2026 Final Defense: Directions + Schedule

Directions

Schedule

All sessions are Eastern Standard Time (EST), held in the Interior Design Studio Booth Hall 4631 and via Zoom

MONDAY, APRIL 20

Join via Zoom: https://rit.zoom.us/j/99594099093
SESSION I
Designing Experiences: Innovative Spaces for Hospitality, Retail, and Work

12:00-1:00     Olivia Swanson: Illuminating Retail: Promoting occupant wellness and sensory experience through lighting
1:30-2:30       Alexis Tenny: Revitalizing Rural Communities: The Adaptive Reuse of the Historic Manchester, NY Roundhouse
3:00-4:00      Sarah Touris: The Interior City: How Work and Public Spaces Contribute to Making Buffalo, New York a Circular City

TUESDAY, APRIL 21

SESSION II
Enhancing Student Life to Elevate the College Experience

9:00-10:00      Carter Nielson: Transforming Campus Housing and Students’ Trajectory to Success
10:30-11:30    Shakira Avila: Designing for Acoustic Comfort: Inclusive Dormitory Design for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students
2:00-3:00        Madison Broomfield: Designing for service dogs and their caregivers in higher education environments
4:00-5:00        Talia Lusignan:
Empowering Students: Executive action skill building in collegiate design

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22

Join via Zoom: https://rit.zoom.us/j/95010661573
SESSION III
Learning Spaces for Improving Student Engagement

12:00-1:00     Maddi Altieri: Play, Place, and Social Growth: Encouraging social interaction in elementary schools to foster play,    learning, and social-emotional development

SESSION IV
Trauma-Informed Approaches in Children’s Environments

1:30-2:30       Raheel Alamiri: Improving accessibility for children visiting a mobile dental clinic
3:00-4:00       Komeelia Volta: Fostering Belonging: Trauma-Informed Design for Orphaned Youths in Guyana

THURSDAY, APRIL 23

Join via Zoom: https://rit.zoom.us/j/95029555606
SESSION V
Trauma-Informed Approaches in Children’s Environments

10:00-11:00     Mia Roth: Fostering Resilience: Addressing Barriers For Displaced Youth Along The Haiti-Dominican Republic Border