RIT is celebrating a record year for sponsored research funding in fiscal year 2025, receiving  $105 million. Milestones include reaching a new record for National Science Foundation awards at more than $21 million. Additionally, RIT faculty submitted 30 NSF CAREER Award submissions this past year, which is another record. Assistant Professor Shima Parsa from the College of Science and Associate Professor Rui Liu from the Kate Gleason College of Engineering are the most recent recipients of the prestigious NSF CAREER Award honors. RIT received approximately 72 percent of its awards from federal funding agencies. “The breadth and depth of our university researchers showcases the innovation that continues to propel RIT forward and move us into a new category of research excellence,” said Ryne Raffaelle, vice president for Research. “These new levels of sponsored activity demonstrate that the research work of our faculty is worthy of national and international recognition, even in such a challenging times for federal research funding.” Kate Gleason College of Engineering led the RIT colleges by receiving more than $20 million in new sponsored research awards, and the College of Science led in the number of research funding proposals submitted with more than 200 throughout fiscal year 2025. “Our faculty is conducting research on the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing, semiconductor and quantum technologies, biomedical and healthcare engineering, artificial intelligence, and much more,” said Doreen Edwards, dean of the College of Engineering. “In addition, our master’s and Ph.D. students are working side-by-side with our faculty. This environment is rich with opportunities to develop the next generation of engineers who will carry this research to the next level.” Additionally, several of the university’s interdisciplinary research centers, including the K-12 University Center, Battery Development Center, NanoPower Research Labs, and Personalized Healthcare Technology that draw faculty from across colleges and disciplines to create solutions for some of society’s current challenges, each exceeded $7 million in sponsored funding.  Added Raffaelle: “Looking ahead, we are energized and driven to advance and support  our faculty researchers to win research awards that allow them to advance their disciplines and create technologies and findings that have the potential to improve our world.”

Distinguished engineer Anshu Kak doesn’t believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace people. Instead, it can augment human capabilities—but the key is understanding how to leverage it effectively. Kak, the global vice president for Google Cloud Platform and Data/Private AI Practice at Kyndryl, will headline the 2025 Eugene H. Fram Signature Lecture in Critical Thinking at RIT. The highly accomplished C-level executive will offer insights into leadership and technology. Her presentation, “Augmented Leadership: Critical Thinking in the Age of GenAI,” will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, in RIT’s Ingle Auditorium, Student Alumni Union. The talk is free and open to the public. There will be a light reception in Fireside Lounge after the lecture. Kak’s presentation will focus on the critical role of leaders as orchestrators of intelligent systems and facilitators of seamless human-AI collaboration. She will explore how to navigate complexities of autonomous agents, cultivate critical thinking in the context of industry-relevant use cases, and drive informed, strategic decisions. “Critical thinkers can continually adapt to rapidly evolving technological, aesthetic, and social environments, and manifest new ideas, both individually and collectively,” said Jennifer Schneider, professor, senior director of Integrated Curriculum, and Eugene H. Fram Chair of Applied Critical Thinking. “We must think critically to assess all our technologies—including AI and the information it is built upon—as they integrate into and across our lives.” Attendees to this year’s Fram Lecture will learn how to lead effectively in an era defined by continuous AI evolution, empower teams, and foster AI-driven decision-making. As a technical executive, Kak has more than 25 years of experience at tech giants Google, IBM, and GE. She led Google Cloud’s global Principal Architect community and spearheaded Google’s Solution Design Method, an approach grounded in critical and design thinking that reflects her commitment to solving complex problems through thoughtful, human-centered leadership. The annual Eugene H. Fram Signature Lecture in Critical Thinking is part of the campuswide Applied Critical Thinking initiative, which integrates critical thinking improvement in classes and community life and promotes it through events. The Eugene H. Fram Chair was founded in 2011 through a donation from an RIT alumnus who wished to recognize the impact of Eugene H. Fram, a professor emeritus of marketing. Fram taught at RIT for 51 years and was a chair in Saunders College of Business. Register online to attend the lecture.