RIT APPOINTS HURWITZ TO LEAD NTID

From: NTID - Nov 6, 2003

Contact: Karen E. Black
585.475.6840 (v/tty)
kebnmr@rit.edu

RIT APPOINTS HURWITZ TO LEAD NTID

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 6--Rochester Institute of Technology has named Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz as vice president for RIT and CEO/Dean of its internationally known National Technical Institute for the Deaf, President Albert Simone announced today.

"Alan has worked at the college in a variety of key roles for most of NTID's 35-year history," said Simone, who appointed Hurwitz after a national search. "His breadth of knowledge and experience make him a natural fit for the job."

Hurwitz, who has served as NTID's dean for the last five years, replaces the retiring Dr. Robert Davila. Hurwitz will continue his duties as dean, as well as serve as a member of the President's Administrative Council.

Hurwitz, of Pittsford, brought his experience as an electronics engineer and numerical control programmer from McDonnell Douglas Corporation to NTID in 1970, which was established in 1965 by the federal government to become the first technological college for deaf people. He taught math, electronics, and computer science, and provided support services such as tutoring and academic advising to students majoring in engineering and computer science.

He then became Support Department chair for Engineering and Computer Science Programs, and was later promoted to director for NTID Support Services, associate dean for Educational Support Services, associate vice president for NTID Outreach and External Affairs, and associate dean for Student Affairs. In addition, Hurwitz served NTID as the director of the Northeast Technical Assistance Center at NTID.

He earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Washington University at St. Louis and holds a master of science degree in electrical engineering from St. Louis University, and an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from the University of Rochester. He also completed the Management and Leadership in Education program from Harvard Institute for Higher Education.

Hurwitz is very active in a variety of professional and deafness-related organizations and serves on a number of boards of organizations serving deaf people, including the Rochester School for the Deaf and the National Captioning Institute. He is a former president of the National Association of the Deaf, a member of AT&T's Consumers Strategies and Issues Council, and formerly served on the board of the American Society of Deaf Children and the Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.

"My top priority is to continue benefiting our students through curricular and research innovation," said Hurwitz. "I look forward to working closely with our faculty and staff to pursue other critical initiatives that will keep RIT the leader in educating deaf and hard-of-hearing people."

Hurwtiz, born profoundly deaf and the son of deaf parents, is married to Vicki, who is the director of the Outreach Center at Rochester School for the Deaf. They have two grown children and two grandchildren.

NTID is the first and largest technological college in the world for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. NTID, one of eight colleges of RIT, offers educational programs and access and support services to its 1,100 students from around the world who study, live, and socialize with 14,400 hearing students on RIT's Rochester, N.Y. campus.

Web address: www.rit.edu/NTID

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