2018 East Coast Scholarship Gala Program

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 JW Marriott Essex House Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall New York, New York

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EAST COAST SCHOLARSHIP GALA WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 JW Marriott Essex House

 WELCOME

Graig R. Eastin

Vice President, Institute Advancement

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall

 R ECOGNITION OF RECENT TRANSFORMATIVE COMMITMENTS

New York, New York

SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT FACULTY AND RESEARCH SUPPORT

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D.

President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

 D INNER  PRESIDENTIAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS PRESENTED TO Gail Kodosky and Jeffrey L. Kodosky ’70, Trustee The Boeing Company | Greg Hyslop, D.Sc.

Helen-Jo Kelly and John E. Kelly III ’78, ’80 Ph.D., Trustee

Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D.

 THE RENSSELAER ORCHESTRA

Nicholas DeMaison, Ph.D., Conductor

2018 EAST COAST SCHOLARSHIP GALA

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

COAST TO COAST We thank all of our Corporate Partners whose generous support of these events is helping Rensselaer to “Bridge the Gap” between the cost of the world-class education we provide our students, and the scholarship support we will be able to offer them as we build the university we envision for our third century.

WEST COAST GALA SPONSORS DINNER SPONSOR

BRIDGING THE GAP CIRCLE

CORPORATE SPONSORS

FRIENDS OF RENSSELAER

Direct Energy Benchemark Printing

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EAST COAST GALA SPONSORS DINNER SPONSOR

BRIDGING THE GAP CIRCLE

CORPORATE UNDERWRITER

CORPORATE BENEFACTOR

CORPORATE SPONSORS

FRIENDS OF RENSSELAER

Bank of America Merrill Lynch Core BTS, Inc. Corning Incorporated JMZ Architects and Planners, P.C. Rose & Kiernan Inc. Mimeo

ADDITIONAL CORPORATE SUPPORT PROVIDED BY

Fidelity Investments Artist Pianos Steinway & Sons

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 DEAR FRIENDS, It is a sincere pleasure to be in New York City this evening, with the opportunity to thank each of you for your dedication to our beloved Rensselaer. Just a few months ago, we gathered on the West Coast for a companion event, where we celebrated the launch of our capital campaign by showcasing our global challenged-linked research, and visionary approach to the student experience within the framework of a day-long, immersive celebration. This evening, we highlight the arts, which are a key part of our overall vision for Rensselaer as The New Polytechnic, with a historic performance by the Rensselaer Orchestra in a world-class, iconic venue, Carnegie Hall.

As Rensselaer approaches its third century, we intend to be even more transformative in the world at large, by achieving our $1 billion initiative, Transformative: Campaign for Global Change. The continued support of our generous individual and institutional donors, some of whom will be recognized this evening, will empower us to accomplish this ambitious goal.

The cost of the education we offer at Rensselaer—world-class, immersive, and experiential—is not within reach of many of our prospective students. Because we intend to accept the very best students regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds—and because we intend to honor the vision of Stephen Van Rensselaer, who founded The Rensselaer School to place knowledge “equally within the reach of all”—we must add to our endowment to Bridge the Gap between our resources and our students’ financial needs.

Financial support enables us to attract and retain the very best student talent, and the very same principle applies to our faculty. We seek, through the Campaign, to expand our tenured and tenure-track faculty to 500, so that Rensselaer can achieve intellectual critical mass, and continue to lead and innovate in crucial areas of research and education. And continuing to grow, equip, and modernize our beautiful Troy campus is essential to the research, teaching, and learning that will allow us to change the world for generations to come.

On behalf of Rensselaer, and our exceptional students and faculty, I invite you to join these endeavors as the pillars of our campaign. Thank you for being here, for what promises to be a very special evening, and for your steadfast support of Rensselaer.

Sincerely,

SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON, Ph.D. President Professor of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy Professor of Engineering Sciences 4 2018 EAST COAST SCHOLARSHIP GALA | GIVING.RPI.EDU

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 PRESIDENTIAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates those whose unique contributions ensure that the fire ignited by Stephen Van Rensselaer nearly 200 years ago continues to burn brightly at Rensselaer today.

It is our privilege to recognize the distinct examples set forth by the 2018 Honorees: IN RECOGNITION OF EXEMPLARY INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPY

Helen-Jo Kelly and John E. Kelly III ’78G, ’80 Ph.D., Trustee Gail Kodosky and Jeffrey L. Kodosky ’70, Trustee IN RECOGNITION OF EXCEPTIONAL CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP

The Boeing Company

PREVIOUS HONOREES

Howard N. Blitman P.E. ’50, Trustee Curtis R. Priem ’82, Trustee IBM

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 HELEN-JO AND JOHN E. KELLY III ’78G, ’80 Ph.D. We are pleased to honor Helen-Jo and John E. Kelly III

Dr. Kelly has been an esteemed member of the Rensselaer

’78G, ’80 Ph.D. for their exemplary support of Rensselaer

Board of Trustees since 2010. He and his wife, Helen-Jo,

students and research.

have demonstrated a deep appreciation for Rensselaer

Dr. Kelly began his relationship with Rensselaer during his time as a graduate student, receiving a Master’s Degree in Physics in 1978 and a Doctorate in Materials Engineering in 1980.

students by establishing three endowed scholarships to date: the John E. Kelly III ’78 Scholarship, in 2001, the Nicholas M. Donofrio ’67 IBM Scholarship, in honor of his long-time friend and colleague, in 2010, and the Professor Minoru Tomozawa Scholarship, in honor of a

Dr. Kelly began his 30-plus year career with International

respected Rensselaer faculty member, in 2010. Coupled

Business Machines Corp. (IBM) in 1980, and currently

with the Kellys’ support of the Patroon Scholars Program

serves as senior vice president of Cognitive Solutions

of the Rensselaer Annual Fund, their generous support

and Research. Dr. Kelly and his teams have been

of scholarship at Rensselear has provided opportunities

responsible for numerous technology breakthroughs

for numerous students to attend Rensselaer.

over nearly four decades, including most recently— and perhaps most importantly—advancing the science of cognitive artificial/ augmented intelligence (AI) ...

Watson... a household name. This reignited the field of AI globally, which is now transforming every industry and aspect of life from financial services to health care.

While the Rensselaer/IBM partnership dates back decades to the revolutionary IBM System/360, first announced in 1964, Dr. Kelly has been instrumental in further cultivating the IBM/Rensselaer partnership that encompasses platforms such as the IBM Blue Gene/Q supercomputer, the Advanced Multiprocessing Optimized System, or AMOS—after Rensselaer founder Amos Eaton—the most powerful supercomputer at an American private university, the Jefferson Project at Lake George, and the Cognitive and Immersive Systems Laboratory.

Most recently, Dr. and Mrs. Kelly established an endowed fund to support the ongoing research within the Jefferson Project: the Helen-Jo and John E. Kelly III ’78 Data Visualization Laboratory, located at the Margaret A. and David M. Darrin ’40 Fresh Water Institute in Lake George.

It will come as no surprise that Dr. Kelly has been honored by Rensselaer Alumni Association (RAA) for his service to the Institute, receiving the RAA Fellows Award in 2002, the RAA Alumni Key Award in 2009, and the RAA Alfred Fox Demers Medal in 2018. In 2006, Dr. Kelly also received the Rensselaer Davies Medal for Engineering Achievement. He and Helen-Jo are members of the Stephen Van Rensselaer Society of Patroons at Rensselaer, for their lifetime commitment to Rensselaer in excess of $1 million.

Tonight, please join us as we further express our appreciation for the dedication, service, and generosity of Helen-Jo and John E. Kelly III ’78G, ’80 Ph.D.

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 GAIL AND JEFFREY L. KODOSKY ’70 It is our privilege to honor Gail and Jeffrey Kodosky ’70

physics and science discovery. As an accompaniment to

for their unmatched support of faculty and students at

this visionary gift, the Gail and Jeffrey L. Kodosky ’70

Rensselaer.

Lecture Series supports annual speakers in the areas of physics, information technology, and entrepreneurship.

Mr. Kodosky earned his Bachelor’s Degree in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1970. Not long

Known for their enthusiastic patronage of the arts, as

after his graduation, in 1976, Mr. Kodosky co-founded

evidenced by Mr. Kodosky’s recent appointment as

National Instruments and subsequently served as the

Chair of the Board of Officers for the Austin Opera,

company’s vice president of research and development

Mr. and Mrs. Kodosky also have clearly demonstrated

from 1980 until he was named a Business and Technol-

their passion for classical music through the Kodosky

ogy Fellow in 2000. Known as the “Father of LabVIEW”

Foundation Fund for Classical Music, which has

by engineers and scientists worldwide, Mr. Kodosky

provided thousands of tickets to classical music

holds 68 patents associated with LabVIEW technology,

performances for Rensselaer students, faculty, and staff.

and was inducted into the Electronic Design Engineering Hall of Fame for his invention.

Mr. and Mrs. Kodosky are members of the 1824 Society of Patroons at Rensselaer for their lifetime commitments

In addition to the leadership and counsel Mr. Kodosky

in excess of $10 million, and recipients of the prestigious

has provided as a member of the Institute Board of

Alis Aquilae Medal at Rensselaer. Mr. Kodosky has been

Trustees since 2002, he and Mrs. Kodosky lend their

recognized by Rensselaer Alumni Association (RAA),

support to a variety of initiatives at Rensselaer. Perhaps

receiving the RAA Fellows Award in 1999, the Albert

their most transformative investment was that of the very

Fox Demers Medal in 2002, and the highest honor

first research constellation—a concept in its infancy at

bestowed by the RAA, the Distinguished Service Award,

the time. Their belief in the vision of The Rensselaer

in 2018.

Plan resulted in not only their unrestricted support of Rensselaer, but the establishment of the Gail and Jeffrey Kodosky ’70 Constellation in Physics, Information Technology, and Entrepreneurship, to further interdisci-

Tonight, please join us as we celebrate the selfless service, generous philanthropy, and enduring legacy established at Rensselaer by Gail and Jeffrey L. Kodosky ’70.

plinary research focused on energy conversion, future electronics, nano-sciences, and a broad range of other cutting-edge areas of inquiry, including cyber-based

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 THE BOEING COMPANY–RENSSELAER PARTNERSHIP More than 50 years ago, Rensselaer pioneered the

In 2014, when a group of executives from The Boeing

concept of cooperative education, which provides

Company visited our Troy campus, the Chairman and

undergraduates with experiential job placements.

CEO at the time, W. James McNerney, Jr., shared why

Visionary corporate partners, such as Boeing, have

Boeing—the largest aerospace company in the world—

helped to ensure the success of the program, and the

seeks out and hires Rensselaer graduates: they share

students who take part in it.

with the company “an aspirational element,” and a

In addition to funding fellowships and establishing a scholarship program for underrepresented minority populations—which to date has provided much-needed funding for many students—Boeing has taken steps to provide Rensselaer students with the tools to build solid foundations for successful careers. The company’s

commitment to making the world a better place. This successful technical partnership earned recognition for Rensselaer in 2012 as a Boeing Supplier of the Year.

