Rochester Institute of Technology celebrates its faculty-researchers, with ten principal investigators surpassing $1 million in funding, marking a milestone in RIT’s research excellence and commitment to innovation

Rochester, New York – Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has recently celebrated the remarkable achievements of its faculty-researchers who have been at the forefront of innovative projects across various disciplines. These accolades come on the heels of the university securing nearly $103 million in sponsored research awards during the previous fiscal year, marking a significant milestone in RIT’s commitment to academic excellence and research innovation.

The recognition event highlighted the contributions of ten faculty members who each surpassed the $1 million mark in research funding within the past year. This elite group, known as the PI Millionaires, was inducted into the yearly classes, a tradition that has honored over 350 principal investigators since its inception in 2001. These researchers are credited with leading multidisciplinary projects that span fields such as mental health, smart city technologies, and gravitational waves.

Among the honored was Corey Crane, an associate professor at the College of Health Sciences and Technology, noted for his work in behavioral health. Crane’s research focuses on developing tailored interventions to enhance treatment compliance and reduce recidivism rates. Another notable mention was Agamemnon Crassidis from the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, who is pioneering the development of advanced drone technologies and inertial navigation systems.

The event also recognized Parsian Katal Mohseni, another associate professor from the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, renowned for his work in manipulating material properties at the nanoscale. This research is crucial for advancements in fields such as photonics and photovoltaic energy conversion. Meanwhile, Xumin Liu, a professor at the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, is making significant strides in data science and artificial intelligence, focusing on making programming and data science more accessible to non-computing majors.

Lishibanya Mohapatra from the College of Science is working on understanding how intracellular structures form and function, which has implications for numerous medical and biological applications. Lu Sun, a professor in the College of Engineering Technology, explores various facets of smart city technologies, from asset management to cognitive neuroscience in transportation safety.

Anna Christina Tyler, a professor in the College of Science, focuses on the ecological and biogeochemical aspects of freshwater and marine environments, particularly in plastic pollution and ecosystem restoration. Steven Weinstein and John Whelan, both from the Kate Gleason College of Engineering and the College of Science respectively, were highlighted for their contributions to polymer science and gravitational wave research.

Additionally, the event spotlighted several new researchers who received Seed Funding as part of RIT Sponsored Research Services’ Grant Writers’ Boot Camp. This initiative aims to support the next generation of principal investigators at RIT, with this year’s awardees including Jun Han Bae, Sathwika Bavikadi, and others, marking them as the emerging leaders in their respective fields.

The record funding received last year from prominent institutions like the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and New York State not only underscores RIT’s growing influence in research but also positions the university among the top private research institutions in the nation, according to the NSF Higher Education Research Development Survey. This recognition and financial support reflect RIT’s pivotal role in driving innovation and developing solutions that have a broad impact across industries and communities.

More details here.