Contents
FEATURES
The
Rensselaer Plan
Also in
this story:
Reaching
for the Stars
Family
Ties
Wired!
Also in this story:
Good Connections
Houston
Field House
DEPARTMENTS
President's View
At Rensselaer
From the Archives
Hawk Talk
Making a Difference
Milestones
Class Features
RAA
News
Alumni Weddings
Looking
Ahead
THE RENSSELAER
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
STAYING CONNECTED
Welcome to the real world!
Alumni and students came together at the Heffner Alumni House for the second annual Regional Alumni Chapter Open House and Reception.
Hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations, the event helps ease the transition for graduating students into “the real world”—a new community and a professional career.
On May 8, 225 students spoke with alumni from chapters in New Jersey, Connecticut, Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., the Hudson-Mohawk Region, the West Coast, and internationally.
Students got tips on where to live and shop, what to do on Saturday night, where to meet people their own age, and what alumni activities are taking place in the area. Campus representatives from the Career Development Center, Professional and Distance Education, and Graduate Admissions were on hand to share professional and career information.
Students could also sign up for RenSource, the searchable alumni database for career mentoring and job opportunities, and E-mail for Life, a free “@alum.rpi.edu” e-mail address—available through any Web browser worldwide—that alumni can keep permanently, regardless of changes in their location or Internet access provider. Both services are an excellent way for alumni to stay in touch with each other, and with Rensselaer.
For information on getting involved in alumni relations programs for students, contact Susan Haight at haighs@rpi.edu or (518) 276-6042. To find out what’s going on in the regional chapter in your area, contact Bethany Beaudoin at beaudb@rpi.edu or (518) 276-2794.
THE NETWORK WORKS...FOR STUDENTS AND ALUMNI
Liz Tse ’98 is an outstanding example of how students can benefit from the Rensselaer network. As a member of the Red & White Student Organization, a group of students who represent Rensselaer at high-visibility functions, Tse connected with alumni like Art Gajarsa ’62, who placed her in internships that will give her an edge over her competition in the job market.
As an undergraduate, Liz Tse ’98 met MapInfo Chair Michael Marvin and CEO John Cavalier at a campus event where she was a student host. They expressed an interest in tapping into Rensselaer’s talent pool, and Tse jumped at the opportunity to share her resume. She landed a position as a product marketing intern, where she designed and built a competitive analysis database and conducted marketing research. That internship eventually led to a summer position on two product launch teams, where Tse wrote product launch documents and coordinated a beta testing program from the marketing perspective.
During Tse’s senior year, at an RAA-sponsored “Back to Campus Speaker Series” event, she met the featured speaker, the Honorable Arthur Gajarsa ’62, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (pictured above). As a prospective law student, Tse listened carefully to Gajarsa’s advice for young law students, and his opinions on how a Rensselaer education and its focus on analytical thinking are good preparation for a career in law.
Tse impressed Judge Gajarsa so much that this summer she will work with him at an internship where she will get real-world legal experience—not to mention the prestige of working with a Court of Appeals judge.
“I am confident this experience will give me an edge when I apply for permanent placement after graduation,” says Tse.
To find out how you can get involved with current Rensselaer students, visit “Student Programs” on AlumServ.
Share Your Knowledge
The alumni relations office will soon introduce threaded discussion boards
on the Web. They’re seeking alumni experts to help kick off the discussions,
which will be professionally focused and should be of sufficient interest
to draw a cross section of alumni and students. If you are well-versed
in an interest area and willing to volunteer for a short period of time,
contact Susan Haight at haighs@rpi.edu
or (518) 276-6042.
Alumni Mini-Reunions
February’s satellite hockey broadcast provided a chance for a mini-Reunion
in Philadelphia. Thanks to Jon Merz ’78, nine Sigma Chi brothers got together
to enjoy the game at Flanigans Boat House. Alumni events are a great way
to gather friends, colleagues, teammates, club members, or any other group
with a Rensselaer connection. To find out how to get a group of your friends
together at an event in your area, contact Michele Brumsey at brumsm@rpi.edu
or (518) 276-6910.
Find a Job Online
Futurestep is an executive online search service for management professionals
across all industries. It is free to Rensselaer alumni, and is strictly
confidential. RenSource, a Web-based, password-protected database available
only to Rensselaer alumni, provides a job search and job-posting module.
Access either program on AlumServ.
JobTrak, offered in conjunction with the Career Development Center, is
an online database with thousands of technical job openings posted daily.
Alumni can gain access for six months for $25. Contact Anita DeCianni-Brown
at deciaa@rpi.edu or call (518) 276-6234.
Visit AlumServ for more info on the Rensselaer network.
ALUMNI DATEBOOK
Reunion 2001 Training
Sessions
Aug. 16 and Aug. 19
Join your Reunion 2001 class committee to get the tips, tools, and support
you need to plan the best Reunion ever. Call Alumni Relations at (518)
276-6205 for details.
The William F.
Glaser ’53 Entrepreneur of the Year Celebration
Friday, Sept. 22
The celebration begins in the morning with networking, followed by the
keynote address. Visit www.mgmt.rpi.edu/
lally/entrepreneurship for more information or contact the Severino
Center at (518) 276-8398.
Rensselaer Union
Dedication
Saturday, Sept. 23
Join past and present student leaders for the official reopening of the
renovated Union. The celebration begins midday and is followed by a football
game and an “old-fashioned Chowderfest!”
Plan Ahead!
Reunion 2001 - June 7-10
VISIT ALUMSERV AT www.alumni.rpi.edu
Find the latest news,
sports, RAA information, links to Rensselaer affinity groups, local chapters,
the Entrepreneur Network, free “E-mail for Life.”
Add yourself to the RenSource networking database, submit Class Notes,
or update your address.
Sign up for RenSource—online alumni networking—on AlumServ at www.alumni.rpi.edu/alum/default.asp
The Rensslaer Alumni Association Mission
The Rensselaer Alumni Association serves and represents alumni and the Institute by engaging and empowering all alumni as active and effective partners in the Rensselaer community and by promoting the lifelong, mutually beneficial pursuit of the aspirations shared by Rensselaer and its alumni.
1999-2000 RAA
Board of Trustees Executive Committee
(518) 276-6205 or raa@rpi.edu
President
Jan S. Pirrong ’69
Past President Glenn O. Brown ’54
Vice Presidents Christina E. Banta ’83
William C. Blanchfield ’60
Matthew C. Fox ’55
Harry G. Greenleaf ’57
Douglas C. Hasbrouck ’57
Joseph A. Morein ’59
James F. Morgan ’58
John J. Stolzenthaler ’65
Raymond A. Weisner ’75
Vice President/Treasurer Richard S. Latuchie ’73
Vice President Emeritus David M. Diltz ’38
Institute Trustee Designate Richard J. Bouchard ’58
Moving?
Please let us know your new address.
Update it electronically on AlumServ, e-mail us at alum.mag@
rpi.edu, or write to: Rensselaer Magazine, Marketing and Media Relations,
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 or call (518) 276-6531.