News by Topic: Interdisciplinary Studies

First came COVID-19, then came a massive construction project, and now after more than three-and-half years, RIT’s university library reopens with a new look and a new neighbor.

Saunders College of Business is entering its first cohort of students into the college’s new Ph.D. in business administration this fall, marking the university’s inaugural social sciences doctoral program. The program is designed to inspire and train scholars to identify, investigate, and solve unique business challenges that influence business and society.

RIT is offering a new bachelor’s degree in neuroscience beginning this fall. The Bachelor of Science degree will focus on how the brain works and how to apply that knowledge to develop systems for new frontiers, such as advancing artificial intelligence, combating neurodegenerative diseases, and assisting those with learning disabilities.

A current class action lawsuit calls into question whether information from manufacturers about the usage and safety of a chemical herbicide was deliberately misleading consumers. RIT's Amit Ray and University of Rochester's Ray Dorsey explore this issue and connect it with the sociological concept agnotology.

RIT’s Launch Initiative won first place in the Space Dynamics Laboratory Payload Challenge this summer in Las Cruces, N.M. They were among nearly 6,000 students from 159 international collegiate teams at the annual competition that challenges students to launch solid, liquid, or hybrid rockets to altitudes of 10,000 and 30,000 feet.

From building a cleanroom in his family home while he was in high school to becoming an entrepreneur and Ph.D., it is no wonder that RIT alumnus Matt Hartensveld is viewed as a future leader in the microelectronics industry. He was recently named SEMICON West 20 under 30 awardee, given by the organization to recognize the microelectronic industry’s brightest young leaders.

RIT’s MAGIC Center and MAGIC Spell Studios has formed a partnership with Foundry, a Rochester-based company whose mission is to empower institutional miners, staking customers, and blockchain entrepreneurs with the tools they need.

Despite overcoming health challenges from a car accident, Bobby Kovach, who recently graduated from RIT, managed to earn two degrees in four disciplines at the same time.

Jennifer Schneider, a faculty-researcher at RIT and expert in hazardous materials and community resilience, recently joined two national organizations to investigate and guide improved standards for use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and technologies. 

In only a few weeks, the SHED will open to the RIT community, and Tiffany Brodner is preparing for her new role overseeing the multi-use facility.

Twelve technical specialists from L3Harris are part of a high-tech workforce development pilot program at Rochester Institute of Technology learning how to build the “brains” inside electronic devices. This first cohort of students is part of the region’s broader economic development initiatives to expand industries such as advanced manufacturing.

In an attempt to limit the use of chemical pesticides and promote native species on their land, some gardeners have begun purchasing ladybugs as a form of “natural” pest control. However, Assistant Professor Kaitlin Stack Whitney says that buying ladybugs online, as opposed to attracting them naturally, can cause more harm than good.