A trip to the Dominican Republic (DR) during spring break has given a group of RIT students a new perspective on access to healthcare delivery, public-health initiatives, medical education, and emergency services in another country. ‌ John Oliphant A little boy learns to floss his teeth with the encouragement of physician assistant students Maddie Johnston, kneeling, Makayla Rosettie, and Emma Sledzik. They taught Haitian and Dominican children about oral hygiene practices. Interpreter Fermin Perez Jean is at left. Thirteen students spent March 8-15 in the DR in the western region of Pedernales and in Santo Domingo, the capital along the southeastern coast, as part of their class, Global Healthcare Delivery with International Field Experience. John Oliphant, professor and director of the new global public health bachelor’s degree program, led the trip along with Mary Golden, RIT director of interior design, Jallah Kennedy, adjunct professor in the global public health program, and host partners in the DR. The group visited medical schools, clinics, hospitals, civil defense, and Red Cross facilities, and a prison, and met with emergency medical teams and firefighters. The students interviewed medical and public health professionals and medical students about their various research topics, and recorded their reflections in daily video journals. “This experience opened my eyes to other parts of the world that I have never been exposed to,” said Cody Lawson, a global public health major from Sherburne, N.Y., who described his experience in the Dominican Republic as “life changing.” ‌ John Oliphant RIT students Buyi Owo-Odusi, a biomedical sciences major, and Cody Lawson, a global public health major, gave a presentation about handwashing to remove dirt and germs and prevent illness. “I learned that the Dominican Republic faces a lot of challenges in the healthcare of children—access to healthcare, lack of vaccinations due to financial circumstances, and various diarrhea and respiratory diseases,” Lawson said. He is studying global public health as a stepping stone to medical school. He hopes to work in pediatric oncology. Lawson was struck by the plight of children they met living on a beach. “One of them didn't have any family. He had his own business of polishing shoes to make money and he was unable to attend school. To know that there are many children like this in the same circumstances is absolutely heartbreaking and motivates me to take action and show my support for these communities.” During the trip, the students gave public health talks and distributed gift bags of personal care items. They talked to Haitian and Dominican children about oral hygiene, illness prevention through hand washing, and puberty and menstruation for girls nine to 12 years old (presented with a local obstetrician/gynecologist). Their talks for adults focused on understanding blood pressure numbers and eating nutritiously. ‌ John Oliphant RIT students Ella Lewis, a biomedical sciences major, and physician assistant students Emma Tucker and Emma Sledzik, sit with Mary Golden, director of RIT’s interior design program, in an ambulance simulator. Program host and guide Raphael Perez Jean sits in the foreground. Abby Giacoman, a fourth-year physician assistant student from Rochester, N.Y., noticed how much is taken for granted in the United States, “such as access to first-line medication or an individual’s ability to attend college,” she said. “It helped me realize the true impact of inequities that exist in healthcare, and how they can affect the local population.” The students will talk about their experiences in the DR at the Innovations in Global Public Health Conference on April 12 and the Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival on April 26. Their time in the DR was profound and emotional. Sometimes, circumstances overwhelmed them all, Oliphant said. “Seeing homeless children living on a beach and firefighters without fire-protection gear—these are things you cannot forget.” These experiences felt surreal when returning to life as normal after spring break, he said. The group will spend time during their following classes processing what they observed and finding outlets through action, advocacy, and compassionate understanding. “Our planet is incredibly interconnected and pathogens do not know national boundaries. COVID-19, Ebola, West Nile virus, Zika—they may start at other places but they don’t stay there,” Oliphant said. He continued, ”My goal for this program is to help students understand that none of us get to pick where we are born and that we are all citizens of this shared planet. We should work together to make sure people everywhere have what they need to reach their full potential in life.”

