Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester Institute of Technology
Name	Rochester Institute of Technology
Established	1829
Type	Private research university
Endowment	$1.3 billion (2023)
President	David C. Munson Jr.
Academic staff	1,397 (Fall 2022)
Students	19,000+ (2023)
City	Henrietta, New York
State	New York
Country	United States
Campus	Suburban, 1,300 acres
Colors	Orange and brown
Nickname	Tigers
Affiliations	Association of Independent Technological Universities
Website	rit.edu

Rochester Institute of Technology is a private research university located in the Town of Henrietta within the Rochester, New York metropolitan area. Founded in 1829, it is known for its career-oriented education, particularly in technology, the arts, and design, and operates one of the oldest and largest cooperative education programs in the world. The university enrolls over 19,000 students across nine academic colleges, including the prestigious National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

History

The institution traces its origins to the founding of the Rochester Athenaeum in 1829, a society for the advancement of learning which later merged with the Mechanics Institute in 1891 to form the Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute. Under the leadership of President Mark Ellingson, the institute began awarding baccalaureate degrees in the 1940s and officially changed its name in 1944. A pivotal moment came in 1966 with the establishment of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf through federal legislation signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The university relocated from its historic downtown Rochester location to its current suburban campus in Henrietta, New York in 1968, a move that facilitated significant expansion.

Academics

The university is organized into nine colleges, including the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, and the College of Art and Design. It is renowned for its immersive cooperative education program, which places students with thousands of employers globally, such as IBM, Microsoft, and The Walt Disney Company. The National Technical Institute for the Deaf provides specialized support and education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students within a mainstream academic environment. Other notable units include the Saunders College of Business and the College of Science, offering a wide range of programs from microelectronic engineering to film and animation.

Campus

The main 1,300-acre campus in Henrietta, New York features a mix of modern and brutalist architecture, with key facilities like the Gordon Field House, the University Gallery, and the Student Alumni Union. The campus is home to the Institute Hall, a state-of-the-art facility for the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, and the MAGIC Spell Studios, a digital media production complex. A distinctive feature is the quarter-mile-long enclosed RIT Tunnel System that connects many buildings. The campus also includes the RIT Inn & Conference Center and borders the Erie Canal heritage trail.

Research

Designated as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, it hosts numerous research centers and institutes. These include the Simone Center for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Center for Detectors affiliated with NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Golisano Institute for Sustainability. Research thrusts are strong in areas like astrophysics, cybersecurity, color science, and human-computer interaction, with significant funding from agencies like the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense.

Student life

Student life is governed by the Student Government and features over 300 student clubs, including a large and active chapter of the Theatre Guild. The university's athletic teams, the RIT Tigers, compete primarily in the NCAA Division III Liberty League, with the men's ice hockey team competing at the NCAA Division I level in Atlantic Hockey. Major campus events include the annual Imagine RIT innovation festival and the Brick City Homecoming celebration. A significant portion of the student body participates in the extensive Greek life system and resides in on-campus housing like Global Village.

Notable alumni and faculty

Prominent alumni include astronaut Andrew J. Feustel, former Duracell CEO Robert J. Gillespie, and co-founder of CNN Robert Wussler. The faculty has included notable figures such as photographer and professor Willie Osterman and former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe. Other distinguished graduates are computer scientist Bruce Schneier, illustrator and author Brian Selznick, and former president of Lucasfilm Gail Currey.

Category:Universities and colleges in New York (state) Category:Private universities and colleges in New York (state) Category:1829 establishments in New York (state)