While demonstrating its affinity for the university through existing partnerships, Boeing is in continual pursuit of additional opportunities for collaboration.

appreciation of diversity has been illustrated by its

We are very proud to honor The Boeing Company with

support of student groups such as the Society of

a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for the

Women Engineers, and the Society for Asian Scientists

organization’s long-standing research partnership with

and Engineers at Rensselaer.

Rensselaer and exceptional dedication to the student

Beyond regular participation in career fairs at Rensse-

experience.

laer, Boeing has provided support to the Professional Leadership Program, which is designed to assist our juniors and seniors in understanding the concepts and complexities associated with leadership. These students also benefited from a panel discussion, led by Boeing, on how to successfully apply for internships, after which many of our students were accepted into Boeing’s internship program. Some have continued on to prosperous careers at Boeing. Today, Boeing employs several Rensselaer graduates.

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 GREG HYSLOP, D.Sc.

Chief Technology Officer

Senior Vice President, Boeing Engineering, Test & Technology

The Boeing Company We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Greg Hyslop to

Hyslop reports to Boeing Chairman, President and CEO

accept the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award on

Dennis Muilenburg and is a member of the company’s

behalf of The Boeing Company. As the company’s top

Executive Council.

technology leader, Hyslop oversees the development

Hyslop is a member of the Aeronautics Committee of

and implementation of the enterprise technology

the NASA Advisory Council. He has also been named an

investment strategy.

Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics

His portfolio of responsibilities includes the company-

and Astronautics (AIAA) and is a member of the Board

wide Boeing Engineering function; Boeing Research &

of Trustees of the AIAA Foundation. He serves on the

Technology (BR&T), the company’s advanced central

Advisory Board of the University of Nebraska’s Engineer-

research and development organization; Boeing Test &

ing College, as well as on the Engineering Advisory

Evaluation (BT&E), the team that verifies and validates

Council of the University of Notre Dame’s College of

Boeing’s commercial and defense products; and the

Engineering.

Intellectual Property Management organization, which works to protect and strategically leverage the company’s intellectual property.

Hyslop has a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the University of Nebraska. He also has a

In his role leading the Engineering function, which

Doctor of Science degree in systems science and

includes more than 45,000 engineers around the world,

mathematics from Washington University in St. Louis,

Hyslop partners with the Engineering leaders of Boeing’s

where he served as an adjunct professor.

business units to ensure the company deploys the proper technical resources to support programs across the enterprise. He also plays a key role in decisions that affect the technical integrity of Boeing products, services and processes.

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Congratulations Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees  The Boeing Company  Helen-Jo Kelly and John E. Kelly III ’78G, ’80 Ph.D., Trustee  Gail Kodosky and Jeffrey L. Kodosky ’70, Trustee  From Wanda Denson-Low ’78, J.D., Vice Chair, Rensselaer Board of Trustees, Retired Senior Vice President, Office of Internal Governance, The Boeing Company and Ronald Low, J.D.

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#6 Among 50 best video game design schools —TheBestSchools.org (2017)

#1

#6

Among information technology and web science undergraduate programs at national colleges and universities

Undergraduate physics program

—College Choice (2017)

#2 Among undergraduate business schools in New York state —College Choice (2017)

#3 In the nation for our Masters of Business Analytics —TFE Times

—College Factual

#12

#9 Among 30 U.S. private colleges where students go on to earn the most money —CNBC (2017)

#9 In the U.S. in the Best Masters and MBAs ranking for the M.S. in Business Analytics — Eduniversal (2017)

In the nation for graduate nuclear engineering programs —U.S. News & World Report (2017)

#13 Best undergraduate programs in architecture —DesignIntelligence (2017)

#17 In the nation for graduate industrial engineering programs —U.S. News & World Report (2017)

Rensselaer designated as an All-Steinway School —Steinway & Sons (2016)

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You & Western Digital Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute thanks Western Digital for their commitment to provide scholarship resources to students.

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 MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2019 ARE EMPOWERED BY SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT To be able to study at RPI is not a

I really appreciate the assistance

I cannot thank you enough for your

miracle. It is the result of the efforts

because it’s allowed me to continue

kindness that has allowed me to

of everyone who helped me reach

excelling in academics while

pursue my dreams. Without your

this point. Unfortunately, money is

preparing to enter the professional

aid, I would not be able to learn the

a huge barrier to so many. For the

job market as a powerful resource

physics and mathematics that

grants that have been made to me,

that has the potential to make a

interest me so much. I am very

I am truly thankful. I remind myself

positive difference.

happy for actualizing my mother

frequently that I owe it to so many more than myself to succeed.

JONATHAN LOIACONO ’19 Bronxville, NY

CARSON DUNBAR ’19

Business and Management

Corpus Christi, TX

Angelo and Rosina DeStefano Valente

Chemical Engineering

Scholarship

someone who can change the world. Thank you so much for giving me this great opportunity.

RAYMOND WU ’19

Walter E. Irving Scholarship

West Hurley, NY Being able to attend RPI is

As a beneficiary of a scholarship,

something that I dreamed to do

I feel supported by the alumni who

once I was first contacted by a

have been in my shoes in the past

recruiter. Any assistance in allowing

to make the most of the excellent

me to fulfill that dreams is greatly

classes at RPI as well as the quality

appreciated. From this support I

research opportunities at my

am able to cut down on accruing

disposal. This support has made it

debt while being able to attend RPI,

possible for me to pursue an

helping me reach my goals of

exceptional undergraduate educa-

changing the world with the

tion and got me interested in going

knowledge that I have gained.

to graduate school.

and father’s dreams in becoming

Physics and Mathematics Laura Neske Valente Scholarship

MATTHEW STORMER ’19

ASHLEY HERSEY ’19

Bear, DE

Easton, ME

Mechanical Engineering, and Design,

Chemical Engineering

Innovation, and Society

Patrick Thomas Shubsda Memorial

Mary F. and William T. Bahr ’49 Memorial

Scholarship

Scholarship

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 RECOGNITION FOR EXCELLENCE IN MUSIC

In 2016, Rensselaer joined more than 180 institutions on five continents designated as an All-Steinway School. This prestigious designation is a testimony to Rensselaer’s commitment to providing expertly crafted pianos to our students for the study of music.

Steinway & Sons awards the All-Steinway School

According to Steinway, more than 90 percent of the

designation to music educational institutions in which

world’s active concert pianists—over 1,600 artists—

not less than 90 percent of pianos (in performance

bear the title “Steinway Artist.” Each pianist prefers to

venues, teaching studios, or practice rooms) are

perform on a Steinway, recognizing the expansive

Steinway instruments, maintained in performance-

timbral capabilities of the instrument. According to the

quality condition by Steinway-certified technicians.

organization, each Steinway piano, consisting of more

Almost one year later, Mary Simoni, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

than 12,000 individual parts, has its own musical character and is as unique as the individual who plays it.

(HASS) at Rensselaer, joined contemporary artists

Simoni was recognized as a Steinway Artist at an event

including Lang Lang, Diana Krall, and Billy Joel, as

at Steinway Hall in New York on November 15, 2017,

well as “Steinway immortals” such as Cole Porter,

where she performed with Kimberly Dolanski Osburn

Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Arthur Rubinstein, in

(soprano), manager of operations and administrative

bearing the title of Steinway Artist.

services in HASS; and Rensselaer students Aidan Gorby ’19 (saxophones), a biology major preparing for a career in medicine; Alexander Shane Jones ’18 (upright bass), an applied mathematics major, with a minor in finance; and Matthew Lamport ’19 (drums), a mechanical engineering major.

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Our Steinway pianos exemplify the seriousness of our commitment at Rensselaer to the arts, and to the connection between the arts and science and technology. We thank Steinway & Sons for recognizing Rensselaer as a university that provides its students and faculty with the most advanced tools for education, for expression, for collaboration, and for innovation.”

– PRESIDENT SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON, Ph.D.

ALL-STEINWAY PLAQUE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED DECEMBER 18, 2016 Paul Jennings, General Manager of Artist Pianos, Sally Covaleskie, National Director of Institutional Sales, Steinway & Sons; Dr. Mary Simoni, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson

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TRANSFORM. INNOVATE. INSPIRE.



This evening, we celebrate the launch of our new Bachelor of Science in Music, our enduring commitment to student scholarship, and the invigoration of the Rensselaer community through the arts.

The Rensselaer Orchestra will perform Missy Mazzoli’s

AOP/Prototype Festival), Mojiao Wang’s Encounter

River Rouge Transfiguration and Jean Sibelius’s

(Beijing Modern Music Festival), James Ilgenfritz’s The

Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82.

Ticket That Exploded, Charles Fussell’s The Astronaut’s

Mazzoli was commissioned to compose River Rouge Transfiguration in 2013 by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The “River Rouge” of the title refers to the

Tale, and newly commissioned orchestral works by Miya Masaoka, Zach Layton, Erica Ball, Eli Greenhoe and others.

Ford Motors plant in Detroit, which was constructed

Also an active composer, DeMaison’s music has been

between 1917 and 1928, transforming the city.

described as “crossing the threshold from being

Sibelius composed Symphony No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 82 after concluding a successful American concert tour. The piece premiered on December 8, 1915, his 50th birthday, which had been designated a national holiday in his native Finland. Sibelius revised his composition during World War I, before finally

abstractly academic to emotionally provocative,” (Time Out NY) and “faster and blippier…smooth-versusscreechy…both ominous and playful at the same time.” (Lucid Culture). His work spans from chamber works with live electronic audio and video components to works for chorus and orchestra. Ensembles that have performed DeMaison’s music include The New York

releasing it for publication in 1919.

Philharmonic, Giants Are Small, PRISM Saxophone

Since Chicago Magazine first described his early opera

Quartet, NOISEBridge, andPlay, Del Sol String Quartet,

projects as “Chicago’s most daring and avant-garde” in

ensemble dal niente, UCSD New Music Ensemble,

2010, Nicholas DeMaison Ph.D. has continued to prove

Hunter College Campus School Orchestra, South

himself as one of the most capable conductor/composers

Hadley Chorale, Florilegium Chamber Choir and Opera

in the young generation of multi-talented musicians

Cabal. His work has been featured at June in Buffalo.

working to reimagine classical institutions and genres.

He regularly works on the music staff for broadcast

In recent seasons he has led the premiere productions

productions with the New York Philharmonic, MediciTV,

of Pauline Oliveros’ The Nubian Word for Flowers (which

and Live from Lincoln Center.

he assembled posthumously for performance—ICE/

DeMaison is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory and

Roulette), Nathan Davis’ Hagoromo (ICE/AOP/BAM

UC San Diego. He joined the Rensselaer faculty in 2013.

Next Wave), Mikael Karlsson’s The Echo Drift (ICE/

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 T HE RENSSELAER ORCHESTRA Reinvigorated in 2012 by the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and housed in the Department of the Arts, the Rensselaer Orchestra performs classics of the orchestral repertoire and regularly premieres new and experimental works.

In anticipation of an expanded music facility in West Hall, the group of undergraduate and graduate students currently makes its performing home in The Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC), under the direction of Maestro Nicholas DeMaison. We are pleased to welcome family and friends of orchestra members to this evening’s performance.