Kwaku Alston ’94 (photography) has been named RIT’s Outstanding Alumnus for 2024-2025. Established by the Office of the President in 1952, it is the highest honor RIT can bestow upon a graduate. “To receive this award is an honor and it reaffirms that I’m on the right path,” said Alston. “It also comes with a responsibility and great opportunity to do something incredible and leave my mark here. Not just for me, but for the students who have come after me.” ‌ Kwaku Alston Alston’s portrait of Beyoncé is one of a series of portraits he created to promote the 2019 movie, The Lion King. Alston is a photographer and director based in Los Angeles who specializes in celebrity, editorial, and advertising portraits. After graduating from RIT, Alston got his start in New York City working with major magazines and ad agencies. Today, his many and diverse clients include The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, The New Yorker, Apple, Amazon Studios, Disney, Sony Music, Netflix, and HBO. When it comes to his portrait subjects, Alston has photographed some of the “most famous faces” of our time—including Barack and Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Willie Nelson, Chadwick Boseman, Brad Pitt, and a host of other Oscar and Grammy winners. His portrait of actress Betty White inspired the 2025 United States Postal Service’s Commemorative Forever Stamp. ‌ Kwaku Alston Kwaku Alston has photographed former President Barack Obama and his family on multiple occasions. Alston always carries a camera with him in anticipation of being inspired by things happening in everyday life. The key to success in a creative industry, he says, is for artists to stay dedicated and in-tune with their heart and gut instincts. “I don’t have much time to sit back and reflect on each photo I’ve taken. When I look back, it’s all a blur and feels like a dream,” said Alston. “Surviving for this long and flourishing in this industry is incredible. I just keep moving and keep pushing forward, and I’m grateful that people keep hiring me to do what I love.” The award will be presented to Alston during Academic Convocation on May 9.

As a filmmaker, Ky’Johnna Jamison strives to highlight and uplift marginalized voices with her work. One example of her efforts is a new research podcast, “Star Stories.” Made possible through her internship at the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum, the podcast highlights the barriers Black women face when pursuing a degree and career in astrophysics. Women’s History Month poster contest The winner of the annual WGSS Women’s History Month poster contest will be announced during the symposium. Go to the WGSS contest website to view last year’s winners. For the first episode, Jamison, a first-year film and animation – production option student, is interviewing her childhood role model: Aomawa Shields, an astronomer and astrobiologist who explores the climate and habitability of small exoplanets. The episode will share details about Shields’ academic journey, her unique experiences in science education and entertainment, the discrimination and barriers she faced in STEM, and how she succeeded despite these barriers. “Directly addressing discrimination is the only way those issues can be solved. When we ignore it, it creates lasting issues for everyone. Not just those in marginalized groups,” said Jamison, a Rochester native. “Positive media representation is essential to combatting discrimination against underrepresented groups and building empathy between communities.” She added, “I hope this story will resonate with young BIPOC girls who may otherwise struggle to see themselves pursuing STEM careers.” Jamison will share insights she gained while working on this project during the inaugural Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) symposium on Friday, March 28. Hosted in conjunction with Women’s History Month, RIT’s WGSS program crafted the symposium to feature original work by individuals from across the RIT community. With a theme of “women, gender, sexuality, and technologies,” the symposium will celebrate interdisciplinary research efforts by students and faculty from the College of Engineering Technology; College of Liberal Arts; College of Art and Design; Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences; College of Science; Kate Gleason College of Engineering; College of Health Sciences and Technology; National Technical Institute for the Deaf; School of Individualized Study; and RIT Libraries. “A major goal of our program is to demonstrate that WGSS is applicable to every major here at RIT. Developing the theme to include technologies was a no-brainer,” said Shay Ryan Olmstead, co-organizer of the symposium and lecturer in the WGSS program. “Student and faculty presentations connect WGSS with video games, computer science, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and many other technologies.” Silvia Benso, professor of philosophy and director of the WGSS program, added that she and Olmstead organized the symposium with the goal of sparking conversations on campus and inspiring more interdisciplinary research related to WGSS. “Our historical times show us that we need to continue to highlight the immense contributions made by women and gender minorities to our social lives, past and present,” said Benso. “The reality and existences of human beings are multiple, pluralistic, and diverse. WGSS take these pluralities of experiences into account and apply them to various areas of life and career paths. Complexity may be hard to handle, but it is not to be fought or eliminated.” A common theme for the symposium presentations