Saunders College of Business at RIT promotes innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. The school was named after the entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist Phil Saunders. By blending business with technological innovation, it prepares students for the challenges of the global marketplace. Let’s discover more about the man behind the name.
Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is renowned for seamlessly blending business education with technology. With a focus on applied learning, strong industry connections, and real-world experiences, Saunders thoroughly prepares its students for the job market. The school has a career outcome rate exceeding 95%, highlighting the high regard that employers have for its graduates.
Saunders offers both undergraduate and master’s degrees. They offer part-time, full-time, and online options. Their graduate courses include Accounting and Analytics (MS), Business Administration (MBA), Finance (MS), Technology Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship (MS), and Hospitality Business Management, among others. Saunders also offers an Executive MBA (EMBA) program and Business Administration Ph.D. research opportunities.
With access to top STEM resources and facilities, Saunders students are positioned at the forefront of business education.
Saunders RIT also hosts events such as the Imagine RIT festival, giving students plenty of opportunities to showcase their innovative thinking. Saunders RIT encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, immersing students in future-focused projects.
Saunders College of Business was named after Phil Saunders. His generous donations helped the school to grow exponentially. The school reflects Phil Saunders’s legacy through its values of leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. But who is the man behind the name?
E. Philip Saunders, also known as Phil Saunders, is a business leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He has worked in various industries, including travel, property management, and banking.
He is also the founder of several companies, such as Genesee Regional Bank, TravelCenters of America Inc., Griffith Energy, and others. In addition to this, Phil Saunders is the CEO of Saunders Management and the Chairman of Genesee Regional Bank.
Additionally, he serves on the boards of institutions such as the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology, among others.
Phil Saunders’ entrepreneurial excellence and community dedication earned him various awards. In 2005, he was awarded the Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Rochester Business Journal Icon Award. He has received several other awards of note throughout his life.
Phil Saunders first connected with RIT students while recruiting for his own business. He was immediately impressed by the RIT students. In 2006, he made a generous donation of $13 million to the school. Later, the school changed its name in honor of him. His support for RIT is ongoing, with his donations exceeding $25 million in total. His donations have been used to improve and renovate facilities, fund scholarships, and recruit esteemed faculty, among other initiatives.
The E. Philip Saunders Scholarship is also named after him. It is a scholarship for local students from the Livingston County, NY region in the US. This is the region that Philip Saunders himself is from.
His philanthropic contributions to RIT continue to reflect his belief that education is the key to empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders in business. His philanthropic efforts and donations continue to encourage economic growth and business development in his local community.
Saunders College of Business prides itself on a vibrant community of over 25,000 alumni. The RIT alumni network fosters strong connections among its current alumni, students, and faculty. Through the RIT Alumni Association, the network ensures the legacy of RIT continues to thrive and inspire future generations.
Let’s look at two notable alumni from Saunders RIT.
Diana Solt is an alumna from the class of 2017. She has uniquely blended tech insights with liberal arts. She made her mark at L3/Harris Corp in Rochester, as the Strategy Development Lead. She also led recruiting efforts for L3/Harris Corp, who have previously hired over 60 RIT students. Currently, she is a manager at Baldwin Richardson Foods. Diana continues to leverage her expertise while also guiding the next generation of innovators as an adjunct professor at RIT.
Jen Spencer, an alumna of 2023, completed the Executive MBA at RIT with a focus on STEM and Executive Leadership. The skills she gained from her education prepared her to tackle some of the healthcare industry’s most pressing challenges. She is currently the Chief Privacy and Security Officer at Rochester RHIO. In her current role, Jen is pivotal in managing a secure, electronic health information exchange that impacts over 1.5 million residents in New York. Beyond her transformative work in healthcare IT, Jen is committed to education. She shares her expertise with students at RIT as an Adjunct Professor.
Saunders College of Business combines business education with cutting-edge technology, supported by a focus on experiential learning and real-world experiences. Inspired by the legacy of Phil Saunders, the school is a place where innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurial spirit converge.
Saunders College of Business at RIT is a vibrant educational ecosystem that continues to shape tomorrow’s business leaders.
Discover more about Saunders College of Business and its programs.
