[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 98 (Thursday, June 8, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E787]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO DOCTORS WILLIAM DESTLER AND REBECCA JOHNSON OF THE ROCHESTER 
                        INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

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                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 8, 2017

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the service 
of two members of the Rochester, New York community, Rochester 
Institute of Technology President William Destler and his wife Doctor 
Rebecca Johnson, Associate of the University.
   The Rochester area is home to an intelligent and curious community, 
thanks to residents who have dedicated their lives to the advancement 
of higher education. Doctors Destler and Johnson are no exception and 
thanks to their efforts, Rochester continues to be home to some of the 
finest institutes of higher learning that have produced notable alumni 
for generations.
   Assuming the Presidency in 2007, Doctor Destler became responsible 
for a world-renowned university that includes nearly 19,000 students 
from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign nations. One hundred and 
twenty one thousand alumni around the world are proud to call RIT their 
alma mater and, at one point, Rochester as their home. RIT is also the 
third largest producer of undergraduate degrees in science, technology, 
engineering, and math among all private universities in the United 
States.
   During his tenure as President, Doctor Destler recognized the 
symbiotic relationship between RIT and the city of Rochester, serving 
on multiple civic engagement boards including the Greater Rochester 
Chamber of Commerce and the Golisano Family Foundation. Leading his 
students by example, Doctor Destler is an international authority on 
high-power microwave sources and is best known for his pioneering work 
in the collective acceleration of heavy ions. Under his watch, female 
enrollment has increased 25 percent and international enrollment has 
increased an astounding 120 percent. Forty-one percent of the freshman 
class is deaf and hard of hearing, international and African, Asian, 
Latino, and Native American. These numbers alone are a testament to the 
strength through diversity of RIT.
   Doctor Destler is one-half of an unparalleled team. He is joined by 
his wife, Doctor Rebecca Johnson, Associate of the University. In a 
time when bipartisan discussion is often contentious, Doctor Johnson 
has served on the committee for the Gray Matter series, which aims to 
promote civil discussion of divergent views on important topics. She is 
also the former president of the Board of Directors of the M.K. Gandhi 
Institute for Nonviolence and continues to serve on the board in 
leadership roles. Her passion also extends to civic engagement, best 
demonstrated through initiatives such as RIT's 2016 ``Roar the Vote.'' 
Thanks to her efforts, RIT has made impressive strides toward energy 
sustainability though programs like the greenRITnetwork and FoodShare.
   Over the course of their ten-year term, Doctors Destler and Johnson 
have truly come to embody the mantra of RIT, ``The making of a living 
and the living of life.'' It is with sincere appreciation that we thank 
Doctors Destler and Johnson for their selfless dedication to higher 
education, RIT, and the proud city of Rochester. We wish them the best 
in their future endeavors and affirm that they will always be at home 
in our community.

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