TAPESTRY SPRING

2015

The Division for Diversity & Inclusion has redesigned and restructured Tapestry, our campus’ diversity newsletter. Tapestry now attempts to meaningfully connect articles directly to RIT’s Inclusive Excellence Framework. Inclusive Excellence is a framework designed to help campuses integrate diversity and quality efforts. As a model, Inclusive Excellence assimilates diversity efforts into the core of institutional functioning to realize the educational benefits of diversity. Applying Inclusive Excellence concepts leads to infusing diversity into an institution’s recruiting, admissions, and hiring processes; into its curriculum and co-curriculum; and into its administrative structures and practices. Inclusive Excellence means an institution has adopted means for the cohesive, coherent and collaborative integration of diversity and inclusion into the institutional pursuit of excellence. The model for Inclusive Excellence at RIT has four dimensions:1 Access and Success2 Campus Climate and Intergroup Relations3 Education and Scholarship4 Institutional Infrastructure If you have a diversity story to share or would like to be featured in an upcoming issue of Tapestry, please send us your story idea at www.rit.edu/diversity/contact. Tapestry is a community publication that is published once per semester and an opportunity to showcase campus-wide efforts that further diversity and inclusion among students, faculty, and staff, alumni, and local community members. We hope you enjoy our publication.

EDITORIAL BY:

LYNN HOWLETTASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONSLMHPRO@RIT.EDU

D-D FLANNERY-LAZENBYASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONSDDLPRO@RIT.EDU

MICHELLE COMETASENIOR COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTUNIVERSITY NEWS SERVICESMACUNS@RIT.EDU

DESIGN BY:

DEVON WATTERSGRAPHIC DESIGN & MARKETING GRADUATE ASSISTANTODIGA@RIT.EDU

ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYDIVISION FOR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION2 LOMB MEMORIAL DRIVE, SUITE 1120ROCHESTER, NY 14623 585.475.6546WWW.RIT.EDU/DIVERSITY

TWITTER: @RITDIVERSITYFACEBOOK: FACEBOOK.COM/RITDIVERSITY

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAMPUS CLIMATE & INTERGROUP RELATIONS

EDUCATION & SCHOLARSHIPS

INSTITUTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

ALUMNI NEWSMAKERS

UPCOMING EVENTS

UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN & MINETT PROFESSOR PROFILE

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EXPRESSIONS OF KING’S LEGACY AT RIT2015 Soledad O’Brien, the award-winning

former anchor and special correspondent for CNN,

was the keynote speaker for the 2015 Expressions of

Kings Legacy event at Rochester Institute of Technol-

ogy. The event took place at noon on Thursday, Jan. 29,

in RIT’s Gordon Field House and Activities Center.

Soledad O’Brien is a respected journalist, documentar-

ian, news anchor and producer. At the forefront of the

biggest breaking news stories of the past two decades,

O’Brien delivered a talk entitled “Diversity on TV,

Behind the Scenes and in our Lives”.

In June 2013, O’Brien launched Starfish Media Group,

a multi-platform media production and distribution

company dedicated to uncovering and producing

empowering stories. Under Soledad’s leadership, the

company reports on divisive, but complex, issues of race,

class, wealth and poverty, as well as opportunities

available through personal stories. She was the origi-

nator of the CNN documentary series “Black in America”

and “Latino in America,” now produced by Starfish

CAMPUS CLIMATE & INTERGROUP RELATIONS

Photos by Elizabeth Torgerson-Lamark & A. Sue Weisler43

Media Group. In the wake of Hurricane

Katrina, O’Brien and her husband, Brad Ray-

mond, created The Starfish Foundation to help

disadvantaged young women successfully pursue college

educations. This year they will award scholarships to 25

deserving young women.

Earlier in her career, O’Brien co-anchored for NBC’s

“Weekend Today” and contributed to segments on “The

Today Show” and “NBC Nightly News.” In 2003, she

transitioned to CNN, where she was the face of its morn-

ing news shows for many years. She has won numerous

Emmy Awards for reporting on topics such as children

and race, and the 2012 presidential election.

