ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Institute of Technology is receiving a major donation to help its graduate students.  

The donors traveled the country before choosing RIT.

The $3 million endowment funding from Dr. Russell Bessette will be awarded as part of recruitment or at any point during a doctoral student’s enrollment at RIT.

Bessette is also awarding the university two patents from his medical software tools company he hopes students will expand on.

"RIT is one of a few universities I've seen across the state that really engages students right from the undergrad years to the graduate programs,” Bessette said. “Where they actually work with real equipment, engineers and outside people."

Bessette traveled to more than 300 universities during his time as executive director of the state office of science technology and academic research.

He says RIT always stood out because of that important work he saw students already working on.