Rochester Institute of Technology. Office of the Provost,

The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) can trace its origins to the founding of the Rochester Athenaeum in 1829. After joining with several different Rochester institutions during the 19th century, the Athenaeum finally merged with the Mechanics Institute (founded in 1885) in 1891 to form the Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute (RAMI). RAMI changed its name to the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1944 to better reflect the university's role in the field of technical education. Over the years, new programs were added and the enrollment figures for the school drastically increased. For instance, in 1999 RIT introduced a new program in Environmental Science. The field of environmental science had been growing in popularity since the late 1960s in response to new legislation and a growing awareness of environmental problems and challenges. Like some of the other dual degree programs in the College of Science, the Environmental Science program was designed to lead to both a BS and MS degree. Although students could stop at the BS level or apply directly to the MS degree program, the intention was that students would work their way through the program and leave the college with a graduate degree in the field. The program was an interdisciplinary initiative, resulting from a collaboration between the College of Science and the College of Liberal Arts. The degree provided a background in math, science, and technology, as well as the social sciences. Graduates were expected to find jobs in both government and nongovernment organizations, including environmental engineering firms, consulting firms, and as part of a company's green initiative team. The end goal was that students would be able to identify environmental problems, develop viable solutions, and implement these solutions in the real-world. The program was approved and as of 2011 was still offered at the university.