Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) unveiled an evolved brand identity that both honors its 200-year legacy and signals its future ambitions. 

The brand refresh comes at a time as RPI steps into its third century, supporting the Institute's long term ambition to redefine education and research in the fields of science and technology, and near-term priorities to move beyond conceptual sameness in higher education, and further the impact of collaborative, applied learning and discovery.  

As part of the refresh, “RPI” will be adopted as the primary institutional brand name. The full name, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, remains unchanged and will continue to be used in formal contexts.  

“By leaning into RPI, we embrace the reality that RPI is not only how we see ourselves, but how the world knows us, and we leave no ambiguity as to who we are,” said RPI President Martin A. Schmidt ’81, Ph.D. “As an alum who cares deeply about RPI, I’m genuinely inspired by how the new identity captures our energy, values, and character in a way that is at once authentic and distinctively forward-looking.”

The new logo features custom letterforms spelling out “RPI,” anchored by a horizontal line, known as “the bar.” Inspired by the surveyor’s rod in the Institute’s original 1904 seal, the bar serves as a dynamic and generative canvas for showcasing foundational concepts across disciplines. From the doubling patterns that represent exponential growth to Venn diagrams, units of measure, binary code, waveforms, velocity, and distribution, the bar is designed to symbolize the diversity of thought and experience inherent to the RPI community and the scale of the real-world impact it makes to society. 

“This is a major milestone in the history of RPI. This new identity gives us the tools to express what makes us different; our creativity, our rigor, and our collaborative approach to solving complex problems,” said RPI President Martin A. Schmidt ’81, Ph.D.  

The RPI seal has also been refined to enhance its clarity and craftsmanship. Its use will be reserved for occasions requiring institution gravitas and authority, restoring its role as a formal mark of authentication while preserving its meaning and present-day relevance.

The refreshed identity was shaped through a collaborative and inclusive process, with input from students, alumni, faculty, staff, and trustees.  

“Getting to be part of this process was an honor. It felt like having a voice in how we tell the world not just who we’ve been as an institution — but also where we’re headed in the next hundred years,” said Will Gibbons, Dean of RPI’s School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. “And because we approached it together in true RPI spirit, the new identity genuinely reflects who we are and the future we’re building."

RPI’s new brand identity will appear gradually throughout the fall semester across campus, online platforms, and official materials, serving as a unifying symbol for the community and a clear signal to the world about RPI’s vision for the future.

For more information, visit our brand hub.