is exploring the intersection of gender and gaming. ‌ Liam Olson The above frame from Olson’s film shows an example of the type of 3D avatars people can use in VRChat. Raising awareness about the freedoms virtual reality (VR) offers to those exploring their gender identity is the subject of Liam Olson’s research. The first-year graphic design student from Evanston, Ill., will screen his short film, “Queer & Trans Identity through Social VR: VRChat,” during the symposium. VRChat is an online virtual world platform that allows users to interact with each other using customizable 3D avatars. Olson explains that there are entire communities in VRChat where transgender people can log on and be themselves without fear of ostracization—and finding these communities helped Olson better understand his own gender identity. “Having a persona that’s private gives you a chance to learn about yourself and understand and progress with your identity as a whole without being judged,” said Olson. “There are people who want to present differently, but they feel intimidated by it. Places like VRChat allow for a zone where there is less judgement than there is in real life.” His film features interviews with people who frequent these VR chatrooms and delves into the positive and negative impacts platforms like VRChat can have on socialization in trans and queer communities. Olson’s goal is to increase scholarship around this topic, as it’s currently understudied. Another gaming-centric project featured at the symposium focuses on trans representation in media. Using the game Deltarune as an example, Maya Gopoian Heatley’s research proposes guidelines on how to read games “trans*ly.” Heatley, a third-year WGSS student, explains that the concept is similar to queer reading—which is an interpretive approach that analyzes text through a lens that challenges normative ideas about gender and sexuality—but with a specific focus on trans identities and perspectives. ‌ Toby Fox Above is a screenshot from Deltarune, the subject of Heatley’s research project. Her interest in the topic started with a class project and has evolved into her undergraduate thesis. Prior to presenting at the upcoming symposium, Heatley presented an earlier iteration of the project at the Honors Research & Creativity symposium in 2024. “Getting a chance to present my research as an undergraduate student, and grow with the project, is very special. My plan is to go to graduate school and eventually become an academic in this field, so I’ll hopefully be doing more things like this in the future,” said Heatley, from Queens, N.Y. These projects are just three examples of the unique WGSS and technologies research happening across campus. Go to the symposium’s website for the full event schedule and additional information about the presenters. The symposium is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts’ Dean’s Office. The WGSS Program Council assisted with planning and organization of the event.

Indigenous communities in Kenya and Ecuador have access to machine learning technology to help combat human-wildlife conflict and climate change thanks in part to a new partnership that includes RIT. Anthony Vodacek, professor in the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, is assisting with the Ltome-Katip, or Elephant-Rat, Project, funded by the Lacuna Fund. The project is a pioneering initiative dedicated to generating Indigenous-labeled data for machine learning and AI. It is led by the Shuar Nation in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the Samburu tribe in northern Kenya. Also involved is the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Space4Innovation, and the Indigenous Musap Biological Station in collaboration with the GEO Indigenous Alliance. ‌ Tony Vodacek A remote sensing device, called an AudioMoth, is attached to a tree in Kenya to monitor wildlife. As described in the project’s proposal, “by actively involving Indigenous communities in data collection, labeling, and map development, the team will bridge critical gaps in understanding climate change, human-wildlife conflict, and afforestation and deforestation.” Vodacek has spent time in both Kenya and Ecuador to help facilitate the work. Microphones were placed in various areas to pick up sounds from different species. The data is then labeled and entered into remote sensing analysis where conclusions can be made. Specifically, elephants are being studied in Kenya, where babies fall into wells because of ongoing water scarcity issues and are sometimes separated from their mothers. In Ecuador in the Amazon, rats are becoming a problem in the crop areas of the forest. The collaboration with Indigenous communities allows for ensuring culturally relevant and effective solutions. “A lot of AI development has taken place within a western bias so including Indigenous communities tries to reduce some of that bias,” explained Vodacek. “It’s important to use their knowledge and bring the technology to them so they can apply it to the problems they have.” RIT has also reached another part of Kenya, as Vodacek represented the university in the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Jomo Kenyetta University of Agriculture and Technology to enhance education, research, and technological innovation in the field of imaging science. The partnership will include specialized workshops, research grants, and hands-on training in advanced imaging systems. These, and numerous other global collaborations, help RIT shape the future and improve the world through innovation. For more information on RIT’s global engagement, go to the RIT Global website.

