter the campus at this location and drive straight ahead. Consult this map for location of the auditorium and nearby parking locations.
Karen Beiter
Interim Department Chair
Department of Engineering Studies
kjbndp@rit.edu
VP: 585-286-4546
Kelly Metz Davis
Senior Lecturer
Department of Business Studies
kmmsfs@rit.edu
Peter Hauser
Interim Associate Dean of Research
Office of the Associate Dean for Research
pchgss@rit.edu
VP: 585-286-4259
Christopher Kurz
Professor
MS in Secondary Education Program
caknsp@rit.edu
VP: 585-286-4611
585-475-4263 (TTY)
Dino Laury
Associate Professor
NTID Engineering Studies
djlnet@ntid.rit.edu
VP: 585-286-4613
Kathryn Schmitz
Department Chair
Department of Liberal Studies
Kathryn.Schmitz@mail.rit.edu
Kurt Stoskopf
Associate Professor
Department of Visual Communications Studies
kwsnda@rit.edu
VP: 585-286-5345