University Magazine Winter 2020 So you’re a steel drum-playing, tap dancing ninja warrior? RIT has wellness classes for that Also inside: How employers keep the curriculum relevant FROM THE PRESIDENT Imagine RIT—every day magine a space where you can print a Complex (stay tuned for an official name) 3D object for a class project and also is also imperative in an increasingly Iincorporate ceramics and competitive landscape in student glass blowing. Imagine the recruitment. It’s intended to same space where you go after a particular kind RIT University Magazine can get involved of student—those who Executive Editors with photogra- might be good at Lisa Cauda, Development and Alumni Relations phy, a formula science and math, Bob Finnerty ’07 MS, Marketing and Communications race car, but also want to Deborah M. Stendardi, Government and Community Relations music, make some- John Trierweiler, Marketing and Communications theater, thing. Or maybe Editor or dance. they want to Mindy Mozer, Marketing and Communications Imagine if continue their Art Director this space high school Jeff Arbegast ’93 MS, Marketing and Communications created the experience in eclectic vibe the performing Photography Editor Gabrielle Plucknette-DeVito ’07 that we experi- arts. ence annually We also need to Contributing Editors Jon Rodibaugh ’12 MBA, at Imagine RIT: get thousands of our Development and Alumni Relations Creativity and own students into this Cindy Sobieraj, Development and Alumni Relations Innovation Festival. facility every day, Photographers The Imagine RIT so they walk by all this Elizabeth Lamark ’00, Marketing and Communications festival is our signature making and creativity. A. Sue Weisler ’93 MS, Marketing and Communications event where students and Students displayed a Human This is particularly true Writers: Marketing and Communications faculty display their Hamster Wheel that produced elec- for our first-year Luke Auburn ’09, ’15 MS Rich Kiley tricity at last year’s Imagine festival. Scott Bureau ’11, ’16 MBA Greg Livadas capstone work and launch students, who arrive Michelle Cometa ’00 Vienna McGrain ’12 MS new ideas, services, and not always knowing Susan Gawlowicz ’95 Ellen Rosen products into the world. The festival is about the possibilities available at RIT. Copy Editor one day. Imagine if we could capture that This space will showcase those Marie Lang, Marketing and Communications inspired activity 365 days a year. possibilities as well as how our students Print Production This is the thinking behind our work together and share knowledge. Brenda Monahan, Marketing and Communications Innovative Maker and Learning Complex, This university is in pursuit of the Marketing and Communications a 100,000-plus-square-foot facility that extraordinary, the novel, and the unex- University Communications will become the epicenter of what RIT pected. Imagine RIT — every day. 22 Lomb Memorial Drive represents—creativity and innovation at Rochester, NY 14623-5608 Voice: 585-475-5064, Fax: 585-475-5097 the intersection of technology, the arts, Sincerely, Email: [email protected] and design. RIT is the best university in Office of Alumni Relations the nation at which to house this under Crossroads 41 Lomb Memorial Drive one roof. Rochester, NY 14623-5603 When I first arrived on campus more David C. Munson Jr., President Voice: 585-475-ALUM, Toll Free: 866-RIT-ALUM TTY: 585-475-2764, Fax: 585-475-5308 than two years ago, we were talking about [email protected] Email: [email protected] a serious renovation of the Wallace Twitter: @RITPresident Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, Library. I wondered, “why would we stop New York, publishes RIT University Magazine. with the library?” We are now designing P.S.: Save the date for Saturday, April 25, RIT does not discriminate. RIT promotes and a facility that will link the library to the for Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation values diversity within its workforce and provides equal opportunity to all qualified individuals Student Alumni Union. (See more details Festival, our signature event that draws regardless of race, color, creed, age, marital status, on pages 16 and 17.) We need something 30,000 visitors to campus each year. sex, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender that is emblematic of our university and You will discover nearly 400 interactive identity, gender expression, national origin, veteran status, or disability. that explains how we are distinctive. presentations, exhibits, hands-on At the highest level, this facility will demonstrations, research projects, Vol. 21, No. 3, 124M-P2364-11/2019-LANE-JSA represent who we are to ourselves and and live performances from Tigers Printer: The Lane Press; Burlington, Vermont © 2019 Rochester Institute of Technology the outside world. focused on shaping the future and All rights reserved The Innovative Maker and Learning improving the world. University Magazine Winter 2020 Features Departments 12 Precision 2 On Campus agriculture 4 About Students Drones are coming 10 Research soon to a farm near Faculty Profile you. 38 40 Alumni Updates 16 Makerspace 46 Class Notes Plans are in the 48 Tiger Love works for a new hub 50 Tiger Cubs that will bring the 56 Archives magic of Imagine RIT to campus every day. 18 Building businesses A new fellowship allows students to be entrepreneurs and stay in school. 