RIT researchers continue to explore the universe during JWST Cycle 4

Professor Kijana Crawford has been described as a women who has “kept an eye on the prize” during her 52-year tenure at RIT. She has watched the university grow in many ways since joining the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in 1973. Now, she’s prepared to move onto her next adventure: retirement. Crawford says that while she is leaving RIT on June 30, the university won’t ever leave her heart because of the “tremendous impact” the community has had on her life and her family. “RIT is a great place to raise a family, and it’s a great place to be a single parent. I raised my two daughters here,” she said. “Faculty would let them sit in on their lectures. Students used to help babysit them, and they even helped my daughters learn Mandarin Chinese and Russian and tutored them in math.” Crawford gave back just as much as she says she benefitted from the RIT community. She saw, and advocated for, changes in policy and leadership that helped the university evolve into a more welcoming, diverse campus. She mentored other faculty members, sought ways to increase and retain AALANA faculty at RIT with the formation of the AALANA Faculty Advisory Council, and always smiled in opposition to what she calls the “old white boys network.” In the 2015-2016 academic year, she was awarded the Isaac L. Jordin Sr. Faculty Pluralism Award, which recognizes faculty who make significant contributions to enhance diversity, pluralism, and inclusion in and outside of RIT. One point of pride for Crawford came this past academic year when she partnered with two colleagues—Assistant Professor Makini Beck and Associate Vice President for Academic Access and Success Phillippa Thiuri—and a group of students on a study abroad trip to Accra, Ghana. She says creating this opportunity was the last thing on her “RIT bucket list.” As she begins her next life journey, she shares some reflections on her time at RIT. What are you most proud of when looking back at your time at RIT? ‌ RIT University Photography collection (RITArc.0672), RIT Archives Crawford, second from right, instructs students in a discussion circle during class in 1982. I think that one of my earlier accomplishments was serving on a search committee for the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and being the only female and woman of color on that search team. It was a challenge. There was an internal candidate that the old white boys network wanted to emerge in the front, but there was also an internal female candidate who happened to be Mary C. Sullivan. They did not want her to emerge as part of the finalists. The committee began to put pressure on me when they realized that I was speaking up in opposition to the candidate that they wanted to emerge, and I had to do my homework to push back. I really surprised that group by not caving to the pressure—and I love surprises. I love it when people think that I am the spook who sat by the door. As a result of advocating and standing my ground, Mary Sullivan became the first female dean of the college. Another moment I’m proud of is that I was the first faculty member to introduce a course called the Homophiles and Their Society. I knew then that there was more to same gender relationships than sexual elements, and that things that happen in heterosexual relationships are also things that members of the LGBTQ+ community experience. I worked with the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley and their leader at the time, Michael Robertson, introduced me to people in the LGBTQ+ community. They really taught and nurtured me and helped me organize the class until members of that community could take over and do it themselves. I knew it was important for their voices to be heard, not mine, and that’s why I asked many of them to come in as guest speakers to tell their own narratives. I simply used my platform, the classroom, to allow them to educate and talk about their experiences. It wasn’t my experience, and it was not my right or my place to tell students what their experience was. In that process, I learned a lot myself. How have you seen the campus community evolve over the last 50 years? When I walk around campus, it’s not only buildings changing. The student body is also changing. Their level of consciousness is much higher than when I came in 1973. It is so fascinating now to walk around campus and be among a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students. Today, when we start talking about issues in my classes, students no longer feeling inhibited about saying they’re bisexual or transgender. I'm finding that there are more white male students talking about the privilege that they have as white students, and I don't have to get into a debate about it. It’s a comfortable environment. My colleagues' level of consciousness is also higher. It's not just me solely speaking up and resisting. There are plenty of allies on campus. This is the beauty of RIT—seeing how RIT has grown and developed into a place that is inclusive. I'm seeing how organically faculty members of all colors and persuasions come together to resist policies, laws, and executive orders that are being pushed on the university. And it's not just people of color showing opposition, nor is it only within the liberal arts. It's a collective group across the institute. It's exciting to see it happen. It's not perfect, but it's a whole lot better than it was in 1973. What are some of your most cherished memories from your teaching career? It’s always commencement, to be honest. It’s always an emotional time for me and I simply cannot hold it together. It is an accumulation of the students’ work and the faculty and staff’s work. When they start lining up, I enjoy seeing the creativity that comes out in terms of how students decorate their caps and the signs that they have, and the dances they do walking across the stage. I have not gone through a single commencement without tearing up. What are your post-RIT plans? I will be headed to Madison, Alabama, which is near Huntsville. I’m already a registered voter there and I plan to become more politically involved and engaged. I’ll be working very actively with the Greater Huntsville chapter of Links, Incorporated, the Greater Huntsville chapter of my sorority Delta Sigma Theta, and the Greater Huntsville Chapter of Jack and Jill Associates. I’ll work closely with them and be involved in the political process for voter empowerment. I grew up in Troy, Alabama, and was born in Tuskegee. I was the only female among the seven students that integrated the local white high school in 1965, Charles Henderson High School. The experience that I had there, how I was treated, really set the background and the seed for my activism and resistance to white supremacy. I’m eager to continue that work back in Alabama.

