Game Design, Development, and Arts News

Animation Career Review has again named RIT one of the top game design universities in the country. RIT ranked No. 5 on the list of Top 50 Game Design Schools and Colleges in the U.S. and No. 2 in New York state.

Film and Animation students Anna McClanahan (BFA) and Gabriel Ponte-Fleary (MFA) are finalists in Coca-Cola's Refreshing Films program. They are producing what is thought to be the program's first finalist film dealing with deaf and hard-of-hearing themes.

The third annual Rochester Independent Comics Expo (RICE) will bring more than 30 well-known comic artists to the area the first weekend of April.

Article written by Brian Tomaszewski, associate professor in the School of Interactive Games and Media, and undergraduate game design and development students Carson Lampila, Noah Richards, Liam Andres, Chase Call, and Alex Sarnese.

RIT’s School of Film and Animation is once again ranked among the top animation schools in the country by Animation Career Review, a leading online resource of information for aspiring animation and game design professionals.

An image of a 3D, futuristic, jack-in-the-box is the winning entry in this year’s Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival poster contest. The artist, Sarah Neff, a second-year new media design major from Waterbury, Vt., wins $500 in Tiger Bucks. More than 50 entries were submitted.

Drawn to RIT for its unique focus on technology, art, and design, Lindsay ’09 and Andy Mindler ’09 saw new media design as the perfect blend of 3D, motion, and code to fuel their diverse design interests. The couple started dating at RIT in 2007 and married in 2011. Since moving to the West Coast, they have carved out successful design careers, joining an ever-growing throng of new media and other RIT design alumni living and working in the Bay Area.

The Washington Post features RIT/NTID alumni Youmee Lee ’13 (professional technical communications) and Laural Hartman ’05 (illustration), ’07 MS (secondary education of students who are deaf or hard of hearing), ’20 MFA (fine arts studio) and former Dyer Arts Center Director Tabitha Jacques.

RIT’s MAGIC Center won a MegaGrant from Epic Games, the largest academic grant ever awarded by the industry’s leading game engine developer. The grant allows professors to participate in hands-on training with some of the world’s leading visualization and virtual production experts.

The extensive renovation of RIT’s College of Art and Design—with keen focuses on key areas within the internationally recognized School of Photographic Arts and Sciences (SPAS) and School of Film and Animation—made significant strides in 2021.

Edward Ro '21 (3D Digital Design) completed a co-op at visual effects giant MPC (Motion Picture Company), where he has continued full-time work after graduating in December. 

RIT received a nearly $1 million National Science Foundation grant that will provide scholarships for computing students and help researchers explore new ways to improve computing education. Sharon Mason, a professor in RIT’s School of Information, is principal investigator of the project.