News

Troy, N.Y. - The public is invited to a series of free presentations hosted by Michael Century, chair of the arts department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Focused on various themes in media arts, such as televirtuality, hypermedia, and relational architecture, the presentations will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. on campus in West Hall, room 212. Each topic will include a demonstration and analysis of pioneering works of media art. Century will draw on rare audio-visual documentation.

Troy, N.Y. - The mind works in mysterious ways, and one Rensselaer researcher and his colleagues have created a computer automation tool to help solve those mysteries, speed understanding of how the brain develops, delve more deeply into brain function at the cellular level, and make more reliable conclusions.

Troy, N.Y. - Executives from 10 area biotechnology firms will discuss the state of the industry in the Capital Region at the "Showcase of Local Biotechnology Companies" on Wednesday, Feb. 5 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Rensselaer's Heffner Alumni House. Immediately before and after the event, Rensselaer's Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship will host half-hour networking sessions for attendees and participants.

Troy, N.Y. - Researchers searching for information about highly complex systems, such as the spread of diseases, the rise and fall of financial markets, or cell-phone communication networks, benefit from large-scale networked computer simulation. These simulations are frequently implemented using large networks of computers that break down the problem into many parts. Tackling weighty problems, bit by byte, allows the simulation process to run faster - sometimes.

Troy, N.Y. - Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson, has been recognized alongside Colin Powell, Halle Berry, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, and Condoleezza Rice, in a recently published book by ESSENCE titled, 50 of The Most Inspiring African-Americans. The book features African-Americans who are breaking barriers in a number of fields, including politics, education, and entertainment.

Troy, N.Y. - Georges Belfort has been named a chaired professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Belfort will hold the title of Russell Sage Professor of Chemical Engineering. Belfort has been a chemical engineering faculty member for 25 years. He is a world-renowned authority on bioseparation, the science of recovering valuable proteins and other biological molecules from the complex mixtures in which they are produced. He's also an expert on the behavior of biological molecules at solid interfaces.

Troy, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Director of Athletics Ken Ralph has announced the signing of Head Men's Hockey Coach Dan Fridgen to a three-year contract extension. Financial terms of the pact, which will keep Fridgen at Rensselaer through 2005-06, were not disclosed.

Troy, N.Y. - The Paul J. '69 and Kathleen M. Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship at Rensselaer's Lally School of Management and Technology announces a new $40,000 student business plan competition that is open to all colleges and universities in the 17-county, Tech Valley Region. The Tech Valley Collegiate Business Plan Competition aims to introduce students to entrepreneurship as a career choice, says Jeanne Stefanik, manager of the Severino Center.

Troy, N.Y. - Budding student entrepreneurs are invited to a workshop sponsored by Rensselaer's Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship at the Lally School of Management and Technology. The workshop, "How to Write a Successful Business Plan," will be held Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 6-8 p.m. at the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce office in Colonie. This workshop is free to all participants.

Troy, N.Y. - A previously unseen band of stars beyond the edge of the Milky Way galaxy has been discovered by a team of scientists from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The discovery could help to explain how the galaxy was assembled 10 billion years ago.