VIOLIN I Chey Barlao ’19 (concertmaster) Jake Bugiera ’22 Tyler Chang ’19 Victor Chen ’19 Meixing Dong ’15 * Tudor Dornescu ^ James Hanford ’16* Alexander He ’22 Lucas Houchin-Miller ’22 Patti Kilroy ^ Chuan Kai Nicholas Lim ’19 Hannah Lim ’22 Francesca Lo ’22 Prakhyat Pola ’19

Chloe Fisher ’21

Xavier Salazar ’22

Wyatt Garber ’22

Tenzin Tashi ’19

Evan Hall ’22

Greg Williams ^

Elizabeth Holland ’22 Louis Hyde ’19 Gabriela Islava Hofmeyer ’95 * Zachary Johnson ’22 Aleksandra Labinska # Nathaniel Moretz ’20 Elisabeth Schanz ’21 Stephanie Su ’20 Janet Xu ’15 * Destin Yee ’22 Yinxiao Zhang ’22 VIOLA

Miriam Rundell ’21

CELLO Frank Peters ’21 (principal) Matthew Benjamin ’20 Naila Brown ’19 Nolan Bunyaviroch ’21 Sean Burns ’21 Celia Chen ’21 Margaret Harwood # Russell Jones ’17* Miranda Kaiser ’20 Jayson Mintz ’22 Catherine Tonias ’22

Sylvia Shablovsky

Isabelle Peck ’19 (principal)

Mosa Tsay ^

Zicheng Tao ’22

Rose Bollerman ’22

Ryan Waddell ’21

Fred Choi ’21

Tianhang Zhu ’20

Kallie Ciechomski ^

Jack Zhu ’21

VIOLIN II Kevin Donovan ’18 (principal) Andréa Deeb*’18 ’18G Erica Dicker ^

Carrie Frey ^ Anna Heflin ^ Dan Kazenoff ’19 Paul Koonaporn ’21

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MAESTRO NICHOLAS DEMAISON, Ph.D.

BASS

BASSOON

Peter Firmin ’20 (principal)

Brian Callahan ’15G *

Greg Chudzik ^

Sara Schoenbeck ^

Glenn Edmonds ’20

Nikhil Shah ’21

Stephen Jones ^ Tristan Kasten Krause^ Emily Lockwood ’20 Anthony Naslas ’18 * Patrick O’Connell # FLUTE

FRENCH HORN James Cassidy ’20 Patrick Celentano ’17 *

Robert Eatmon ’22

John Gattis ^

Bingjia Wang ’19

Bert Hill ^ Emily Lottes ’19

Gwen Diebold ’18*

Tristan Protzman ’20

Roberta Michel ^

Ethan Solomon ’22

Molly Monge ’22

Duncan Turner ’20

Chris Saour ’23 Jacob Walker ’18 * PICCOLO Joe Souto ’19 OBOE Stuart Breczinski ^ Michelle Farah ^ Elisabeth Ryan ’19 CLARINET Max Jenquin ’17 * Jarrett Rosenberg ’22 Dalton Slegel ’20 Steven Tignor ’16 *

TUBA

TRUMPET

PIANO Julia DenBoer # HARP Kathryn Andrews ^

Kate Amrine ^ Grant Block ’21

PERCUSSION

Devin Glenn ’16 *

Russell Greenberg ^

Harrison Ma ’19

Nick Johnson ’20

Drake Niedzielski ’19

Gabriel Priem ’22

Ben Stovall ’17 *

Griffin Smith ’21

TROMBONE

ORCHESTRA MANAGER

Jen Baker ^

Eric Miller ’21

Mallory Peskins ’19 Ed Prettyman ’19 Jacob Weisbard ’22

* Rensselaer Orchestra Alumni and Alumnae # Rensselaer Faculty ^ Professional Musician

Eric Umble ^ 2018 EAST COAST SCHOLARSHIP GALA

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What is the role of the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences in the 21st century technological research university? The answer is simple: We are seekers. We seek to understand the very nature of our humanity.

We seek to improve the quality of life. We seek to preserve our world.

We seek truth through artistic innovation...”

– MARY SIMONI, Ph.D. Dean, School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

 INNOVATIVE PEDAGOGY: THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MUSIC To preserve Rensselaer’s prominence as a leader in

the STEM disciplines as a means of preparing a modern

pedagogical innovation, we have added 21 new

musician that is fluent in the arts as well as the

academic degree programs in emerging fields. Just this

sciences. This coupling will attract a wider demographic

year, the first incoming cohort of students has enrolled

of students within the landscape of not only other

in our new, technologically-infused Bachelor of Science

technological universities in the United States, but also

in Music degree. We expect many other students will

music conservatories and schools of music.

select our music degree.

We are especially proud of this degree as it exemplifies

The B.S. in Music is designed to prepare Rensselaer

a curricular instantiation of Art_X@Rensselaer. The

students for 21st century careers in music, such as

vision of Art_X is to explicate the relationship between

sound design for virtual reality, composition for interac-

the arts (=art) and another field (=x), realizing the art in

tive games, or developing algorithms for music net-

and of science and the science in and of art.

works. The degree is offered as a single disciplinary major, but is also designed to pair as a dual major with

In the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at Rensselaer, we embrace the provocative challenge of reimagining the traditional liberal arts in our rapidly evolving cultural context. The B.S. in Music establishes Rensselaer as the vanguard of cross-disciplinary inquiry that fuses technology with the arts and sciences.

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The Szabat Sisters

 FOR THE LOVE OF MATH AND MUSIC Scholarship is very important to Linda Szabat Sanford ’75G, Trustee Emerita. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at St. John’s University, it was a full scholarship to attend Rensselaer that played a major role

LINDA SZABAT SANFORD ’75G

in her decision to earn a master’s degree in Operations Research and Statistics. Linda’s recognition of the

But the sisters didn’t focus on just math and science.

importance of scholarship led her to create the Linda

Each of them took singing and piano lessons from a

Szabat Sanford ’75 Scholarship in 2006 for female

neighbor who had performed at the Metropolitan Opera.

students enrolled in the School of Engineering, School

They would take what they learned in lessons and put it

of Science, or those pursuing a degree in information

into practice—performing regularly at the annual Lions

technology and web science. Since its establishment,

Club talent show. “I love how Rensselaer has added

there have been six student beneficiaries. Linda’s most

music and the arts to their curriculum,” Linda says.

recent commitment will provide additional resources for

“Focusing on music helped us to get comfortable in

those students, and will extend the support to female

front of people at a very young age. This well-rounded-

students pursuing the new Bachelor of Science degree in

ness is a critical piece of preparing our graduates for

Music.

success. We are able to leverage technology with the

Linda grew up on her grandparents’ potato farm in Long

arts—a perfect demonstration of what transformation is.”

Island, NY with her parents and four sisters. Each of the

Throughout her 39-year career at IBM, Linda became

Szabat sisters enjoyed math and science, and today

intimately familiar with transformation. During the last

have successful careers in the STEM fields, after having

10 years of her career, she led the transformation of IBM.

earned master and doctorate degrees. “We used a lot of

“I set up an internal team on how to transform an

math on the farm,” states Linda, “whether it was figuring

organization—one very important element was creating

out how many rows to move the irrigation pipes or what

a team of smart, great statisticians with analytic capabili-

discount to give at the end of the day to make sure all

ties who mastered the leveraging of data and analytics,”

the vegetables were sold!”

Linda states. “I was so excited to have the opportunity to

Although they didn’t have a lot of resources, and never attended college themselves, her parents were bound

create this team that is still very much a critical part of IBM today.”

and determined that each of their daughters attend

Linda already sees intuitive analytical traits in her two

college. “At that time, it was rare for women to pursue

granddaughters, 9 and 4. “Interest starts early. Young

higher education,” states Linda. “If it wasn’t for scholar-

girls interested in math or science want to solve a

ship and our parents’ encouragement, we wouldn’t have

problem. As we move forward, we need to figure out

been able to receive the education we did.”

how to keep that natural curiosity and instinct growing.

The world needs it.”

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TRANSFORMATIVE PRIORITY:



BRIDGING THE GAP:

IMPROVING ACCESS AND ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE To attract and retain the smartest and most promising

We educate our students to be intellectually agile,

scholars, Rensselaer must have the financial resources

multi-culturally sophisticated, and globally focused,

to compete with other top-tier universities, including

and prepare them to confidently address the challenges

those able to meet the full financial needs of students.

and opportunities of the 21st century. Scholarships

Improving access and enhancing the student

alleviate the constraints of excessive debt, empowering

experience requires us to bridge the gap in available

our graduates to take risks and pursue dreams that

financial aid.

have the potential to reward us all.

RPI represents a major pivot point in my life journey.

I am honored to be here.”

– CODY MADIGAN ’19

Saratoga Springs, NY Materials Engineering Martha and Clinton Thornton ’33 Scholarship

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We recognize that bright young men and women come from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds the world over. Attracting these talented applicants, regardless of financial need, is integral to creating a richer and more rewarding educational experience for all Rensselaer students. Scholarships create life-changing opportunities for deserving students to focus on their education with all the energy and attention such a transformative endeavor deserves.

43% UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WHOSE NEED EXCEEDS FINANCIAL AID TOTAL NEED PER YEAR EXCEEDS AID BY

$35,030,037 At this time, Rensselaer is unable to meet the full financial aid need for nearly half of our undergraduate population.

We must close the existing financial aid gap to attract the most talented students to Rensselaer.

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 RECOGNIZING TRANSFORMATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT As the first technological university in the English-speaking world, Rensselaer is dedicated to educating the leaders of tomorrow to address global challenges, within the construct of The New Polytechnic. To continue doing so, we must strengthen our ethnic, gender, intellectual, and geographic diversity, as outlined in The Rensselaer Plan 2024. In addition, in order to provide all accepted students, regardless of socioeconomic background, the opportunity to attain a world-class STEM education, we must expand our financial aid resources.

We are pleased to recognize the generosity of donors who have made initial or additional transformative commitments since we last gathered to celebrate student support at the inaugural Rensselaer Scholarship Gala in 2016.

ANONYMOUS LAURY EDWARDS AND KENT R. EDWARDS ’63 The Laury and Kent Edwards ’63 Scholarship was established in 2017

by Laury and Kent R. Edwards ’63 in support of undergraduate students enrolled in the School of Engineering.

JOHN S. HOLMES ’47* The Holmes Engineering Scholarship was established in 2017, through the estate of John S. Holmes ’47, for students enrolled in the School of Engineering.

LINDA PITZI JOJO ’87, ’92G AND ROBERT R. JOJO ’87G The Linda Pitzi Jojo ’87, ’92G and Robert R. Jojo ’87G Scholarship was established in 2017 by Linda Pitzi Jojo ’87, ’92G, Rensselaer Trustee, and Robert R. Jojo ’87G with first preference for women enrolled in the School of Science or School of Engineering.

TERESA A. LITTLE AND MARK M. LITTLE ’82 The Teresa A. and Mark M. Little ’82 Scholarship was established in 2013

by Rensselaer Trustee Mark M. Little ’82 and Teresa A. Little, for students in the School of Engineering.

