News by Topic: Diversity

Debbie Lesser '19 is a catalyst, facilitating crucial conversations taking place in often highly sensitive situations. As a certified medical interpreter, she assists deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing patients and health care providers in communicating with one another regarding everything from mental health crises to detailed complex medical procedures.

Chinese tea culture, with its rich history existing since before the third century, has always been a lifelong passion for Tian Tian and Zining Chen. The graduates of RIT’s advertising and public relations program (2017) and master’s in entrepreneurship program (2019), yearned to share their culture in a new and exciting way—by founding Taichi Bubble Tea. 

RIT celebrated its 137th academic convocation Friday morning in the Gordon Field House and Activities Center. Keynote speaker Kimberly Bryant, founder of the nonprofit organization Black Girls CODE, told the graduates to be proud of their achievement, be excited about what is next in their lives, and remember—with grace—what it took to get to this milestone.

The limitations of telecommunication relay services are being addressed with the development of a new program that explores how to make deaf and hard-of-hearing users’ experiences with cellular devices truly equal to those of hearing users.

Researchers at RIT and Texas Tech University will be incorporating more critical thinking and empathy skills into engineering curricula to prepare students to meet societal challenges today. The team, led by Iris Rivero, also includes Andrew Herbert and Michael Laver.

Rochester Institute of Technology will host a day of empowering workshops for Latina girls and young women. ¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 30 in the RIT Student Alumni Union.

As the nation’s reshuffled economy rebounds from the pandemic, RIT students graduating from a university renowned for its academic rigor combined with successful internships and co-op experiences are leveraging multiple job offers into their top choices.

Many RIT students' experiences as undergraduates have helped them get into top graduate degree programs.

A trio of trailblazing students who came to RIT from the university’s partner charter school will fulfill a long-term promise when they receive their college degrees at commencement this May. Zaid Abdulsalam, Ismael Cortes Jr., and Justice Marbury were among the first students to enroll at Rochester Prep High School, and they were the three students from the first graduating class in 2018 who chose RIT as their destination.

RIT students have more than 300 clubs and organizations to choose from today. There are also 24 varsity athletics teams and numerous intramural sports, among other groups. For many students, these extracurricular activities are a great way to try something new, find a niche, and build lasting relationships.

After going virtual for 2021, thousands of people came to the RIT campus on Saturday for an in-person Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival, which featured more than 250 exhibits throughout the campus from more than 1,800 students and faculty.

RIT Croatia President and Dean Don Hudspeth recently sat down for an interview with Bob Finnerty, RIT’s associate vice president of communications. Hudspeth discussed a variety of issues, from his vision for RIT Croatia to its strategic location in Europe. RIT Croatia, the oldest of RIT’s global campuses, is also celebrating its 25th anniversary.