Rochester Institute of Technology is one of the best places in the world to study the different aspects of game creation, according to new international rankings from The Princeton Review. RIT’s game design and development program was ranked sixth at the undergraduate level and 10th at the graduate level. RIT’s programs are housed in the School of Interactive Games and Media (IGM) within the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. “Our students from across the university are collaborating to build fantastic games and interactive experiences,” said David Schwartz, director of IGM. “Our bachelor’s degree in game design and development is complemented by diverse RIT programs exploring a wide range of theory and skills that can focus on game animation, coding for games, sound design, and narrative and storytelling, for example. We prepare students for careers in the global gaming industry and many other industries.” RIT offers several paths for aspiring game designers, including bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and an accelerated BS/MS option in game design and development. Computing and information sciences Ph.D. students can also specialize in games research. In a press release, The Princeton Review noted that more than half of the students in top programs worked on a shipped game as part of their studies. Nearly all the students developed an actionable plan to launch a functional game after graduation. RIT students can also develop and commodify games at the university’s MAGIC Center. The studio supports the entrepreneurial ambitions of students and faculty who are seeking to publish and distribute films, games, and interactive experiences or start new digital media businesses. RIT students and faculty have published myriad games on platforms, including Steam and Nintendo Switch. RIT was the first university to publish on the Xbox One platform. Each year, RIT student game developers show off their work at major conferences, including GDC. Students at RIT also get to take part in cooperative education—full-time paid work experiences that provide an opportunity to learn on the job in real-world industry settings. With help from the co-op program, graduates of RIT’s games programs have started careers at companies including Blizzard Entertainment, WB Games New York, Rockstar Games, Nvidia, Interactive, and Microsoft. The Princeton Review tallied the 2025 ranking based on a survey of administrators at 150 institutions offering game design courses and/or degrees. The survey covered four areas: academics, faculty, technology, and career topics. The full lists, which name the “Top 50” undergraduate and “Top 25” graduate schools, are posted on the Top Game Design Schools 2025 website. There, users can also review the methodology and profiles about each school. The 16th annual list is also published in the May issue of PC Gamer magazine. Learn more about the university’s offerings at RIT Games.

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) is accepting applications for the organization’s 2025-2026 Community Grants Program. The program, founded in 2008, is part of the NYSP2I’s ongoing efforts to make the state more sustainable for workers, the public, the environment, and the economy through pollution prevention. Pollution prevention is reducing or eliminating waste at the source by modifying production processes, promoting the use of non-toxic or less-toxic substances, implementing conservation techniques, and reusing materials rather than putting them into the waste stream. Eligible applicants, which must be New York state-based community organizations, municipal departments, public sector, or nonprofit entities, are invited to apply for funding to support community-based projects that promote public awareness, understanding, and implementation of pollution prevention practices. The proposal deadline is 5 p.m. EDT on April 18, 2025. “We are excited to open the new proposal period for the next round of our Community Grants Program funding,” said Nabil Nasr, NYSP2I’s interim director. “Eligible organizations from across the state have used this funding to implement a variety of pollution prevention and educational projects.” “We look forward to seeing the next round of innovative proposals, and this year we are encouraging project collaborations that lead to high-impact environmental benefits throughout the state,” he added. According to NYSP2I, competitive projects utilize partnerships and collaborations with other organizations; demonstrate broad community impact; and are easy to replicate and use by other organizations. Examples of project focus areas include reduction of natural resource consumption; reduction of hazardous chemical use; food waste reduction; pollution prevention in New York state priority areas such as greenhouse gas reductions or waste reduction through adoption of circular economy concepts; and outreach and education. The 2025-2026 grant year marks the 18th round of program funding from NYSP2I. Since its inception, the program has funded 179 projects totaling more than $3 million for organizations across New York state. Featured success stories and case studies of past awarded projects are available for reference on the NYSP2I website. For information on the Community Grants Program, contact Ambika Walker, NYSP2I’s program manager, Outreach and Education, at apwgis@rit.edu or 585-475-2399. About the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute Funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute is led by Golisano Institute for Sustainability at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and is a partnership between RIT, Binghamton University, Clarkson University, Cornell University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the NYS Manufacturing Extension Partnership. NYSP2I’s goal is to make the state more sustainable for workers, the public, the environment, and the economy through pollution prevention. Pollution prevention is reducing or eliminating waste at the source by modifying production processes, promoting the use of non-toxic or less-toxic substances, implementing conservation techniques, and reusing materials rather than putting them into the waste stream.

