Rensselaer Names New Communications Head

Troy , N.Y. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson has named Jane Van Ryan, principal of VanRyanBanks Inc. of Reston, Va., as the Institute’s assistant vice president of communications.   Van Ryan will lead the Office of Communications (formerly the Office of Marketing and Media Relations), which includes media relations, marketing, presidential communications, and university events.

Former President George M. Low, Who Helped Put Man on the Moon, Memorialized in Permanent Exhibit of NASA Memorabilia at Rensselaer

Troy, N.Y. — A permanent exhibit of NASA memorabilia and other materials that honor the life of former Rensselaer President George M. Low ’48 has been created at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was dedicated today. A Rensselaer alumnus, Low headed the Apollo Program that landed Americans on the moon in 1969. He became the university’s 14th president in 1976.

Troy Homes Reborn in Partnership with Rensselaer

Troy, N.Y. — Committed to enhancing its campus gateways by fostering homeownership and rehabilitation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Rehab America are transforming textbook examples of American architecture into affordable homes.

Senator Bruno Announces $22.5 Million for Gen*NY*sis Center for Bioengineering and Medicine at Rensselaer

Troy, N.Y. — New York state Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno today announced that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will receive $22.5 million to create the Gen*NY*sis Center for Bioengineering and Medicine. The Center will create 290 new permanent jobs in addition to 250 construction jobs, Bruno said. Funding for the Center for Bioengineering and Medicine will come from the Senate’s Gen*NY*sis biotechnology economic development program that was included in the 2002-03 state budget.

Mapping Proteins: Researchers Discover a Better Way to Decode the Protein Language

Troy, N.Y. — Two researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are creating a faster, more efficient data-mining technique to determine basic rules of how proteins form. The researchers are Mohammed Zaki, assistant professor of computer science, and Chris Bystroff, assistant professor of biology. Researchers can identify a protein’s biological function, and therefore its specific role in disease, if they know the 3-D structure of a protein given its amino-acid sequence.

Nano-Welding Creates Tiny Junctions

Troy, N.Y. — Researchers have discovered how to weld together single-walled carbon nanotubes, pure carbon cylinders with remarkable electronic properties. The discovery could pave the way for controlled fabrication of molecular circuits and nanotube networks. Pulickel Ajayan, professor of materials science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., and his colleagues in Germany, Mexico, the U.K., and Belgium used irradiation and heat to form the welded junctions.

Rensselaer Professor Receives Double Honors From Engineering Society

Troy, N.Y. — Prabhat Hajela, professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been named a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) as well as a 2003 ASME Congressional Fellow. Hajela was named a fellow for his significant achievements in engineering research and education, and his active service in leadership roles in ASME and other professional societies.

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