John Kuhnle
Bachelor of Science in Applied Arts and Science
Center for Multidisciplinary Studies
College of Applied Science and Technology

John received the Exemplary Online Student Award for demonstrating academic excellence in the online environment. His determination to finish his degree, and thought provoking contributions to online discussions, were just two of the factors that contributed to his nomination for this award.

"My time as an RIT online student has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I hope to be an inspiration to those who desire education, but are not sure that they can find the time, motivation, or support to do it. If this experience has taught me anything, it is that education does not take away from our lives, but only adds, to it." -- John Kuhnle

"While John has mentioned that he had some difficulties when he was a traditional student, he has excelled in all of the classes he has taken with me." -- RIT Faculty

"John's online interaction has helped others in the class by reinforcing course concepts, and asking questions that provoke interest and discussion." -- RIT Faculty

Kevin Hinshaw
Bachelor of Science in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering Technology
Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering Technology/Packaging Science
College of Applied Science and Technology

Kevin received the Exemplary Online Student Award for demonstrating academic excellence in the online environment. He was nominated by four faculty members - more than any other student. His nominators praised his conscientiousness, drive, initiative and willingness to help other students succeed.

"Online learning is not just about being successful in your own degree program. Online learning is also about helping others be successful, too." -- Kevin Hinshaw

"Of the hundreds of students I have worked with over the many years during which I have taught at RIT, I cannot recall a student who excelled any more. His conscientiousness towards his own work and that of his peers is unparalleled." -- Dom Bozzelli, professor

"Kevin is one of the most driven and thorough students I have had, either online or in a regular class setting. He consistently helped other students (not just his study group), answered any and all questions posted to the discussion sites and provided an excellent example of 'peer teaching.' Kevin was an asset to the entire class." -- Al Rodgers, professor

Read more about Kevin by visiting the Online Learning Awards 2008 article in our newsletter, News from Online Learning - Spring 2008.

Melissa Lamphron
Masters of Science in Environmental, Health & Safety Management
Center for Multidisciplinary Studies
College of Applied Science and Technology

"Melissa's unique contribution has been to seek truth and help her classmates do the same. She is an astute and critical thinker and for each problem presented to the class, she sought to isolate the cause from among the symptoms, to identify the reality from the assumptions. Her intensity and passion for this depth of understanding transformed what otherwise would have been a superficial exchange of ideas into a synergistic event." -- John Morelli, professor

"I had the pleasure of meeting Melissa in my Environmental Health and Safety Accounting and Finance class where she literally motivated everyone - myself included - to be better stewards of our online environment. Although we have never met face-to-face, her personality and character came through in the way she led and supported her classmates. Melissa asked the most poignant and inspired questions in the course discussion forums. She challenged me to clarify assignment goals and outcomes. She raised serious and thought provoking questions about the role of business and management in sustainability" -- Jim Myers, director, College of Applied Science and Technology

"A truly successful online learning student takes advantage of the learning experience. They treat it as a journey instead of a task and are more interested in getting an education than a degree. The international diversity of students in the program brings multiple perspectives and different cultural views that encourage me to challenge my own assumptions about the profession, the world and the way we live."

"After completing my undergraduate degree program at RIT, I wanted to continue my education at the graduate level but it was also important for me at that time to begin earning an income. RIT's Online Learning offered me the scheduling flexibility to do both." -- Melissa Lamphron

Read more about Melissa by visiting the Online Learning Awards 2007 article in our newsletter, News from Online Learning - Spring 2007.

Katherine Clarke
Master of Science in Print Media
School of Print Media
College of Imaging Arts and Sciences

"Katherine successfully combined her professional activities with her graduate course content, bringing her expertise into the classroom and applying what she learned to her day-to-day responsibilities. She is a creative thinker who continues to demonstrate a lucid understanding of the evolving technologies that are impacting graphic design." -- Michael Kleper, professor, School of Print Media

"Katherine consistently seized upon the online medium to engage in questioning that promoted interaction and allowed others to actively engage as well. She is comfortable in the online learning environment and her interactions are well thought out and challenging." -- Linda Underhill, chair, Health Systems Administration

"The interactions I experienced, through group assignments, teleconferences, live chats and e-mail correspondences, kept all the students on task and helped to build a substantial community of learners. Online Learning offered me the ability to obtain the degree I wanted from the university I wanted, no matter my location, worldwide."