As of September 1, 2018

*Deceased

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ANN (NANCY) LYONS AND ROBERT J. LYONS ’50 The Ann and Robert J. Lyons ’50 Scholarship was established in 2017 by Ann (Nancy) and Robert J. Lyons ’50 to support students in the School of Engineering.

WILLIAM F. MCKAY ’81, ’86G The William F. McKay ’86G

Both of us have benefited from the help of others in achieving success in circumstances which otherwise might have disallowed it.

Our hope is that students who benefit from our fund will achieve success and help others do the same.”

– LAURY AND KENT R. EDWARDS ’63

Biomedical Engineering Scholarship was established in 2017 by William McKay ’81, ’86G to support

science. An amendment in 2018

SUSAN O. WOJNAR AND

undergraduate students accepted to

incorporated the newly-established

THEODORE J. WOJNAR, JR. ’80

the biomedical engineering program

music major.

The Susan O. and Theodore J.

who demonstrate academic promise and extreme financial need.

THEODORE SINGER ’48* The Ted Singer ’48 Scholarship was

Wojnar, Jr. ’80 Scholarship was established in 2017 by Susan and T.J. Wojnar, Jr. ’80, Rensselaer

HARRY F. MEINERS ’52, ’58G*

established in 2013, through the

The Harry Meiners Fellowship

estate of Theodore Singer ’48, in

Program was established in 1994

support of worthy and needy

through the Trust of Professor Harry

students enrolled in the School of

F. Meiners ’52, ’58G in support of

Engineering, with first preference for

graduate students studying physics.

students majoring in mechanical

MONA ZANDER AND

engineering.

EDWARD J. ZANDER ’68

LINDA S. SANFORD ’75G The Linda Szabat Sanford ’75

CAROL WEISSMAN AND

Scholarship was established in 2006

ROBERT J. WEISSMAN

by Linda Szabat Sanford ’75G,

The Weissman Family Scholarship

Rensselaer Trustee Emerita, for

was established in 2005 by Robert

female students enrolled in the

J. Weissman for female students

School of Engineering, School of

enrolled in the School of Science,

Science, or those pursuing a degree

majoring in mathematics.

in information technology and web

Trustee, to support talented students at Rensselaer with first preference for those enrolled in the School of Engineering.

The Mona and Edward J. Zander ’68 Scholarship was established in 2007 by Mona and Edward Zander ’68, Rensselaer Trustee, for students who demonstrate financial need, academic excellence, and other criteria that the Institute deems of value.

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 STUDENT AMBASSADORS CAROLINA MOTTER CATARINO ’19

CHRISTIE CHEN ’19

Curitiba, Paraná - Brazil

Electrical Engineering

Chemical and Biological Engineering, Ph.D.

Boeing Scholar

Science Without Borders Program (Brazil)

New York, NY

Because of my internship at Boeing,

As a scientist, my dream is to help

I’d like to work for Boeing after I

end animal testing in the Brazilian

graduate. It’s such a great place to

industry, and continue working for the

work, with nice mentors and many

development of new models that will

opportunities. I chose Rensselaer

allow us to expand the range of tests

because of the motto, ‘why not

that can be performed without animal

change the world?’

models or animal-derived materials.

BRANDON HERRADA ’20

JOCELYN MCCONNON ’21

Torrance, CA

St. Johnsbury, VT

Computer and Systems Engineering

Mathematics

Boeing Scholar

Rensselaer Alumni Association Scholarship

Becoming an engineer has been a

I am truly passionate about my

large part of my identity since I was

studies in mathematics. As I think

a child, as it has always been my

about my own professional future,

dream to follow in my grandfather’s

I will always think of the unique

footsteps. Rensselaer has provided

experience of attending a polytechnic

me the opportunity to acquire knowl-

institute. The financial support is a

edge and skills that have given me

gift that I am proud to have received,

the edge when it comes to working

and I am thankful to those who

with companies in the real world.

came before me.

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OLIVER FEAGIN ’21

GINO GASBARRO ’18, ’19G

GRAYSON GERLICH ’20

Harbor City, CA

Northridge, CA

Denver, CO

Psychological Science and Business Management

Mechanical Engineering, B.S. and M.Eng.

Biomedical Engineering

Barbara W. and William J. Raymond ’60 Scholarship

Currently my plan is to pursue a

learned that you have to build up

Scholarship support has helped to

into the public sector and use my

your foundation so that you have

lift a weight off of my shoulders, and

education to make meaningful

something to stand on when you

enabled me to focus on my studies

change. Whether that becomes a

reach new heights. I’ve learned that

and community involvement at

position in academia, in nonprofits,

you have to embrace yourself and

Rensselaer. It has also given me

or elsewhere, I’m seeking to utilize

instead of casting your weaknesses

the possibility to experience this

my RPI experience to help build a

aside, transform them into strengths

invaluable, first-class education, and

better world community.

that you can rely upon.

the opportunity to succeed in life.

JACKIE PELHAM ’21

TOMÁS PROVENCHER ’21

ILSSE SALINAS ’19

Voorheesville, NY

Morgantown, WV

McAllen, Texas

Biochemistry and Biophysics

Physics and Mathematics

Biomedical Engineering

Carol D. and Samuel C. Wait, Jr. ’53 Undergraduate Research Scholars Fund

John E. Kelly III ’78 Scholarship

The Low Family Endowed Scholarship

I’ve been given an opportunity to

Rensselaer seemed like the type of

Miriam and Milton A. Prince ‘34 Fund for

attend Rensselaer. No matter where

college anyone would want to attend,

Undergraduate Research Support

I end up, I plan to help others

given that its academic challenges

John L. Marsh ‘58 Undergraduate

achieve what they want to achieve.

and social opportunities allow for

Research Scholars Fund

Being a professor would be the

students to experiment within the

best way for me to pay it forward,

paths they encounter so that they can

because I would be able to give

mold and shape themselves into

students the resources to change

outstanding individuals. I felt that RPI

the world in their own way.

would be the best match for me as I

While attending Rensselaer, I’ve

Paying it forward is something that is very important to me. Community STEM outreach activities are current efforts of mine, with philanthropy as a future goal.

Ph.D. Ultimately, I’d like to move

grew into the type of person I was meant to be.

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 BUILDING A LEGACY I have always felt that my RPI education was responsible for my ability to design and develop helpful products, to create a successful business, and to enjoy a wonderful life. I would hope that by providing a scholarship it would not only benefit RPI but would provide young students with a superb education, not only helpful to themselves, but helpful to others.” – ROBERT LYONS ’50 A Rensselaer education did not come easily to Robert

in Management Engineering in January 1950, and

Lyons ’50. Following a referral to Rensselaer, as one of

married Nancy the following June. Lyons went on to

his math teacher’s “best students,” Lyons requested an

join his father’s manufacturing company in Connecticut,

application, was accepted, and asked for his father’s

where he secured many U.S. and foreign patents, and

blessing to enroll. In the fall of 1940, Lyons hitched a

grew the Bilco Company—which he would eventually

ride from Connecticut, with a friend who was on his way

lead—into an internationally-recognized supplier to the

to Cornell University, and walked through the iconic

architectural and construction industries.

archway onto the Troy campus.

At the same time, the Lyons’ family also grew, and now

Raised during the Great Depression, Lyons was the first

includes seven children, 16 grandchildren, and five

of six siblings to go to college. His path took a turn

great-grandchildren.

during the first semester of his second year, when he received a World War II draft notice, and left Rensselaer for airplane mechanic school. Showing initiative yet again, Lyons applied and was accepted to pre-flight training and navigation school, followed by radar school.

The Lyons’ support of Rensselaer extends beyond the endowed scholarship he and Nancy established in 2017, that will eventually support students in the School of Engineering. He has given generously of his time and talent in other ways, through his involvement with the

Ultimately, he was assigned to a 12-member crew that

Rensselaer Alumni Association Club of Southern

would fly the newly-designed and largest airplane at the

Connecticut, which established its own endowed

time, the B-29, out of the Mariana Islands. Lyons survived

scholarship. The Lyons are pictured with the 2017-2018

several 14-hour nighttime bombing missions over Japan

beneficiary, Marek Harabin ’18.

before being joined on the base by another secretive fleet of B-29s. One of them was the Enola Gay, whose historic mission was key to the Japanese surrender.

The Lyons are proud members of the Rensselaer Heritage Society, which recognizes individuals who have chosen to leave a legacy at Rensselaer by planning a

Lyons returned to Rensselaer, where he met Ann

testamentary gift or making a life income gift. We are

“Nancy” O’Connor, a student at Russell Sage College.

grateful for their generosity, dedication, and support.

A decade after he first enrolled, Lyons received a B.S.

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ďƒš SIGNATURE RESEARCH THRUSTS BIOTECHNOLOGY AND LIFE SCIENCES Creates new routes to drug discovery and development, and understanding the fundamental mechanisms of disease.

COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING Focuses on high performance computing, big data, and data analytics, which supports research and innovation across a broad front.

MEDIA, ARTS, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY Facilitates new approaches to networking, advanced visualization, sensor design, haptics, and multiscale modeling and simulation.

ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, AND SMART SYSTEMS Explores renewable technologies, energy efficiency, and the understanding of global environmental change to preserve the bio-diversity of our planet.

NANOTECHNOLOGY AND ADVANCED MATERIALS Utilizes the atomic and molecular properties of a wide range of nanostructured materials to create new, functional hybrid products and systems.

Within these signature thrusts, Rensselaer faculty have created the darkest nanomaterial yet devised and have used magnetic forces to control gene expression. They are unlocking the secrets of, and treatment modalities for, diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and osteoporosis; pioneering sustainable building materials from nano-engineered structures and from agricultural waste; and, shaping the smart power grids of the future.

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The best leaders attune themselves to the complicated, interconnected systems that form the contexts for their decisions. Innovation… takes thoughtful analysis, understanding of the value and limits of data, and, perhaps most of all, an open perspective to sort through what is significant and what is trivial.”

– PRESIDENT SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON, Ph.D.

 RECOGNIZING TRANSFORMATIONAL FACULTY AND RESEARCH SUPPORT This award recognizes donors who have recently made substantial commitments to funds in support of faculty and research during Transformative: Campaign for Global Change.

THE GRANTHAM FOUNDATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF

The design of this award

THE ENVIRONMENT

was inspired by the mathematical symbol for

JUDITH AND THOMAS N. IOVINO ’73 We are grateful for the additional contribution to enhance the support provided to geotechnics and earthquake expert, Professor Tarek Abdoun, the Judith and Thomas Iovino ’73 Professor in Civil Engineering.

BETTY* AND HOWARD P.* ISERMANN ’42 The Howard P. Isermann ’42 Chair in Chemical and Biological Engineering was funded through a generous testamentary gift through the estate of Howard P. Isermann, Class of 1942.

JENNIFER AND DANIEL T. PICKETT III ’90 The Pickett Family Career Development Professor in Data Science, established in 2015, will support a promising young faculty member working to address pressing global data issues.

infinity. It comes from the Steuben Gallery of Fine Crystal, and is representative of the synergistic relationship between Rensselaer and Corning Incorporated.

