RPI President Marty Schmidt, Ph.D., has announced that Janelle Fayette, M.S., dean of the Office of the First-Year Experience, has been named a Pillar of Rensselaer.

The Pillar Award, the highest award bestowed by RPI on a member of the staff, is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated an understanding of the university’s mission and history, has served as a role model for other employees, shows concern for students and their welfare, and adds to the human dimension of Rensselaer.

Candidates are nominated by fellow staff and faculty members, whose letters of support describe how the candidate’s attributes meet the criteria for the award.

“For nearly 20 years, Janelle Fayette has been guiding, mentoring, and uplifting our first-year students,” said RPI President Martin A. Schmidt, Ph.D. “Her warmth, contagious spirit, and her extensive knowledge of higher education help to make the first-year transition much easier for our newest students. I congratulate Janelle on being named a Pillar of Rensselaer.”

Fayette joined RPI as assistant dean in October 2005, and was named acting dean of the Office of the First-Year Experience in May 2009. She became dean in March 2011. She joined RPI from Bennington College, where she was assistant director of student life. She earned her B.A. in psychology and her M.S. in education administration and policy students, both from the University of Albany.

“I am honored to have been nominated and ultimately selected to be a Pillar of Rensselaer,” said Fayette. “I am the lucky one that gets to work with our amazing students and colleagues each day! Having the opportunity to help new students navigate their new home has been a pleasure and honor of mine for the last several years.”

The Pillar of Rensselaer Award was established in 1993 through the support of Carl Westerdahl, former dean of students and director of alumni relations.