O’Brien was joined by internationally renowned violinist

Kelly Hall-Tompkins, renowned pianist Craig Ketter and

champion slam poets Dominique Christina and Denice

Frohman. All artists participated at the noontime Expres-

sions ceremony, as well as in separate performances later

that same evening. They were featured in “An Evening of

Music and Poetry,” at 7 p.m. in the Al Davis Cafeteria in

RIT’s Student Alumni Union.

Kelly Hall-Tompkins’ orchestral career includes perfor-

mances in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and with

the New York Philharmonic. She also has held the

prestigious role as co-concertmaster of the Philadel-

phia-based Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra and, in

2007, concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of New

York. She founded and directs Music Kitchen—Food for

the Soul, which bring chamber music performances to

New York City homeless shelters.

American pianist Craig Ketter is rapidly distinguishing

himself as a leading pianist of his generation, performing

as soloist and chamber musician throughout the world.

Critically acclaimed for “transporting the listeners to extra-

ordinary heights” and “into a world beyond time and space,”

Mr. Ketter is known for playing with powerhouse sonority

combined with long-lined, dulcet lyricism. He performs

frequently in the United States, Canada, South America,

and Europe as both soloist and collaborative musician.

Dominique Christina and Denice Frohman performed

as Sister Outsider Poetry, and their current national tour

marks the first time the two Women of the World Poetry

Slam champions have paired up.

More than 2,000 people attended the event, which is the

longest running diversity program at RIT campus and

a chance for the local community to continue to cele-

brate and honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King

Jr..

EXPRESSIONS 2016KEYNOTE SPEAKER

ANDREW YOUNG

JANUARY 28TH, 2016

Dr. Kevin McDonald gathers with keynote speaker and performers during the event.

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CAMPUS CLIMATE & INTERGROUP RELATIONS

This year marks the first anniversary of the MOSAIC Center. The founding mission of the center was to create a student-centered inclusive environment that enriches the RIT experience.

One year later, MOSAIC (Making Our Space An Inclusive

Community) has blossomed into a center for diversity

education and collaboration on RIT’s campus. The Center

is committed to empowering all campus constituents

to be socially aware and responsible members of our

community. The center is a birthplace of diversity and

social justice programs, ideas, and curriculum. Thus, the

Center affirms students’ multiple identities by addressing

the needs of all members of the campus community.

“The MOSAIC Center serves as an important component

of RIT’s efforts to create a welcoming, and inclusive

campus community by providing students, faculty and

staff with a comfortable space for community building,

individual expression, and the exchange of ideas through

collaborative cultural, educational, and social experiences

in the MOSAIC.” said Stephanie Paredes, manager of

multicultural programs for RIT’s Division for Diversity

and Inclusion.

Visit the MOSAIC Center to take a break, attend one of

our multicultural events, study alone or within a group.

We are located on the 2nd floor of the SAU, Room 2510.

To make a reservation or for additional information please

contact 475-6444 or Stephanie Paredes at sxpnsc@rit.edu.

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Written by: Scott Bureau

The first-ever Young Professionals in Higher Education Conference took place

on March 27 at RIT. The half-day conference aimed to provide local young

professionals with an opportunity to build skills, network and plan for the next

step in their careers.

Hosted by the RIT Young Professionals, the conference was geared toward

professionals working in higher education who are around 40 years old and

younger (and those young at heart).

“Many people new to the workplace are looking for ways to market themselves

and get their supervisors to notice them,” said James Macchiano, chair of the

RIT Young Professionals and director of reunions and affinity programs for RIT

Alumni Relations. “We hope this event helped RIT’s young professionals build the

confidence to create a plan for where their careers will go next.”

The event included workshops and presentations from respected professionals

in higher education. In addition to stories and lessons from presenters, talks

revolved around career development, promoting personal leadership skills,

negotiation, transitions in supervisory roles, and knowing when to take the

next step in your career.

Dawn Soufleris, Associate Vice President of residential education and community

standards at RIT, closed the conference with a keynote. Her talk, entitled,

“Millennials in the Workplace,” was provided as a Center for Professional

Development course and opened to the public.

