Celebrations will take place throughout the years leading up to the big event.
The 50th anniversary of Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf will culminate in a reunion hosted on campus from June 28 to July 1, 2018.
The announcement appeared in a joint video statement from reunion co-chairs Chris and Staci Wagner of Bradenton, Fla., and NTID Alumni Association president Joe Riggio of Fishers, Ind.
The anniversary marks 50 years since the first cohort of students matriculated at NTID, one of the nine colleges of RIT, in 1968. A kick-off event during RIT’s Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend festivities in October 2017 will inaugurate a yearlong celebration culminating with the reunion the following June.
The theme of the reunion will be “Reconnect. Reunite. Reflect.”
“This reunion represents an opportunity for fellow RIT/NTID alumni to celebrate the connections both new and old with each other as well as the campus and the college itself,” said Staci Wagner. “Many of them feel a debt of gratitude to NTID for the impact it’s had on their personal journeys and professional career.”
RIT/NTID President Gerry Buckley, the first alumnus to hold the position, is looking forward to welcoming back alumni for the reunion events.
“Being able to look forward to the reunion is just the first of many things to anticipate during the celebration of NTID’s 50th anniversary,” said Buckley. “Having alumni on campus to help honor this milestone in NTID’s history will make it all the more special.”
More than 7,000 students have graduated from RIT/NTID.
Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized as a leader in computing, engineering, imaging technology, fine and applied arts, and for providing unparalleled support services for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. RIT is home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
Established by the U.S. Congress in 1965, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf is the first and largest technological college in the world for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. NTID offers associate degree programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and provides support and access services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students who study in the other eight colleges of RIT. NTID also offers a bachelor’s degree program in sign language interpreting and a master’s degree program in secondary education for individuals interested in teaching deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Deaf and hard-of-hearing students come from all over the United States and around the world to take advantage of the opportunities available to them at RIT/NTID.
For more information, go to www.rit.edu/NTID.
Rochester Institute of Technology is home to leading creators, entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers. Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls 18,600 students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, making it among the largest private universities in the U.S.
The university is internationally recognized and ranked for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts, sustainability, and fine and applied arts. RIT also offers unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation. Global partnerships include campuses in Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo.
For news, photos and videos, go to www.rit.edu/news.
