From the NTID President's Office

With spring break over, we have entered the busiest part of our year, which will include honoring our outstanding undergraduate scholars, celebrating teaching and scholarship, and a return to in-person Imagine RIT and Commencement festivities. Another bit of very positive news was the increase in our federal appropriation, which will allow us to expand our efforts to be a hub for talented deaf and hard-of-hearing scientists, researchers, and medical professionals, and to establish a Cybersecurity Center specifically to train deaf and hard-of-hearing young people and adults in this growing field.

It is because of your efforts that we have managed through the past two years so well, and that our students have been as successful as they have been. I remain grateful and honored to lead such an amazing group of dedicated faculty and staff.

Gerry

Archives

The NTID Foundation Board of Directors and the NTID Alumni Association Board of Directors will hold their spring board meetings in-person on campus on Thursday and Friday, April 21 and 22.  Please be sure to say “hello” and “thank you” to these volunteers, who give their time, talent, and treasure to advance the mission of NTID. If you’d like additional information, please contact Bryan Hensel or Loriann Macko.

Please join me in welcoming Maria Nikolaou to the Office of the Associate Dean of Research (OADR) where she is serving as research programs financial administrator. She holds an MBA-accounting degree from RIT and comes to RIT/NTID from the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester where she was a staff accountant. Her email address is mxnnod@rit.edu.

Matthew Sluka has joined NTID as a photographic media specialist in the Communications, Marketing and Multimedia Services department. He previously served as a student photography assistant in the department while attending RIT/NTID, and was the primary photographer for NTID’s 2018 summer programs and activities, including EYF. If your department has photography needs please complete the photo request form, and Matthew will contact you.

Please join me in welcoming these other new members of the NTID community:

• Allison T. Benz, marketing communications specialist, Center on Access Technology
• Spencer T. Montan, associate director, Center on Access Technology
• Aaron J. Parker, software engineer, Center for Culture and Language
• Sophronia Powell, senior employment advisor, NTID Co-op and Career Center
• Alexandra R. Ryan, scheduler, Center on Access Services
• Kimberly S. Taylor, senior staff assistant, Outreach, Placement and Special Projects

Department transfers and title changes:

• Leann C. Case, senior staff assistant, NTID Admissions
• David J. Monahan, non-tenure track instructor, engineering studies department
• Amy Stornello, senior employment advisor, NTID Co-op and Career Center

Tao Eng is a principal lecturer in the department of information and computing studies. He teaches courses such as Client-Server Networks, Introduction to PC Hardware, and Networking Essentials.

What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is to teach and interact with deaf and hard-of-hearing students in and outside of the classroom. Besides teaching, I also love to learn new technologies and trends.

What would surprise people to learn about you?

I know the basics of Chinese Sign Language (CSL) and can read Chinese. Please stop by my office if you are curious about learning Chinese language, culture, customs, and traditions.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Spending time with my two kids outside playing baseball and softball, skiing, swimming, and playing Ninja Warrior. I also love to watch my kids playing in baseball and softball tournaments.

RIT’s annual United Way Campaign runs throughout the month of March. The pandemic has hit many families hard, including members of our own NTID family. Even without the pandemic, the needs of our community are great. I urge those of you who are able to consider making a donation to United Way – they target the impact areas of health, education and economic mobility in our community as well as partner with countless local organizations to which you can designate your donation if you prefer.

Our fundraising goal this year is the same as last year – 1,000 donors and $314,159. Let's turn our passion for the community into compassion for those in need. Make a donation today. If you have questions about the campaign, please reach out to your Key Captain or Heather Eaggleston.