Showcase: The New Polytechnic

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S H O W C A S E : T H E N E W P O LY T E C H N I C

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It is my pleasure to welcome you to Showcase: The New Polytechnic.

This booklet is your passport through an afternoon of immersive experiences that will illustrate the exciting paradigm of The New Polytechnic. The showcase affords you the opportunity to connect with our outstanding faculty and exceptional students, and—through presentations, research demonstrations, and panel discussions— to learn how, at Rensselaer, collaboration across disciplines, sectors, geographies, and generations, is harnessing the power of advanced tools and technologies to address the complex global challenges and opportunities of today.

Continuing to build upon and strengthen the connections between Rensselaer and our West Coast community of alumni, alumnae, parents, students, corporations, and foundation partners is critical to advancing the indispensable work of the Institute and achieving the goals of Transformative: Campaign for Global Change.

Thank you for joining us to experience some of the transformative ways the Rensselaer community is changing the world as we move into our third century of leadership in education, discovery, and innovation. I invite you to continue to be part of this extraordinary journey as we secure our future and empower our students to change the world for generations to come.

Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D. president

Professor of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy Professor of Engineering Sciences Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

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CLASS ALIVE! LUNCHEON 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Miramar Room

Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support for our Students (CLASS) is a comprehensive, developmental approach to the student experience at Rensselaer. Through ongoing support, guidance, and co-curricular activities, CLASS connects students to a network of faculty, staff, and other students, ensuring that they are part of a strong community of learners through time-based and residential clustering. As students strive to become the leaders of tomorrow, CLASS helps them develop the intellectual agility, multicultural sophistication, and global awareness that will enable them to change the world.

At this luncheon, you will hear current students share their personal stories about the success of CLASS in delivering a student experience that is second to none. An introduction of our student presenters will be provided by LeNorman Strong, Interim Vice President for Student Life.

“ I love living and studying in a place where people have different interests and majors, but we all are driven to work hard, study well and have fun. With the many clubs and activities we have on campus, it is easy to meet new people and there is a place on campus for everyone.”

—Ananya Murali ’20, Biology, Milwaukee, WI

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RESEARCH SHOWCASE 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Pacifica Room

Research at Rensselaer fulfills the vision of The New Polytechnic, an emerging paradigm for higher education which recognizes that global challenges and opportunities are so great they cannot be adequately addressed by even the most talented person working alone. Rensselaer serves as a crossroads for collaboration—working with partners across disciplines, sectors, and geographic regions—to address complex global challenges, using the most advanced tools and technologies, many of which are developed at Rensselaer. Research at Rensselaer addresses some of the world’s most pressing technological challenges—from energy security and sustainable development to biotechnology and human health.

Meet with our leading edge researchers to discuss their work and its potential applications.

CENTER FOR MATERIALS, DEVICES, AND INTEGRATED SYSTEMS (cMDIS) Robert Hull, Ph.D. Senior Associate Vice President for Research Director, Center for Material, Devices, and Integrated Systems Henry Burlage Professor of Engineering The Center for Materials, Devices, and Integrated Systems (cMDIS) aims to advance next-generation electronic and optical devices, manufacturing and robotics, integrated biomaterial devices, energy harvesting and storage, electric transmission/distribution, responsive and adaptive built environments, and nanostructured composite materials, among other leading-edge technologies.

Established in 2014, the mission of the cMDIS is to provide a unified voice among Rensselaer’s physical, chemical, and engineering sciences as well as to support excellence in existing research strength areas and promote new areas of intellectual discourse and research.

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CENTER FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY AND INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES (CBIS) Deepak Vashishth, Ph.D. Director, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies Professor of Biomedical Engineering The Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS) interweaves life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering into the fields of biotechnology and medicine, opening exciting new pathways to innovation and discovery. From complex biological networks to nanoscale assemblies that mimic biological processes, CBIS is a powerhouse, conducting transformative and translational research from molecules to human health.

More than 200 CBIS scientists and engineers are working to uncover the molecular basis of biological mechanisms and diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis. They use biological systems as the basis for new therapeutics, create new cellular niches and bioprinting technologies, critical in tissue regeneration and biopharmaceuticals, and develop new devices, high-throughput tools, and imaging modalities for medical diagnosis. CBIS provides multi- and inter- disciplinary educational and diverse research experiences to predoctoral and undergraduate students through nationally funded training programs in Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases, biotechnology, biomanufacturing, stem cell engineering, and regenerative medicine, while promoting diversity and inclusion in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) fields. CBIS serves as the central resource for Institute-wide research in biotechnology and interdisciplinary studies.

