2024: Letters to the Future

How cultural heritage imaging preserves history

Izzy Moyer and Leah Humenuck

This presentation discusses accessible, low-barrier-to-entry, cultural heritage imaging, specifically two types, 1) multispectral imaging for revealing damaged and faded content and 2) spectral imaging, turning a traditional RGB camera into a spectral imaging device, to create color accurate masterfiles. Ongoing and escalating circumstances, such as global warming and conflict areas, plus travel restrictions from such events as the Covid-19 pandemic, have shown just how necessary the democratization of cultural heritage imaging is in order to preserve history.

Izzy Moyer is an undergraduate in Museum Studies at the College of Liberal Arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Izzy’s research interests include cultural heritage imaging, digital curation, and digital indoor navigation.

Leah Humenuck is a PhD candidate in Color Science at the Munsell Color Science Laboratory at Rochester Institute of Technology. Leah's research interests are in imaging, reproduction, and lighting for cultural heritage. She is also a book and paper conservator which informs her color science research of archival items. Leah holds a BS in Chemistry from Sweet Briar College and an MA with honors in Conservation from West Dean College of Arts and Conservation.

Together Izzy and Leah are ambassadors of cultural heritage imaging nationally and internationally. From setting up a multispectral system at the State Archives of Dubrovnik in Croatia to presenting at the American Institute of Conservation in Salt Lake City, Utah.

How Do We Categorize People?

Dr. Nicolas LaLone

The generation of people born after 2004 have inherited worldwide problems that need to be addressed sooner than humanly possible. From sudden, unpredictable storms to identifying risks across societies, Dr. LaLone urges all current and future grads to lean into their unique perspective as the first generation to see the world differently than all generations before them. This is the dawn of a new era, your era.

Nick is a first-generation college student from northern Ohio. Over his 45 years on Earth, he has been a farmer, forklift operator, pizza man, homeless man, reporter, pharmacy technician, advertising executive, student, and now, subject matter expert on technology and disaster. When he isn’t trying to help emergency managers better prepare for a populace that no longer uses the phone, he spends his time looking at how we play. How we play tells us how we react to rules, limits, and normal life. In understanding this, we can more easily prepare for an uncertain world.

People Aren’t Made Up of Numbers

Kayley Judd

This is a letter to the leaders who are for the future. In a world that runs on numbers amid chaos, how can we lead without allowing the definition of numbers to limit our future leaders? Numbers are a constant and also a complexity.

Kayley Judd is a 4th-year BS/MS MET student, She transferred to RIT from a community college in Washington in the fall of 2022. During her time here, she has been involved on campus. She founded N.E.R.D. Girls in STEM club, a first-of-its-kind cross-registered club focused on creating space and supporting Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing women in STEM across the campus. She has also started and ran as a chairperson of a first-ever student-led Deaf in STEM Conference with a mission of developing soft skills, creating networking opportunities, and connections to Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing professionals in the STEM fields for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students here on campus. She is also on the cross-registered student advisory board (X-SAB) as a representative for College Engineering Technology cross-registered students. Some cool things about Kayley: she is learning how to play hockey for the first time this past semester. Kayley also loves to cook, bake, hike, camp with friends, and enjoy coffee.

Perovskites Semiconductors are the Future of Space

Ahmad Kirmani

As our presence begins to expand beyond Earth, global space agencies and industry are eyeing space habitats on the Moon and Mars and utilizing the low-Earth orbit (LEO) as a product manufacturing base. This expansion requires a low-cost and sustainable approach, necessitating the discovery of a semiconductor technology that is tolerant to the extreme space environment – perovskites are one of the most radiation-tolerant semiconductors known to us – thanks to their intrinsically soft lattices that can self-heal – and appear highly promising for enabling the new space era!

I am an Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Materials Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), US, where I lead the INterface and Structure in Printed Inorganic ElectRONics (INSPIRON) research laboratory. I earned my PhD in 2017 from the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST), and later carried out postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). I have explored and advanced next-generation electronics based on semiconductor inks including colloidal nanocrystals, metal-halide perovskites, and metal oxides. My research has resulted in over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles and highlighted the importance of interfaces and microstructure in the lab-to-fab transition of printed electronics. My most recent research effort focuses on understanding radiation-matter interactions in perovskite semiconductors and exploring their space applications.

The Future is Now

Ernest Fokoue

Precious beloved bright future! I was told to write a letter to you, and I was already concerned because I kept looking for your address and couldn’t find it. How kind and loving of you, precious bright future that you spared me all the grief and anguish by coming to be with me right here, right now.

Ernest Fokoue, born and raised in Cameroon, has had a lifelong passion for philosophy and mathematics, later incorporating metaphysics and a quest for the divine into his life. With a doctoral degree in Statistics, a Master of Science degree in Neural Computation, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, he has a strong background in mathematical sciences. Ernest is passionate about Statistical Science, especially Statistical Machine Learning and Data Science, and aims to unite scholars of all varieties. He enjoys the beauty and power of mathematics for problem-solving. As a professor, his mission is to share his knowledge and expertise generously, joyfully, and rigorously to empower his students in statistical science, envisioning them as world-class experts and pioneers.

The Future of Software Engineering

Samuel Malachowsky

Do Software Engineers live in the near future? If they do, what does that mean, and how can others benefit from this knowledge? In this talk, Samuel will discuss what it’s like to live in the near future, how to understand what is to come, and how to apply this knowledge to your life, career, and strategic decision making.

Samuel Malachowsky, a Principal Lecturer at RIT's Software Engineering Department, brings over a decade of teaching experience and a background as a Technical Project Manager to his role. His book, "Project Team Leadership and Communication," reflects his expertise in effective team management, garnering recognition in both academia and industry circles. With a passion for understanding business processes and their practical applications, Samuel is dedicated to bridging theory and practice. He cultivates an innovative learning environment, fostering student success and shaping the future of software engineering education.

Trans People Deserve a Future

Alexander-Joseph Silva

The future should be a promise, not a privilege. Join Alexander-Joseph on a journey of self-discovery and resilience. Although gender is more than binary, Alex discovered his code compiled him as male.

Alexander-Joseph is a Software Developer at Google and a graduate of RIT with a degree in Computer Science. Although gender is more than binary, Alex discovered his code compiled him as male. In other words, Alex is a transgender man. While at RIT, he founded Queer n' Color and was involved within the community. Alex is originally from Elizabeth, NJ - the same hometown as LGBTQ+ icon Marsha P. Johnson. Similar to Marsha, Alex's journey of self-discovery led him to building inclusive spaces for LGBTQ individuals.

photos are courtesy of Jack Connolly and Teo Luciani