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- The Mark and Maureen Davitt Endowed Scholarship established at RITRochester Institute of Technology has announced the establishment of the Mark and Maureen Davitt Endowed Scholarship, which will provide financial support to RIT students pursuing studies in STEM disciplines—particularly those who graduated from private elementary schools in the city of Rochester, N.Y. The $1 million scholarship underscores the Davitts’ commitment to facilitating access to higher education for students facing financial barriers as well as those with alternative learning needs. The couple has a long-standing dedication to supporting education in the Rochester community, including the Mark and Maureen Davitt Graduate Education Endowed Scholarship and through their contributions to Nativity Preparatory Academy and Hope Hall School in Rochester. “Education is a powerful tool for empowering individuals and transforming communities,” Mark Davitt said. “Through this scholarship, Maureen and I hope to provide opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to pursue their academic and professional goals in STEM fields.” Phil Castleberry, vice president for University Advancement at RIT, said, “Mark and Maureen’s generous contribution will make a significant difference in the lives of RIT students.” “Their commitment to supporting education aligns with RIT’s mission of fostering innovation and academic excellence,” Castleberry said. “We are deeply grateful for their partnership and generosity.” The Mark and Maureen Davitt Endowed Scholarship reflects the Davitts’ belief in the transformative power of education and their dedication to providing opportunities for students to thrive in STEM fields. Mark Davitt, founder and former CEO of ConServe, was named the 2021 recipient of the Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award, presented by Saunders College of Business at RIT. The award, created in 1984, is annually given to a successful individual or individuals who developed a business that improved the Rochester economy or whose innovative management skills have changed the course of an existing business. For more information about the Mark and Maureen Davitt Endowed Scholarship, go to RIT’s University Advancement website.
- Ortiz named Alumni Association presidentOrlando Ortiz ’04 (manufacturing engineering technology), ’08 (MBA) took over as the RIT Alumni Association president in January. He will serve for two years. “There are a lot of alumni who are passionate about RIT, and we want them to really focus on the opportunities that are available,” Ortiz said. “For example, how do we increase representation on the board for folks who haven’t traditionally been well represented? Where are those gaps where we don’t have voices?” Ortiz, a real estate investment and property manager, has been a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors for 10 years. He is also active with RIT’s Lambda Alpha Upsilon Fraternity Inc. and is a mentor with RIT’s Men of Color, Honor, and Ambition (MOCHA) program. He was RIT’s 2020-2021 Frederick H. Minett Professor. The Minett Professorship brings distinguished Rochester-area multicultural professionals to the university to share their professional knowledge and experience with students, faculty, and staff for one academic year. “I’m excited to get feedback from alumni who don’t know what the Alumni Association really does, and for people to express interest in learning more,” said Ortiz, who will also serve on the RIT Board of Trustees during his two-year term. “We have the ability to ensure we’re engaging our alumni in the right ways so we can support RIT.”
- Alumna goes from struggling with coding to creating technologies for codersNuzhat Minhaz ’23 (computing and information technologies) isn’t afraid to tell people that she failed the Introduction to Computer Science course—not once, but twice. Although she struggled with coding at first, Minhaz has found strength in being open to failure. She credits the hackathon opportunities she found at RIT, which led to a job at Microsoft and the creation of her startup that aids victims of cybercrimes in Bangladesh. “Being able to ask for help and advocate for yourself is so important,” said Minhaz. “You’d be surprised how life-changing that can be.” Growing up in Bangladesh, Minhaz viewed technology as a way to create social impact. She saw struggles with political turmoil, gender discrimination, and poverty and wanted to make solutions for people in communities similar to her own. “However, when I started coding, I couldn’t relate to why a Python turtle moving from point A to point B on my screen was important for me to learn before creating people-centric solutions,” said Minhaz. “It was frustrating, but so many people at RIT wanted to help me reach my aspirations in tech.” While revisiting her decision to pursue computer science as a major, she discovered computing and information technologies. The degree program allows students to explore different areas of complex computing systems before specializing. She also entered her first Women in Computing hackathon, where she came up with the idea for PrivaC—an app that connects cybercrime victims in Bangladesh with lawyers, psychologists, and other verified professionals who can provide expertise. Today, PrivaC is building a web application and conducting research to develop a business model and user experience that supports both victims and experts. Several current RIT students and alumni are involved with the organization. As founder of the startup, Minhaz is also dedicated to creating opportunities for all genders to explore technology in Bangladesh. In 2020, PrivaC organized the country’s first virtual hackathon for women, PrivaShe Hacks. Minhaz also found co-op opportunities through hackathons at RIT. Then, work mentors steered her toward a dream career path that she had never heard of before. “Product management is about understanding people and their needs and translating those into technical specifications,” Minhaz said. “You then design systems and architecture based on validated research, not just creating things because they look pretty.” Minhaz is now a product manager at Microsoft’s Developer Division within Cloud+AI. The division creates tools, technologies, programming languages, and experiences for programmers across the globe. She is leading Experimentation, a new product within Azure cloud services that will allow programmers to test and gain insights on which features will best help their customers. Also working at Microsoft’s Developer Division is Python creator Guido van Rossum. One of the first things Minhaz did on the job was send him a message about her coding journey, especially the struggles. “He responded with a smiley face. I was like, ‘my life is now complete.’ And I’m now able to learn to code in any language.”
