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	Efficient Filters Produced From Carbon Nanotubes Filters remove nano-scale germs from water, heavy hydrocarbons from petroleum
	Aligned multiwalled nanotubes of the filter wall (scale 100 micrometers).		Researchers at Rensselaer and Banaras Hindu University (India) have devised a simple method to produce carbon nanotube filters that efficiently remove micro- to nano-scale contaminants from water and heavy hydrocarbons from petroleum. Made entirely of carbon nanotubes, the filters are easily manufactured using a novel method for controlling the cylindrical geometry of the structure.

• Internet Pioneer Robert Metcalfe Addresses nearly 1,300 Graduates at Rensselaer’s 198th Commencement | Commencement Photos
• Honorees Discuss Learning and Working in a Global Community at Colloquy | Video Archive
• An Overview of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s 198th Commencement
• Rensselaer Entrepreneurs Creating Their Own Jobs
• Discovery and Innovation at Rensselaer
• Graduation a Reality Despite Ruptured Aneurysm
• Making a Difference in the Lives of Children
• Community Service at Rensselaer
• Rensselaer To Recognize Its Future Military Officers
• Graduate Student Excels Despite Loss of Sight

Rensselaer Receives NYSTAR Faculty Development Award
Governor George E. Pataki today announced that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is one of four universities in the state to receive a faculty development award to attract world-class scientists to New York state. The $750,000 award will be used to bring Shawn-Yu Lin, Ph.D., a recognized authority in photonics research, to Rensselaer to work on development of next-generation technology in semiconductor design and performance.
(Press Release, May 10, 2004)

Rensselaer Researcher on Team Developing New Semiconductor Materials
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, as part of a multi-university research team, was recently awarded a Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) grant in the amount of $465,000 to enhance semiconductor materials.
(Press Release, May 4, 2004)

Two Rensselaer Students Receive Prestigious Goldwater Scholarships
Two Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students have been awarded Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships for the 2004-2005 academic year, according to a recent Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation announcement of 310 recipients nationwide.
(Press Release, May 6, 2004)

Rensselaer’s Habitat for Humanity Chapter Dedicates New Home in Troy
During the school year, students at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Chapter of Habitat for Humanity have been building a new home, applying their technical education to community service. Today they dedicated the house they built at 84 Eleventh Street in Troy.
(Press Release, April 30, 2004)

TekAlert Wins Rensselaer’s Tech Valley Collegiate Business Plan Competition
TekAlert, a technology start-up company founded by Rensselaer students, won this year’s Tech Valley Collegiate Business Plan Competition. The competition was sponsored by the Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship at Rensselaer's Lally School of Management and Technology.
(Press Release, April 29, 2004)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Professor Wins NSF Career Award
Biplab Sikdar, assistant professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been awarded a Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the amount of $402,682 to develop “immunization” techniques to safeguard against the spread of computer viruses.
(Press Release, April 26, 2004)

Rensselaer’s $50,000 Business Plan Competition Finals April 28
Three teams of students will vie to win the final round of Rensselaer’s $50,000 Tech Valley Collegiate Business Plan Competition taking place Wednesday, April 28, on the Rensselaer campus in the Center for Industrial Innovation, room 4050 at 6 p.m.
(Press Release, April 26, 2004)

Rensselaer Merges Technology To Make “Smart Vehicles” Even Smarter
Today’s “smart vehicles” may be getting a little smarter as a result of research under way at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.A team of researchers led by George List, chair and professor of civil and environmental engineering, and William (Al) Wallace, professor of decision sciences and engineering systems, is developing a system that collects real-time traffic data and uses it to alert drivers about congested roadways, offering alternative routes to avoid problem areas.
(Press Release, April 21, 2004)

Rensselaer Receives NIH Grant To Develop Virtual Surgery Simulator
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Rensselaer a $347,000, two-year grant to develop a next-generation simulator to train surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgery. The grant awarded to assistant professor Suvranu De supports efforts to improve the realism of existing training by adding touch simulation and upgraded graphics.
(Press Release, April 19, 2004)

Entrepreneur Magazine Ranks the Technological Entrepreneurship Program at Lally School Among the Top 13 in the Nation
Entrepreneur magazine has named the technological entrepreneurship program at Rensselaer’s Lally School of Management and Technology one of the top 13 schools in the nation. The rankings are posted on the magazine’s Web site, and will be published in the May ’04 issue.
(Press Release, April 9, 2004)

Julian M. Earls, Director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Will Deliver 14th Annual Garnet Baltimore Lecture April 13
Julian M. Earls, director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland, Ohio, will deliver the 14th annual Garnet Baltimore Lecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He will speak about “The Engineering Definition of a Human Being” on Tuesday, April 13, at 2:30 p.m. at the Heffner Alumni House on Peoples Avenue.
(Press Release, April 8, 2004)

Rensselaer Announces Purchase of Proctor’s Theatre Building in Downtown Troy
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute today announced the purchase of the historic Proctor’s Theatre building located at 82 Fourth Street in downtown Troy.
(Press Release, April 6, 2004)

GameFest Kicks Off New Minor in Game Studies at RPI
To celebrate a new game studies minor, School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Rensselaer hosted “GameFest,” a two-day symposium and exhibition on April 12-13. The festivities included a showcase of computer games designed by more than 70 art students, lectures by prominent game design practitioners, and a daylong workshop on game design.

