News

Partha Dutta’s Research Will Advance the Field of Optoelectronics Troy, N.Y. — Partha Dutta, assistant professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering, was awarded a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation. He is among the first Rensselaer faculty to be awarded the honor in 2001. The award is one of the NSF's most competitive and prestigious, and is given to young faculty members actively engaged in research and education.

Two-day conference will assist local leaders in how to employ electronic media services in their communities Troy, N.Y. — Local community officials, school representatives, and youth leaders will gather at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for a two-day conference, “Media Matters: Connecting Communities in the Digital Age.” The March 16-17 conference will be held in the Darrin Communication Center at Rensselaer and the Arts Center of the Capital Region in downtown Troy.

Troy, N.Y. — The Rensselaer Board of Drustees elected James C. Mullen, president and chief executive officer of Biogen, as a new active trustee at its February board meeting over the weekend. Mullen will serve a four-year term through December 2004.

Troy, N.Y. — The contract to design the Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies Building at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been awarded to a joint venture of two architectural firms with experience in biotechnology design — Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann of Butler, Pa., and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson of Pittsburgh.

Troy, N.Y. — Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and James M. Tien, professor and chair of decision sciences and engineering systems at Rensselaer, have been elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

Two New York universities debut the first musical created for Internet2 Troy, N.Y. — An experimental musical, titled The Technophobe & the Madman, will debut simultaneously at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and New York University using Internet2 to carry the action in real time. The performance is the first Internet2-distributed musical, combining music, video, and interactivity.

Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer has begun a new research project to increase learning effectiveness in its core engineering courses by using its extensive information technology infrastructure to help faculty better account for different student learning styles.

Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson Receives the George Washington Carver Award New York — Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was one of three Americans honored at the 15th Annual Black History Makers Award ceremonies Thursday, Feb. 7 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Host Bill Cosby presented Jackson with the George Washington Carver Award on behalf of Associated Black Charities, sponsor of the event.

Troy, N.Y. — Martin E. Glicksman, the John Tod Horton Professor of Materials Engineering at Rensselaer, was selected as a recipient of a coveted Humboldt Senior Research Prize by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Bonn, Germany. As part of his prize, Glicksman will conduct research in Germany for two six-month periods in 2002 and 2003. He will meet the German president in a ceremony this July.

Troy, N.Y. — Meningococcal meningitis has been diagnosed affecting a single student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The student, a sophomore, is hospitalized in good condition and is recovering. Meningococcal meningitis — an inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord — and its accompanying bloodstream infections are rare but potentially dangerous. The risk for contracting this disease is low.