With more than 200 faculty and staff members, the RIT Young Professionals

group aims to support the growth and development of RIT employees 40 and

under. The group’s goal is to promote an individualized career-growth plan,

provide young professionals the opportunity to engage with the community and

to build community among young professionals at RIT. Check out http://rityp.

tumblr.com for more information.

RIT GROUP HOSTS INAUGURAL YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN HIGHER EDUCATION CONFERENCE

Chair of RIT Young Professionals with panelists from conference Dr. James Sunser, Dr. Kathryn Wilson, Dr. Virginia Horvath, Dr. Kevin McDonald and James Macchiano.

E-Board members of the RIT Young Professionals organization responsible for planning and executing RIT’s first Young Professionals conference.

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EDUCATION & SCHOLARSHIPS

VISIT TO WASHINGTON, DC

RIT’s LSAMP and McNair students participated in the Winter Session

PowerLab, a partnership with Onondaga Community College. RIT Professor,

Dr. Robert Osgood, Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences and

Technology, continuously opens his lab to provide students the opportunity

for hands-on learning in microbiology research techniques. The assignment at

the Winter Session involved learning the laboratory, principles, procedures and

protocols, then putting them to use while extracting DNA samples from saliva.

“To learn is to hear, to see and to do. That’s exactly what this PowerLab is

about. It’s open-ended, hands-on stuff. When you get your hands involved

in science it tends to stick in your mind,” said Osgood.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion, in partnership

with the RIT Leadership Institute, initiated a trip

to Washington, DC, as an experiential educational

opportunity by which the student participants could

immerse themselves in the culture and climate of the

nation’s capital, while also examining the historic and

current trends regarding

diversity and the social change

model. From January 20-23,

2015, 32 students and four staff

members were able to visit

seventeen national museums

and other sites which embraced themes of democratic

freedoms, oppression and reform. Visits included the

Museum of the American Indian, the African American Civil

War Museum and monument, the Holocaust Museum,

the Lincoln Memorial, The Franklin D. Roosevelt

Memorial, and the Martin Luther King Memorial, to

mention a few. The trip’s highlight was a visit to the

office of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, whose staff

conducted personal tours of the capital, including a

visit to the Gallery for the

House of Representatives

where the most recent

version of the proposed

immigration policy was

being reviewed. Students

were asked to journal their thoughts throughout the trip

to enhance their reflections regarding the program’s

learning objectives from the tour.

At the Global Leadership certificate celebration, Ali Aluthman

was presented his certificate by Dr. James Myers and Sandra

Whitmore. The goal of the program is to provide students the

opportunity to learn about important leadership skills and

provide experiential education opportunities for students to

practice these skills and apply them.

It was another successful year for the Global Leadership

Certificate program. We had 25 faculty/staff serve as

mentors to 50 students. Thank you to all our participants for

another successful year! Pictured are: Grant Cos (mentor)

with students Alok Mehta and Marissa Reed.

Nur Shazwani Ramli, Robert Gerace (mentor) and Hongbo

Miao. celebrate another milestone year of the Global

Leadership Program.

This program is a partnership program between RLI, Office of International Education and Global Programs & the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Global Leadership

WINTER SESSION POWER LABIsaac L. Jordan Sr., RIT’s first chairperson of the Commission for Promoting Pluralism, represented the best of the human

spirit: compassionate, fair, committed to promoting community among all people and supportive of people in their individual

struggles to obtain economic and social equality. These awards in his name ensure the continuance of his legacy and honor

those who carry out his work.

The RIT community is honored to present the 2015 Faculty Pluralism Award to Elizabeth (Betsy) Dell, Associate Professor of

Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering Technology and the 2014-2015 Student Scholarships to Kaitlyn Spaude, freshman;

Anika Wright, upper class student; and Srikripa Kartik, first ever graduate student of RIT to recieve this scholarship.

Elizabeth was recognized by faculty and staff for her

leadership in programs that serve under-represented

groups on campus. She has worked diligently within

the College of Applied Science and Technology

(CAST) at RIT to support gender diversity. Her level

of service increased when she was appointed Faculty

Associate to the Provost for Female Faculty to lead the

Faculty Council for Women. Previously, she served as

the Director of Women in Technology (WIT).

