Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson To Lead Discussion About “Intersecting Vulnerabilities with Cascading Consequences” During 2022 Commencement Colloquy

Honorands Dr. Francis S. Collins, Acting Science Advisor to President Joe Biden, and Dr. Richard N. Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, to join the discussion

May 13, 2022

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson will be joined by Commencement honorands Dr. Francis S. Collins, Acting Science Advisor to President Joe Biden, and Dr. Richard N. Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, for the 2022 President’s Commencement Colloquy. The theme of this year's discussion is “Intersecting Vulnerabilities with Cascading Consequences.” The event will take place on Friday, May 20 in the concert hall of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) at 3:30 p.m.

Commencement Colloquy is a revered tradition started by President Jackson, and for the past 19 years, has served as a forum for discussions among leaders and influencers with diverse perspectives on global challenges. Past colloquy participants have included U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, legendary jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock, and Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Dr. Collins and Dr. Haass will receive honorary degrees during the 2022 Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 21. The Commencement honorands exemplify Dr. Jackson’s vision of the “The New Polytechnic” ― an emerging paradigm for higher education that envisions the university as a crossroads for collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and geographical regions, harnessing the power of modern tools and technologies to address the complex problems of the world. The New Polytechnic is transformative in the global impact of research, in its innovative pedagogy, and in the lives of students at Rensselaer.

About the 2022 Rensselaer Polytechnic Honorands

Dr. Francis S. Collins, Acting Science Advisor to President Joe Biden

In the role of Acting Science Advisor, Dr. Collins helps steer the Administration’s plans and programs to advance scientific solutions to humanity’s needs, especially for health issues. Dr. Collins is a senior investigator in the intramural program of the National Human Genome Research Institute. He previously served as the 16th Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Collins is a physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the international Human Genome Project. Photo is available here.

Dr. Richard N. Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations

Dr. Haass has served in his role as President of the Council on Foreign Relations for the past 19 years. The council is an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to being a resource to help people better understand the world, and foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. Prior to his current position, he was director of policy and planning for the U.S. Department of State, and was principal adviser to Secretary of State Colin Powell. He has served the U.S. government in a number of other capacities including with the National Security Council, the Department of State, and the Department of Defense. In 2013, he served as the chair of the multiparty negotiations in Northern Ireland that provided the foundation for the 2014 Stormont House Agreement. For his efforts to promote peace and conflict resolution, he received the 2013 Tipperary International Peace Award. Dr. Haass is a veteran diplomat, and a prominent voice on American foreign policy. Photo is available here.

Media is invited to attend. Please RSVP to newsmedia@rpi.edu.

Written By SCER Staff
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