Troy, N.Y. — Ken Ralph has been named director of athletics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer has developed a public information plan to keep the community apprised of the Institute’s ongoing construction and development projects. The plan includes a series of monthly public meetings, a comprehensive website, telephone and e-mail hotlines, and a monthly neighborhood bulletin. Monthly Public Meetings begin May 28

Troy, N.Y. — Denis Fred Simon has been named Dean of the Kenneth T. and Thelma P. Lally School of Management and Technology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Troy, N.Y.- “Hope boldly, think huge, and pursue your passion,” civilian space traveler and Rensselaer alumnus Dennis Tito told about 1,129 graduates at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute today. “Despite the headlines, despite the reality of evil, despite all that you and your classmates around the world have been through-this world is more democratic, more free, and more safe than ever before,” said Tito, who addressed Rensselaer’s Class of 2002 during the university’s 196th Commencement at the Field House on campus.

Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute broke ground today for the $80 million Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies in the center of the Rensselaer campus. Government officials, legislative leaders, trustees, and alumni spoke at the event that has launched a weekend of celebration to culminate with Rensselaer’s 196th commencement Saturday morning on the Harkness Field.

Troy, N.Y. — Stephen Horne’s life changed forever one summer day in 1995 just before his sophomore year in high school. He was on his way to a canoeing trip in Maine with 10 other friends. When the driver fell asleep at the wheel, all 11 passengers in the van were injured. Horne suffered the most with a broken back-two exploded vertebrae-and a severe concussion. His doctors told him he probably never would walk again.

Troy, N.Y. — For the first time, researchers have created a simplified method for making long, continuous, hair-like strands of carbon nanotubes that are as much as eight inches in length. This breakthrough, reported in the May 3 issue of Science, is a first step toward creating such products as microcables for electrical devices or mechanically robust electrochemical actuators for artificial muscles.

Model to cost thousands less than available products Troy, N.Y. — A home elevator can cost upward of $20,000, which is a steep price for the disabled or elderly who wish to maintain their independence. A group of college students in Troy, N.Y., has built a solution: a home elevator that will cost thousands less than what is currently on the market.

Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer researchers have announced a breakthrough in simulating the growth and aging of thin-films. The advance will lead to lower cost and more rapid development of microelectronics, protective coatings, and micromachines.

Troy, N.Y. — Researchers at Rensselaer have discovered a surprising new property of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCN). When exposed to a conventional photographic flash, the nanotubes emit a loud pop and then ignite. This discovery, reported in the April 26 issue of the journal Science, could mean that SWCNs might be used in light sensors or to remotely trigger explosives and combustion reactions, although researchers say that more testing needs to be done to realize these possibilities.