Steuben was founded in 1903 and named for Steuben County, New York, where the town of Corning is located.

In 1918, Steuben became part of Corning Glass Works, now Corning Incorporated.

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 RESEARCH CONSTELLATIONS

A Research Constellation is a unique, transformative model for research endeavors launched only at Rensselaer—a multidisciplinary collaboration among stellar senior faculty, promising junior faculty, gifted graduate students, and ambitious undergraduates. Through this synergy, scholars address the interconnected global challenges we face, including energy, water, and food supplies, climate change, sustainable infrastructure, national and global security, and disease prevention and mitigation.

Each Research Constellation is a bold endeavor to push past the boundaries— in microelectronics and microsystems, in advanced materials, in nanotechnology, advanced scientific computation, modeling, and simulation. As global challenges and opportunities evolve, so does the need to establish new CINDI AND CURTIS R. PRIEM ’82

Research Constellations.

were recognized at the West Coast Rensselaer Scholarship Gala in June 2018 for establishing our most recent Research Constellation the Curtis. R. Priem ’82 Cognitive and Immersive Systems Constellation.

Rensselaer Research Constellations have been generously funded by these dedicated individuals: GAIL AND JEFFREY L. KODOSKY ’70 Constellation in Physics, Information Technology, and Entrepreneurship (2000) Noble Enterprise Constellation (2001) MORRIS “MARTY” SILVERMAN* Wellfleet Constellation in Future Chips Research (2004) KATHLEEN M. AND PAUL J. SEVERINO ’69 *Deceased

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 CURTIS R. PRIEM EXPERIMENTAL MEDIA AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Earlier this month, the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) commemorated a decade of adventurous programming at the intersection of art, science, and technology with the celebration.

In its first decade, EMPAC has commissioned more than 100 new time-based artworks across the disciplines of music, dance, theater, visual arts, and film, has presented over 600 cross-genre productions, logged over 4,000 days of research and artist residencies, and developed pioneering experimental media technologies.

Hailed by The New York Times as “the concert hall of the 21st century,” EMPAC is widely regarded as the country’s most technologically advanced performing arts center and serves as a model for new initiatives, centers and institutions around the globe. As an icon of “The New Polytechnic,” Rensselaer’s vision of transdisciplinary education and research, EMPAC is the most advanced performing arts center in the world, and a laboratory for research into human-digital interactions of all kinds, at human scale.

The celebration included presentations of cross-disciplinary research at EMPAC, demonstrating technologies such as the Wave Field Synthesis 3D audio system developed by EMPAC engineers, and highlighting the work of the Cognitive and Immersive Systems Laboratory (CISL), a joint research venture between Rensselaer and IBM, developing new human-scale computer interfaces integrating AI with human-group interactions.

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Special gratitude and recognition are extended to the following donors who have made commitments of $1 million or more in support of Transformative: Campaign for Global Change.

INDIVIDUALS

Thelma* and Kenneth* T. Lally

CORPORATIONS,

Anonymous

Teresa A. and Mark M. Little ’82

FOUNDATIONS, AND

Christel* and James E. Alden ’58

Nancy and Robert J. Lyons ’50

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

Cornelia Bailey*

George F. Mahe Jr. ’42*

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Janet and C. Lloyd Bauer ’55

Judith B. and Thomas* L. McClintock ’47

American Heart Association

Betty* and Paul* D. Birkhahn ’47 Wanda K. Denson-Low ’78 and Ronald Low

William McKay ’81, ’86G Harry F. Meiners ’52*

Anonymous Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The Boeing Company

Evelyn* Z. and Conrad* Diehl ’50

Douglas A. Mercer ’77

Laury and Kent Edwards ’63

Robert D. Nalven ’52*

Samuel J. Eva* Class of 1891

Lynn Noble

Evelyn M. and Hugo S. Ferguson ’56

Barbara D. and Roger B. Orloff ’60

Jeanne and Frank M. Fischer ’64

Jennifer and Daniel T. Pickett III ’90

Nancy E. and Walter J. Galvin ’68

Jessie* N. and George* W. Price ’37

William W. Gibson*

Cindi and Curtis R. Priem ’82

Elisabeth Smith Golden and Arthur F. Golden ’66

Linda S. Sanford ’75

The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment

Kathleen M. and Paul J. Severino ’69

Helen V. Froehlich Foundation

Gail* E. and Samuel* F. Heffner Jr. ’56

Theodore Singer ’48*

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Jerene and William H. Hernstadt ’57

Ranjana and Srinivasan Sivaram ’85

IBM

John S. Holmes ’47*

Carl J. Thomsen ’38*

Isermann Family Foundation

Judith M. and Thomas N. Iovino ’73

The Jaffe Foundation

Betty* and Howard* P. Isermann ’42

Eleanor* and Howard* E. Van Winkle Jr. ’51

Shirley Ann Jackson and Morris A. Washington

Lorraine Vought-Nicklin ’74 and Edmund H. Nicklin Jr. ’68

The Little Family Foundation

Amy D. and David M. Jaffe ’64

Caroline* and Richard* Wasicko ’53

Linda Pitzi Jojo ’87 and Robert R. Jojo ’87

Carol and Robert J. Weissman

Helen-Jo R. and John E. Kelly III ’78

Susan O. and Theodore J. Wojnar Jr. ’80

Gail and Jeffrey L. Kodosky ’70

Mona L. and Edward J. Zander ’68

Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation Emerson Charitable Trust ExxonMobil The FUND for Lake George General Electric Company General Electric Energy

Kodosky Foundation The Priem Family Foundation Rensselaer Alumni Association Skidmore, Owings and Merrill United Health Foundation Volvo Research and Educational Foundation Warren Alpert Foundation

In addition, Rensselaer is grateful for legacy gift commitments, which remain anonymous, and are in excess of $50 million from our alumni/ alumnae and friends.

The Mona and Ed Zander Family Foundation

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 CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D. Wanda K. Denson-Low ’78 and Ronald Low Susan and Gary T. DiCamillo ’73

KATHLEEN M. AND PAUL J. SEVERINO ’69 Campaign Co-Chairs

Jeanne and Frank M. Fischer ’64, ’65G Melanie and Arthur J. Gajarsa ’62 Elisabeth Smith Golden and Arthur F. Golden ’66 Helen-Jo and John E. Kelly III ’78G, ’80 Ph.D. Gail and Jeffrey L. Kodosky ’70 Teresa A. and Mark M. Little ’82 Ph.D. Jennifer and Daniel T. Pickett III ’90 Cindi and Curtis R. Priem ’82 Ranjana and Srinivasan Sivaram ’85G, ’86 Ph.D. Kay and Jackson P. Tai ’72 Mona L. and Edward J. Zander ’68

As we approach our third century, and embark on this new campaign, we ask you to join us—to secure the future of Rensselaer, and guarantee a world-class education for generations to come. Together, we can be Transformative.”

SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON, Ph.D. President

Donors listed at left documented gifts as of September 1, 2018. If your name was omitted in error, please accept our apologies and notify the Office of Institute Advancement by calling (518) 276-6247. * Denotes donors who are deceased

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 A “SMARTER” 21st CENTURY HEALTH WORKFORCE A generous multi-year award from United Health Foundation will enable researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to leverage their data expertise and resources to create the innovative Rensselaer Health Informatics Challenges in Technology Education (INCITE) Pipeline.

Under the leadership of Dr. Kristin Bennett, Associate Director of the Institute for Data Exploration and Application and a Professor in the Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science Departments, novel educational approaches and research experiences will reach new pools of students drawn from mathematics, biology, and computer science, and motivate them to pursue careers in Health Informatics (HI): the philosophy and tools of data analytics applied to health care.

By contributing real-world HI problems, data, and expertise, healthcare organizations may, in turn, partner with Rensselaer to construct a HI pipeline that meets their individual workforce needs.

Ultimately, the Health INCITE Pipeline model could be replicated worldwide, to meet the need for students prepared to make contributions as thoughtful and visionary data scientists in healthcare.

The United Health Foundation was established by UnitedHealth Group as a not-for-profit, private foundation dedicated to improving health and health care.

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 FOUNDATIONS’ GENEROSITY ADVANCES RESEARCH EFFORTS: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE With support from the Warren Alpert Foundation, researchers at Rensselaer are focused on controlling a pathological process associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. “A key pathology in Alzheimer’s is accumulation of senile plaque in the brain, which is mainly composed of the Amyloid -42 (A42) peptide,” explains Dr. Chunyu Wang, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and lead researcher.

In collaboration with Dr. Jonathan Dordick, Howard P. Isermann Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Special Adviser to the President for Strategic Initiatives, and partners at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Wang seeks a -secretase inhibitor drug that could selectively block the production of A42. An initial field of tens of millions of drug compounds will be screened. Drug candidates that made it to previous clinical trials were unsuccessful, because—while targeting -secretase—the compounds blocked many other important functions.

In 2014, Wang et al. discovered a novel structural mechanism for certain mutations that cause Familial Alzheimer’s Disease: these mutations can change the dynamics of the substrate of -secretase, leading to higher level of A42 production.

The focus of the Warren Alpert Foundation is to improve the health of the public through grants and programmatic activities progressing toward attaining or perfecting medical treatments or cures through basic research, translational and outcomes research, as well as through health education.

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TRANSFORMATIVE PRIORITY:



THE FACULTY 500:

EMPOWERING WORLD-CLASS TEACHING, WORLD-CHANGING RESEARCH

Accomplishing our academic and research goals requires us to attract and retain outstanding faculty at all levels, in every school, and in each department— from the bright junior faculty member just making a mark in exciting new research, to the teacher-scholar whose dedication to innovation in the classroom makes a subject new year after year—from the senior professor working at the frontiers of research to the internationallyrenowned scholar questing after new knowledge.

To prepare for our third century, and achieve the vision of The New Polytechnic, we must optimize our ability to recruit and retain exceptional faculty. A world-class community of 500 tenured and tenure-track faculty will help to attract extraordinary students, additional faculty, and expanded research opportunities, allowing Rensselaer to continue to answer the question, “Why not change the world?”

I need to work with experimentalists (and Rensselaer’s supercomputers) to test my theories, and I need to work with engineers to explore how my discoveries might be applied in the real world. Rensselaer gives me the tools and the network of highly skilled collaborators I need to function as a scientist.”

– VINCENT MEUNIER, Ph.D. Head of the Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy Department Gail and Jeffrey L. Kodosky ’70 Constellation Chair Director of the Innovative Computational Material Physics Group

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Biotechnology brings together Rensselaer’s rich traditions in science and engineering.”

