News

Troy, N.Y. — The FIRST® Robotics Competition season is now underway, following the kickoff event held on Jan. 7. This year, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will once again host the New York Tech Valley Regional competition March 16-18 on the Rensselaer campus in the East Campus Athletic Village. Thirty-six teams of high school students from the Capital Region, New York state, South Carolina, Canada, India, and Turkey will participate in the competition.

Will artificial intelligence improve our lives, or will it bring on the robot apocalypse? Absent an understanding of artificial intelligence (AI),  it’s hard for citizens and policy makers to construct an informed opinion.

Mohammed Zaki, a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute professor of computer science and an expert in scalable data mining techniques, has been named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Zaki is being recognized “for contributions to knowledge discovery and data mining.”

A common species of zooplankton—the smallest animals in the freshwater food web—can evolve genetic tolerance to moderate levels of road salt in as little as two and a half months, according to new research published online today in the journal Environmental Pollution. 

Working with artists with disabilities, a team including researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been creating more accessible tools and instruments that lower barriers to self-expression through the arts. 

Troy, N.Y. — For over 160 years, Steinway & Sons has been dedicated to making the finest pianos in the world, setting the “uncompromising standard for sound, touch, beauty, and investment value.” According to the organization, every Steinway & Sons grand and upright is a masterpiece of craftsmanship and consummate work of art.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will be part of a new $200 million public-private partnership to advance U.S. leadership in biopharmaceuticals.

In organisms from fungi to humans, the relationship between the genome, proteome, and matalome is heavily influenced by our internal circadian clock, and responds to environmental influences. 

Troy, N.Y. — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced bipartisan legislation to help universities in New York and throughout the country strengthen their engineering programs to meet the demands of the modern manufacturing industry.

Troy, N.Y. — Zvi Rusak, professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been named a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). Rusak was recognized for his contributions to the field of fluid dynamics, including theoretical research that explains various complex fluid flow phenomena and informs the aerodynamic design of aircraft and turbomachinery.