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| Openings and Expansions |
New Washington Office In late September, President Shirley Ann Jackson joined with Rensselaer’s leadership team, faculty, alumni, and guests representing the nation’s political and technological leadership in celebrating the opening of the Institute’s Washington, D.C., office. “Opening an office in the nation’s capital is a key component of our mission to make Rensselaer a top-tier, world-class technological research university,” President Jackson said. “We will use this office as a platform to participate more directly and more consistently in the decision-making process that affects research universities and their roles in the technological research community.” President Jackson noted that the office, located in the Hall of the States, “not only stands in the shadow of the Capitol Dome, but also houses the offices of nearly 30 states and their governors, including those of Governor George Pataki of New York and Governor John Rowland of Connecticut, where our campuses are located, as well as national media and public policy organizations.” Nanotechnology Center Remodeled Also this fall, Rensselaer unveiled its remodeled Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center (RNC). The center was founded in April 2001 under the direction of Professor Richard W. Siegel. Within the center there exists a Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC), one of only six of its kind in the country. The National Science Foundation awarded the RNC a five-year, $10 million grant. The renovated facilities include an atomic force microscope, which can visualize structures as small as one nanometer in diameter. The center also houses a nanoscale particle generator as well as the equipment needed to produce and study nanotubes. This advanced facility will foster continuing research in areas including developing new materials with extraordinary strength, dramatically downsizing electronic components, and creating biologically based replacements for skin and bone. Rensselaer Opens Social and Behavioral Research Laboratory In October, Rensselaer’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences officially marked the opening of its Social and Behavioral Research Laboratory (SBRL), housed in the historic Gurley Building in downtown Troy. The 8,500-square-foot SBRL will encompass research focused on the social, cognitive, and behavioral impact of information technology. Research initiatives at the SRBL will range from the design of interactive educational technologies for students, to cognitive research on using virtual-reality and graphical simulations, to improving the graphical and text usability of handheld digital devices The SBRL houses research suites with state-of-the-art eye-gaze recording systems, multiple video and audio recording systems, and an Internet2 connection. A 20-foot-by-25-foot open room with an immersive virtual-reality studio, equipped with a full motion-tracking system, also is part of the facility. |
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| Rensselaer Magazine: Winter 2003 | ||||
| President's View | Your Mail | From the Archives | Hawk Talk | Class Notes Features |
| Front Page | At Rensselaer | Milestones |
| In Memoriam | Making a Difference | Staying Connected |
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Opinions expressed in these pages do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or the policies of the Institute. |
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