24 Wellness for life RIT redefines wellness. 32 Learning from industry Employers keep RIT’s curriculum forward-looking. Cover Xavier Thomas, a mechanical engineering student, works on his skills in a ninja warrior class. The class is held at Rochester 24 Parkour Gym, which Tap dancing is one of more than 180 wellness is owned by Charles Moreland ’10. courses offered at RIT. The university requires all Gabrielle Plucknette-DeVito undergraduates to complete two wellness courses. On Campus In Brief RIT joins KEEN RIT is now a part of KEEN: Engineering Unleashed, a national partnership of about 50 universities that come together to advance A conversation engineering education. The group focuses on devel- oping graduates who are with Steve Hoover technically prepared, un- A. Sue Weisler derstand societal changes, and strategically seek opportunities to improve Steve Hoover, who was recently named the Katherine Johnson Executive Director of RIT’s upon these changes. new Global Cybersecurity Institute, is bringing together academia and industry to help tackle the world’s cybersecurity problems. The former chief technology officer and senior vice Research garners president at Xerox is already at work on the institute, which is slated to open in fall 2020. $74 million RIT had its second-best year ever in sponsored research What in your career Why is RIT creating the What is something funding and a record year background led you to Global Cybersecurity you’re working on that for research expenditures this new position? Institute? will make the institute in fiscal year 2019. I spent 25 years at Xerox in There is a national shortage stand out? RIT received 366 new both research and product de- of people qualified to work in We’re currently developing awards totaling $74 million velopment. I led the teams that cybersecurity, and RIT is work- the Cyber Range, a benchmark in funding, and expendi- launched most of Xerox’s new ing to turn around this crisis. facility that will allow us to tures grew to $61 million. technologies and products, and With the new institute, we’ll create real-world cyberattack I led the creation of a strong be able to educate even more simulations over networks Remington to retire cybersecurity team with a students, offer ways for work- with thousands of servers. This R. Roger focus on building security by ing professionals to train and facility will provide a testbed for Remington, design into a broad range of develop new skills, conduct an both research and education to Vignelli Xerox’s products and services. even broader range of research, develop defenses and counter- Distinguished As the CEO of Xerox’s flag- and help companies explore measures to cyberattacks. Professor of ship research laboratory, the and adopt the latest in cyber Design and Palo Alto Research Center technologies. How will industry play a RIT’s longest- (PARC), I built a very strong role in the institute? serving faculty member, research open innovation What makes RIT the The ability to simulate attacks will retire at the end of business serving many large ideal place for this in the Cyber Range will help us this academic year after government agencies such as institute? provide training not only for 57 years at the university. DARPA and the Department RIT has a long history of im- our students, but for indus- While he not only built of Energy, as well as spinning pact in technology through an try executives and govern- a nationally recognized de- out technologies into startups unusual combination of three ment officials who need new sign program in the College like Metawave and large cor- things—great scholarship, certifications and workforce of Art and Design, Reming- porations such as Microsoft, strong education, and highly development in advanced cy- ton made RIT an interna- Google, and Procter & Gamble. impactful commercial and gov- bersecurity skills. A key focus tional archival resource ernment collaboration. I think over the next year is under- for design. Send stories the university is a great place standing the needs of our ex- about Remington’s impact to combine deep knowledge of ternal partners, so we can draw on you to [email protected]. We a technical area with the ability businesses and talent to RIT. will run some of them in to deploy that in the real world the Spring 2020 issue. for impact. Scott Bureau ’11, ’16 MBA 2 | WINTER 2020 Metaproject 10 teams with Vignelli Center IT’s Metaproject has come full circle. guished Professor of Design and the Vignel- awards that will be judged in December.