Janet Hackman, a third-year economics and environmental sustainability, health and safety major from Rockville, Md., is the team manager of the RIT Electric Vehicle Team, a collegiate electric motorcycle racing team founded in 2012.
How did you discover the Electric Vehicle Team?
Janet Hackman
Hackman, second from right, poses with members of the Electric Vehicle Team and RIT President David Munson during the Imagine RIT Creativity and Innovation Festival.
During my freshman year, I attended a club fair, where all the performance teams were showcased. It was clear that these teams are a big part of the RIT experience. I initially considered a few options related to my studies in business and economics, but nothing really stood out. Then my roommate mentioned she was going to the Electric Vehicle Team’s meeting and invited me to tag along. I thought, Why not?
Before attending, I did some research and learned it was the first year the team was forming an operations subteam. Since I have a background in business, I thought it would be a great fit. I joined as the first operations team member, which was a unique experience. I worked closely with the team manager, got involved quickly, and found the work rewarding. That’s what kept me coming back.
What is your day-to-day role with the team?
My role has changed over the years. When I first joined, I focused on managing communications, reaching out to potential sponsors, maintaining relationships with existing sponsors, and handling budgeting. When I became team manager, I had a lot to learn, especially as a non-engineer and one of the youngest members to hold the position. My team has been incredibly supportive, and while I don’t need to know the technical details, they were always happy to explain.
Now, as team manager for the second year, my role has expanded to overseeing the entire team. Day to day, I spend time checking in with members during meetings, not just about the work but also to get to know them personally. Those original responsibilities remain, but as the operations team has grown, we’ve improved our processes. For example, we now send out a monthly newsletter and have a much better response rate from sponsors thanks to changes we implemented, which is wonderful.
What’s funny is that I’m not a car person! At public events, people often tell me about their car modifications, and I just smile and nod—it’s all new to me. It’s been an amazing learning experience.
How do you fit into what is traditionally a male-dominated scene?
It’s definitely a challenge. RIT itself has a predominantly male student population, and engineering and coding-focused fields tend to be male as well. When I joined the team, my roommate and I were two of only a handful of women. But things are improving, and this year we’ve seen the most women join the team, which is amazing. Seeing five women sitting together at a meeting table now makes me so happy, knowing how far we’ve come. One moment that stood out was during an intro meeting my first year as team manager. A new operations team member later told me it was daunting for her to join the team but was inspired when she saw me in the front of the room with five guys, overseeing the team. Knowing that my presence made her feel more comfortable and confident makes all the challenges worthwhile.
Another unforgettable moment happened after my first year as team manager. I met an older woman in engineering who faced significant adversity in her career because of her gender. When I introduced myself and told her about my role, she was so moved that she teared up, saying how much it meant to see a woman leading in such a male-dominated space. Moments like that remind me why representation is so important—and why I’m proud to be part of this team.
How has your experience with the Electric Vehicle Team influenced your career goals?
It’s opened new possibilities for me. I never envisioned myself in engineering management, but this experience has shown me that it’s a viable path—and a significant industry. It’s also boosted my confidence in taking on leadership roles. Without this experience, I think I’d second-guess myself more. My first year as team manager was full of learning opportunities—plenty of mistakes, but also growth. Now, in my second year, I feel more prepared and capable, and I’ve learned how to handle pressure and adapt, which I know will translate to a professional environment.
Being on the team has also piqued my interest for electric vehicles and alternative energy, and how that connects to sustainability. In class discussions about topics like lithium-ion batteries, I can confidently contribute because of what I’ve learned on the team. It’s rewarding to see how my hands-on experience complements my academic studies.
Do you have any advice for other students just starting out at RIT?
Be curious and open to trying new things. Some of the best decisions I’ve made—choosing RIT, joining the Electric Vehicle Team, and sticking with it—started with a simple “what if?” Those choices have shaped my career goals and shown me what I’m capable of. Leading a team while managing my coursework has taught me how to handle pressure, adapt to mistakes, and navigate burnout. Burnout can be an isolating experience; it's easy to be convinced that it’s only you, but it’s not singular. It’s taken a lot of practice to realize that, and I’m still nowhere close to perfect with handling it.
That said, don’t overthink everything. Nothing is that serious—if you try a club or activity and it’s not for you, that’s okay. College is about exploring, making mistakes, and figuring out what works for you. Don’t feel pressured to have it all figured out or to stick with people or opportunities that don’t fit. Find those opportunities and take those chances, knowing that some of them will fail, but the ones that don't are probably going to be the best opportunities of your college experience.
