Academic Convocation keynote speaker Astro Teller compared graduation to completing the “tutorial level” of life—where graduates have learned how to work the controls and are now heading into the game of life in exploration mode. ‌ Carlos Ortiz/RIT Astro Teller, entrepreneur, engineer, scientist, and ‘Captain of Moonshots’ at X Google’s Factory and innovation lab, addressed the graduates during Academic Convocation and encouraged them to capture the essence of The Fool, which is its potential. Emphasizing the power of a creative mindset over mastering the pursuit of excellence, he urged the Class of 2025 to embrace the journey ahead with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to be intentionally foolish. “The only thing on the door of my office is a poster of the tarot card ‘The Fool,’” said Teller, an entrepreneur, engineer, scientist, and “Captain of Moonshots” at X Google’s Factory and innovation lab. “The Fool is setting out on an adventure, looking up as he steps off of a literal cliff into the figurative unknown. The essence of The Fool is potential. Just like each of you in this moment.” More than 4,800 students are graduating from RIT this year, including those attending global campuses in Croatia, Dubai, Kosovo, and China. Individual college commencement ceremonies honoring the graduates will continue throughout the weekend. A hooding ceremony followed Academic Convocation on May 9 for 56 graduates earning Ph.D. degrees. Photo gallery See a photo gallery of the four honorary degree recipients. Four honorary degrees also were awarded at RIT’s commencement ceremony, which was the last one for retiring RIT President David Munson. Prabu David, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, served as master of ceremonies. Teller drew upon his experiences as Captain of Moonshots, which calls for him to teach people how to start new and audacious journeys and be willing to be exposed and connected to others. He offered advice to graduates, including having an attitude of openness, non-judgment, and lack of preconceptions. “Take advantage of your naïveté and switch fields, if necessary, to get this freshness back,” he said. “The beginner’s mindset is what unlocks creativity. Having a daily reminder to stay open, curious, lighthearted, and silly in my approach to even serious things keeps my beginner’s mind active and that does show up in how I brainstorm.” Munson, who will retire June 30 after leading the university for eight years, encouraged the graduates to serve, innovate, and stay connected as they move on to what’s next. ‌ Carlos Ortiz/RIT RIT President David Munson addressed the graduates at Academic Convocation. “What an honor it has been for me to serve as your president as we celebrate your achievements today,” he said. “I am amazed by your creativity and your devotion to your studies. I am touched by your kindness and care for one another. And I am thankful for the leadership and service you have offered to make our community a better place.” He went on to acknowledge the uncertain times facing both the nation and the field of higher education but stressed that RIT will continue to follow its core principles and defend its values and culture, while upholding freedom of speech, freedom to peacefully assemble, and academic freedom. He also highlighted the success stories among the graduates—from prestigious job offers and startup ventures to military and nonprofit service—while recognizing each student’s unique journey and reminding them of the broader purpose their education can serve. “It is my hope that you will serve the greater good because, from my vantage point, the world needs more RIT Tigers,” he added. “Success is not measured by material wealth or prestige. It is my hope that you wake up tomorrow not solely focused on how to earn a living. Rather, that you go out and do your best to enrich the world.” Looking ahead, Munson expressed his excitement for Bill Sanders, dean of Carnegie Mellon’s College of Engineering, who will serve as RIT’s next president starting July 1. Student Government President Alex Shuron, a fourth-year mechanical engineering major from Syracuse, N.Y., told the graduates to continue to be kind, curious, and resilient. ‌ Traci Westcott/RIT RIT graduates celebrate the conferral of degrees during the Academic Convocation on May 9. “It is your decision whether or not to carry out these requests,” Shuron said. “As a close friend has said to me many times, ‘Words don’t mean anything, actions prove intent.’ Continue to prove to the world your intent through actions, and you will be the change that you want to see.” While the overarching theme for this year’s Academic Convocation focused on remaining connected and resilient, Teller also encouraged graduates to take risks, imploring graduates to find their own way to make their vulnerability feel protective. “I challenge you to judge every unknown for its expected utility, not its risk, and take as many high, expected utility adventures as you can, no matter how risky they are,” he said. “If you want to help the world be meaningfully better and not just more of the same, you’ll need to take these same kinds of uncomfortable bets.” He encouraged graduates to see every challenge as an opportunity and a gift, be grateful, and to approach life not with fear, but with intention. “Don’t just go live your life. Go create it.” Read the speeches The full text of the speeches by President David Munson, keynote speaker Astro Teller, and Student Government President Alex Shuron are available.

Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Rochester recently connected their campuses with an experimental quantum communications network using two optical fibers. In a new paper published in Optica Quantum, scientists described the Rochester Quantum Network (RoQNET), which uses single photons to transmit information about 11 miles along fiber-optic lines at room temperature using optical wavelengths. Quantum communications networks have the potential to massively improve the security with which information is transmitted, making messages impossible to clone or intercept without detection. Quantum communication works with quantum bits, or qubits, that can be physically created using atoms, superconductors, and even in defects in materials like diamond. However, photons (individual particles of light) are the best type of qubit for long distance quantum communications. Photons are appealing for quantum communication in part because they could theoretically be transmitted over existing fiber-optic telecommunications lines that already crisscross the globe. In the future, many types of qubits will likely be utilized because qubit sources, like quantum dots or trapped ions, each have their own advantages for specific applications in quantum computing or different types of quantum sensing. However, photons are the most compatible with existing communications lines. The new paper published in Optica Quantum is focused on making quantum communication between different types of qubits in a network a reality. “Photons move at the speed of light and their wide range of wavelengths enable communication with different types of qubits,” said Stefan Preble, professor in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering. “Our focus is on distributed quantum entanglement, and RoQNET is a test bed for doing that.” Ultimately, the researchers want to connect RoQNET to other research facilities across New York state at Brookhaven National Lab, Stony Brook University, Air Force Research Laboratory, and New York University. “This is an exciting step creating quantum networks that would protect communications and empower new approaches to distributed computing and imaging,” said Nickolas Vamivakas, the Marie C. Wilson and Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Optical Physics, who led the University of Rochester’s efforts. “While other groups have developed experimental quantum networks, RoQNET is unique in its use of integrated quantum photonic chips for quantum light generation and solid-state based quantum memory nodes.” RIT microsystems engineering Ph.D. student Vijay Sundaram ’21 MS (physics) is the lead author on the paper. After taking a course in quantum, he realized that quantum optics was where he saw his future. Sundaram explained how quantum entanglement, or spooky action at a distance, is putting quantum at the forefront of new technology. “Quantum particles can be at either end of the universe and they’ll still be completely, perfectly correlated,” said Sundaram. “These experiments have been done using bulk optics and huge telescopes. We’re trying to put all of that onto a single microchip.” Co-authors on the paper include Evan Manfreda-Schulz, Thomas Palone, Venkatesh Deenadayalan, Mario Ciminelli, and Gregory Howland from RIT; Todd Hawthorne, Tony Roberts and Phil Battle from AdvR Inc.; Michael Fanto from the Air Force Research Laboratory; and Gerald Leake and Daniel Coleman from the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute. The research was supported by Air Force Research Laboratory.