News by Topic: Racial Inclusiveness

For RIT biomedical sciences major Maduka Gunasinghe, compassion for others is a gift he shares freely and community service is the expression of his character. RIT has recognized his commitment to other people’s well-being with a Bruce R. James Distinguished Public Service Award. He will receive the award at a ceremony on April 5.

RIT honored the service and dedication of its employees with the Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff ceremony March 31. The annual awards are presented to staff members who exemplify outstanding service and dedication to the university and who exhibit a high degree of personal ethics and integrity while consistently demonstrating a strong commitment to student success.

Jahaad Shairi, a School of Film and Animation sophomore, has been selected as a 2022 CIEE Frederick Douglass Global Fellow—an honor awarding him a full scholarship to represent RIT at a four-week leadership program for students of color that is set in Ireland and focused on peace, social justice, and conflict resolution.

RIT’s College of Liberal Arts spring production, Men On Boats, opens at 7:30 p.m. tonight with additional performances at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday in Webb Auditorium in James E. Booth Hall.

RIT has launched a new survey that will allow the campus community to provide confidential, honest feedback about the university’s ability to create an inclusive, diverse, engaging, and supportive environment.

More women are applying to RIT than ever before, especially in STEM programs. Applications from women were up 13 percent across the board from last year. The surge in women applicants in STEM is helping an overall record year for applications.

The coronavirus pandemic derailed Jude Seunarine’s study abroad plans for more than two years, but he finally got his chance during spring break. Seunarine was one of 10 students who flew to RIT’s campus in Dubrovnik and spent a week travelling the region and learning about its history and culture.

Diverse subjects involving safety and autonomous automobiles, Black women in computing, and Italian cinema are just some of the winning entries for this year’s student writing awards, sponsored by RIT’s College of Liberal Arts.

The Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences has a new initiative aimed at increasing its emphasis on diversity at all levels in the college. The GCCIS Diversity Initiatives office will support underrepresented populations, Women in Computing, and diversity and inclusion efforts.

Joshua Rashaad McFadden, an internationally recognized assistant professor of photography in RIT’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, was chosen to visually capture the story of the first decade of Black Lives Matter in New York Magazine’s February issue.

One highlight of the RIT-Rochester Prep High School Partnership is the annual capstone showcase that spotlights student-professor collaborations. Their diverse projects in photojournalism, antibiotic resistance, 3D printing and fabrication, and chemical engineering gave the students experience on a college campus and the confidence of completing undergraduate-level material.

After the contested 2020 presidential election, the tumult of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and the national protests following the killing of George Floyd, RIT looked inward to see how to address the political climate with the student body. The result is an increased effort to create a campus culture of free speech and to give students the skills to participate in civil discourse respectfully and productively long after they graduate.