Service related to pluralism for Elizabeth extends

beyond RIT and into the community. She actively

engages with student groups from the Rochester

City School District, Fairport School District’s

Single Gender Technology program, and the

inner Philadelphia City School District’s All-Girls

Technology Club. Betsy is a past recipient of the

Women in Engineering Pro-advocates Networks’

2012 Women in Engineering Program of the Year

Award and the Edwina Award.

Kaitlyn Spaude, College of Liberal Arts, Journalism

major, serves as the College of Liberal Arts (CLA)

Representative for the Honors Student Council. As

a student in the Honors Program, she conducted an

independent research to bring attention to the plight

of people dwelling in the Kiberia slum in Kenya. She

completed a twenty-day famine project that showed

global engagemet in action and her empathy for

others around the world who are less fortunate. Kaitie

fed herself on the equivalent of $1 per day, along with

a daily allowance of only four gallons of water. In

addition, she documented her journey to share with

others.

Anika Wright, E. Philip Saunders College of Business,

Accounting major, has served on the executive boards

for Unity House, The Special Interest House Activities

Committee, Gospel Ensemble, Saunders Multicultural

Business Association (formally known as The Society

of African American Business Students) and Delta

Sigma Pi. She is also a member of the Student

Advisory Board for RIT’s Leadership Institute, started

a new club called RIT Foodies, and participated in the

Global Leadership Certification program. Anika is

dedicated to improving campus life and being a role

model to RIT’s future student leaders.

Srikripa Kartik, Kate Gleason College of Engineering,

Sustainable Engineering major, actively attends Gray

Matter, is a member of the Higher Education Fellows

program, sits on the Student Advisory Board for the

Center for Women and Gender, and will be starting

her very own campus-side “What Matters to Me

and Why” session. Within the first week of living on

campus, it was evident Sri was dedicated towards

building relationships with students and offices on

campus. She immediately began building bridges

with deaf students and wanted to take ASL classes to

be able to communicate with her new neighbors.

RIT Applauds Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Pluralism Award Recipients

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INSTITUTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Rochester Institute of Technology’s Division for

Diversity and Inclusion received the 2014 Higher

Education Excellence in Diversity award from

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. RIT was selected

based on its diversity and inclusion initiatives, and

ability to embrace a broad definition of diversity

on the campus. This is the first time RIT has been

named as a HEED Award recipient.

A national honor recognizing U.S. colleges

and universities that demonstrate outstanding

commitment to diversity and inclusion, RIT’s

Division for Diversity and Inclusion will be featured

along with the other recipients in INSIGHT Into

Diversity magazine’s November 2014 issue. The

magazine is the oldest and largest diversity-focused

publication in higher education.

“We are honored to have received this level of

recognition,” said Kevin McDonald, vice president

and associate provost for diversity and inclusion

at RIT. “This award affirms the groundswell of

organizational support for diversity and inclusion

and RIT and the intentional efforts put forth by our

Rochester and international campus communities to

further its reach and impact.”

Written by: Michael D’Arcangelo, Ph. D.

In January of 2015, the Division of Diversity and Inclusion, in conjunction with the Office of

International Education and Global Programs awarded its Inclusive Grants to faculty members,

Dr. Casey Miller, College of Science, and Dr. Sara Armengot, College of Liberal Arts.

Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Kevin McDonald, and the

Associate Provost of International Education and Global Programs Diversity Dr. James Myers,

awarded the funds to the faculty members for their pursuit of diversity focused projects to enhance

RIT’s progress in Inclusive Excellence.

Dr. Miller’s grant entitled Admissions Practices that Increase Diversity in Graduate Programs,

investigates progressive graduate admissions practices aimed at increasing diversity at the graduate

level and developing resources to enable RIT graduate programs to implement these findings.

Dr. Armengot’s proposal, Spanish for Health Care, is focused on implementing multicultural

curricular transformation by defraying costs for the use of live tutorials in classroom instruction,

and also on-site education for language acquisition.

View the full press release on the RIT

University News website at

h t t p s : / / w w w . r i t . e d u / n e w s / s t o r y .

php?id=50989.

The Division for Diversity and Inclusion wins prestigious Higher Education Excellence Award

INCLUSIVE GRANTS AWARDED TO FACULTY MEMBERS

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RIT adopted a new strategic plan that will serve as a blueprint for the university 2015 - 2025.