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- RIT, partners named finalist for funding to bolster region’s laser expertiseA Rochester and Finger Lakes region coalition that includes researchers from RIT has been named a finalist for the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program. The team’s project, Science, Technology and Engineering of Laser and Laser Applications Research (STELLAR), aims to progress the region as a national leader in laser technologies, education, company creation, manufacturing, and workforce development. STELLAR is one of 15 finalists from nearly 300 letters of intent received by the NSF. STELLAR is led by the University of Rochester and also includes team members from Monroe Community College, Nextcorps, Luminate, Greater Rochester Enterprise, AmeriCOM, and New York State. RIT’s contingent is led by Stefan Preble, the Bausch and Lomb Professor in Microsystems Engineering. Co-principal investigators are Linda Bryant, director of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf’s Learning Consortium and Online Learning Initiatives, Seth Hubbard, head of the School of Physics and Astronomy, and Jie Qiao, associate professor in the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science. “We are excited to be part of the STELLAR team to drive the next wave of innovation in lasers and their applications by building on Rochester’s and RIT’s leadership in optics, photonics, imaging, semiconductor, and microelectronic research and education,” said Preble. “Together with our partners, we will advance laser technologies and develop a highly skilled workforce to ensure our region remains a global leader in optics, photonics, and laser-enabled solutions." After the NSF conducts in-depth, in-person interviews with the finalist teams to further assess risks, resources, and adaptability, awardees will be announced in early 2026. If funded, STELLAR will develop a manufacturing ecosystem for lasers, provide critical research and development support for growing companies, and help teachers from middle school through all levels of college develop curricula to help students learn skilled trades in laser systems. The Rochester region is already well known for its storied and robust history in optics, photonics, imaging, and laser companies and suppliers. Lasers are essential in a wide range of fields, including manufacturing, communications, inspection, environment sensing, defense, and security systems. More information on the award and finalists is available on the NSF Engines website.
- Student designs hit the factory floor at Autodesk UniversityWhat started as a concept for the School of Design’s annual T-Minus challenge has made a splash at Autodesk University 2025. The Autodesk MultiMeasure, created by RIT industrial design students in collaboration with Autodesk, was the Factory Experience product chosen for the global software and technology company’s annual conference. Autodesk University invited professionals from across the globe to come together to share ideas, advance industry practices, and explore opportunities for the future. Attendees span a wide breadth of industries, including architecture, engineering, construction and operations, product design, manufacturing, and media and entertainment. This year, the conference welcomed 11,000 attendees. The Factory Experience is where attendees gained hands-on experience with the concept-to-production process using Autodesk Fusion, the company’s artificial intelligence-powered industry cloud for manufacturing. RIT’s partnership with Autodesk goes back more than 12 years, according to Alex Lobos, director of the School of Design. Lobos said the partnership enhances student learning opportunities and gives faculty insight into what skills will help students flourish in successful careers after graduation. “Watching our students work together with Autodesk to develop this product from an early concept all the way to manufacturing is a unique experience. This type of collaboration with industry partners hardly ever happens to that level of detail and execution,” he said. Lobos added that the partnership “goes beyond free software and trainings.” Autodesk representatives come to campus often, offer students opportunities to work on sponsored projects, and support design courses. The Autodesk MultiMeasure tool was developed through one of those course collaborations. “It’s been an honor to host RIT students and showcase their design work at our largest customer event of the year,” said Mary Hope McQuiston, Autodesk’s vice president of education. “Autodesk University is our opportunity to demonstrate to more than 10,000 customers what our technology can achieve, but it’s also a moment for us to spotlight what’s possible when industry and academia come together to equip students with the skills, experiences, and confidence to excel in the workforce. We’re proud to have partnered with RIT students and educators on this Factory experience that celebrates the promise of tomorrow’s design and make innovators.” Kelly Sorensen Attendees of Autodesk University assembled the Autodesk MultiMeasure, designed by RIT industrial design students, as part of the conference’s Factory Experience. The experience is a highlight of the annual conference. The Autodesk MultiMeasure is a compact, hand-held device that combines a rotating arm with integrated distance and color sensors, a rotary encoder, and an LCD display for real-time measurement and feedback. The design highlights precision, versatility, and ease of use for applications such as measurement, color matching, and angle detection that design professionals may need while out on the field. Following the T-Minus