RIT has received a gift of $11.1 million through the estate of late alumnus and former trustee Henry Navas and his late wife, Deborah Robbins. Included is a gift of $4.8 million to RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the largest gift in its history. Throughout their lives, the couple supported several areas of RIT. With this latest gift, they have given a total of $12.4 million. NTID will use the gift to support student scholarship and success, according to NTID President Gerry Buckley. “Henry and Deborah were lifelong friends of NTID,” said Buckley. “It is through this friendship and the mutual respect shared among Henry, Deborah, and I that our students will be able to live, learn, and thrive as part of our very special community. We are so grateful.” Additionally, $800,000 from the estate will support RIT’s Big Shot photo project produced by the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. Navas, a champion of the “painting with light” project, visited several potential sites with the Big Shot team. Professor Michael Peres wrote about Navas, “We had many long and wonderful conversations about Big Shot and its future. Being a person who enjoyed challenges and process, Henry dreamed big things for Big Shot. He liked Big Shot because it brought people together and it had both social and cultural components. He often commented how Big Shot was about art, technology, and so much more. His impact on Big Shot will be forever remembered and honored.” In 2024, the Navas-Robbins Poetry Fund in the College of Liberal Arts was established with a $150,000 gift to provide students with opportunities to meet and work with professional poets, writers, and artists, and to expand learning across disciplines. Today, the fund provides copies of visiting poets’ books to students, staff, and faculty; creates broadside art prints of poems by visiting poets printed on RIT’s letterpress; facilitates the work of student poets at readings; and establishes partnerships with local literary organizations. RIT’s Eugene H. Fram Chair in Applied Critical Thinking, who leads the charge to foster the application of exercising effective thinking, has been permanently endowed thanks to the couple’s $5.3 million gift. Navas and Robbins established the Fram Chair in 2012, funding it anonymously during their lifetimes, but has given the university permission to posthumously share their names. Navas, who died in 2022, earned an MBA in 1974 and a master’s degree in accounting in 1977 from Saunders College of Business. He served on RIT’s Board of Trustees from 2013 to 2015. His career included work in Xerox’s internal operations analysis department; as director of internal audit at Advanced Micro Devices; and at Cisco Systems, where he became controller and treasurer and helped launch the company’s initial public offering in 1990. He served on several RIT committees, including the board’s education and audit committees, as well as the RIT West Coast Board of Advisors from 2014 to 2020 and the Strategic Plan Task Force from 2014 to 2016. He was also honored with the Saunders College of Business Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016. Robbins earned her Ph.D. in English Literature with a specialization in American Studies from Northwestern University. She taught in the English departments at Marquette University and University of Michigan. After her teaching career, she worked at Xerox and Apple, where she managed editors. After retiring from Apple, Robbins devoted much of her time to volunteering at the Peninsula Humane Society and volunteering at a gibbon sanctuary in Thailand. She was also a board member of the San Francisco Zoo. Both Navas and Robbins were avid readers and supporters of the arts. Robbins died in early 2022, a few months before Navas. Navas and Robbins “worked tirelessly to support RIT through their generous giving and dedication to its students, faculty, and staff,” said Phil Castleberry, vice president of University Advancement. “All those who knew Henry and Deborah immediately felt a sense of connectedness. We are forever grateful to them for their passion toward the university and their belief in the power and impact of higher education.”