The plan, titled “Greatness Through Difference,”

is designed to intentionally develop practices,

opportunities, and programs that harness the power

of difference to drive creative solutions, innovative

combination, and productive collaboration.

“RIT will become an internationally distinguished

university by exploiting its differences and better

meeting the needs of a rapidly shrinking world,”

said RIT President Bill Destler. “RIT will achieve

greatness through difference. We belong in the

category of the world’s great universities, not

because we seek to replicate the great universities

of the 20th century, but because we are already

practicing what future universities must provide.”

To review the entire strategic plan, go to

http://www.rit.edu/president/plan2025/.

Or, pick up a complimentary copy of the 30-

page booklet that contains the plan, as well

as wonderful photography and design, at the

Office for Diversity and Inclusion, 1120 George

Eastman Hall.

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Douglas P. Merrill, Ph.D. joined RIT in 1980. Today, his

principal role at RIT is one of faculty member that includes

responsibilities for teaching, scholarship and service, as

well as mentoring students who are interested in pursuing

careers in medicine. As Director of the Center for Bioscience

Education and Technology (CBET), Doug organizes activities

designed to promote community outreach, primarily to the

K12 community.

Outside RIT Doug has worked closely with Rochester

City School District (RCSD) to promote STEM disciplines

for urban students, mostly underprivileged and minority

students. He’s offered summer camps, teacher workshops,

and other activities designed to promote college readiness.

“I am very much dedicated to K-12, particularly urban minority

members of the community, who are talented and interested in

pursuing an advanced degree but are not college-ready.”

Doug was initially drawn to support minority students back

in 2003 when he saw too many minority students coming

to RIT who were struggling and clearly not prepared for

college – socially, emotionally and academically. He began his

outreach to the K-12 minority student community, as well was

instrumental in shaping diverse faculty at RIT.

“For a variety of reasons, too many minority youth are leaving

high school without the academic and professional/social

skills to succeed,” said Dr. Merrill. “They need our help, and I

believe it is our responsibility to do whatever we can to make a

difference in the lives of these young men and women.”

Doug was the co-Principal Investigator, with Monroe

Community College (MCC), for a “Bridges to the

Baccalaureate” grant from the National Institute of Health.

The purpose of the program was to promote the creating of a

pipeline for minority students from high school, to MCC, to

RIT. The grant was in place from 2004-2007.

From his work and research with Bridges to the

Baccalaureate, Doug discovered that intervening in senior

year is too late. Once the students who participated in the

grant graduated and went on to college, many were still not

college-ready and were placed in remedial high school level

courses for no credit. He recognized the need to work with

students earlier on in their schooling in order to be effective.

After the grant ended, Doug began working with middle

school and early high school level students in the RCSD where

he identified interventions are most needed. He became an

Advisory Board member, Rochester STEM High School with

the task of pursing a New York State Education Department

Mathematics and Science Partnership grant titled Focus on

Inquiry—Improving Science Education in Rochester. He

and others on the board developed a series of workshops for

middle school science teachers.

Last summer, RCSD Superintendent Bolgen Vargas, Ed.D

tapped Doug to design a Summer Bridges program for

incoming 9th grade students matriculating into the Rochester

STEM High School at Edison Tech. He successfully led three

cohorts, along with faculty from MCC and RIT. His summer

program focused on learning math and english principles

relating them to health sciences, engineering and technology.

Students were provided hands-on learning experiences

related to a crime scene investigation, building a robotic device

and a weather balloon launch and data collection. All of the

students who participated in Summer Bridges are performing

much better than the student who did not.

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

DOUG MERRILL

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RIT Student, Kimberley Duru, received an award for

her molecular and computational biology research

presented at the 2014 Annual Biomedical Research

Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)

conference, held in San Antonio, Texas. ABRCMS,

one of the largest professional conferences of

its kind in the nation, is designed to encourage

underrepresented minority students and students

with disabilities to pursue advanced training in the

biomedical and behavioral sciences, including STEM

disciplines; it also provides faculty with resources for

facilitating student success.

