RIT’s David Munson leaves a lasting legacy after 8 years as president

Listen to this article

When David Munson became president of Rochester Institute of Technology in 2017, he immediately began thinking of — and acting on — ways to differentiate the university from its competitors.

His efforts paid off.

Under Munson’s leadership, RIT has emerged as a university that aligns the powers of science, technology, the arts and design with experiential learning to drive innovation.

“We’ve worked hard to build our own distinctive brand — our own identity,” he said. “It’s positioned us well for the future.”

Munson, RIT’s 10th president, will retire June 30 after leading the university for eight years. He came from the school after serving as dean of engineering for the University of Michigan for a decade.

Founded in 1829, RIT is home to more than 21,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries. This includes campuses in Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo, as well as a university partnership in China.

RIT is also home to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and has one of the oldest and largest cooperative education programs in the country.

Fall global enrollment in 2024 was 21,316 (with 4,164 at RIT’s global campuses), up from 20,570 (including 3,622 studying at global campuses) in 2023.

Munson, who has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, said he is proud of continuing the tradition of his two predecessors at RIT: Albert Simone and William Destler, working to “elevate the institution pretty much in every way.”

The Munson years

Under Munson’s leadership, RIT has seen a steady increase in global enrollment, improved facilities, a rise in its academic rankings and stronger financials.

“We are no longer thought of as a regional school; we’re a national research university,” Munson said. “When I arrived here, we were on that trajectory and now there’s no looking back.”

Other accomplishments under Munson’s time at the helm include:

• Completing a $1 billion-plus blended campaign — Transforming RIT — to raise money for scholarships, endowed professors, facilities and more.

• Launching a performing arts program for non-performing arts majors that now includes some 2,000 performing arts scholars, and

• Completing and beginning major facility projects to enhance the student experience, including: The SHED (Student Hall for Exploration and Development), Saunders College of Business expansion, ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute, a 750-seat music performance theater which is scheduled to open in early 2026, a new research building and athletic facilities, including Tiger Stadium.

There has also been a recent emphasis on getting students to become citizens of the world — to think bigger, think globally — as well as a stronger focus on the arts. The latter includes degree programs that combine the arts and technology, such as electronic gaming, animation and digital media.

Past and future challenges

While there have been numerous accomplishments, there have also been challenges since Munson stepped into the role, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic, from which the school successfully emerged.

Munson now has concerns related to actions taken by the new federal administration, which has taken aim at higher education institutions across the country with punitive measures such as revoking the visas of international students, cutting research funding and slashing DEI initiatives.

Such actions are a threat to the values and culture at RIT, Munson said, noting that the student body is diverse, and he expects that diversity to continue.

“We have an incredible community here and we do not want to see anything about our inclusiveness being changed one iota,” he said.

In addition, federal cuts to research funding are already having an impact on the school, he said, noting that some grants that are midstream have been cancelled, such as those used to support programs for deaf and hard of hearing students going into Ph.D. programs and medical school.

Deportation issues have also impacted students at the school and Munson said it could impact RIT long-term when it comes to recruiting international students to the Henrietta campus.

In response, RIT has recruiters in other countries — in India, for example — who are working on establishing relationships with students in their own countries where they can then talk about the school and Rochester region on their home turf.

“Unfortunately, the U.S. is looking pretty unfriendly now,” he said.

Moving forward, Munson expects to see an increase in students locally who enroll in the health sciences programs and continued growth at the school’s international campuses, primarily in Dubai and Croatia.

There are no plans to build additional campuses anywhere, but RIT recently introduced a study away program that lets students move to a city outside the Rochester area for a semester where they take classes and complete an internship. The first one is in Los Angeles, California.

Munson will be succeeded by William Sanders, the dean of Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering, who will start in the role on July 1.

The two first met over 25 years ago, working as colleagues at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Munson believes Sanders is the right person to continue to move the school forward, describing him as thoughtful, passionate, approachable and someone who thinks big and gets things done.

Munson and his wife, Nancy, are planning to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan following his retirement to be near family. The couple has four adult sons with families, including six grandchildren.

He will, however, return to Rochester, noting he is looking forward to the opening of the music performance theater next year.

Rochester has many assets, said Munson, who previously served as board chairman of Greater Rochester Enterprise.

They include the number of tech-based companies locating here that can provide professional opportunities for RIT graduates and learning opportunities for students through RIT’s numerous co-op experiences.

While he would like to see improvements at the Rochester City School District, Munson added that the region benefits from a strong partnership between the city of Rochester and Monroe County.

Munson believes Rochester’s authenticity, which includes championing the arts, should be celebrated.

“It’s who we are,” he said.

[email protected] / (585) 653-4021