- 3+3 law program celebrates first cohort of graduates and expanded program offeringsThe path to obtaining a law degree typically requires at least seven years in higher education. However, students enrolled in RIT’s Accelerated 3+3 Law program are able to shave a year off of their journey and get a head start on establishing their career in law. This May, fourth-year students Megan Hartman, Kate Hickey, Kaitlin Sommer, and Ella Walton will simultaneously graduate from RIT and complete their first year of law school, making them the program’s first cohort to fully transition from their undergraduate studies at RIT to their legal studies Syracuse University College of Law. Hartman, from San Diego, Calif., pursued a double major in sociology and anthropology and public policy while at RIT. She explained that participating in the program gave her an advantage on her journey toward becoming an attorney. “This field is notoriously competitive, and there are issues surrounding artificial intelligence and a possible next-generation bar exam that are shaking things up, so you need that competitive edge to power you through,” said Hartman. “We’ll also have a head start when it comes to applying for jobs. It will take time to get up to the more prestigious job titles, but I’ll be starting that journey when I’m 24. Many people don’t complete their law degree until their early 30s.” Hickey, an international and global studies and public policy double major from Halifax, Mass., added that the guidance that came with enrolling in the program helped build her confidence prior to starting her first year of law school. “There were a lot of people in our class who struggled the first few months because they didn’t have experience reading cases or things like that. While at RIT, I attended some of the RIT Pre-Law Society events where alumni would come in and run mock law classes with us, so I had some idea of what to expect going into my first year at Syracuse,” said Hickey. “I think that the confidence I had knowing that I already sat through similar classes and was able to succeed really helped prepare me.” Looking beyond law school, Hickey and Hartman both have visions for their future careers. Hickey aims to work in the national security and counter-terrorism law sector, and Hartman is interested in becoming a litigator and working in the government sector. Both students extend their gratitude to Jennifer Gaylord, pre-professional studies coordinator and academic advisor, and the many RIT alumni who worked with the RIT Pre-Law Society and the 3+3 program students and helped them succeed in their studies. As the program celebrates the first cohort of graduates, leadership in the College of Liberal Arts, where the program is housed, also announced that the 3+3 program is expanding through a new partnership with University at Buffalo School of Law. Qualified undergraduate students at RIT will have the opportunity to choose between pursuing their law degree at Syracuse University or at the University at Buffalo starting in fall 2024. “Accelerated degree pathways can be invaluable for students who are hoping to streamline their education. Partnering with the University at Buffalo School of Law will provide more options for our students as they work toward law school,” said Kelly Norris Martin, interim dean of RIT’s College of Liberal Arts. “Having a plan in place that can save students both time and money is a clear benefit, but participating in the program can also provide some guidance as they navigate the world of higher education and ensure that they have the foundation they need to succeed in their career goals.” To be eligible to apply to University at Buffalo School of Law, undergraduate students at RIT must have completed a minimum of 90 credits by the end of their third year of undergraduate studies; earned a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher; and successfully completed the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) with an LSAT score at or above the median LSAT score for the School of Law’s previous year’s enrolled class, or a GRE score at or above the 70th percentile on Verbal Reasoning and 40th percentile on Quantitative Reasoning. For more information, go to the 3+3 law program webpage or contact Jennifer Gaylord at jmggla@rit.edu.
Athletics
- Men's tennis drops home match to conference rival UnionROCHESTER, NY - The RIT men's tennis team (3-4, 0-3 Liberty League) fell to Liberty League foe Union College (3-0, 2-0 Liberty League) from the Midtown Athletic Club Sunday afternoon. Union would win two of three doubles points. RIT's Brennan Bull and Jacob Meyerson earned RIT's lone doubles point in a great...
- Women's tennis suffers loss to Skidmore in Liberty League openerROCHESTER, NY - The RIT women's tennis team (4-2, 0-1 Liberty League) dropped its Liberty League Conference opener, 9-0 to defending champion Skidmore College (5-0, 4-0 Liberty League) from the Midtown Athletic Club Sunday afternoon. Skidmore would take the first three doubles points. At first doubles, Anne Taylor and Kristen Zablonski put...
- Men's hockey drops regular season finale to CanisiusROCHESTER, NY - The RIT men's hockey team (15-15-4, 13-11-4 AHA) wrapped up the 2018-19 regular season by falling to Canisius College (11-18-5, 8-16-4 AHA) from the Gene Polisseni Center Saturday evening.With the loss, RIT finishes the regular season fifth in the final Atlantic Hockey standings. They receive a first-round bye...
- Baseball drops first two games of 2019 season to Frostburg StateFARMVILLE, VA - The RIT baseball team opened the 2019 season by dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Frostburg State University (7-0) from Hampden-Sydney College on Saturday afternoon. RIT dropped game one, 3-2 in eight inning and lost game two, 10-7.In game one, RIT led 2-0 before Frostburg State chipped...