Associate Professor Brian Barry began his RIT career in 1973. After 52 years of teaching, he is set to retire on June 30. Barry was jointly appointed to the College of Liberal Arts’ Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Department of Psychology. Early in his career, he served as the Caroline Werner Gannett Professor. When reflecting on his time at RIT, he says a point of pride was introducing new courses to campus, including the ever-popular Death and Dying course. Barry describes himself as an intellectually curious person and an avid reader. Teaching was the perfect career for Barry, as it allowed him to read and explore those curiosities. Working in higher education was a particular joy because, he says, college students are really beginning to think and explore various issues as they settle into their own beliefs, making for engaging and fascinating conversations. When it came to his approach to instruction, Barry made room for these student-driven conversations. He says that one thing that has marked his teaching career is that he didn’t bring notes to class.  “At one point, I convinced myself that it was unfair to expect students to learn things that I haven’t learned or that I needed to reference notes to report on,” said Barry. “There was a spontaneity to that way of interacting with students that was enhanced by this approach.” Many of the courses Barry taught explored topics that are very personal. He describes the subject matter as exploring the “broader spectrum of who the students are personally,” and he says he is proud of the community of trust he and the students created in the classroom. As he looks toward starting his retirement, he shared some reflections on his career. Why were you interested in teaching Death and Dying? Originally, I wasn't interested in it. My first dean in the College of Liberal Arts, Paul Bernstein, saw that Johns Hopkins was offering a course in death and dying. He asked me whether I'd be interested in setting up a parallel course, and I said no. I was much more interested in political issues than I was in death and dying. But then my mother died of breast cancer, and I realized that there were some things happening to me, and things that I observed in other people, that were worth analyzing more academically. So, I put together the course. One of the ironic things about the process was that when the curriculum committee looked at it for their approval, they said I needed to change the title to something like Thanatology 101. They thought Death and Dying may be too foreboding and it wouldn’t attract much of an audience, but if we called it Thanatology—which is the Greek word for death—maybe I’d be able to get it started. I ignored that advice and, as it turned out, we didn't encounter that problem at all.  I've taught Death and Dying for over 40 years now. At one point, when we were on the quarter system, I was teaching it up to 10 times each year. The demand for the course has been insatiable. I’m proud of both the fact that I put the course together and that it was received so well.  I always joke that nobody taking the course has ever died during the course. I tell students that we deal with some heavy topics, but I try to keep a relatively light approach. I didn’t want this to be a course that students dread coming to because it brings them down psychologically. I've never received a negative reaction saying this course was too depressing. I tend to get a welcoming response because very few people have an opportunity to talk about what's going on when they're grieving. I oftentimes get letters from students at the end of the semester, or even much later, saying that they were dealing with a death in their family or friendship network and they think the course really helped them get through it. That is always gratifying to learn. What are some of your most cherished memories from your teaching career? ‌ Provided Some of Brian Barry’s fond memories from his time on campus include seeing his daughter Christine earn her RIT diploma. The best memories come from the relationships I’ve built with my students. A few years ago, there was a student in my Death and Dying course who made infrequent but very thoughtful contributions to the discussions we were having. I told her how impressed I was by her contributions and invited her to be my teaching assistant for two years. We've stayed in touch since she graduated. In fact, we formed a two-person book club together and we try to pick a book each month to read and discuss. We’ve not always done things on time, but her friendship has meant a lot to me.  There's another student that I formed a friendship with who went on to set up her own company where she offers grief services to people in prison. She now works in five different prisons in the Midwest. To find out that some of the students are not only benefiting personally, but they’re also finding a way to integrate what we talked about in class into their lives and careers, is really a gratifying experience.  What are your post-RIT plans? I'm going to do a large amount of reading, which has been a lifetime habit. I may even read some books that I don't have to take notes on, so there could be a more relaxed kind of approach. I hope to do a little bit of writing, and I've got two topics I want to expand upon. I also hope to continue to nurture the good relationship I've formed with our granddaughter. Unfortunately, I am also someone with Parkinson's disease now, which is the reason I had to retire. I'm going to be spending more time than I'd like going back and forth to medical appointments. But generally, I’m looking forward to a relaxed retirement.

Reflect. Innovate. Transform. These are the driving concepts behind Rochester Institute of Technology’s reaccreditation process with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Universitywide reaccreditation teams reached new milestones this spring, including finishing the first draft of the narrative for each accreditation standard prepared by eight working groups. Three priority areas have also been identified as the focal points of the self-study: student success, research, and community well-being. These priorities are supported by three Affiliate Groups established to assist in analyzing and addressing the university’s goals. The reaccreditation effort is being spearheaded by a universitywide steering committee led by Chris Licata, vice provost for Academic Affairs and accreditation liaison officer; Larry Buckley, associate professor and senior associate dean, College of Science; and Risa Robinson, professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kate Gleason College of Engineering. Starting in September, RIT will launch a community feedback process on the self-study draft. This initiative offers an important opportunity for faculty, staff, students, and other RIT stakeholders to contribute insights and ensure our narrative reflects a collective vision of academic excellence and innovation, said Licata. In tandem with gathering community input, the steering committee is partnering with RIT’s Strategic Planning Committee. Together, they are harmonizing the narrative and recommendations emerging from the self-study priority areas—student success, research, and community well-being. This coordinated effort will not only reinforce our commitment to academic quality but also drive strategic enhancements that meet the evolving needs of our community, said Licata. “We see this as a tremendous opportunity to involve the community in telling the RIT story about how we align with the Middle States quality standards and where there is room for strategic and creative enhancement,” she said. “This milestone marks not just a regulatory process but a reaffirmation of our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement at RIT.” For updates and additional details, go to the reaccreditation website.

