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Vertically Integrated Projects
The Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program is a transformative approach to enhancing higher education by engaging undergraduate and graduate students in ambitious, long-term, large-scale, multidisciplinary project teams, led by faculty. The program has been rigorously evaluated and refined over more than two decades.
RIT joined the VIP consortium in the summer of 2023.
The VIP Model
The VIP Program engages both undergraduate and graduate students in faculty-led multidisciplinary project teams. Students earn academic credits, while faculty and graduate students benefit from the design/discovery efforts of their teams.
The VIP model has eight essential elements:
- Projects are embedded in faculty mentor’s scholarship and exploration.
- Projects are long-term and large-scale, continuing for many years, even decades.
- Program is curricular and all participating students are graded.
- Students can participate and earn credits toward their degrees for at least two years.
- Learning outcomes focus on the development of both disciplinary and professional skills.
- Multi-disciplinary teams are encouraged but not required.
- Dedicated classroom and meeting spaces.
- Faculty/student participation is based on mutual interest
Active teams
Computational Tools for Live Performance
Explore the use of computational tools, technologies, and methodologies in the process of the production of live theatrical and dance performances. Sample technologies on which we focus include virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, facial and body motion capture, volumetric video capture, projection mapping, audio synthesis and analysis, lighting and special effects.
Learn more about the Computational Tools for Live Performance project
Cultural Heritage Imaging, Preservation, and Research
Student and faculty researchers will work together to develop, enhance, and deploy methods to advance imaging techniques, related research, and applications that can impact the research, scholarship, and practice of scholars in humanities and arts as well as practitioners in cultural heritage and memory institutions, such as libraries, archives, and museums.
Medical Technologies: Dialysis Design and Patient Perspectives
Explore patient perspectives about their life-sustaining medical technologies, specifically dialysis. Around the world, dialysis patients who opt for at-home dialysis often have better outcomes. Yet, in the United States, and Rochester specifically, most patients choose in center dialysis. We will explore the factors that influence this modality choice.
Interactive Chapbooks
Students will work in cross-functional teams to design and develop small games inspired by/in collaboration with poets, artists, family members, etc. -- people whose work and stories hold meaning that the students want to share. Similar to poetry chapbooks, each semester’s games will be published as a web-based collection to be shared with the broader RIT and Rochester community.
Cybersecurity Clinic
For decades, schools of law and medicine have operated “clinics,” where students work with real-world clients with limited resources and gain valuable hands-on experience. These projects give students a “clinical” experience where they work on real-world problems and systems under the supervision of faculty and help to strengthen the digital defenses of under-resourced organizations.
