Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) researchers Amir Hirsa, professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering, and Patrick Underhill, professor of chemical and biological engineering, have received a new three-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for $452,847 to study the physics of protein solutions using the ring-sheared drop module aboard the International Space Station.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Catherine Royer, Constellation Chair Professor of Bioinformatics and Biocomputation at the Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D. Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS) and professor of biological sciences, has received a grant of over $400,000 from the National Science Foundation to investigate enzymes from organisms living in deep sea environments.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Alexander Hiland, senior lecturer in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, recently judged a unique debate competition. Students from the Bard Prison Initiative competed against the team from Harvard University in a rematch of a debate that took place eight years ago and garnered international media attention and inspired a PBS documentary. The Bard Prison Initiative provides college opportunities for incarcerated students, and its debate team actually won against the top-ranked Harvard team in that match in 2015.
Will Pepi, a Ph.D. candidate in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology (CASE) in Industry City, Brooklyn, presented his paper, “Modeling Indoor Botanical Fresh Air Generation” in the Biowalls and Biofiltration poster session at the ASHRAE conference in Tampa on June 28. Pepi then traveled to Miami, where he spoke about his research on designing with plants to CASE’s industry partner, the global architecture firm OBMI, at their Miami office.
This summer, some lucky Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students have experienced a new course called Field Experiences in Aquatic Biology. Co-taught by Darrin Hunt and Jonathan Stetler, lecturers in biological sciences, the course has introduced Arch students to scientific data collection and citizen-led science. The Arch refers to the summer after sophomore year in which Rensselaer students live on campus and benefit from focused attention from professors and experiential learning. This new course was filled overnight!
The School of Architecture recently wrapped up the semester abroad program in Argentina, returning there for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by Gustavo Crembil, associate professor of architecture and director of the Latin American program, 14 students spent four months immersed in the culture.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has retained the Arts Consulting Group (ACG), an international organization dedicated to advancing the arts and culture, to conduct in-depth discussions with internal and external stakeholders to understand the culture, philosophy, and aspirations underpinning the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC). This community input will inform the strategy for EMPAC moving forward and will lead to the recruitment of the center’s next director by the end of the year. EMPAC’s founding director, Johannes Goebel, retired last year after 20 years of service.
Recently, the Albany Business Review hosted the Elevate Albany: Education and Workforce Development Summit at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC). The lively conversation around the tight labor pool in the Capital Region and how to address it, in the name of economic growth, kept the audience captive.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Joe Chow, Institute Professor of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, has won the IEEE Herman Halperin Electric Transmission and Distribution Award for “contributions to the modeling and control of large-scale power transmission systems.” IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.
Today, it was announced that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will become the first university in the world to house an IBM Quantum System One. The IBM quantum computer, intended to be operational by January of 2024, will serve as the foundation of a new IBM Quantum Computational Center in partnership with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). By partnering, RPI’s vision is to greatly enhance the educational experiences and research capabilities of students and researchers at RPI and other institutions, propel the Capital Region into a top location for talent, and accelerate New York's growth as a technology epicenter.