Astro Teller, a renowned entrepreneur, engineer, scientist, and “Captain of Moonshots” at X Google’s Factory and innovation lab, will be an honorary degree recipient and the keynote speaker for Rochester Institute of Technology’s Academic Convocation on May 9. Teller, who is widely recognized for his leadership in technological innovation, oversees X, Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory designed to help tackle the world’s most difficult problems with bold solutions. Some of X’s best known moonshot technologies include Waymo autonomous cars, Verily life sciences, Google Brain, and Wing delivery drones. Before joining Google/Alphabet, Teller was the co-founding CEO of several companies including Cerebellum Capital Inc., an investment management firm whose investments are continuously designed, executed, and improved by a software system based on techniques from statistical machine learning; BodyMedia Inc., a wearable body monitoring company; and SANDbOX Advanced Development, an advanced development technology incubator. Prior to that, Teller taught at Stanford University and was an engineer and researcher for Phoenix Laser Technologies, Stanford’s Center for Integrated Systems, and Carnegie Group. Teller earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in symbolic and heuristic computation from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence from Carnegie Mellon University, where he received the prestigious Hertz Fellowship for students studying applied physical, biological, and engineering sciences. He will receive an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from RIT prior to his address. Through his work as a scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur, Teller holds many U.S. and international patents related to hardware and software technology. Teller is also a novelist and screenwriter. Go to RIT’s Commencement website for more information about the ceremonies taking place May 9-10.

When RIT student Miriam Rigas sought volunteer experience as a high school junior, she found a calling and a career path working with children touched by cancer. The physician assistant (PA) major from Syracuse, N.Y., is an active volunteer with her local branch of Camp Good Days and Special Times. Rigas currently sits on the organization’s advisory board and helps plan fundraising events, camper activities, and volunteer outreach in the Syracuse region. Her eight-year affiliation with Camp Good Days began with monthly activities and progressed to summer camps and program management for children with cancer or whose siblings or parents are affected by the disease. The children have taught Rigas how to listen with her heart and to see the person beyond the disease. “My interactions with the campers are something I hold dearly,” Rigas said. “It shaped what I wanted to do in PA school and the kind of provider I want to be.” As a fifth-year PA student, Rigas has spent the majority of her time off campus, working under supervising physicians in different practice areas and gaining hands-on experience with patients. To graduate, PA students must complete 10 clinical rotations, each lasting five weeks. Rigas recently completed an elective rotation in pediatric hematology and oncology at Upstate Medical in Syracuse that confirmed her long-term goal to specialize in this area. Pediatric hematology and oncology is a niche field with some opportunities for new graduates that Rigas will explore now or work toward in the future. One of the benefits of the physician assistant field is the flexibility that enables providers to change specialties without required recertification, she said. “I always knew I wanted to go into medicine,” Rigas said. “I was interested in the science and the disease processes, but I wanted to have a good amount of patient interaction, which landed me perfectly with the PA role.” Her experience interacting with pediatric cancer patients, survivors, and family members at Camp Good Days has enhanced her RIT education with interpersonal skills that are difficult to learn through textbooks, Rigas said. “At Camp Good Days, you’re working with kids who have been through more than you can even imagine,” she said. “Being able to learn from their resilience and the joy they have for life—despite what's going on in their situation—it’s just something that I think anyone could benefit from, but especially someone who's going into the medical field.” Rigas is deeply interested in how disease shapes the children’s life, how they interact with people, and how illness affects their sense of self and self-esteem. She delved into these aspects with her graduate research project, “Psychosocial Outcomes in Childhood Cancer Survivors: Well-being beyond Medical Treatment.” She shared her results earlier this year during an RIT-Rochester Regional Health Alliance poster presentation held at Rochester General Hospital. “I think it’s really important to approach people with empathy, not sympathy, to remain present and to listen,” Rigas said. “That’s something Camp Good Days has taught me and that I’ve been able to keep in mind as I have more and more patient interactions and get closer to becoming a provider myself.”