RIT College of Science

I am incredibly proud to share that Benjamin Li, a high school student I have been mentoring for the past year, has been selected as one of the Top Finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2025—the nation’s most prestigious STEM competition for high school seniors! ?? Our project, MD-SA2: Multimodal, Depth-Aware Brain Tumor Segmentation in Sub-Saharan Populations, was developed to enhance brain tumor segmentation in MRI medical imaging using advanced machine learning techniques. The project has also been accepted for publication in the SPIE Journal of Medical Imaging, highlighting the significance of this research in advancing AI-driven medical imaging. ???? As a mentor and research collaborator, I am honored to have been invited to attend the Regeneron STS Finalist Week in Washington, D.C., where Benjamin has presented our work among the brightest young minds in the country. This milestone reflects his dedication and highlights the transformative role of interdisciplinary research in AI and medical imaging. ?? Learn more about the Regeneron STS 2025 finalists here: https://lnkd.in/dxTU9Yyq #RegeneronSTS #STEM #RITCenterForImagingScience #AI #MedicalImaging #BrainTumorSegmentation #Mentorship #MachineLearning #ScienceInnovation #AcademicResearch #SPIEJournal

An exciting weekend of data analysis, collaboration, and problem-solving at RIT College of Science! Undergraduate students from across the Greater Rochester area will be tackling real-world data challenges at DataFest, a nationally recognized competition by the American Statistical Association. https://brnw.ch/21wRiZT

We are excited to welcome Dr. Nagela Bernadelli Sousa Silva (https://lnkd.in/gQ9apGxh), a visiting research scholar from Brazil, to the RIT College of Science. Dr. Silva specializes in the antimicrobial evaluation of natural products and will be working with Dr. Michael Savka and me to study the antibacterial activity of Brazilian Green Propolis combined with peptides extracted from soil bacteria. Her research focuses on testing these natural compounds against ESKAPE pathogens, both in isolated bacterial cultures and biofilms, key contributors to antimicrobial resistance. Additionally, she will investigate the mechanisms of action and the time required for these compounds to exert their inhibitory effects. The ultimate goal? To uncover synergistic interactions that enhance therapeutic potential against these dangerous bacteria! Welcome to RIT, the College of Science and the Hudson/Savka Labs, Dr. Silva, we look forward to working with you. #HudsonLab #SavkaLab #AntimicrobialResearch #ESKAPEPathogens #BrazilianPropolis #ScienceCollaboration #RITScience

RIT’s Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation was honored to host Dr. Viviana Acquaviva as a John Vouros Distinguished Guest Speaker! A professor at CUNY and Simons Foundation fellow, Dr. Acquaviva leads research in data science, machine learning, astrophysics, and climate modeling. She’s also the author of Machine Learning for Physics and Astronomy, winner of the 2024 Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award.

Congratulations to Dr. Grover Swartzlander, Professor in the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, on being named a recipient of the 2024-2025 Trustees Scholarship Award! This prestigious honor recognizes faculty with a sustained record of outstanding academic scholarship. The rigorous review process considered the quality, quantity, and impact of scholarship, with an emphasis on how the work enhances the educational experience of RIT students.

As we celebrate and honor all women today, I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible contributions of women in science, especially the brilliant faculty, staff, and scholar colleagues I have the privilege of working with and for in the RIT College of Science. Their dedication to research, education, and innovation shapes the future of STEM and inspires the next generation of scientists and mathematicians. Science thrives when all voices are heard. Today, let’s celebrate the women in STEM who inspire. #WomenInSTEM #InternationalWomensDay #RITScience

The Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices interviewed Loryn Johnson '20 (biotechnology and molecular biosciences), a neuroscience Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

RIT Professors Karin Wuertz-Kozak (bioengineer) and Maureen Ferran (virologist) are combining virology and mechanobiology in a groundbreaking study, supported by a National Science Foundation grant. Their research could reshape how we understand and combat lung infections. Read more: https://brnw.ch/21wR6aV

Ph.D. student gets a look into her future as part of astronomical experiment team. Audrey Dunn spent more than three months at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona as part of a group of astronomers studying the early universe. Read more: https://brnw.ch/21wR4Lb

What a fun day we had celebrating College of Science Distinguished Alumni Awardee Louis J. Cantolupo and Emerging Leader Awardee Hao Shi. Congratulations and Go Tigers!