News

Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute today announced that General Wesley K. Clark will deliver the 2006 Commencement address, and will receive an honorary degree at the Institute’s 200th Commencement, on Saturday, May 20, 2006 at 9:30 a.m., at the Harkness Field.  Architect Peter Bohlin ’58, architect, artist, and engineer Santiago Calatrava, and FedEx Corporation chairman, president, and CEO Frederick W. Smith also will be awarded honorary degrees at Commencement.

Troy, N.Y. — Twenty-seven students have recently been inducted into the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Phalanx honor society. Phalanx honors student leadership and celebrates those who have “worked to better the standing of Rensselaer both on and off campus.” New members are selected — or “tapped” — by the student members of Phalanx.

Troy, N.Y. — A team of researchers has developed a new process to make flexible, conducting “nano skins” for a variety of applications, from electronic paper to sensors for detecting chemical and biological agents. The materials, which are described in the March issue of the journal Nano Letters, combine the strength and conductivity of carbon nanotubes with the flexibility of traditional polymers.

TROY, N.Y. — A Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researcher has been awarded a five-year, $947,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study how proteins behave under pressure. Angel Garcia, senior constellation chaired professor in biocomputation and bioinformatics, seeks to address gaps in scientific knowledge regarding the role of water pressure in protein structure and function that could aid in the understanding and treatment of disease.

Troy, N.Y. — In celebration of National Engineers Week 2006, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute hosted a day of hands-on engineering activities Feb. 25 for more than 250 area Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The day’s events were organized and run by Rensselaer undergraduate and graduate engineering students.

Troy, N.Y. — A delegation of experts in technological entrepreneurship from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will travel to China for symposia on innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology commercialization.

Troy, N.Y.

Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute today announced a $1 million scholarship gift commitment from Jeanne and Frank Fischer ’64, in support of Renaissance at Rensselaer: The Campaign for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The Jeanne and Frank Fischer ’64 Scholarship will become part of the Rensselaer endowment, and income from the gift will be used to provide significant scholarship support directly to students. 

Troy, N.Y. — To provide essential data for the rebuilding of the ravaged levees in New Orleans, engineers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will be studying small-scale models of sections of the flood-protection system. The researchers will replicate conditions during Hurricane Katrina by subjecting the models to flood loads, supplying important information to help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepare the city for next hurricane season and beyond.

Troy, N.Y. — Alhussein Abouzeid, assistant professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been awarded a Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Abouzeid will use the projected five-year, $400,000 grant to investigate dynamic wireless networks with applications in environmental sensing, disaster response, and connecting homes within a community.