Forever a Team Star Runner’S Brain Injury Inspires Teammates from 30 Years Ago— and a New Coast- To-Coast Journey
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The University Magazine Winter 2013-14 Forever a Team Star runner’s brain injury inspires teammates from 30 years ago— and a new coast- to-coast journey Shedding light on Earth-like planets Search for perfect snowflake ends under microscope RIT: The University Magazine Executive Editors Deborah M. Stendardi, Government and Community Relations Bob Finnerty ’07, University News Services Editor Mindy Mozer, University News Services Photo by Elizabeth Lamark/RIT Production Services Production Lamark/RIT Photo by Elizabeth Contributing Editors Student Adam Munich won the Engibous Prize at the Texas Instruments Analog Design Contest. Lisa Cauda, Development and Alumni Relations Kelly Redder, Alumni Relations FROM THE PRESIDENT Craig Smith, Development Cindy Sobieraj, Development and Alumni Relations Alumni Relations Staff Skunk works and a strategic plan Art Director Jeff Arbegast ’93, University Publications Designers: University Publications Student Adam Munich has truly been a These interesting predicaments and Alexander Gartley ’07 pain. In his first year at RIT, he got into opportunities will increase as our national Photographer trouble for cracking our IT security systems and global visibility continues to rise. Yet we A. Sue Weisler ’93, University News Services just to show us how easy they were to break have more to accomplish to accelerate our Writers: University News Services into. He also took on several self-directed momentum. What will it take to get there? Scott Bureau ’11 Michelle Cometa ’00 engineering projects in our various labs We need to continue on our path to extend Susan Gawlowicz ’95 and shops by mostly breaking our rules our geographic reach in our recruitment of Rich Kiley and borrowing material and equipment the most talented students, faculty and staff. Greg Livadas Vienna McGrain ’12 wherever he could find them. We must continue to grow our reputation Marcia Morphy One of his projects was an advanced Tes- as a place where innovation, creativity and Ellen Rosen la coil, which he wanted to demonstrate at entrepreneurship flourish. We must con- Copy Editor our Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity tinue our efforts to diversify our student, Marie Lang, University News Services Festival. But since it operated at a high volt- faculty and staff populations and tap NTID’s Multimedia Producer age, we told him he could not turn it on for presence on our campus. We must continue David Wivell, University News Services safety reasons. I guess we showed him! to get RIT’s name out there across the coun- Print Production Brenda Monahan, University Publications Well, actually, he showed us. His Tesla try and around the world. We must continue University News Services coil won the Engibous Prize at the Texas In- to be seen as a place where students and 132 Lomb Memorial Drive struments Analog Design Contest and Sum- parents get a real return on their invest- Rochester, NY 14623-5608 mit in Dallas this summer, taking home the ment. And we must continue to develop Voice: 585-475-5064 Fax: 585-475-5097 grand prize of $10,000. The awards panel at as a place where the best and brightest Email: [email protected] TI was astonished at both the sophistication come to find their futures. Office of Alumni Relations of his design and the innovation he showed So what is next? The university’s leader- Crossroads 41 Lomb Memorial Drive in actually producing a working model. ship will soon begin a new strategic plan- Rochester, NY 14623-5603 Voice: 585-475-ALUM, Toll Free: 866-RIT-ALUM And they were even more astonished to ning process. RIT’s current plan will end in TTY: 585-475-2764, Fax: 585-475-5308 learn that he just finished his freshman year. 2015 and it is vital to our continued success Email: [email protected] Adam has quite honestly attributed a fair that we smoothly transition to a solid plan Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, amount of his success to his quiet circum- for the next decade. I am excited to be part New York, publishes The University Magazine. vention of our various rules and regulations. of charting the course for RIT’s next decade RIT does not discriminate. RIT promotes and values diversity within its workforce and provides equal I think in the wake of this experience we and look forward to active participation opportunity to all qualified individuals regardless need to be willing to ask ourselves whether from the campus community, our alumni of race, color, creed, age, marital status, sex, gender, we are getting in the way of talented students and our many donors and friends. religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, veteran status, or dis- like Adam or recognizing their potential Cordially yours, ability. and finding ways to support them. As a