News

Troy, N.Y. - Rensselaer will bestow honorary doctorates upon six American trailblazers this year. At the university's 197th Commencement ceremony on May 17, Rensselaer will honor a world-renowned neurosurgeon, two Nobel laureates, a former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and a well-loved local philanthropist. And at its Honors Convocation this fall, Rensselaer will honor a visionary state senator. Benjamin Carson Honorary Doctor of Science

Troy, N.Y. - One hallmark of Rensselaer's graduating class this year is service - service to communities locally and globally, service to government, and service to others. Technology has reinvented the way students communicate and how they mobilize. High-tech college campuses like Rensselaer are reinventing student "activism" into community "advocacy" using information technology tools.

Troy, N.Y. - In spite of today's uncertain economic climate and less-than-stellar job market, many Rensselaer graduates - particularly the ones with degrees in engineering, computer science, information technology (IT), and management - are already landing high-profile positions and commanding top dollar for their services.

Troy, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has received $10,000 from The New York State Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) toward the university's continuing efforts to prevent alcohol abuse on campus and in the surrounding community. The OASAS award is part of the state's Healthy Campus Community Demonstration Project. Funds are provided through the Federal "Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws" block grant.

Troy, N.Y. - Murat Arcak, assistant professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was awarded a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation. Brain Trust

Troy, N.Y. - College graduates with technical degrees are entering into what is being called a "just-in-time" employment market - meaning high-tech companies are waiting until the last possible minute to hire grads. As a result, new tech grads must be patient, get creative, and be willing to fill out their resumes with unique experiences should they not snatch up a job just out of school, says Tom Tarantelli, director of the Career Development Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Troy, N.Y. - Richard Radke, assistant professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering at Rensselaer, has been awarded a Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation. Radke is among 22 Rensselaer faculty members to receive the award in the past four years. The CAREER Award provides a grant of $400,000 over five years, and is the most prestigious honor presented to junior faculty.

Troy, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has joined forces with the Junior Museum, Time Warner Cable, and A&E Television Networks to host a day of space-related activities for local youth on nationally recognized "Space Day," May 1. The events will kick off "Space Month," a program of exhibitions, workshops, contests, and discussions scheduled throughout May that are designed to boost area kids' interest in space, science, and technology.

Troy, N.Y. - Students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are collaborating a coast apart with their California counterparts in an Internet-based performance that pushes the limits of broadband musical and video performance. Using the ultra-high-speed Internet2 (I2) to carry the action simultaneously in real time, 10 dancers, singers, and electronic musicians from Rensselaer and Mills College will perform in the same virtual space while in two separate locations.

New York, N.Y. - Ghanaian drum master, Troy resident, and Rensselaer music professor Yacub Addy and his band, Odadaa!, will perform two concerts with jazz composer and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis as part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center concert series. The two concerts, titled "African Jazz," will take place May 2-3, at Columbia University's Miller Theatre.