Peter Schwartz ’68 Commencement Speaker

Renowned Futurist Peter Schwartz ’68 to deliver Commencement Address

Acclaimed futurist and entrepreneur Peter Schwartz ’68 will deliver the 2009 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Commencement address on Saturday, May 16, at 9:30 a.m. on the Harkness Field, on the Rensselaer campus, in Troy, New York. Schwartz will receive an honorary degree at the ceremony, along with honorands Samuel Josefowitz ’42, Kenneth I. Chenault, and Robert C. Richardson. 

“In the midst of extraordinary global economic uncertainty, we will honor four world-class leaders who understand the importance of taking the long view,” said Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson. “They are educators, entrepreneurs, and innovators. They have demonstrated what is possible at the intersection of science, arts, and engineering. They embody the power of scientific discovery and technological innovation to change the world.”

Peter Schwartz ’68, an internationally renowned futurist, business strategist, and author, is cofounder and Chairman of Global Business Network.

Samuel Josefowitz ’42, an entrepreneur, chemical engineer, and prominent art collector and art expert, spent years leading the Swiss-based mail order book and record club business he created and pioneered. 

Kenneth Chenault, a groundbreaking global business leader and mentor, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the American Express Company.

Robert Richardson, Nobel Prize winner in Physics (1996), is the F.R. Newman Professor of Physics and Vice Provost for Research, Emeritus at Cornell University.

On May 15, the honorands will participate in the annual Commencement Colloquy, to be held in Rensselaer’s new Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC). The Colloquy — entitled “The Long View: Leading and Thriving in Challenging Times” — will open with remarks by Kenneth Chenault.

For more details on Commencement, go to www.rpi.edu/academics/commencement/index.html.