RIT Division Of Government and Community Relations

Bidding is open for our annual CHAIRity Auction! Talented artists from the RIT community painted 41 chairs and have designated their donations to various United Way agencies. You can check out this year’s chairs on the bidding site: rit.edu/chairity/.

Do you have big ideas? Gap Year fellows do! RIT's Gap Year Entrepreneurial Fellowship supports passion projects by providing time, a stipend, and business coaching. brnw.ch/21x0TLN

Mae Jemison, a former NASA astronaut, physician, educator, and the first woman of color to go into space, will be the keynote speaker for RIT’s Academic Convocation on May 8. Jemison will also receive an Honorary Doctor of Science degree. brnw.ch/21x0OES

.@Independent published a column by André Hudson, dean of @RITScience, explaining how conflict involving Iran could disrupt global oil supplies and affect markets for petroleum-based products such as plastics, fertilizers, and chemicals. brnw.ch/21x0R9q

Amelia Hunkele is this year’s winning artist for the Imagine RIT poster, which depicts a Rube Goldberg machine. Visitors can receive a free copy of the poster during the festival on April 25, while supplies last. brnw.ch/21x0J0u

Josh Harkless is bringing at national title back to campus with him!

What a great trip to Boston for Emily & I! It was great to see the Tiger spirit and energy in Boston. We were joined by a standing-room-only crowd of nearly 300 attendees that included alumni, parents, prospective students & parents, & nearly 40 students from @RIThonors. /1

Spirit, a 9-month-old black Labrador, is on RIT’s campus this semester, receiving his initial training to eventually become a guide dog for the blind! brnw.ch/21x0ACp

The @RITtigers 2026 @UnitedWay Campaign is off to a strong start, raising $95,351.33 in its first week, already reaching 45.37% of the $225,000 goal with 241 donors and 123 participants. We have also made it easy for community members outside of RIT to support the campaign. Please visit: rit.edu/unitedway for more information on how to donate, volunteer, and contribute. The campaign launched successfully with the PBJam kickoff event, where 114 volunteers prepared 1,179 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to support local organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester, YWCA, Center for Youth, and Willow Center. Special thanks go to event sponsors RIT Dining, Palmers Food Services, Regional Distributors, Inc., and Pepsi for helping make the event possible. The campaign continues to build momentum with the upcoming CHAIRity Auction, featuring chairs painted by talented members of the RIT community, with bidding opening March 16 (rit.edu/chairity/) Thank you to everyone who has already contributed through volunteering, pledging, and participation, and to those who will continue to support the campaign. Together, our collective efforts strengthen and uplift our community. Onward and Upward!

During a 2024 visit to West Africa, faculty from RIT's Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS) discovered a complex reality—one where old electronics are often seen not as waste, but as a source of economic opportunity. brnw.ch/21x0yUC

This week we’re launching a new decade-long Strategic Framework that will guide the university’s priorities, investments, inspiration, and aspirations through 2035. /1 brnw.ch/21x0C6k

Try new things, find new ways of experiencing life, and always be curious. @RITNTID President Caroline M. Solomon shares this advice, along with funny stories and challenges she has faced, in a profile by The Mind Hears. brnw.ch/21x0vJB

The excitement of @SpecOlympicsNY is contagious! Nearly 80 @RIT_ArtDesign photographers helped document and capture the energy of the 2026 Winter Games as part of an ongoing collaboration. brnw.ch/21x0sqD

PBJam is back! 114 @RITtigers volunteers made 1,179 PB and Jam sandwiches for @UnitedWay charities. YWCA, Center for Youth, @bgcrochesterny, and @willowcenterny. Thanks especially to @RITDining, @RITPresident, @RITProvost and Campaign Chair @HudsonLabRIT.

Justin Pelletier, @RITcomputing Professor of Practice and director of the GCI Cyber Range and Training Center, discussed how AI systems are becoming tools for strategic influence in an article for @ConversationUS. brnw.ch/21x0mEp

Introducing the 2026 recipients of RIT's Distinguished Alumni Awards! brnw.ch/21x01CM

Polls close tomorrow- Friday!

Karl Hirschman, associate department head in the Department of Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering at @_RITengineering, shares with @13wham about the ever-growing needs of the U.S. semiconductor industry and Central New York's unique position. brnw.ch/21wZY3q

.@CBSNews features @RIT_Alumni Jacquelyn Martin ’01 (applied photography, @RIT_ArtDesign) staff photographer for the Associated Press (@AP), about capturing Lindsey Vonn's devastating crash on Sunday at the @Olympics. brnw.ch/21wZYgt

Exciting news! @RITtigers and @UofR just received new funding of $2 million from @NIST for RoQNET. We are grateful to @SenSchumer, @SenGillibrand , and @RepJoeMorelle for their support in securing this critical funding! rit.edu/news/rit-uroch…