“As one of the country’s largest conferences for

undergraduate minority students, we are proud

of the outstanding work produced by our student

attendees,” said Daniel B. Ornt, MD, FACP, Vice

President, Institute of Health Sciences & Technology

and Dean and Professor, College of Health Sciences

& Technology.

Jose Barajas is a 5th year major in Mechanical

Engineering Technology with an immersion in

Communications and a minor in Sustainable

Product Development.

Barajas’ high school years were met with great

difficulties. Some of the complications and

challenges he faced included language barriers,

gang activity, family expectations, and financial

hurdles.

What is so compelling about his story is that

through the support of TRiO, Barajas has

demonstrated incredible academic strength

while at RIT This is apparent from his first two

quarters (fall, winter, 2010) where he carried a

4.0 average. He returned to RIT in the spring

of 2012, maintaining an A cumulative average.

He has completed two co-op experiences.

“I’m extremely proud of the way that the students

at ABRCMS are able to explain and defend their

research,” said conference chair Clifford W. Houston,

Associate Vice President for Educational Outreach

and holder of the Herman Barnett Distinguished

Professorship in Microbiology and Immunology,

University of Texas Medical Branch. “By meriting

recognition for research excellence, it is especially

apparent that these presentation awardees are

already on the road to successful careers in science.”

“I never would have had the successes I’ve

experienced at RIT without the help of the supportive

staff at TRIO,” said Barajas.

TRiO is a federally funded program through the

Department of Education serving low income, first

generation and disabled college students. The TRIO

staff is dedicated to working with each qualified and

accepted student to achieve his/her goals. Check

out our website which lists all of our programs and

services:http://www.rit.edu/diversity/triosss/

index.php. Please contact us for more information

about the program and how we can meet your needs.

KIMBERLEY DURU

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JOSE BARAJAS

We are pleased to spotlight alumni David Benitez,

the Assistant Director of Community Initiatives

& Rochester City Scholars program, in MCAS

(Multicultural Center for Academic Success.

Joining RIT in October 2014, Benitez maintains

a caseload of approximately 85 students. He

serves as a liaison, working collaboratively

with all units of the university and members of

the local community to establish, maintain and

enhance services for the benefit of the Rochester

City Scholars.

Benitiz is a graduate of RIT’s College of Business,

where he earned his Bachelor of Science in

Business Administration with a minor in Finance.

Born, raised and educated in Rochester, NY, David

graduated from Benjamin Franklin H.S. and then

attended RIT, as a HEOP student in the summer

of 1980, where he participated in the 4-week

summer bridge program.

After graduation from RIT, Benitez entered a

career of Law Enforcement with the Rochester

Police Department. He spent 20 years serving

the Rochester community in the capacity of a

uniformed officer his first four years, and then as

a member of the Special Investigation Section for

the rest of his 16 years of service.

Upon completion of his career with the police

department, David worked at Monroe Community

College, where his passion for working with

college students was ignited. As a result, he

decided to pursue a Masters of Science in Higher

Education Administration from the University

of Rochester, which eventually led him to his

new family at MCAS.

ALUMNINEWSMAKERS

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DAVID BENITEZ

Featured on the front cover of Winds of Change

magazine, RIT civil engineering technology

graduate, Jacob Connors lands a position with

the Civil Forest Service. For Connors, St. Regis

Mohawk, the Forest Service has been a fantastic

place to grow professionally. It has provided

him with great opportunities and invaluable job

experience throughout his immediate post-college

career.

“I think the Forest Service is on the right track

with diversity programs in terms of hiring Native

Americans,” said Connors.

Check out his story in the recent edition of Winds

of Change Magazine: http://www.nxtbook.com/

nxtbooks/pohlyco/woc_2015spring/#/18

While working for GE, Kadre is pursuing my MBA

with a concentration in IT Management and Data

analytics from Indiana University. Previously, she

worked at GE Aviation as an IT Project Manager

and led a global team to deliver advanced analytics

software offerings.

Kadre Roberts, RIT and HEOP graduate class

of 2014, recently joined GE Oil & Gas as a Cyber

Security Leader in Houston, Texas. She will be

working on developing critical asset protection

strategy and architecture security. Her new

position requires frequent international travel to

Florence, Italy and Budapest, Hungary.