challenge in January 2023, a few top designs were selected to be prototyped in Assistant Professor Juan Noguera’s experimental studio course. Students in the course were split into teams, and each team was tasked with prototyping the designs. The MultiMeasure tool was refined over the course of two semesters, with many student hands influencing the design along the way. Once the final design was perfected, the Autodesk team finalized and manufactured the product. “The students were really driven by the idea that their designs could be manufactured, and I think it showed in the quality of their work,” said Noguera. “Seeing everyone come together for this opportunity and event that was promised to them years ago is very exciting.” Agneya Kulkarni, a fourth-year industrial design student from Mumbai, India, took the experimental studio in the fall of 2024. After completing an internship with Autodesk prior to taking the course, the opportunity to continue working with a real industry partner, and to learn from Noguera’s mentorship, inspired him to enroll. “During the class, Juan went through a lot of his own experiences working with clients, including how he tackled problems and when and how to present certain information,” said Kulkarni. “All of this information was super valuable. We couldn’t have had a better teacher for this because of the abundance of experience and knowledge he shared with us.” Ethan Solodukhin, a fourth-year industrial design major from Westchester, N.Y., has sought out experiential learning opportunities outside of his required coursework since his first year at RIT. This experimental studio was the perfect opportunity to combine in-class learning with real-world project parameters. In addition to his participation in the course, Solodukhin is an Autodesk student ambassador. This position paved the way for one of his original designs, the Revo chair, to be showcased by Autodesk at different industry events, dramatically increasing his visibility as a designer. “Autodesk opened so many doors that allowed me to add work to my resume and portfolio,” said Solodukhin. “The opportunity to have my work linked to a multi-billion-dollar corporation shines in the eyes of potential employers and other people in the design industry. It’s great exposure.” Todd Jokl, dean of the College of Art and Design, echoed the praise for the experience and exposure students gain through working with a company like Autodesk. “This collaboration with Autodesk is a great example of technology, the arts, and design converging with successful outcomes,” said Jokl. “Our faculty members and leaders in the School of Design prioritize these experiential learning opportunities, and the willingness to partner with our students speaks to the respect the industry has for our faculty.” The Autodesk MultiMeasure was officially launched during Autodesk University 2025, hosted Sept. 16-18 in Nashville, Tenn. For more information about the tool, go to the Autodesk website. Go to the School of Design website for more information about RIT’s design programs.
- RIT hosts community remote sensing experimentSatellites, planes, drones, canoes, and more were deployed at RIT’s Tait Preserve for ROCX 2025, an open-community, major data-collection experiment. Building off similar experiments done in 2010 and 2012, RIT’s Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing (DIRS) Laboratory gathered together more than 60 researchers and students from organizations around the globe to collaborate on-site with RIT students, faculty, and staff. Approximately 20 ground and 20 remote sensing experiments were conducted over the two-week period in September. “The goal is to provide data that are useful for educational and research purposes to the global community,” said John Kerekes, research professor in the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science and principal investigator of the project. “We have a history of putting data sets out on our websites and other websites that scientific researchers can use as part of education and training, as well as to research new methodologies to analyze the remote sensing data.” The DIRS staff had received interest from alumni and the community to do another large data collection project like had been done in 2012 and began to work on the planning of ROCX 2025 in the spring of 2024. The team coordinated surveys and working groups to approve and schedule proposals for the collection. The IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society signed on as a platinum sponsor for the event while Matter Intelligence and Spectra Vista Corporation were bronze sponsors. While the collection is complete, the work will continue. By the summer of 2026, all data will be processed and made public for instructional or research purposes. The data collected will be used for decades. The DIRS staff will disseminate results through special sessions at major conferences and peer-reviewed journal special issues over the coming months and years. The combination of remote sensing data from satellites, aircraft, and drones, combined with ground object deployments and ground truth collection makes the data collection unique, and therefore very useful. “There’s lots of data out there observing our Earth, but it’s not always coordinated with understanding what’s on the ground,” said Kerekes. “If you want to teach someone how to extract the information from the data, you need that truth.” Along with Kerekes, Nina Raqueno, research scientist, and Joseph Sirianni, associate director of the DIRS Laboratory, were the co-investigators for the project. More information on ROCX 2025 and the DIRS Lab is available at the ROCX 2025 website.
