Peggy Tirrell, Sr. Associate Director, Graduate Business Programs and Admissions
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| How long have you been at RIT? |
I have been at RIT 48 years.
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Please describe your responsibilities at RIT. |
I teasingly say that my current role is one of fire-putter-outer, crisis manager and problem solver. Currently, I work with the program directors making admissions decisions for our graduate programs, selecting students to support faculty in their research efforts, assisting with scholarship allocations and more. I also serve as a Student Conduct Advocate in support of Title IX cases and provide guidance as a content expert for the students in the Professional Studies program in SOIS.
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What is it about your job that keeps you here? |
The students! No two days are ever the same. Each day brings an opportunity to make a difference. Over the years I have had the opportunity to interact with students from across the country and around the world and every one of them teaches me something new. The relationships I have built with alumni over the years is something I treasure. When I travel, both internationally and domestically, I am often able to connect with them in person and create new memories together.
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You have such a distinguished career at RIT, with your length of service and honors along the way. Please share a few of the things you are most proud of. |
One of my proudest moments was being awarded the Albert J. Simone Legacy Award recognizing my contributions to RIT over a 25+ year tenure at the university. Most of all, I am proud of being able to support students who are experiencing personal struggles and watching them cross the stage earning their degree–students like one who is battling breast cancer and is far from home and alone in this country. Another needed to seek asylum in the US after her father was murdered by the Taliban and there are many others over the years, both International and domestic. So many of our students struggle and it is an honor to be able to mentor, coach and support them along their journey. Serving as a Student Conduct Advocate has been a rewarding experience. Being able to guide a student through the entire process is a service I am proud to provide. It’s one that allows me to grow as a professional. One of my unexpected moments came at an alumni event in Prague where it was announced that a scholarship had been endowed in my name! There are no words for how touched I was by this moment and the legacy it allows me to leave RIT. Editor’s Note: The scholarship is the Peggy Tirrell Endowed Scholarship for International Students and was endowed by Ondrej Frydrych MBA ‘ 98.
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When you look around you, how has RIT changed over the years? Are there a couple of things that stand out? (Maybe it is the layout of the campus, or the people or the programs now offered.) |
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The footprint of the campus today is unrecognizable from the campus in 1998. Traveling from Lowenthal Hall to Eastman Hall is a very different path to what it was even just 3 years ago! Aside from the physical layout, the largest change has been the transition to becoming a research focused university. The addition of Ph.D. programs has broadened RIT’s name recognition and brought the university’s strengths to a larger audience. It has been exciting to see RIT Hockey become a Division I sport and watch the growth of both the men’s and women’s teams as they continue to make a name for themselves.
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Please briefly share your professional journey. |
My first professional job was as a customer service rep for an insurance company. While I was successful in the position, I did not find it satisfying, so began to look for other opportunities. Having two brothers working in academia, and valuing RIT’s mission and vision, I applied for a position in the central admissions office. I started off doing data entry with the newly computerized application system and moved on to include report generation. At some point I knew I needed to find a position that brought me into closer contact with the students who are the heart of the university and was delighted to be hired as the office manager for the graduate programs in the business school. Over time my role evolved to include advising, recruiting, and eventually into more of an administrative role. Looking back, it is amazing to realize I am now working under my sixth RIT president!
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Any advice to people who are just starting out in your field? |
Always be humble and intellectually curious. You will never have all the answers but be willing to admit that and seek the information needed so that you learn and grow. Be willing to give more than 100% and feel that at the end of the day you gave your best effort. Build relationships; with your peers, with students and across the RIT community.
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This is Women’s History Month. Who do you admire or who influenced your life in some way? ( It could be a family member.) |
My Aunt Kate is the woman I admire most. After escaping Germany during the Holocaust, she rebuilt her life in New York, fighting to carve out space for herself in the art world through sheer talent and self-belief.
Her stories of navigating her own vulnerability as she leaned on an incredible inner strength to support not only herself but also her mother and sister have inspired me. Her hard work provided the stability that eventually allowed my father to marry and start our family.
She taught me the importance of independence, the confidence to make difficult decisions, and the courage to remain true to myself even when I don't fit into others' expectations.
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Favorite spot on the RIT campus? |
The nature trails behind the tennis courts. It’s a great place to get out in the woods for a short break from the office and restore myself. Along with the Japanese Garden, it is a true hidden gem on campus
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You are asked to give an impromptu speech on a subject you know a lot about. What will we be hearing from you? |
The relationship between Powerlifting and Leadership.
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What book or movie would you recommend to friends? |
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. Published in 1923, its wisdom holds true over 100 years later.
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What is your hometown and for what is it best known? |
I grew up in Princeton, NJ which is known best for the university. I ended up moving to the Rochester area for my senior year in high school and now live in the Village of Avon, just south of RIT. In the early 19th century, Avon was noted as a spa and resort destination due to its nearby mineral springs. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the town was known for harness racing at the Driving Park. Today it is the home of Barilla Pasta and KraftHeinz.
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What have you been meaning to do, but just haven’t gotten around to it-yet? |
Retiring? Seriously, it would be a solid two-week vacation to enjoy hiking and beach time.
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What is the one food (or two) you absolutely refuse to eat? |
Liver. There is just something nasty about it and memories from childhood when I was forced to eat it. I vowed that once I was an adult I would never again touch it!
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It’s a snow day-classes are cancelled, the campus is closed. How will you spend it? |
If possible, I will find myself layering up and grabbing my camera to see if I can get some great winter storm photos to capture the moment. There is always beauty to be found no matter what Mother Nature throws our way. (Interestingly enough, just days after trying to come up with an answer to this question, Storm Fern hit and RIT closed for the day. It proved to me that I gave the right answer.)
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Favorite spot to grab a bite to eat-on or off campus. |
Cantina and Grille at Global Village.
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What would your friends and colleagues be surprised to learn about you? |
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A few people know this but many do not. I am a competitive powerlifter and currently hold NYS records for my age, gender and weight class with USA Powerlifting.
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