RIT Graduate School

We are proud to announce that Dr. Erich Hernandez-Baquero, Ph.D. ’00, an outstanding alumnus of the RIT Graduate School, is a recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award. Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Erich “HB” Hernandez-Baquero is the Vice President of Space Intelligence, Surveillance, & Reconnaissance at Raytheon, an RTX business. He leads the development and sustainment of command & control, communications, and data processing systems for surveillance & reconnaissance missions from space in support of the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. Prior to this role, Hernandez-Baquero was the Director of Advanced Ground Systems in Department 22, Raytheon Intelligence and Space, where he led the development of mission solutions for multidomain operations leveraging advancements in autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, tracking, fusion, modeling and simulation, modern software, and distributed architectures. Prior to joining RTX, Hernandez-Baquero served as the senior materiel leader of Integrated Ground Enterprise at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) where he led a wing-level joint organization life cycle acquisition of command and control and data processing systems supporting vital missions for the DOD and Intelligence Community. Hernandez-Baquero served in a variety of acquisition programs for the USAF, including test and evaluation at the Air Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate at Edwards Air Force Base, research and technology projects at the NRO, and advanced space programs that enabled new intelligence collection capabilities. Hernandez-Baquero was also a regional affairs specialist and served as advisor to the Inter-American Defense Board of the Organization of American States. Hernandez-Baquero holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the United States Air Force Academy, a master’s degree in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and a doctorate degree in imaging science from the Rochester Institute of Technology. We would also like to congratulate the other distinguished alumni award winners this year, whose achievements continue to inspire us all.

Six RIT doctoral students took the stage of Wegmans Theater in the MAGIC Center to compete in the finals for the 3MT? Three Minute Thesis Competition that was founded by the University of Queensland. Congratulations to the winners! Sai Sri Nidhi Munaganuru, a Mechanical and Industrial Engineering PhD student, took First Place as well as the People's Choice award for her talk, "Can carbon composite 3D printing technology revolutionize the world?" The Runner-Up was Arianna Giguere, an Imaging Science PhD student, for her talk titled, "Navigating Vision Loss: Driving Toward Recovery with VR." Students competing took part in a preliminary round in September. Along with advancing to the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools Regional Competition, the First-Place awardee received a monetary prize of $1500. The runner-up and people’s choice award also included a monetary prize.

It's ROAR Day!

Today is ROAR Day, RIT’s #1 general fundraising campaign of the year.?One of the graduate school advisory members will generously match individual donations to graduate school. I encourage all alumni and friends to meet this challenge at the following link -https://lnkd.in/gYMUviMv

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) Virtual Office Hours for Student Summer Researchers Join the Virtual Office Hours for Student Summer Researchers on the 24th of July from 01:00 PM-02:00 PM Eastern to gain an understanding of the eligibility requirements, application process, and review criteria for the NSF GRFP! The first part will entail an overview presentation, followed by a Q & A with Program Officers! Register through the link: https://qrco.de/bfC5z7 For additional information or questions , contact Jason Polito [email protected]

As we welcome new graduate students for the Fall semester, we recently hosted our New Graduate Student Webinar last Wednesday. The event covered essential topics such as RIT Graduate School resources, community orientation, and insights from our Peer Advisor Leaders. Students also learned about opportunities to get involved with the Graduate Student Community, Tiger Tales Toastmasters, Women in Graduate School (WIGS), Doctoral Student Association (DSA), and International Student Services. We're excited for the journey ahead and look forward to supporting our new graduate students every step of the way! #RITGradSchool #GraduateStudents #WelcomeToRIT #RITgradlife

RIT will host the annual conference of the Association of Medical Illustrators, July 25-27. A podcast interview with RIT medical illustration faculty Glen Hintz, Jim Perkins, and Craig Foster touches on the history of the program, generations of students, and technology's influence. Belinda Dunwoody RIT Graduate School ROCH Whitman

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT Bruce Myers Program Director, Department of Packaging and Graphic Media Science College of Engineering Technology. "My area of expertise is color quality control. Before joining Rochester Institute of Technology in 2011, I served as Global Sales Training Manager for a manufacturer of color measurement systems. I developed and implemented training sessions on managing and controlling color reproduction and traveled extensively in North America and Asia delivering the curriculum. Much of my research since coming to RIT involves aspects of color measurement and control, so it is safe to say that applied color consistency is my area of expertise. As one of the world’s largest manufacturing industries, opportunities in many areas await our graduates: many of our alumni work in production management, quality control, project management, and as technical specialists. Others join the vendor community serving the industry, and careers in product management, applications, and sales are not uncommon. We’ve also had multiple students go on to Doctoral-level work from our MS program. Graduates of the program join over 4,000 active alumni currently leading the industry. Opportunities abound at the graduate level for MS Print and Graphic Media Science students. Our STEM-based program is simultaneously flexible and focused: we accept students from any bachelor’s program. Some of our most successful MS alumni came to us from Liberal Arts and Fine Arts backgrounds, and others have extensive experience in graphic media through work or specialized undergraduate programs. Technical electives and optional paid Co-op positions allow students to customize their experience to best meet their career and life goals. Students can choose from three different degree culmination projects: Thesis, Capstone, or Research Applications and Problem-Solving, and can complete their MS in one year, if they choose. Many students present their work at academic conferences and publish them in journals" . . . #facultyspotlight #rit #packagingscience #graphicmedia

RIT's Print and Graphic Communications Association hosted a Graphic Media Day event that was packed with engaging presentations, live demonstrations, and invaluable networking opportunities. High school students and graduate student attendees delved into the $640 billion graphic media industry, learning about career opportunities and witnessing cutting-edge technologies in action. . . . . #graphicmediaday #RIT #careeropportunities

We are excited to highlight Marko Ristic, who was chosen as the doctoral delegate speaker for the RIT 2024 commencement. During the PhD hooding ceremony, where these photos were taken, Marko delivered an inspiring speech, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of his fellow graduates. Marko completed his doctorate from the RIT College of Science in astrophysical sciences and technology. He has studied particle physics at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, one of the world’s largest and most respected centers for scientific research; laser characterization for the VIRGO collaboration at the University of Tor Vergata; and has attached the first external privately-owned instrument to the WIYN 0.9-m Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, AZ, one of the largest gatherings of astronomical instruments in the northern hemisphere. Marko’s doctoral research focuses on kilonova modeling and creating inexpensive surrogate models for parameter inference applications. He published three first-author papers in high-impact journals and has served as a journal referee for the Astrophysical Journal. Marko participates in the American Physical Society’s Physicist To-Go Program, which brings real physicists to K-12 classrooms across the country; and he is an American Physical Society Career Mentoring Fellow, joining a team of physicists working in industry, government, and academia to mentor undergraduate and graduate students and early career scientists. Through these initiatives Marko is educating and supporting the next generation of scientists about the benefits and career paths offered to those holding a bachelor’s degree in physics. . . . . . #classof2024 #phd #doctoraldelegate #rit #ritgradlife