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- App blends history, technology, and student talent in new tourism initiativeA collaboration between RIT and the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection is about to change how people experience local history in Ontario County, N.Y. The Finger Lakes Virtual Museum app—developed primarily by students and set to launch publicly this fall—is a digital storytelling platform that combines historical content with technology to create immersive visitor experiences. The idea began with Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, the county’s official tourism promotion agency, which wanted to add “more of the story” to historic markers across the region. Backed by a grant from New York State Empire State Development, the project was brought to RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios to engage students in real-world development work. “This is exactly the kind of hands-on, real-world experience that students need,” said Diane Linnet, project director, business development and adjunct professor at RIT. “It’s not hypothetical. They’re working with clients, managing deadlines, solving creative and technical challenges, and seeing the direct impact of their work on the community.” A multidisciplinary team of students collaborated over the past year on everything from design and user experience to content creation, and included 2D- and 3D-digital storytelling, augmented reality, photo and video production, and location-based interactive activities. Provided RIT student Jason Salazar Tobar, who was augmented reality developer on the project, used the experience to reflect on the cultural impact of his work. When launched, the app will be accessible through a web platform and as a downloadable mobile app. Visitors to Ontario County will be able to scan QR codes on historic signs and access curated digital content that adds to each location’s story. Jason Salazar Tobar, a fourth-year individualized program major from Mount Kisco, N.Y., served as augmented reality developer, and used the project to continue exploring his interest in how emerging technologies can intersect with art, culture, and live performance. This past March, he and Max Stromfeld ’25 (graphic design) debuted a prototype of the app during a conference in Dubrovnik, co-organized by RIT Croatia. “This project gave me a whole new perspective on the museum world,” said Salazar Tobar. “I started thinking more like a curator and asking deeper questions like, ‘What are we trying to make the user feel?’ It pushed me to go beyond just making something cool and really considering the cultural impact of the experiences I was building.” Linnet added that projects like this are helping to enrich the region’s tourism while preparing students for industry. “We’ve already seen students go into interviews where this project was a major conversation point,” she said. “That’s the kind of return on investment that benefits everyone—students, universities, and communities.”
- Lousto honored with Argentine award for outstanding scientific contributionsCarlos Lousto, Distinguished Professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics, is a recipient of the 2024 RAICES Award, granted by the Secretariat of Innovation, Science, and Technology (SICyT) of the Argentine government. The RAICES award, or Redes de Argentinos Investigadores, Cientificos y Tecnologos en el Exterior, recognizes distinguished Argentine scientists living abroad who make notable scientific contributions in strengthening science and technology capabilities in their home country. “Thank you to RIT for all the support to perform top research during my already 18 years working here!,” said Lousto. “This award encourages me further to keep working hard.” Lousto was officially recognized with the award at the Consulate General of Argentina in New York in early July alongside fellow honoree Viviana Zelizer of Princeton University. “This recognition is a significant testament not only to Dr. Lousto’s outstanding career and continued global influence, but also to the remarkable depth of faculty talent we have at RIT,” said College of Science Dean Andre Hudson. “It underscores the vital role that international scholarship and collaboration play in advancing the frontiers of science and education.” RAICES awardees are selected by a jury composed of authorities from SICyT, CONICET, and prominent academics. Lousto is a co-director of RIT’s Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation and has been involved in groundbreaking research on gravitational waves, black holes, and pulsars. He was awarded membership in the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 1993, the American Physical Association (APS) in 2012, and received the Bouchet Prize in 2019. He was also recognized with the Breakthrough Special Prize in 2016 for his work leading to the first detection of gravitational waves from the merger of two black holes. He was officially nominated by the US Congress for his research work in 2006 and 2016. He received a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of La Plata and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Buenos Aries. He designed the Funes, Newhorizons, and BlueSky supercomputer clusters that perform binary black hole simulations and has authored or co-authored approximately 300 scientific articles in international journals.
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...