Civil engineering technology alumni return to help expand and strengthen the RIT campus through major new construction

Rochester, New York – Rochester Institute of Technology has always celebrated the accomplishments of its engineering alumni, but this year the recognition feels especially meaningful. Two graduates who walked across the stage in 2008 have returned to campus—not as students this time, but as leaders on one of the university’s largest current construction projects. Their work is helping bring to life the new Music Performance Theater, a major addition that is set to open its doors next spring.

For Jennie Cody and Charlie Spencer, both now professionals at LeChase Construction, the project has carried a deep personal significance. Cody served as project manager, while Spencer took on the role of lead superintendent. After spending years building careers throughout the region, the opportunity to return to their alma mater and help shape its future stood out as something more than just another assignment.

“It was such a full circle moment for us to be back here building this together,” Cody said. “It was a huge honor to be able to leave our mark on the campus that we graduated from.”

In a symbolic gesture, the two quite literally left their mark: they joined others in signing a steel beam that was later integrated into the structure of the theater. The moment captured both the pride and nostalgia that threaded through their time back on campus, linking the past to the university’s ever-expanding future.

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Overseeing the project on behalf of RIT was Mike Dellefave, the university’s director of construction. Dellefave, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the School of Individualized Study in 2016 and later completed a master’s in construction management in 2022, said watching alumni return to help shape major campus facilities was particularly gratifying.

“It was a very rewarding experience,” Dellefave said. “Their passion for this project and RIT from our alumni was very apparent throughout the construction.”

The project required extensive coordination, involving more than 700 workers over the course of construction. Cody began her role in 2023 shortly after the groundbreaking ceremony, while Spencer joined in early 2024 after finishing work on the 35,000-square-foot addition to Max Lowenthal Hall. That expansion—part of the Saunders College of Business—had added classrooms, labs, event space, and a new auditorium, providing Spencer with firsthand experience managing large academic facilities before transitioning to the theater project.

As project manager, Cody handled the complex administrative side of the build. She was responsible for budgets, issuing and tracking payments to subcontractors, preparing contracts, managing change orders, and leading coordination meetings. Spencer’s responsibilities, meanwhile, placed him at the center of day-to-day construction activity. He managed trade workers onsite, organized scheduling, and ensured that all work met safety and quality standards.

The pair credits their RIT education for laying the foundation they needed to take on leadership roles in the construction industry. Spencer reflected on how the classroom directly fed into real-world practice. “Many of the classes we took when we were students here helped us be successful on this project,” he said. “From structural steel design to soils and concrete, all those classes gave us the building blocks to kickstart our career in construction.”

They also gave back during the project by offering a behind-the-scenes construction tour to members of RIT’s chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America. For many students, it was their first time stepping onto a major active worksite and seeing how classroom lessons translate into complex, real-world projects.

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Groundbreaking for the Music Performance Theater took place in September 2023. The 50,000-square-foot space will hold approximately 750 seats and is intended to give both the RIT community and outside organizations a high-quality venue for concerts, performances, lectures, and community events. The building includes two balconies and an outdoor amphitheater, enhancing the university’s ability to host a wider variety of artistic and cultural programming.

While most of the physical construction has been completed, fine-tuning remains underway. Initial acoustic tests have already taken place, and one of the most unique features—a restored pipe organ nearly a century old—will be installed shortly after the new year. Once the instrument is in place, final preparations will lead up to the grand opening ceremonies.

A ribbon cutting and inaugural performance are planned for April 10, followed by interactive public tours during the Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival on April 25. The first student musical theater production in the new venue is scheduled for the fall semester, marking the beginning of a new era in RIT’s performing arts expansion.

Funding for the $74 million project was approved by the RIT Board of Trustees as part of the university’s capital bond plan. The building was designed by acclaimed Los Angeles architect Michael Maltzan, with SWBR, a Rochester-based firm known for its work on RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios, serving as architect of record.

For Cody and Spencer, returning to RIT as builders rather than students has been more than an exercise in professional growth. It has allowed them to reconnect with a campus that continues to evolve, innovate, and expand—this time knowing that their contributions will become part of the university’s legacy.

As the Music Performance Theater nears opening day, it stands not only as a new cultural centerpiece for the campus, but also as a testament to what can happen when education and experience come full circle.