COGNITIVE AND IMMERSIVE SYSTEMS LAB (CISL) Hui Su, Ph.D. Director, Cognitive and Immersive Systems Lab Research Professor of Computer Science The Cognitive and Immersive Systems Lab (CISL) is a multi-year collaboration between Rensselaer and IBM to lead in the research and development of immersive cognitive systems. CISL promotes a culture of multidisciplinary research to create scientific breakthroughs and technical innovations that augment group intelligence in real world scenarios.

The paradigm of human computer interaction will soon shift towards partnership between human beings and intelligent machines through human-scale and immersive experiences. What changes will this paradigm shift bring to our world? How will it transform our society?

And how will it help us to solve the large and complex problems we face today?

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INSTITUTE FOR DATA EXPLORATION AND APPLICATIONS (IDEA) James Hendler, Ph.D. Director, Institute for Data Exploration and Applications Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Sciences We increasingly live in a data-driven, web-enabled, supercomputerpowered, globally interconnected world, and this poses significant new challenges to scientists and engineers throughout all of their disciplines.

Attacking these problems will require significant new technologies for sensing the environment, collecting and analyzing this data, using it to simulate engineered, biological and social systems, and applying these results to provide effectors, physical or cyber, that can help solve critical global challenges. The Rensselaer IDEA enables researchers across the entire campus to access such technologies via the development of critical computational methodologies including data-intensive computing, large-scale agent-based simulation, advanced visualization, and artificial intelligence and machine-learning.

RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND DISCOVERY (RED) TALKS— A TRANSFORMATIVE RENSSELAER CONFRONTS THE GLOBAL CHALLENGES 3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Pescadero Room At these “TED Talk” style presentations, Rensselaer researchers will highlight solutions to societally important challenges where Rensselaer plays a leading role, and how this research was potentiated by the vision of The New Polytechnic and The Rensselaer Plan 2024.

3:00 p.m. – 3:05 p.m.: Introduction: “The Rensselaer Signature Research

Thrusts.” Robert Hull, Ph.D., Senior Associate Vice President for Research, Director of the Center for Material, Devices, and Integrated Systems, and Henry Burlage Professor of Engineering (serving as moderator).

3:05 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.: “Putting the “I”s in AI.” James Hendler, Ph.D.,

Director of the Institute for Data Exploration and Applications, Tetherless World Professor of Computer, Web and Cognitive Sciences; and Hui Su, Ph.D., Director of the Cognitive and Immersive Systems Laboratory and Research Professor of Computer Science.

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3:20 p.m. – 3:35 p.m.: “Our Planet is Telling Us Something: Will We

Listen?” Peter Fox, Ph.D., Senior Tetherless World Constellation Professor, Director of Information Technology and Web Science Program, and Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences; and Karyn Lynne Rogers, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

3:35 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.: “Humanity’s Future Rests with Harnessing

Biology’s Complexity.” Cynthia Collins, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering; and Jonathan Dordick, Ph.D., Howard P. Isermann Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Vice President for Research.

3:50 p.m. – 4:05 p.m.: “Art_X Experience.” Jonas Braasch, Ph.D.,

Professor of Architecture and Director of the Center for Cognition, Communication, and Culture; and Mary Simoni, Ph.D., Dean, School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

NOTES

4:05 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.: Concluding Remarks

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After immersing yourself in the transformative experience this afternoon has to offer, I hope you will come away energized and eager to spread the news about the amazing things taking place at your alma mater among your family, friends, and colleagues here in “The Golden State” of California.

Consider how you may open doors at your company to support and recruit our students. Share the story of Rensselaer with potential applicants and their parents. Connect with your fellow alumni and alumnae, and encourage them to become involved and give back.

In supporting the goals of Transformative: Campaign for Global Change, you are helping to “Bridge the Gap,” and extend the Rensselaer experience to future generations of critical thinkers, innovators, and leaders.

Thank you for making a difference—for our students, for our great university, and for the world.

Graig R. Eastin

vice president , institute advancement

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