- New field station to boost research at Tait PreserveOpportunities at RIT’s Tait Preserve continue to expand with the addition of a $2.1 million field station, currently under construction and set to open next fall. The one-story building will include a classroom space and a laboratory, along with a garage for light maintenance and equipment storage. The space will be open and available to all departments across the RIT community and allow for researchers to remain on-site instead of having to always move research materials between the preserve and the main campus. “The building has been designed with input from the academic groups to be flexible,” said David Brault, director of Tait Preserve. “It’s not exclusive to one group or college, it’s really for all the academic units.” Since acquiring the 177-acre property in 2019, Tait Preserve, which operates within University Arenas in the Division of Finance and Administration, has continued its growth as a research area, event space, and agricultural center. Current research at Tait includes using Limnocorrals to study the fate of microplastics, deploying and testing underwater remote operated vehicles, and collecting data via remote sensing and digital imaging. The Leenhouts Lodge on site provides 4,500 square feet of event space for up to 100 people for meetings, meals, presentations, and special events. The site offers yoga and Pilates classes on the weekends through RIT’s Better Me wellness program. Other public events are held throughout the year, like a container garden workshop led by Gardens and Grounds Specialist Meghan Gilbert. Tait’s three-person team also includes Manager of Events and Operations Maggie Newton. With Brault’s background in agriculture and Gilbert’s horticulture expertise, the grounds are cultivated year-round to provide for the RIT community. The raised bed garden provides approximately 2,000 pounds of produce each year, which is mostly sent to Gracie’s dining on campus. The garden beds are turned over multiple times each growing season to keep current vegetables and herbs ready to harvest. Tait Preserve also has an apple orchard and flower garden. Volunteers assist with planting native grasses and native wildflowers throughout the south field during spring and fall planting events. A 2-mile trail surrounds the 60-acre lake. “It’s all part of an effort to get people out here and to provide activities that are unique to the property,” added Brault. “We try to provide experiences that you can’t always get on campus.” The property was gifted to RIT by Amy Leenhouts Tait and Robert C. Tait, Rochester natives and highly successful real estate entrepreneurs. The Tait Preserve land previously operated as a sand quarry. It is located in Penfield, N.Y., 25 minutes from RIT’s Henrietta campus. For more information on events and opportunities at the site, visit the Tait Preserve website. Edge Architecture A rendering of the new field station as viewed from the south.
- Dual role as teacher and mentor leads to prestigious international award for faculty memberWhether coordinating the logistics of challenging SAE Baja Racing events in Rochester or helping organize overnight programs with current and prospective engineering students, Marca Lam has taken a non-traditional approach to educating engineers. Coupling these experiences with teaching interesting courses across the curriculum such as optimization, system dynamics, and engineering vibrations, Lam has made an impact as a teacher, mentor, adviser, and friend over her 30-plus years as an educator. Provided Each year, Marca Lam coordinates travel for a group of RIT students to attend the annual SWE conference and organizes a meet and greet with engineering alumni who are also members of the organization. Lam is being honored with the Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, presented by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at its annual conference in October. The prestigious award is given to individuals who make significant contributions to engineering education over at least 20 years. It is one of the highest honors given by the international organization to celebrate the achievements of female engineers, particularly those considered role models who advance engineering as well as the careers of future engineers through learning, advocacy, professionalism, and leadership. Since arriving at RIT in 2006, Lam has served multiple academic, administrative, and service leadership roles within RIT and the Kate Gleason College of Engineering. She began as a visiting associate professor and advanced to the undergraduate program director for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Throughout her career she has developed, improved, and taught many courses with the goal of finding the best ways to present the challenging materials essential to sending skilled engineers into the workforce. As part of SWE since 2009, Lam served as secretary, webmaster, and eventually president of the Rochester professional chapter. In 2010, she became adviser for RIT’s student chapter of SWE, a position she has held for 15 years. Many young women such as Amanda Weissman ’09 (electrical engineering), ’09 MS (materials science), one of Lam’s nominators, look back at careers that were encouraged and supported because of her mentorship, advocacy for students, and her role in fostering strong connections between current students and alumni. “It's Marca's personal investment in students that’s always impressed me,” said Weissman, principal systems engineer for Lockheed Martin. Weissman designs combat systems for surface navy ships and works at the company’s Adelaide, Australia, site. “Not only knowing their names, but building relationships with them, encouraging them, and helping them understand how an organization like SWE can help them in their careers. I am thrilled to see Marca recognized with this award.” Prior to coming to RIT, Lam taught at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. She taught design courses in the undergraduate engineering program and began on a path to develop courses not yet a regular part of the curriculum in the areas of control systems, materials science, and dynamics. Her work in this area significantly increased the number and variety of elective options for students. This pattern would continue when she came to RIT in 2006 and began to collaborate on new courses and adaptations to current content with peers from each of the Kate Gleason College departments. She led the second-year engineering student honors courses about the new product design cycle, which included coordinating national and international travel excursions for students to engineering companies. “It is a privilege to have been nominated for this award. It reflects all the work I have done to support students in general, and women specifically. This is truly the career award for me,” said Lam. “My teaching philosophy has always been that you create an interactive learning environment by asking good questions of the class, paying attention to answers, and covering theory but also working through exercises that are tied closely to real-world problems.” This is the second award and recognition given to Lam, who was honored as SWE Outstanding Faculty Advisor in 2015. The SWE Distinguished Engineering Educator Award will be presented at the annual SWE conference scheduled for Oct. 23-25 in New Orleans.