One of the most advanced

– DEEPAK VASHISHTH, Ph.D., Director, Center for Biotechnology

for Biotechnology and Interdisci-

and Interdisciplinary Studies

biotechnology research facilities in the United States, the Center plinary Studies (CBIS) supports the collaborative work of faculty,

 A BLOOD TEST FOR AUTISM

students, visiting faculty, and postdoctoral fellows to conduct groundbreaking investigations

Big data techniques applied to biomedical data found different patterns in

at the frontiers of life sciences,

metabolites relevant to two connected cellular pathways (a series of

physical science, informatics,

interactions between molecules that control cell function) that have been

and engineering.

hypothesized to be linked to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

By measuring 24 metabolites from a blood sample, an algorithm can tell whether or not an individual is on the Autism spectrum, and even to some degree where on the spectrum they land. While an estimated 1.5 percent of people are affected by ASD, most children are not diagnosed until after age four. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes ASD as “a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain.”

Their innovations will address key challenges and opportunities in health care, including drug safety, disease diagnosis and treatment, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine

We are able to predict with 88 percent accuracy whether children have autism.”

– JUERGEN HAHN, Ph.D., Systems Biologist, and head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering

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 TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF THE COSMETICS INDUSTRY Carolina Motter Catarino ’19, a graduate student in chemical and biological engineering, has been awarded a Lush Prize, which is a collaboration between cosmetics company Lush and research organization Ethical Consumer.

As the largest prize fund for the complete replacement of animal experiments, the Lush Prize recognizes projects working to end animal research in toxicology (chemical testing) in several key areas: science, training, public awareness, lobbying, and young researchers.

Catarino is one of 13 young scientists—from Brazil, the United States, China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Germany, Luxembourg, and the UK—who each received £10,000 toward their projects, and were honored at the Lush Prize Awards Ceremony in London in November 2017.

Her doctoral thesis on 3-D printing of human skin has the potential to develop human-relevant models for researching and testing compounds without involving animals. Her findings could impact other areas of study, such as regenerative medicine and therapies, and the development of clinically superior skin grafts.

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 THE JEFFERSON PROJECT AT LAKE GEORGE: PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE QUEEN OF AMERICAN LAKES Like many lakes around the world, Lake George faces threats from human activities that include pollution from road salt, introductions of invasive species, and inputs of excess nutrients.

The Jefferson Project at Lake George—a collaboration between Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, IBM Research, and The FUND for Lake George—aims to understand and manage these complex issues threatening the lake—one of the world’s most pristine natural ecosystems and an economic cornerstone of the New York State tourism industry.

The Jefferson Project research team includes more than 200 Rensselaer faculty, staff, and students in areas including biological sciences, earth and environmental sciences, engineering, and the arts; 20 IBM scientists and engineers; and The FUND’s staff, contractors, and science advisors.

This powerful combination of multi-disciplinary researchers, new instrumentation and technology contained in floating sensor platforms, and innovative facilities like the Helen-Jo and John E. Kelly III ’78 Data Visualization Laboratory, and nearly four decades of environmental data already captured by the Margaret A. and David M. Darrin ’40 Fresh Water Institute is providing an unprecedented scientific understanding of Lake George.

The Jefferson Project has set the global standard for demonstrating how a complex natural system can be studied with advanced technologies for the purpose of sustaining protection.

JEFFERSON PROJECT

BY THE NUMBERS: Between the sensors and models, we are collecting enough data to fill up 5,250 16GB mobile phones annually—that’s 14 mobile phones daily.

51 sensor platforms

500+ sensors

9 terabytes of data/year from sensors

300+ million measurements to date

73+ terabytes of data/year generated by computer models

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 YOU CHANGE THEIR LIVES, THEY CHANGE THE WORLD A hallmark of the Rensselaer paradigm, The New Polytechnic, is cross-disciplinary collaboration that produces solutions to global challenges. Two recent projects have earned accolades for not only creatively solving problems faced by underprivileged societies, but also redirecting tons of waste away from landfills. Donor-funded scholarships enabled several students to “pay it forward” by having a hand in both projects.

After disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes,

Another full-scale structure, designed

empty plastic water bottles and other containers that

over a seven-year period, empowers

once held emergency supplies often end up in the

developing countries by offering

trash stream. Second Lives | After Bottles, involved a

a prototype for affordable tropical

partnership of students, faculty, the National Research

housing using by-products of

Centre in Cairo, Egypt, and members of the Rensselaer

coconuts.

Center for Architecture Science and Ecology (CASE) in New York City.

The ropelike fiber from coconut husks can be combined with a dust

Using patented plastic interlocking bottles of Friendship

from the pith, and pressed into a

Products LLC, the group created a prototype structure

board to form an alternative to costly,

that measured 15 square feet. Potential long-term

imported plywood. The husk also has the potential to

solutions could incorporate the bottles as part of

absorb water vapor, creating a drier and more comfort-

concrete sandwich walls and hollow block slabs. The

able environment without the expense of air-condition-

bottle structure was displayed on campus in May

ing. The concept may be patented.

2018, and then brought to Industry City in Brooklyn for the WantedDesign event.

A prestigious Rotch Foundation Travel Studio grant, and support from CASE partner Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, enabled a team to travel to Ghana in 2016 to showcase their designs, “Old Accra: Upcycling of Agrowaste,” which were recognized among “The Best Student Design-Build Projects Worldwide 2017” by the architectural news website ArchDaily.

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The name “West Hall” is a nod to its location, as the western-most structure on campus, which is

 A TRANSFORMATION OF WEST HALL

home to the Department of the Arts in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS).

This Victorian structure was designed as a hospital, not as a cauldron of creativity. Within its walls, we must create office space for the Music faculty we are adding—rehearsal spaces, practice spaces, and teaching studios—as well as social spaces, to foster the fruitful collaborations that The New Polytechnic intends to promote.”

– PRESIDENT SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON, Ph.D. Through Transformative: Campaign for Global Change, we will again reinvent West Hall.

Originally built in the mid-19th century, as the Troy Hospital, the site was chosen because of its proximity to the prestigious Institute. The Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul sold the building to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany in the 1920s, for use as a school. When Rensselaer took ownership in 1953, the acquisition expanded the university’s academic facilities by 12 percent.

New and upgraded interior spaces will create an environment worthy of

Since then, West Hall has

a world-class music program, its brilliant faculty, exceptional students,

housed numerous academic and

and high-caliber instruments.

administrative offices, and in

An expanded music center will be the cornerstone of a world-class facility, while an essential endowment will ensure that the future needs of our pioneering faculty and students are met.

2004, an extensive renovation of its façade began. The historic exterior is unlike any other on the Troy campus, which is appropriate,

Improved visibility and connectivity between spaces will showcase the

given the groundbreaking new

School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences to visiting artists, scholars,

Bachelor of Science in Music

and prospective students. The proposed upgrades will bolster our capacity

degree program and nationally-

to support the Media Arts, Science, and Technology Signature Thrust;

recognized programs in Electronics

providing facilities in support of current arts programs (including

Arts that are housed within.

Art_X@Rensselaer); and supporting pedagogical innovation through competency-based teaching and learning in media-rich production, post-production, and dissemination.

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TRANSFORMATIVE PRIORITY:

BUILDING FOR THE THIRD-CENTURY: MODERNIZING AND EQUIPPING THE TROY CAMPUS 

To be a magnet for the best and brightest students and faculty, our living and recreation spaces, academic facilities, and research centers must be state-of-the-art and contribute to a vibrant and engaged campus community.

The success of Transformative: Campaign for Global Change will allow Rensselaer to undertake major infrastructure projects that will dramatically enhance our capabilities and the student experience, with an initial focus on:  Natatorium Construction  ‘87 Gym Renovation  Jonsson Engineering Center Expansion  Residence Halls Expansion and Upgrades  Houston Field House—East End Modernization  West Hall Transformation  East Campus Athletic Village (ECAV) Phase II Expansion

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 WORLD-CLASS ATHLETIC FACILITIES FOR WORLD-CLASS SCHOLAR-ATHLETES Our intercollegiate athletics and recreational programs are built upon a successful balance of academic and athletic excellence. Worldclass facilities, first-rate support services, and exceptional coaching and teaching ensure that students realize their full potential both as individuals and as members of teams.

DANIELLE SAUVE ’18 Women’s Varsity Swimming Livingston W. Houston Citizenship Award, 2018 Reunion Class of 1960 Scholarship, 2017-2018

East Campus Athletic Village (ECAV) Phase I created one of the top Division III facilities in the nation, and continues to pay dividends for our 23 varsity teams and more than 600 student-athletes.

Initial upgrades to the baseball facility were recently completed. Also included in ECAV Phase II are an Olympic-quality swimming pool, outdoor tennis courts, practice and playing fields for field hockey and lacrosse, and an indoor field house for track and field, and tennis. These state-of-the-art facilities will enable Rensselaer to host regional, national, and international athletic tournaments.

Potential enhancements to the East End of the Houston Field House include an educational area and hockey improvement room to enhance the student-athlete experience; four new corporate suites and event spaces;

GRANT O’CONNOR ’19

a complete renovation of stadium seating; upgrades to restrooms, and additional facilities; and renovations to visiting teams’ locker rooms.

NCAA Division III National Men’s Track Athlete of the Year, 2018

Athletics is a great force for community, for the spectators as well as for

Liberty League Runner of the Year, 2018

the players. In building Phase II of ECAV, we will unite our campus, and

Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year, 2018

deepen pride and passion for Rensselaer among our students, alumni,

National Champion, 5,000 meters, 2018

and the citizens of the Capital Region.

All-Academic honoree Helaine Miriam Falkson Scholarship, 2017-2018

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JEFFREY M. LIPTON ’63

 A BRONX TALE I loved this school. It got me out of the Bronx and into the rest of the world – JEFFREY M. LIPTON ’63

After earning a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, he went on to Harvard University to obtain his MBA—as the youngest member of the entering class. “Harvard was

So sums up Jeff Lipton’s experience at Rensselaer.

just beginning to teach how to make business decisions under uncertainty,” states Jeff. “I had taken an excellent

Jeff wasn’t sure what path he wanted to pursue—he

course on just that subject at Rensselaer. My ability to

just knew that he liked math and science—specifically

handle an approach that was new to Harvard students

chemistry. After hearing this, Jeff’s high school counselor

and faculty helped me to fit in with my experienced

at the Bronx School of Science predicted, “I think you’re

classmates and cope with a pretty rigorous program.”

going to be a chemical engineer.” Growing up in a modest neighborhood, Jeff had the means to apply to only three schools. So, he researched and selected three of the country’s top engineering schools:

Jeff firmly believes his education at Rensselaer paved the way for his future success. He worked for the DuPont Company right out of Harvard, working his way up from a first line manufacturing job to a series of VP assign-

Rensselaer, Cornell, and MIT.

ments. After 29 years and 39 different assignments, he

Rensselaer offered the most generous scholarship

left DuPont for the Nova Corporation in Alberta, Canada

package. So, in the fall of 1959, at age 16, Jeff headed

as the CFO and then president. When Nova merged

to Troy, never having been outside of the Bronx. As a

with Trans Canada, Jeff became the first CEO of “spin

gang leader, Jeff was used to dealing with arguments

off” Nova Chemicals, and, in 2009, retired 10 years later.

physically. After three altercations during Freshman

During his career, he also was a board member of

Orientation Week, he was called into the freshman

Methanex, Trimeris, Hercules Chemicals, and US Steel.

dean’s office. “He told me that if I had one more fight, I would lose my scholarship, and of course, have to head back to the Bronx.”

