Science and Math News

Residents of a homeless shelter in Rochester are continuing to receive therapy during the coronavirus pandemic from a team of therapists in a clinical internship program at RIT. The doctoral training program began as an exercise in using telepsychology to deliver care to a marginalized and underserved population. When New York shut down in March to stem the spreading virus, the therapists were already prepared to apply the telehealth protocols in the crisis.

As states begin to reopen, how will our communities stay safe? Find out how thermal imaging technology is being used as one low-impact screening tool.

After the shift to distance learning in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, RIT students like Daniel Bacon, a second-year photographic sciences major, had to seamlessly transition to classes in the virtual space. 

RIT student, Benjamin Roth, credits his mentors for his interest in remote sensing. His research focuses on retrieving accurate biophysical information on forest health from remote sensing platforms.

Cleveland.com talks to mathematical modeling doctoral student Juliette Daily and Professor Matthew Hoffman about their research on plastic pollution in Lake Erie.

Friday’s celebration of the Class of 2020 certainly cannot replace the atmosphere of a traditional commencement, which RIT plans to host on campus when it’s deemed safe. But many of graduates say they won’t let the pandemic, or the circumstances surrounding the virtual celebration, define them or their feelings about their time at RIT. (Pictured: Bradley Speck, who will finish his classes online this summer, has a job waiting for him at GE Aviation in Cincinnati, where he completed four co-ops.)

Graduating senior and first responder Bryon Campbell spent his final semester at RIT on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. A New York State Emergency Medical Technician and Certified Flight Paramedic, Campbell volunteered more than 35 hours per week with Shortsville Fire and Ambulance in Shortsville, N.Y.

Jessica Salamone ’99 (biotechnology), an adjunct professor in the College of Health Sciences and Technology and director of Genetic Counseling and Cancer Risk Assessment at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, is the recipient of this year's Outstanding Teaching Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty.

KayLee Steiner knows her way around a research laboratory. Her extensive undergraduate research experience made her an appealing candidate when she began applying to Ph.D. programs. After receiving offers from top-notch graduate programs including Duke, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and others, she will pursue her Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University’s School of Medicine.

A multidisciplinary team of first-year students has been working to develop an imaging system that can reveal information hidden in historical documents for their Innovative Freshmen Experience project-based course. But with the shift to remote classes, the students left campus with the device nearly complete. Although disappointed, they shifted focus to the opportunities the new situation would create.

In her research, Juliette Daily uses 3D models to show where microplastic pollution is collecting in the Great Lakes. As a result of her research, she is now the first author of her first published paper.

Sam Kang '19 (Photographic Sciences) organized a Facebook group where photography alumni are reviewing graduating seniors' portfolios.