"Interaction happens every day in my online classes. I have completed group assignments over the phone, email, and over white boards and chat rooms via the Internet. These interactions are what keep us all going. We are a community. Everything I do at work, I bring to the classroom, and everything I learn in the classroom blossoms through my work." -- Katherine Clarke

David Goen
Master of Science in Print Media
Print Media, School of Print Media
College of Information Arts and Sciences

"David is one of the most unique students that I have had the pleasure to teach. He is perpetually inquisitive, persistently challenging and, most of all, a consistent performer at a high-octane level. The amount of energy that he devoted to the courses was truly impressive, and far superior to that of any other students." -- Michael L. Kleper, professor, School of Print Media

"David has all the characteristics for the type of online student that RIT can be extremely proud of. I could always count on David to elaborate on and supplement the course topics. He is not afraid to research topics to satisfy his intellectual curiosity." -- Evelyn Rozanski, Department of Information Technology

"Learning is, simply, the purpose of my life. RIT's online learning program allows me to realize my purpose. Online learning allows me to study with some of the foremost experts in the field of printing. Learning is no longer bound by geography and the vagaries of where fate places you on this wide earth. Two decades ago I was prohibited from studying with Ansel Adams, one of the transcendent figures in the history of photography, simply by a few thousand miles of distance. I am luckier than most; through a combination of luck and perseverance I have met many of the great artists of writing, photography, music and the stage. Physical location, nonetheless, has kept me from more than chance encounters with these luminaries. Online learning allows me to actually study and learn from such leading academic thinkers as professors Michael Kleper and Frank Romano. This is a privilege that I literally dared not dream of when I first found RIT out of my reach in the 1980s." -- David Goen

Lee Gwin
Bachelor of Science in Applied Arts and Science with a Telecom. concentration
Center for Multidisciplinary Studies
College of Applied Science and Technology

"Mr. Gwin has been a responsible and conscientious student. He has demonstrated impressive analytical and technical skills relating coursework with his full time job. He has challenged me to perform research and provide more in depth voice communication theory and has provided valuable input and feedback on class conferences. In fact, Lee's required research paper educated myself and the class on a new competing technology to traditional voice communications." -- Gary Melnick, adjunct faculty, Electrical, Computer, and Telecommunications Engineering Technology

"Mr. Gwin's work is among the best in the class, and it is clear that he has the kind of self-motivation that is required of online learning students. He has earned at least fifty of his credits online, and reports that he has logged in from places as far away as Antarctica." -- John T. Sanders, professor, chair, Department of Philosophy, College of Liberal Arts

"The greatest asset that online education has to offer is its portability. I have lived in two different states, and have checked in on my online education courses from several foreign countries, which left me with such a feeling of freedom that it would take a remarkable opportunity for a conventional education for me to abandon the online learning format. I realize that online learning takes more self-discipline than an ordinary program, but the benefits far outweigh the liabilities. There are very few places on earth where access to the internet is difficult to find. I found it much easier to find internet cafes in Kathmandu, Nepal, than most cities back home. I can get a world-class RIT education while living in Arizona, or working in Colorado or Antarctica, without the dilemma of having to turn down a good job in another place, or having to unnecessarily delay finishing a program, as I did." -- Lee Gwin

Vincent Falbo
Master of Science in Information Technology
Information Technology
B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences

"Vincent is a highly conscientious and determined learner." -- Deborah Coleman, professor

"Online learning encourages a great deal of self-discovery by requiring acceptance of responsibility for your own education. It allows exploration and discovery of ideas without time restrictions and distractions. Taking courses online has provided me the opportunity to collaborate with others that I would not be able to have contact with on a regular basis."

"I often have to stay late at work to resolve technical problems or to prepare materials and set up for my students. These constraints make it extremely difficult for me to take traditional courses at the RIT campus. Online learning has given me the freedom to pursue my studies late into the evening and on weekends."

I have enjoyed working at home and having my family near me. I find that my comfort level has increased by being at home; therefore, my productivity level has increased proportionally. --Vincent Falbo, RIT student

Anne McDermott
Bachelor of Science in Applied Arts and Science, with concentrations in Health Systems Administration, Disaster and Emergency Management and Technical Communications.
Center for Multidisciplinary Studies
College of Applied Science and Technology

"Anne has been an outstanding contributor to the Online Learning Student Union where she has posted 40 messages of support for other learners struggling to balance their work, family, and education commitments." -- Richard Fasse, Online Learning staff

"Anne is an excellent adult learner. She always performs in the top 5 percent of her class, giving complete effort to all of her studies." -- William Walence, professor

"Through the Online Learning program at RIT, I am able to receive a world-class education from my own home. The seminars that were available to online learning students through streaming-video were an outstanding opportunity to be part of an incredible intellectual dialogue on a large scale." -- Anne McDermott

To view a short clip on Anne McDermott click here.