Jeff now resides in Pittsburgh, PA, with his wife Shelly and their two teenage sons. Both boys want to be engineers—and Rensselaer is high on their list of

That transformative conversation was all Jeff needed to begin his educational journey that became the foundation of his successful career.

potential school choices.

Jeff has continued to give back over the years through his support of Lets Go Red!, the Patroon Scholars Program

Jeff got involved in many activities that he may not

of the Rensselaer Annual Fund, and the athletic complex

have had the opportunity to at a larger school, such as

paver that bears the inscription that is quoted at the top

the baseball team. “Being a teammate and involved in

of the page. “I am beyond grateful for the opportunity

highly competitive sports helped develop me as a

Rensselaer gave me,” says Jeff. “Rensselaer’s financial

person,” Jeff states. “I learned how to win, lose, and

support through my scholarship allowed me to gain a very

work well with others—critical skills for life.” He also

high quality education that I could not have obtained any-

was actively involved in student government and editor

where else.” We are extremely grateful for his generosity.

of The Gorgan, the campus literary magazine.

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 ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION

CLASS OF 1951 STUDENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD,

Entrepreneurship and innovation are at the heart of all we do at Rensselaer. Students are exposed to both concepts early on in their curriculum, and are given a strategic pipeline to follow and an ecosystem to support them in their quests to become successful.

April 2017 Patrick Calhoun ’17, Robert Fopeano ’51, Jacqueline Curtsinger ’17

As home to one of the oldest incubation programs in the country, Rensselaer is well-poised to support new ideas from the discovery and imagination phases to the launch of a business venture. Programs and platforms like the Burt Swersey Inventor’s Studio, the O.T. Swanson Multidisciplinary Design Laboratory (the “Design Lab”), the Manufacturing Innovation Learning Laboratory (MILL), and the Douglas Mercer ’77 Laboratory for Student Exploration and Innovation enable students to work one-on-one with faculty members to come up with ideas and technologies that will change the world.

Centered in the Lally School of Management, the Paul J. ’69 and Kathleen M. Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship lies at the core of our commitment to entrepreneurship, providing a broad-based platform for entrepreneurs to make the transition from concept to company.

Students test their ideas in front of successful entrepreneurs and venture capitalists through participation in local, regional, and national competitions, including the New York Business Model Competition, the Change the World Challenge, and the Class of 1951 Student Entrepreneurship contest.

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD, October 2014

Once a new venture has been vetted and transformed into a business

(Back Row) Thomas Begley,

plan and model, business development and support are provided by

Dean, Lally School of Management,

the Rensselaer Emerging Ventures Ecosystem (EVE).

Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, President, (Front Row) John Delbridge ’91, Jeffrey Stewart ’91, David Uyttendaele ’91 co-founders, Mimeo.com

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462 Full-Time Faculty Members

100,000 Living Alumni and Alumnae

7,600 Students

1,800 Staff Members

200 Student Clubs and Organizations

70 Majors

34 Research Centers

869 Students Dual-Majoring

33 Greek Life Organizations

23 Intercollegiate Teams

5 Schools

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JOSHUA BOSTICK ’18 and SWETHA SRIRAM ’18

 KNOWLEDGE IN MOTION I hope to implement what I have learned in a career in manufacturing.” – SWETHA SRIRAM ’18 A team of Rensselaer students earned third place at the 2017 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Student Manufacturing Design Competition for their design, “Invisibell.”

The bike bell is unique because it mounts on either side of a bicycle’s handlebars to accommodate both left- and right-handed riders.

The team included students pursuing degrees in mechanical engineering, industrial and management engineering, and electrical engineering.

In the Manufacturing Innovation Learning Lab (MILL) in the School of Engineering, experiential projects such as this one enable students to truly comprehend how engineering theory, individual manufacturing and assembly processes, people, budgets, customer requirements, and schedules are meshed into a functional system.

The ASME design competition provides a platform for students to present solutions for a range of design problems from everyday household tasks to groundbreaking space exploration.

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 ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE We are educating the kind of graduates that the world needs… inventive and enterprising problem solvers prepared to address great challenges, and to seize great opportunities.” – PRESIDENT SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON, Ph.D. Rensselaer recently introduced a requirement for all undergraduate students—the first of its kind in the nation—to propel all Rensselaer students beyond the current collegiate standard of “data literacy” to “data dexterity.” Students will complete two “data-intensive” courses; one to establish the foundations of data modeling and analysis, and a second within their academic discipline. They will learn to understand the difference between causation and correlation, between an ethical and unethical use of data, and methods of visualizing complex data in order to make better decisions.

An optional data research capstone experience in the Data Interdisciplinary Challenge Intelligent Technology Exploration Laboratory—or Data INCITE—connects teams of students with industry partners to tackle data-intensive problems.

Our Art_X @ Rensselaer initiative—which is infused across the curriculum and in co-curricular activities—encourages intellectual agility. Through Art_X, we will help students to see, and to understand, the science in and of art, and the art in and of science, by utilizing concepts such as the Golden Mean and Fibonacci series, and the role of aesthetics in functional design.

Our most transformative experiential teaching and learning innovation is The Arch. Through The Arch, students remain on campus the summer after the sophomore year, for a full semester of junior-level classes. One semester of the traditional junior year is spent away from campus, on an internship, research, or other experience of interest. The Class of 2021 will be the first to fulfill The Arch requirement, which will take effect in summer 2019.

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

REGIONAL NETWORKS: MAKING A DIFFERENCE

 RENSSELAER SILICON VALLEY NETWORK AND EXECUTIVE COUNCIL In the Bay Area and Silicon

CHAIR

CO-CHAIR

JOHN CAPEK ’83, ’84G, ’85G,

PRABHAT HAJELA, Ph.D.

’87G, ’88 Ph.D.

Dr. Hajela, Provost at Rensselaer, is

Valley, over 4,000 Rensselaer alumni, alumnae, and parents are innovators, technology company leaders, venture capitalists, executives, and entrepreneurs, at companies such as Applied Materials, Cypress Semiconductor, Facebook, Google, Intel, Juniper Networks, and Salesforce.

As Executive Vice President, Ventures,

responsible for all academic portfolios

In response to this unique

Dr. Capek leads Abbott’s venture

at the Institute, and, in collaboration

population, Rensselaer recently

investment organization. Previously,

with the Vice President for Research,

created the Rensselaer Silicon

he served as Executive Vice

works to strengthen the research

Valley Network (RSVN) and

President, Medical Devices, and

missions of the Institute. An aerospace

Executive Council to provide

Senior Vice President, Abbott

engineer by training, Dr. Hajela has

robust connectivity programs for

Vascular, heading up global vascular

conducted research at NASA’s Langley

business development, recruit-

business. Before joining Abbott,

and Glenn Research Centers, and the

ment of students and alumni/ae,

Dr. Capek served in various manage-

Eglin Air Force Armament Laboratory.

and greater engagement

ment roles at Guidant Corporation

He also worked at The Boeing Company

opportunities among alumni/ae,

and Eli Lilly & Company. He holds

as the Boeing-A.D. Welliver Fellow in

corporations, foundations,

five degrees from Rensselaer.

1995. He received a B. Tech in

parents, and potential students.

Aeronautical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, M.S.

For more information about the RSVN, contact Joseph Strodel at (518) 276-6095 or strodj@rpi.edu.

degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University, and in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University.

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 RENSSELAER GREATER NEW YORK NETWORK AND EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Nearly 40,000 Rensselaer alumni, alumnae, and parents call the Greater New York region home. The Rensselaer Greater New York Network (RGNYN) and Executive Council was created to facilitate connections among these groups.

RGNYN offers opportunities for engagement around business development, graduate recruitment, and student placement, and seeks to strengthen partnerships among individuals, companies, foundations, government agencies, and the Institute.

Executive Council members will foster connections among notable alumni/ae in the region through conversations and events that align with the Institute’s expertise in groundbreaking interdisciplinary research and innovative pedagogy.

CHAIR

CO-CHAIR

ROY N. DAVIS ’78 was President of

JONATHAN S. DORDICK, Ph.D., is

several companies, including

Johnson & Johnson Development

Howard P. Isermann Professor of

EnzyMed (part of Albany Molecular

Corporation and the Corporate Vice

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Research, Inc.), Solidus Biosciences,

President of Business Development

and Special Adviser to the President

and The Paper Battery Company.

for all of Johnson & Johnson (J&J)

for Strategic Initiatives at Rensselaer.

from 2008 until his retirement in 2012.

Dordick holds joint appointments in

Previously, Davis was concurrently

Biomedical Engineering, Chemical

Company Group Chairman, J&J,

Engineering, Materials Science and

and Worldwide Franchise Chairman,

Engineering, and Biology. Previously,

Diagnostics.

he held chemical engineering

While at J&J, Davis founded Red Script Ventures, LLC (J&J’s business

faculty appointments at the University of Iowa (1987–1998).

accelerator), and Veridex, LLC,

Dordick’s research focuses on gaining

which produced award-winning

a quantitative understanding of

products in cancer diagnostics.

biological principles and applying

In retirement, Davis advises many organizations, including the Cleveland Clinic and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Davis received his M.S. in Biology

Dordick has published over 370 papers and is an inventor/co-inventor on nearly 43 patents and patent applications. He holds a B.A. in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Brandeis University, and a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from MIT.

them to advance bioengineering, nanobiotechnology, drug discovery, and biomanufacturing. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards for

For more information about RGNYN, contact Ursula Vesala at (518) 276-3827 or vesalu@rpi.edu.

several biotechnology companies and venture capital firms, and cofounded

from Rensselaer.

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 GLOBAL REACH, GLOBAL IMPACT: RENSSELAER’S REGIONAL ALUMNI CHAPTERS The Rensselaer Alumni Association is made up of nearly 100,000 alumni and alumnae, living and working all over the world. The global reach and global impact of the alumni network is evidenced by the growing number of regional chapters across the country and internationally.

Rensselaer has active alumni chapters in 38 different cities throughout the continental United

Connections to our alumni, wherever they are located, is essential as

States; including five chapters in

we work to expand Rensselaer’s reach in a globally interconnected

California, one in Hawaii, and one

world. The support of the members of these chapters, and others like

in Puerto Rico.

them around the world, is of vital importance as we approach our third century of leadership in education, discovery, and innovation.

The Rensselaer Alumni Association, under the leadership of its president, Kareem I. Muhammad ’01, and the RAA Board of Trustees, looks forward to continuing to grow Rensselaer’s global presence in the coming year, to provide mutually beneficial connections between alumni/ae and the Institute.

Internationally, chapters have been recently created in China (Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong), Dubai, and Zurich, Switzerland.

Take a look at www.alumni.rpi.edu to keep up to date with what alumni in your area are doing.

If you do not see a chapter or an event for your area and would like to get involved, please contact us at alumni@rpi.edu or (518) 276-6205.

