RIT forges partnership with Peru

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Tina Lent, director of RIT’s museum studies program in the College of Liberal Arts, second from left, was the keynote speaker at Universidad del Pacifico in Peru, for an exhibition of World War I posters. RIT is developing a global partnership with Peru that will ideally result in cultural and academic exchanges.

RIT continues to make connections around the globe, with its latest partnership forged in the South American country of Peru.

An RIT faculty contingent led by Hector Flores, dean of graduate studies, presented several workshops, curated an exhibit, taught course sessions, and laid foundations for RIT students and faculty to travel and learn in the country. The excursion also facilitated the launch of the Andean Region Association of RIT alumni that will be working to raise scholarship funds for Peruvian students planning to attend RIT.

“As RIT continues to extend its global reach, we felt it was important to connect with our partners in Peru and the Andean region of South America,” said Flores. “RIT faculty members from a variety of disciplines were able to take advantage of all that Peru has to offer—culturally, ecologically, academically. In exchange, instructors from our partner institutions in Peru were able to engage in learning with our faculty. This sharing of ideas and resources is exactly how RIT will continue to develop valuable global engagement opportunities.”

Tom Gasek, associate professor and graduate director of RIT’s School of Film and Animation, presented a stop-motion workshop at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) based on his book, Frame by Frame Stop Motion, and connected with several deans and faculty members of the university. Gasek also attended the inaugural meeting of the RIT chapter of alumni in the Andean region and attended the award ceremony of the PUCP Film Festival.

Tina Lent, director of museum studies in the College of Liberal Arts, was the keynote speaker for the exhibition “The Great War and the Construction of American Citizenship” at Universidad del Pacífico in Lima, Peru. The exhibition comprised of World War I posters that had been previously exhibited in RIT’s University Gallery under the title, “Mobilizing America: Fighting World War I on the Homefront and the Battlefront.” Lent also presented the talk “Mobilizing America: World War I Posters and the Construction of American Identity” and opened an accompanying exhibition.

Dennis Andrejko, chair, RIT Department of Architecture, discussed collaborations between RIT’s architecture programs and possible research opportunities and faculty/student exchanges. He presented to an audience at Colegio de Arquitectos del Peru. The focus was on national sustainability initiatives at a professional level, and events with the American Institute of Architects; an overview of our Master of Architecture program at RIT with a sustainability focus; and possibilities to nurture and forge partnerships. Andrejko may also be a featured participant in Peru’s upcoming international events on sustainable design, planning and construction planned for later this year.

Other faculty and staff members who traveled to Peru included Fernando Naveda, former chair of RIT’s software engineering department and head of RIT’s calendar conversion implementation; Judy Porter, associate professor of criminal justice; and dt ogilvie, Distinguished Professor of Urban Entrepreneurship, who delivered a four-day course on innovation and entrepreneurship at the annual International Week of CENTRUM School of Business at PUCP.

According to Flores, more RIT faculty members will travel to Peru next spring and summer to continue building the partnership.

“Our faculty really shined in Peru this past summer,” added Flores. “I am so delighted that our partner institutions in Peru are starting to take notice of the quality and passion of our professors and will continue my efforts to facilitate faculty and student exchanges.”