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 & [email protected]
D-D FLANNERY-LAZENBYASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & [email protected]
MICHELLE COMETASENIOR COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTUNIVERSITY NEWS [email protected]
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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 [email protected].
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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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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