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Just as space holds infinite mysteries, when we zoom in at the level of biomolecules (one trillion times smaller than a meter), there is still so much to learn. 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, is dedicated to understanding the conformational landscapes of biomolecules and how they modulate cell function. When biomolecules receive certain inputs, it can cause the atoms to rearrange and the biomolecule to change shape. This change in shape affects their function in cells, so understanding conformational dynamics is critical for drug development.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) today announced the appointment of Rebecca W. Doerge, Ph.D., as Provost, effective August 1, 2023. Doerge joins the Rensselaer community from Carnegie Mellon University, where she is the Glen de Vries Dean of the Mellon College of Science and a member of the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Department of Statistics and Data Science and the Mellon College of Science’s Department of Biological Sciences.

It is a scary fact that one in two women and one in three men in the United States will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime. One of the hallmarks of many cancers is the occurrence of errors during the cell division process called mitosis. Therefore, critical to enhancing treatments or perhaps even finding a cure for cancer and other diseases, is developing a better understanding of how mitosis works in both healthy and diseased cells.

At a time when LGBTQ+ rights are increasingly the subject of public discussion, it is important to consider the effect on those who share an affinity with that community. Rensselaer researchers Billur Aksoy and Ian Chadd have conducted an experiment to determine whether individuals strategically mask signals about their affinity with the LGBTQ+ community in response to anticipated discrimination.

Tribology expert John Tichy, professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering, recently participated in the fourth edition of the African Conference in Tribology (ACT 2023) in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.

Antoinette Maniatty ’87, Ph.D., has been named head of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering (MANE) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). MANE is one of the largest academic departments at RPI, with 53 faculty members and over 1,400 students.

Luigi Vanfretti, professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering, and his research scientist Tetiana Bogodorova recently hosted a delegation of high-level Ukrainian energy regulatory representatives and industry members to share their current research on electrical power systems and to establish possible collaborations.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) offers Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs in the Army, Navy, and Air Force for students interested in commissions as officers in the U.S. military following graduation. Each year, the programs collectively host the Joint Services Award Ceremony to recognize ROTC participants graduating from RPI and beginning their military careers.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) individual students as well as teams did very well in the recent National Cyber League (NCL) Competition, a biannual event that enables students to prepare and test themselves against practical cybersecurity challenges that they will likely face in the workforce, such as identifying hackers from forensic data, pen testing and auditing vulnerable websites, recovering from ransomware attacks, and additional cyber skill sets.

On May 22, 2023, during the National Maritime Day celebration in the port of Duluth Superior, a representative of the United States Maritime Administration presented Richard Dow Stewart with the Merchant Marine Medal for Outstanding Achievement.