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Carla Vandermate, John Capek ’83, ’84, ’85, ’87, ’88, Madison ’20, Lisa, and Tom Capek ’86

 FAMILY TIES Several trends are apparent among the historic 20,377

unique perspective based on decades spent in

applications received from high school students

leadership roles in the biomedical engineering and

seeking admission to the Rensselaer Class of 2022. In

materials engineering industries.

addition to an increase in international students and women, a significant rise in the number of Rensselaer “legacies”—students with relatives who attended the university—is worth noting.

Together, through the Capek Family Foundation, the Capeks also have lent financial support to student groups such as the Society of Women Engineers, the Biomedical Engineering program. Once fully-funded,

The Capeks are one such family, with a bond that

the newly-established Capek Family Scholarship will

surpasses their affinity for their alma mater; they

support worthy students from underrepresented

remain connected through their philanthropy and

groups, such as women, African American and/or

volunteerism on behalf of Rensselaer.

Hispanic students, in perpetuity. By leveraging

Lisa and Tom ’86, parents of Madison ’20, serving as co-chairs of the Society of Families, are invested in

employers’ corporate matching gift programs, they have directed additional support to Rensselaer.

increasing parent and family engagement with

The Capek family’s connection with Rensselaer began

Rensselaer, including gifts at a leadership level. As

in 1939, when Frank ’43—the uncle of Tom and

Chair of the Rensselaer Silicon Valley Network

John—enrolled as a mechanical engineering major.

Executive Council, Tom’s brother, John ’83, ’84, ’85,

He excelled until the end of his junior year, when he

’87, ’88, pursues engagement opportunities among

received an Air Force draft notice. Second Lieutenant

more alumni/ae, corporations, foundations, parents,

Capek served in World War II as an airman for two

and potential students.

years, but never had the opportunity to return to

Their roles as volunteers and ambassadors frequently bring the Capeks to campus, where they have

Rensselaer to finish his degree. In 1945, a memorial tribute was published in The Rensselaer Polytechnic.

repeatedly given the gift of their time to the engineer-

As the third-generation Capek to attend Rensselaer,

ing students they support through the Patroon

Madison’s pursuit of a degree in biomedical engineer-

Scholars Program of the Rensselaer Annual Fund.

ing—with a minor in management and a concentration

In addition to light-hearted reminiscing about shared

in biomedical engineering imaging/instrumentation—

Rensselaer experiences, the Capek brothers offer a

may be no surprise, given her proud heritage!

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 THE SOCIETY OF FAMILIES

Ron Sit, Andrew Sit ’19, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, Teresa Sit

As the first technological university in the nation, our historic mission and our core academic strengths are what make a Rensselaer education so relevant today. The educational opportunities available to our students will serve them not only during their years at Rensselaer but throughout their careers.

THE SOCIETY OF FAMILIES

Parents of current students provide priceless gifts to Rensselaer, by the

LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

measure of confidence they express in sending their sons and daughters to study with us. In addition, each year more than 1,200 families lend financial support to the Rensselaer Annual Fund, which directly impacts each and every student. Rensselaer has established The Society of Families to recognize

Lisa C. and Thomas G. Capek ’86, P’20, Co-Chairs Beth Ellen Robie ’81, P’20 and

the generosity of families who support the mission of Rensselaer at a

Stephen B. Robie ’77, P’20

leadership level.

Natalie S. Walters-Casey P’20

A select few take this a step further, as volunteers tasked with the goal

Karen L. and Ronald L. Kammer P’19

of increasing parent and family engagement with the university. We offer them our sincere thanks for not only giving generously to Rensselaer, but also encouraging other families to do the same.

Karen B. and Robert C. May P’20 Teresa F. and Ronald D. Sit P’19

I really enjoy the challenge Rensselaer presents to its students. It keeps me engaged and offers a higher level of education through challenges I must overcome.”

JONATHAN D’OLIVEIRA ’20 Naugatuck, CT Chemical Engineering Ann M. and Frank J. Conte ’34 Scholarship

For more information, contact Silvia Edmonds at (518) 276-6055 or edmons@rpi.edu.

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 BOARD OF TRUSTEES We are grateful for the wisdom and partnership of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Board of Trustees, whose respected counsel and exceptional generosity have furthered the vision of The New Polytechnic, and positioned the university for success in its third century—transformative in the global impact of its research, in its innovative pedagogy, and in the lives of students at Rensselaer.

TRUSTEES EMERITI

ACTIVE MEMBERS Arthur F. Golden ’66 Chair of the Board Wanda K. Denson-Low ’78 Vice Chair of the Board Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D. President Ex Officio

Nancy S. Mueller

Harlan E. Anderson

Daniel T. Pickett III ’90

Neil J. Barton ’58, ’63G, ’66 Ph.D.

Curtis R. Priem ’82 Secretary of the Board

Thomas R. Baruch ’60

Janet C. Rutledge ’83 Paul J. Severino ’69

Robert P. Bozzone ’55 John H. Broadbent, Jr. ’59 The Honorable Arthur J. Gajarsa ’62

George Campbell, Jr., Ph.D.

Paula L. Simon ’68

John W. Carr ’77, ’79G

Srinivasan Sivaram ’85G, ’86 Ph.D.

Gary T. DiCamillo ’73

Jackson P. Tai ’72

Edward E. Hood, Jr. Chair Emeritus

Frank M. Fischer ’64, ’65G

Theodore J. Wojnar, Jr. ’80

Robin B. Martin ’71, ’72G

Michael E. Herman ’62

Edward J. Zander ’68

Francis L. McKone ’63G

David M. Hirsch ’65

Ronald J. Zlatoper, Admiral, USN (Ret.) ’63

Linda S. Sanford ’75G

Linda Pitzi Jojo ’87, ’92G John E. Kelly III ’78G, ’80 Ph.D.

The Honorable Patrick Madden Ex Officio

Jeffrey L. Kodosky ’70 Mark M. Little ’82 Ph.D.

Mary L. Good, Ph.D.

G. Robert Tod ’61 HONORARY TRUSTEES Howard N. Blitman ’50 John J. Nigro Robert O. Swanson ’58

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Congratulations and sincerest thanks to tonight’s Presidential Lifetime Achievement Awards Honorees  Helen-Jo Kelly and John E. Kelly III ’78G, ’80 Ph.D., Trustee AND

Gail Kodosky and Jeffrey L. Kodosky ’70, Trustee 

For your great support of Rensselaer in so many ways over many years.

From Beth and Arthur Golden ’66, J.D., Chair, Rensselaer Board of Trustees

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 PRESIDENT’S CABINET AND DEANS’ COUNCIL The President’s Cabinet and Deans’ Council provide critical, supportive leadership essential to preparing Rensselaer for its third century of transformative education and research. Working together, we continue to strengthen the university, expand the global reach of our research, and graduate students ready to advance society and change the world.

PRESIDENT’S CABINET Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D. President Craig A. Cook, J.D. Secretary of the Institute and General Counsel Jonathan S. Dordick, Ph.D. Special Adviser on Strategic Initiatives; Howard P. Isermann Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Graig R. Eastin Vice President, Institute Advancement Prabhat Hajela, Ph.D. Provost Barbara J. Hough Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer Richie C. Hunter Vice President, Strategic Communications and External Relations Robert Hull, Ph.D. Senior Associate Vice President, Research John E. Kolb ’79, ’83G Vice President, Information Services and Technology and Chief Information Officer

LeNorman J. Strong Interim

DIRECT REPORTS TO THE

Vice President, Student Life

PRESIDENT

Jonathan D. Wexler Vice President,

Johannes Goebel Director, Curtis R.

Enrollment Management

Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center

DEANS’ COUNCIL

Bruce Hunter Executive Director of

Thomas M. Begley, Ph.D. Dean,

the Office of Intellectual Property,

Lally School of Management

Technology Transfer, New Ventures,

Curtis M. Breneman, Ph.D. Dean, School of Science Evan Douglis Dean, School of

and Emerging Ventures Ecosystem Karl Lampson Director of Rensselaer Technology Park

Architecture Stanley M. Dunn, Ph.D. Vice Provost, Dean of Graduate Education Shekhar S. Garde, Ph.D. Dean, School of Engineering; Elaine S. and Jack S. Parker Chair in Engineering Aric Krause, Ph.D. Dean for Academic and Administrative Affairs at Hartford Mary H. Simoni, Ph.D. Dean, School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Lee A. McElroy Jr., Ph.D. Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Curtis N. Powell Vice President, Human Resources Claude D. Rounds Vice President, Administration 2018 EAST COAST SCHOLARSHIP GALA | GIVING.RPI.EDU

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 THE GARNET D. BALTIMORE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP Garnet Douglass Baltimore was a member of the

Since our founding in 1824, Rensselaer has offered

Rensselaer Class of 1881—a distinguished civil and

an extraordinary education, one in which our students

landscape engineer—and the first African American to

further enhance their creativity, and learn to think for

graduate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He was

themselves—which is why so many breakthrough

the son of an influential abolitionist, and the grandson

discoveries and innovations have been made by our

of a slave who fought in the Revolutionary War and

alumni and alumnae.

settled in Troy after escaping from slave owners.

Today, Rensselaer remains dedicated to educating

Garnet Baltimore was the embodiment of a Rensselaer

future generations of leaders like Baltimore to address

graduate—working on the design and construction of

the challenges facing our world. In order to do this,

bridges, railroads, roads, and waterways. His contribu-

we must attract, enroll, and retain the most talented

tions propelled him into important role, early on in his

students, regardless of socioeconomic background.

career, on the some of the largest construction projects

This goal will be realized through an enrichment of the

of the day. His professional legacy includes Troy’s

ethnic, gender, intellectual, and geographic diversity

Prospect Park, adjacent to the Rensselaer campus,

that exists among our student body, made possible by

and Oakwood Cemetery, the resting place of Samuel

increased financial aid resources for underrepresented

Wilson, or “Uncle Sam.”

minorities and women.

Intensely proud of his Rensselaer education, Baltimore

An investment in The Garnet Baltimore Endowed

remained active in civic activities and alumni affairs for

Scholarship will enable Rensselaer to further strengthen

many years, earning a place in the Rensselaer Alumni

the diverse composition of our student body for

Hall of Fame.

generations to come.

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 PARTING THOUGHTS DEAR FRIENDS,

Thank you for the gifts of your time and support, as we celebrate student scholarship at Rensselaer, and the visionary philanthropy that makes it a reality. We very much look forward to these annual gatherings becoming vibrant Rensselaer traditions, from coast to coast.

I look forward to sharing the 2019 Rensselaer Scholarship Gala arrangements with you soon. Please visit giving.rpi.edu/gala/ for updates.

Events such as these will be essential to the success of Transformative: Campaign for Global Change as we enrich the resources needed to attract and empower the most talented professors, and to build out and modernize our campus, positioning Rensselaer for continued leadership in education and research in our third century. Although our capital campaign is multi-faceted, our students are at the heart of all we do. Therefore, enhancing available scholarship resources—in step with an always-evolving and transformative Rensselaer experience—will always be paramount.

We are grateful for your interest in and support of Rensselaer, our exceptional students—such as those performing with the Rensselaer Orchestra this evening—and world-class faculty who will prepare them to answer the great Rensselaer question, “Why not change the world?”

Enjoy the evening!

GRAIG R. EASTIN Vice President, Institute Advancement

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