After going virtual for 2021, the Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival is back in person and virtually, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus in Henrietta and online at Imagine. LAUGH.
More than 250 exhibits from more than 1,800 student and faculty exhibitors are planned for this year, encompassing the various fields studied by the students, ranging from robotics and cybersecurity to the arts, biomedicine, performing arts, science and technology. education of the deaf, etc.
Admission is free and open to the public, as is parking on the RIT campus. Shuttle buses will also provide free transportation to and from Monroe Community College.
“While COVID-19 may have put a lot of things in the world on hold for the past two years, it has not stopped the creativity and innovation that happens daily on the RIT campus,” said Ann Miller, director of Imagine RIT and special events. “We are so excited to once again invite the public to see what our brilliant students and faculty are doing to solve problems, build businesses, expand the boundaries of possibility, and make our world a better place.”
In accordance with current RIT protocols, all campus visitors ages 5 and older must be vaccinated; masks are optional. Ages 4 and under are welcome. Upon arrival, visitors will go to a welcome center to provide proof of vaccinations and photo ID – either their actual cards, a picture of themselves, a New York Excelsior pass or the SpiRIT pass for RIT students, faculty and staff. Once the documentation has been presented, they will receive a bracelet which will authorize them to enter the campus facilities.
Over 90% of exhibits are indoors.
People who cannot show up in person can still participate. There are 77 virtual exhibits this year and three events will be livestreamed from the Imagine RIT website. A one-hour show at 10 a.m., hosted by a television personality Scott Hetsko13WHAM News meteorologist and radio personality Kimmy Coffey from WCMF’s ‘The Break Room’ will help kick off the festival with interviews and exhibits.
The Futurists Symposium with prominent RIT alumni is scheduled for 11 a.m., featuring Erin Sarofsky ’98 (graphic design), ’00 (infographic design), executive creative director and owner of Sarofsky Corp.; Franklyn Athias ’85 (IT), CTO and Senior Vice President of Xfinity Mobil Retail Convergence – XMRC; and Aaron Gordon ’13, (film and animation), founder and CEO of Optical Sky Productions. The symposium will also be streamed live on the Imagine RIT website. No registration necessary.
And new this year will be the TAD competition for students with exhibits showcasing the intersection of technology, arts and design. Three prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to the best exhibits at 2 p.m. at the Gene Polissini Center. It will also be broadcast live.
The main sponsor of the festival this year is Rochester Regional Health.
“Imagine RIT providing opportunity for everyone, regardless of age,” said RIT President David Munson. “It’s an interactive festival. So don’t be afraid to try something and ask the exhibitors a lot of questions. Let’s inspire the next generation of problem solvers by connecting young people to the wonders of science, technology, engineering, math, design, business, health sciences, liberal arts, and the arts.
There will be exhibits for everyone, ranging from a sustainable portable latrine, the RIT Beekeeping Club, a human hamster wheel, even an interaction with a coral reef.
Mike Borodzik
There will be exhibits for everyone, ranging from a sustainable portable latrine, the RIT Beekeeping Club, a human hamster wheel, even an interaction with a coral reef.
RIT Baja Project Manager, Mike Borodzik, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student from Depew, NY, is looking forward to showing off his team’s latest off-road racer and interacting with all Imagine RIT visitors.
“It’s a pretty big event,” he said. “It’s a way to show all the time and dedication it took to make this engineering marvel, and to show that students are capable of doing high-level things like this.”
Borodzik said the event is also a good way to network with visitors, whether they’re people who might offer sponsorship, machine shops or even jobs for students. And he likes that Imagine can also inspire young people to be more interested in STEM fields.
Viktoria Koscinski
“It’s great to even talk to little kids and have them sit in the car,” he said. “It’s always fun to see their eyes light up. It’s always something we’re passionate about and it’s nice to share that passion with people.
Viktoria Koscinski, PhD in Computer Science and Information Science. student from Utica, NY, is the captain of the 20-member Latin Rhythm Dance Club performance team, one of 19 performing arts exhibits scheduled at the festival, including drums, jazz , a capella groups, improvisation, gospel and other instrumental music.
“I’m really excited,” Koscinski said. “I heard a lot of people say it was a great experience. A team member said she decided to go to RIT after seeing Imagine and understanding what RIT was. So I’m looking forward to playing and being a part of having that impact.
Design-wise, Michelle Passe, a fourth-year new media design student from Eagan, Minnesota, is one of the designers on an eight-member team that produced Coral Canopy, which will take the visitors through an interactive experience using ceiling projection. mapping and color tracking to show a coral reef.
Michelle Past
It will be located in the Booth Hall, Room 1400, and will feature information about clownfish, bluefish, manta rays, whales, sharks, octopus and jellyfish featured on screen. She said the exhibition is for children, adults and groups.
“We wanted to give them the surprise factor when they walk into the room,” Passe said. “They will find that this coral reef is opening up above them.”
The team has been working on this capstone project every day since November, when they simply received the directive “smile” from their professor on which to base their project.
“I’m really excited,” Passe said. “It’s something our team was looking forward to, sharing our talent.”
Visitors can receive a free festival poster while supplies last. This year’s design, of a futuristic 3D jack-in-the-box, was created by Sara Neff, a second-year New Media Design student from Waterbury, Vt.
And dining halls will open on campus where food can be purchased, as well as 16 food trucks offering a wide variety of dishes.
