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Liam Conroe

RIT President William Sanders delivers his speech during his inauguration as the 11th president of the university on Sept. 26, 2025, in the Gordon Field House in Henrietta, N.Y.

On the afternoon of Sept. 26, 2025, hundreds of university leaders and community members filled the Gordon Field House for the inauguration of William “Bill” Sanders as RIT’s 11th president.

The ceremony connected the university’s tradition with its future outlook; a variety of noteworthy guests and university officials congratulated the new president, culminating in his official installation.

The celebration’s pageantry began with performances and the traditional processional, with ROC City Guardians Pipes and Drums kicking off the event. Throughout the ceremony, speakers gave their own perspectives on their personal relationships with Sanders and the path forward for RIT.

Sanders expressed gratitude to the university community, along with friends and family, throughout his speech. He outlined the core values for the university under his leadership and briefly spoke about a new strategic framework. According to Sanders, students will have an opportunity to provide feedback on a draft of the framework this fall. Closing with a call to action, Sanders urged the campus community to “imagine boldly, to act with intention, and to lead with heart” in shaping the university’s future.

The event’s keynote speaker was Andreas Cangellaris, the founding president of NEOM University in Saudi Arabia. The university represents the first higher education institution within NEOM, a futuristic regional ecosystem within Saudi Arabia.

Cangellaris celebrated the selection of Sanders as president of RIT by reflecting on their decades-long friendship and Sanders’ distinguished career as a scholar and leader. He emphasized that RIT faces profound responsibilities in the age of AI, and praised Sanders as “the right leader for this very moment.”

During the proceedings, Sanders announced the creation of five new endowed professorships valued at $15 million for the university, bringing the total to 54. These endowed professorships are faculty positions funded by endowments, generating interest to support professors’ salaries and research expenses.

The endowment professorships will specifically cover faculty positions in the College of Engineering Technology, College of Science, AI-related work, “recruiting and retaining distinguished scholars and teachers” and “multi-disciplinary education.”

Board of Trustees chair Susan Puglia and vice chairs Susan Holliday and Frank Sklarsky officially installed Sanders as president towards the proceedings’ end, presenting him with the “presidential collar of authority.”

Previous presidents David Munson and William Destler were also present to witness Sanders’ ascension, along with plenty of other friends and supporters.

Faculty presentations and panel discussions, along with a picnic for students and staff, preceded the event. The ceremony served as the conclusion of a week filled with inauguration-related activities.