“I enjoy traveling both domestic and abroad and

demonstrating the real-world problem solving

skills I acquired while studying at RIT,” said

Kadre. “I am truly thankful and forever indebted

to HEOP for the guidance and genuine interest in

my success. I am a testament that HEOP works!”

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JACOB CONNORS KADRE ROBERTS

APRIL11HEOP Community Service9:00 am – 12:00 pm Foodlink

21A Tale of 5 Cities: Portraits of Gay/Bisexual Identified Men in Black Greek-Lettered Fraternities12:00 pm-1:30 pmRIT Vignelli Center, Building 7A, Booth Hall

25WDKX Women for Women: Up Close and Personal12:00 pm Bank of America Penthouse

27Partnerships in Pluralism Annual Luncheon12:00 pm Bamboo Room (Campus Center Room 2650)

28MCAS STAR Awards5:00pm – 7:00pm University Gallery

UPCOMING EVENTS

MAY2Imagine RITNative American Future Stewards Program (FSP) will be exhibiting.10:00 am – 5:00 pm

4HEOP Recognition Banquet5:00 pm—7:00 pm University Gallery

14FSP & CSTEP Pancake BreakfastThe Mckenzie Commons in COLA

15FSP Graduation Dinner and Honor CeremonyCrossroads- River Room (Global Village)

22RIT 2015 Commencement

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W.O.C.H.A. at RIT Women of Color, Honor and Ambition, a new program sponsored by RIT’s Office for Diversity and

Inclusion, is open to all female students who are in their second- through fifth-years of study at the

university, with an emphasis on woman of color. It is a one-year initiative developed for historically

underrepresented women in a predominately technical university to enhance leadership ability, build

camaraderie, access mentorship and open networking opportunities.

The program will consist of a series of monthly workshops offered by faculty, staff and community

professionals focusing on leadership development, healthy lifestyles, financial literacy, Self-E (self-esteem

and empowerment), and community engagement. The WOCHA program aims to create an inspiring

vision of the future by developing a quality education and lifelong learning where women will explore,

develop and share their skills, experiences and resources.

Other goals include encouraging a healthy lifestyle in mind, body and spirit that promotes meaningful

dialogue between and among groups to increase the understanding of varied perspectives and the nature

of a healthy lifestyle. For more information, please Sandra Whitmore, Senior Director of Operations,

Office for Diversity & Inclusion at 585-475-5453 or swwpro@rit.edu visit https://www.rit.edu/diversity/

wocha-women-color-honor-and-ambition.

D.I.V.A.S. at RIT Since the Fall of 2011, The Determined Individuals Victoriously Achieving Success (D.I.V.A.S) Program has

provided a variety of social, educational, and service activities to a small group of multicultural women at

R.I.T. Specifically, the D.I.V.A.S program was designed to achieve two interconnected objectives: to foster a

support network for incoming multicultural women at RIT and to increase the retention of female students

through mentorship, personal development, and successful academic progress.

Over the past three years, the D.I.V.A.S program has grown to meet the need of the campus community and

members in the program by seeking to increase gender diversity at RIT and by supporting female students

majoring in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) through successful

academic progress and development. For more information on the program and the application process,

contact Dr. Candice Baldwin, Senior Director for Academic Success for Multicultural Center for Academic

Success (MCAS), at cpbmcs@rit.edu or 585-475-2290.

Distinguished Community Professionals Make Lasting Contributions to the University

RIT’s Minett Professorship begins and ends in the city of Rochester. Established in

1991, The Minett Professorship brings distinguished Rochester area, multi-cultural

professionals to campus to share their professional experiences at RIT for one academic

year. Emphasizing the pivotal connections between education and industry, the

professorship also highlights the value of diversity within academia and business.

Minett Professors have come from politics, law enforcement, health care, media,

finance, technology, education and the arts. But all of them have one thing in common:

they come to the position wanting to make a difference at RIT and for the city of Rochester.

The program is as much about what these prominent professionals share with

RIT as it is about how they remain connected to the university when they complete

their appointments.

To read more of this article please click here:

https://www.rit.edu/news/athenaeum_story.php?id=51679

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Photo by A. Sue Weisler