Sebastian Nazario-Colon graduated from RIT’s film and animation – production option program on May 11, 2024. One year later, Nazario-Colon found himself in France preparing to attend Festival de Cannes, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. Nazario-Colon served as an editor for Fillos do Vento: A RAPA, an 8K, 270-degree sensory documentary that immerses viewers into Spain’s legendary Rapa das Bestas, a 400-year-old Galician ritual that involves cutting the manes of wild horses that live in the mountains near the village of Sabucedo. The immersive projection—which complements a feature-length documentary film set to release in late 2025—was selected from nearly 200 international submissions to premiere at the 78th Festival de Cannes, held May 13-24. Premiering the immersive experience at Cannes seemed far outside the realm of what he thought was possible, according to Nazario-Colon, but he did everything he could to manifest the moment. “When we found out we made it, I was very excited for the ways that this could help my career blossom,” said Nazario-Colon. “Now that I did this, and at such a young age, it feels like the ceiling of what I can achieve got taller. It puts me in a better position to keep working hard to reach new heights that I never could have imagined.” After graduating from RIT, Nazario-Colon, from Middletown, Conn., moved to New York City to look for work. His cousin connected him with a friend who worked at 100 Sutton Studios and, after sharing his résumé, Nazario-Colon was invited for a tour of the facilities. When he arrived, however, he was met with a pleasant surprise. “When I got there, I was greeted by the owner of the studio. He explained that he had been shooting a documentary for seven years. His cousin was the editor, but they wanted some fresh eyes on it,” he said. The owner, Brais Revaldería, saw that Nazario-Colon had a documentary screened at the 2024 New York Latino Film Festival. Nazario-Colon said the film, titled The Boricua’s Dilemma, was one he created as a third-year student at RIT. “He said that my documentary’s screening at the festival made him trust that I was capable as a documentarian, so he offered to hire me as a co-editor for his film,” he said. Nazario-Colon began working with Revaldería in November 2024. While he was originally brought on to co-edit the feature-length documentary, Revaldería came to him one day with a simple idea: what if they repurposed some of the footage for an immersive projection experience, and what if they submitted the experience to Festival de Cannes? ‌ Cinexin Studios Sebastian Nazario-Colon, far left, made his red-carpet premiere at Festival de Cannes last month, exactly one year after he graduated from RIT. Nazario-Colon said he had to change his visual approach entirely when crafting the experience. The documentary footage was captured with traditional screens in mind, but compositional guides like the rule of thirds wouldn’t work with the required aspect ratio for a 270-degree projection. Alternatively, some things that normally wouldn’t translate well on a traditional screen might make for striking immersive visuals for the projection. “Understanding that what you’re looking at on your computer screen isn’t how it was going to appear to audiences was uniquely challenging. Something that is one-inch tall on my laptop was going to be 10-feet tall in person,” he said. While the aspect ratio was a new frontier for Nazario-Colon, he said he felt confident in crafting a narrative for a new medium. He credits the documentary filmmaking courses he took with Assistant Professor Amy Adrion, as well as other faculty mentors like Assistant Professor Vashti Anderson and Lecturer Linda Moroney, for helping to build his skillset as a filmmaker and editor. Nazario-Colon also noted the RIT in LA study away experience and the internship at the Television Academy Foundation he completed while in Los Angeles were pivotal opportunities in his educational journey. Before the debut of the immersive experience at Cannes this year, the in-progress feature film was screened at the 2025 Hot Docs Festival in Canada. Hot Docs is North America’s largest documentary festival and an Oscar-qualifying event. Go to the Fillos do Vento website for more information about the immersive experience and for updates about the feature film.

New findings about intermediate-mass black holes could shed light on some of the universe’s more mysterious components. In a recently published paper, a group of scientists have found new evidence of intermediate-mass black holes, or black holes with masses between 100 and 100,000 times the mass of the sun. While stellar-mass black holes and supermassive black holes are well studied, little is known about intermediate-mass black holes. “These black holes are potentially clues to the fundamental understanding of how everything we see in the universe was ever made,” said Richard O’Shaughnessy, associate professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics and co-author of the paper. “This could be a piece of a puzzle that helps us unlock multiple cosmic mysteries.” By reanalyzing data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors and the Virgo detector, the team was able to discover the heaviest gravitational-wave events recorded in astronomy and report on properties of the previously elusive mid-sized black holes. The paper was led by a team of scientists at Vanderbilt University, including RIT alumni Anjali Yelikar ’24 Ph.D. (astrophysical sciences and technology) and Jacob Lange ’20 Ph.D.(astrophysical sciences and technology), both who worked with O’Shaughnessy in the Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation. “Not only was this co-led by former RIT graduate students, but it was based on tools that we developed here at RIT,” said O’Shaughnessy. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and has provided more understanding of how intermediate-mass black holes form and what their properties are, pushing frontiers forward in astronomy. “This is only possible because of the NSF’s decades of investment in providing unique resources and insight,” said O’Shaughnessy. “We are very pleased to take part in this exciting era of discovery.”