- RIT researchers help scale breakthrough decarbonization technologyResearchers at the New York State Center of Excellence in Advanced and Sustainable Manufacturing (COE-ASM) at Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS) are helping advance a lab-born breakthrough into viable climate technology. Project lead and GIS mechanical engineer Catherine Swail is leading efforts to scale a method that captures carbon dioxide and locks it into rock-like materials using industrial waste. The sequestration process was developed and patented at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and licensed to Carbon To Stone for scale-up deployments. Their researchers developed a method to accelerate a naturally occurring mineralization process using a reusable, low-energy solvent system. The process starts with gaseous industrial waste streams that are introduced to a chemical solution, which is mixed with byproducts of heavy industry, such as steel slag or cement kiln dust. These elements react in a slurry to form a solid carbonate that is filtered, separating the solvent for reuse from the solid “mineralized material.” This sustainable material can be used in cement or concrete production, thereby permanently locking away the captured carbon dioxide. The potential is two-fold for industry partners, as they can utilize their waste resources to help meet emission regulations and generate carbon capture credits as well as revenue through the sale of the mineralized products. Successful laboratory demonstration of this crystallization technology prompted the founders of Carbon To Stone to form the startup in 2022, with the goal of scaling the process for real-world industrial impact. That’s where COE-ASM comes in. Swail and a multidisciplinary team of engineers and technicians have spent the last nine months designing and building a mobile prototype system. The goal is to capture tons of carbon dioxide per year from an industrial waste stream, a step toward commercial use. “It’s not as simple as just doubling everything,” Swail said about bringing the system to scale. “The goal is to stagger the timing of the reactions between the two reactors by adding semi-automated controls and measurement to enable more continuous carbon capture.” Among the many upgrades Swail and her team implemented are a custom flue gas conditioning system (including a chiller and heat exchanger), a second reactor, an upgraded filtration press to handle more material throughout, and LabVIEW based software to communicate with a programmable logic controller. The custom software developed by the GIS team gives an operator control over valves, pumps, sensor readings and shutdowns as well as records data for analysis from a computer interface. The system is mounted within a trailer, which will allow the startup to be more mobile, piloting the technology at various partner sites. “Material handling has been a challenge, especially with the slurry,” Swail said. “You need specific types of pumps and compatible materials, and even small details like pressure and height differentials in the lines make a substantial difference. We’ve been testing and redesigning as we go, adding things like a compressed air line to clear blockages. It’s all part of the iterative design process.” The partnership began through Scale for ClimateTech, when RIT Technical Program Manager Mark Walluk conducted a manufacturing readiness level assessment of Carbon To Stone’s technology and recommended the RIT team’s support given the company’s preparedness to scale. “Working with COE-ASM significantly accelerated our product development timeline,” said Sravanth Gadikota, CEO of Carbon To Stone Inc. “They bring a team with broad expertise in various disciplines, including mechanical, electrical, machining and project management. Further, the funding support from New York state agencies made it possible for us to access such incredible skills, right here in Upstate New York. Working with this team is a no-brainer.” Funding for the project was provided by the New York State Department of Economic Development. “New York state funding allows the Center of Excellence to offset the cost of helping companies advance their green technologies,” added Walluk. “It’s very rewarding to help startups like Carbon To Stone on their journey to bring new and impactful technology to the market.” Note: Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DED.
