It's about time[line]

Facebook has finally allowed pages to convert to the new Timeline layout - so today I took a bit of a break from intern application in-processing and updated the CIS Facebook page. I also took some time to clean up the Extended Info tab, though the app developers have not yet updated the sizing and margins to fit cleanly within Timeline. Hopefully that will be fixed soon, but in the mean time at least the info has been updated. Check it out! www.facebook.com/RITimagingsci

Soon I hope to add in some events along CIS's timeline, even going as far back as the building dedication 20+ years ago! This will be an ongoing effort though, since it will take some time to gather dates, information, and pictures. So, be sure to keep checking in!

Not "Lye-ma"; "Lee-ma"

Today I put together some Powerpoints for a couple people here in CIS who are either traveling to or being represented by someone traveling to Peru. I was asked to make one presentation that was a quick overview of our graduate offerings, with a focus on exciting student/faculty research. The other presentation was to go into detail about our online M.S. program. You can click on the images below to view PDF versions of the slideshows I made. (Note: The color management appears more pleasing in the native Powerpoint format, so if you notice some text or visuals that don't look ideal, it's likely due to the conversion.)

Grad Overview

Distance Learning Information

Alrighty then, back to intern applications! They kept flooding in (and with the weather today, they were quite literally flooding) right up until the 4PM deadline.

We just got a letter... We just got a letter...

Actually, more than just "a" letter... It's intern application season!!!

Keeping the Post Office alive since 2001

I LOVE this time of year! It is so fun to do the in-processing of the applications and see all the excellent students out there. I especially like reading letters of recommendation, because they are so positive and inspiring. I am still digging my way out from the flux of envelopes I'm receiving, but so far 2012 looks like it will be another good year! Well, this is going to be my life for the next few days, so I better get back to it...

I've got pink hair, I've got science, I meet great folks - Who could ask for anything more?

This afternoon I met an incredibly charming and pleasant family that has some personal ties to CIS. Their son happens to be a high school junior currently, and does not know what he wants to do for college - maybe engineering, maybe science, who knows. So of course, that's where I come in! After getting to know each other better, we talked about Imaging Science as well as some of the other opportunities around RIT, notably the University Studies Program and the Exploration programs in Science and Engineering. After discussing classes, culture, Rochester life, and more, I took them on a brief tour of the building and we even met up with some of the freshmen, who told us all about this year's project. It was an incredibly enjoyable time - almost two hours flew right by! Part of what was so positive was that everyone was equally involved and interested, both parents and kids (though their other son a little less so, since he was under the weather - I totally understand!). It is interactions like these that really give me a good feeling about upcoming students. Their son in particular is an excellent college candidate and has a bright future ahead of him, for sure. I also told them about our high school internship program, so hopefully I will be seeing an application in the mail!

They're gr-r-r-r-r-reat!

So I'm not going to get into all the behind-the-scenes debates regarding these (and believe me, there are some passionate arguments) but the bottom line is that I've put together a few consistently designed materials for Staff Council's use:

This is for a sandwich board that is often put out in the Student Alumni Union to promote Staff Council. Instead of being a plain black board with some laser printouts on it, there will now be a nice, attention-grabbing backer.

These represent the front and back designs for a new bookmark to be given out to RIT Staff at picnics, New Employee Orientation, etc. Functional, informational, and eye-catching!

These are currently only drafts, but the reception so far has been very positive!

I hope there's a poster contest, because Joe should totally take home the gold.

Today, Joe asked me to help him out a bit on a poster he was putting together for an upcoming symposium he was accepted to present at about the Freshmen class. While the poster had a basic three column design requirement, the rest was pretty flexible and up to the presenter. Joe already had all the content that he wanted to include, but asked for my recommendations for the look and feel of the poster overall. Mostly I helped with sizing, shaping, placement, color, formatting... I guess I touched pretty much everything in the poster, but I really can't take much credit since it was all Joe's content. Anyways, it looks great - take a look!

Even more emphasis on the "M"

The other day I mentioned how I was getting back in touch with people on a number of different things. One of those was reconnecting with the Communications department again this quarter to introduce another undergraduate class to the technology and research in the MVRL lab (if you recall, we presented on eye tracking in fall quarter to an undergraduate communications class). Since MVRL is gearing up for their big trip out west to do this year's major data collect, I was slated to give the presentation this time (and we would have to unfortunately miss out of the live demo part, since everything was getting packed up). Well, unfortunately this was scheduled for January 31 - and if you have been following my blog at all, you'll know that there was no way I'd be able to make good on my promise to present. Luckily, I was given permission by all the parties involved to share the Powerpoint and some example videos with the class's professor (which I still managed to do when I was out of the office), so that there could still be some kind of presentation made to the class. Today I heard back from the professor and apparently everything went really well! This collaboration has been beneficial because not only have more students heard about opportunities in Imaging Science, but the professor herself has now submitted a research proposal in collaboration with MVRL! It is great to be forming so many cross-campus connections.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Today I returned to RIT. It has not been easy (I now smell of everyone else's perfumes, because of all the hugging) (PS I don't wear perfume) but like my mom says, it gets harder the longer you wait. Besides, working helps take my mind off things. So I'm actually quite grateful for the small accumulation of things to do that built up while I was gone.

As I get back into the swing of things, my focus is on tying up all the loose ends on the things I did remotely while I was away (as mentioned a couple posts ago). I have spent today getting everything back up to date (seminars, website stuff, the screen downstairs, job postings) and checking in with the people and events I have had to miss (several prospective students, San Francisco alumni, inquiries into the intern program).

With regards to the San Francisco alumni event, it sounds as if the reception was a success! Fifteen alumni and one current graduate student attended, and several also brought along guests, which makes for a very nicely sized event. A true measure of the night's success is the fact that most everyone stayed for the full two hours, which is fantastic! I have since received some nice notes from alumni that said they missed me being there this year, so I made sure to reply and let them know that I was equally sorry to have missed out. I had a really great time when I was out there two years ago, so hopefully we will have another event that I can go to!

Also while I was out of the office, the science department at Palmyra Macedon sent me the group faculty picture I took of them with the FLIR when I was there. Enjoy...

This is one for the yearbooks!