re- sult, I have asked Adam to work with us to Vol.15, No.3, 104M-P1512-11/2013-LANE-JSA help create a kind of student “skunk works” Printer: The Lane Press; Burlington, Vermont © 2013 Rochester Institute of Technology or “hacker space” that would support Bill Destler, President All rights reserved student-directed projects more effectively. www.rit.edu/president 2 | WINTER 2011-12 The University Magazine Winter 2013-14 18 A devastating brain injury slowed down photographer and runner Brian Nice ’84, but he stayed in Departments life’s race and finished a new cross- country journey with support from 2 Letters his teammates from 30 years ago. 4 On Campus 6 About Students 26 Tiger Talk 34 Year in Review 36 Alumni Activities 38 Class Notes Other Features 8 New partnership RIT, Uncommon Schools developing charter high school. 10 World stage Engineering professor Mustafa Abushagur is helping to reshape Libya’s future. 16 Building cameras for space Researchers are advancing imaging 14 detectors for NASA space missions. The search for a perfect snowflake ends under 24 Brick City Homecoming the microscope. See photos of highlights from the weekend. 30 Clean start in new career RIT roommates reunite to form new business. Cover Former cross country runner Brian Nice recreated the historic 1979 coast-to-coast relay, this time photographing the American landscape to show that people with traumatic brain injuries can still do what they love. Items on the cover belong to members of the 1979 relay team. (Photo by A. Sue Weisler, photo illustration by Jeff Arbegast) 28 Graduates pour their Find the free RIT: The University Magazine App in hearts into a new the App Store, Amazon Appstore and Google Play brewery in Kosovo. for the iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire and Nexus 7. Letters Thank you, graphic design from Roger Remington better office systems. I currently operate to design flip cards for office copiers, user one of the most successful Drama Kids R. Roger Remington interfaces for networked office equipment International franchises in the United States, Roger Remington spring- and worldwide networked multifunction here in Rochester, where our motto is boarded my design career products and services. I draw upon the “Drama Develops Kids.” Just like good 26 years ago, when he design education I received at RIT on a design, drama develops great self-expression challenged me in my daily basis and am constantly asking the skills in individuals and builds curiosity and senior design project and question that I heard often in RIT design imagination in the communities we serve. subsequently recommend- critiques, “How could this solution or Thank you again, Roger Remington and ed me to Xerox Corp. upon system be improved?” RIT, for providing me the design foundation R. Roger Remington graduation from RIT. I used design language to bring out upon which to ask questions and spark I was hired as a graphic the best in customers, product designers, imaginations to inspire the next generation designer in Xerox’s Industrial Design/Human anthropologists, ethnographers and mech- of great people in Rochester! Interface department. I used the principles of anical and software engineers to create Pamela Spiteri ’87 (graphic design) Professor inspired Every dollar counts, Possibilities endless photographer parent says for math majors It’s wonderful how one little sentence at As a parent of a current RIT student, I enjoy Wonderful to see the article about math the bottom of a page can trigger memories! reading about what’s happening on campus education. Page 22 of the (Fall 2013) RIT magazine through The University Magazine. I started One thing you failed to point out in asked, “Was there a faculty member who reading the Fall 2013 issue, and stopped the sidebar is the other paths math majors made a difference in your life?” at Page 2. What caught my eye was the pursue. As anyone who studies math realizes, Indeed, there were many great faculty Development Office’s ad. the skills of “math majors” permeate practi- members in the photography department I read the numbers on giving and I was cally (and depending upon whom you query) who both inspired and trained, but the one like, “Really? That’s all?” Honestly, I was every walk of life. person who made the greatest influence on amazed that only 6,781 alumni out of over I continued on into medicine, specifically my life was not involved in photography. 111,000 give annually—6 percent. Then I the sub-specialty of neonatal critical care. During the winter quarter of 1969, go on to read they encourage even small This field blends the liberal arts and math- I enrolled in the elective public speaking. donations, like $5, and it was déjà vu for me. ematical arts perfectly. And with electronic I’m afraid that after nearly 45 years, I do I did not go to RIT, but to a small liberal arts medical records overtaking the medical not remember details about the instructor.