• Troy Record: New RPI minor is fun, but is mostly games
  

Rensselaer Merges Talents To Tackle Complex Global Problems: New Inverse Problems Center To Hold Opening Conference April 5-7
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has established the Center for Inverse Problems where researchers from various disciplines will pool their talents in an innovative approach to find the answers to complex problems.
(Press Release, April 5, 2004)

Rensselaer Alumni Involved with Mars Rover Mission To Share Their Experiences March 29
A model Mars rover, pictures of the red planet, and tales from behind the scenes were all part of an interactive forum featuring four Rensselaer alumni involved in the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. The program was held on Monday, March 29, in the Heffner Alumni House.

• Slide Show of the Mars Rover Event
• Times Union: RPI know-how goes a long way — to Mars
• Troy Record: Out of this world: RPI grads talk about their Mars experiences

Researchers Suggest That “Dark-Matter Highway” May Be Streaming Through Earth
Astrophysicist Heidi Newberg at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and her colleagues suggest that a “highway” of dark matter from another galaxy may be showering down on Earth. The findings may change the way astronomers look for mysterious cosmic particles, long suspected to outweigh known atomic matter.
(Press Release, March 24, 2004)

Internet Pioneer Robert Metcalfe To Speak at Commencement 2004
Honorary degree recipients also include George Bugliarello, Donald Keck, and Charles Thornton
Internet pioneer Robert “Bob” Metcalfe will speak at Rensselaer’s 198th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 15, at 9:30 a.m. at the Harkness Field.
(Press Release, March 22, 2004)

Rensselaer Researchers Report Method for Controlling the Shape of Nanotube Structures
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are reporting the discovery of a simple method for rapidly creating different shapes of carbon nanotube structures. To produce the minuscule structures on a commercial scale, manufacturers are looking for such techniques that make it possible to work with materials several billionths of a meter in size.
(Press Release, March 22, 2003)

Rensselaer To Create New Molecularium™ Show and Take It on the Road
National Science Foundation grant to fund expansion of the project
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand its Molecularium project and take it global. The animated program is designed to spark children’s interest in learning about atoms and molecules using planetariums in a new way for science education.
(Press Release, March 18, 2004)

Area High School Women Explore High-Tech Careers at “Design Your Future Day”
On March 20, more than 100 11th grade girls from the Capital Region; Rochester, N.Y.; Massachusetts; Rhode Island; and Vermont will take part in Rensselaer’s “Design Your Future Day” (DYFD). The event will engage participants in activities to inform and excite them about career opportunities in engineering, science, architecture, and technology.
(Media Advisory, March 17, 2004)

New Online Archive of Early Rensselaer History
In an age when there were no railroads operating in America, the Erie Canal was brand new, and the detachable shirt collar was soon to become popular fashion, Stephen Van Rensselaer founded the Institute that bears his name. For everyone interested in that era, Rensselaer now offers a new online archive: five rare books covering Rensselaer’s early history.
(Press Release, March 16, 2004)

Rensselaer Students Showcase Inventions at “March Madness for the Mind” Event
Two teams of Rensselaer students are among the top 15 collegiate teams selected from around the country to participate in a national exhibition of inventions. The “March Madness for the Mind” exhibit is part of the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) annual conference celebrating invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
(Press Release, March 17, 2004)

New Ph.D. Program in Architectural Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
The School of Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has implemented a new doctoral program. The Doctor of Philosophy in Architectural Sciences, approved by the New York State Department of Education, will be offered beginning this fall.
(Press Release, March 17, 2004)

Craig Named Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Kevin Craig, director of core engineering and associate professor of mechanical, aeronautical, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been named a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). ASME describes Craig as a “pioneer in university and professional mechatronics education.”
(Press Release, March 12, 2004)

Rensselaer Students and Faculty To Participate in NSBE Convention in Dallas
Rensselaer students and faculty are participating in the 30th annual convention for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) in Dallas, Texas, March 17-21. More than 10,000 collegiate students, technical professionals, middle and high school students, and representatives of top technical corporations and universities from across the country are expected to attend. Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson will open the NSBE convention with a keynote address.
(Press Release, March 15, 2004)

Rensselaer Completes Future Chips Constellation With Two New Faculty Appointments
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute today announced the appointment of two new faculty members, thereby completing its Future Chips Constellation, the first of several “critical mass” groupings of world-caliber faculty in focal research areas. The new faculty are Shawn-Yu Lin, Ph.D., a recognized authority in photonics research, and Christian M. Wetzel, Ph.D., a research pioneer in semiconductor device design and manufacturing.
(Press Release, March 4, 2004)

Rensselaer Awarded $2.7 Million NIH Grant To Improve Drug Development Process
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute a $2.7 million, four-year grant to develop new tools for drug discovery. The grant, awarded in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will support basic research intended to produce effective pharmaceuticals faster and more economically.
(Press Release, March 1, 2004)

Dobry Elected to the National Academy of Engineering
Ricardo Dobry, director of the Geotechnical Centrifuge Research Center and professor of civil engineering at Rensselaer, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Dobry was elected for his fundamental contributions to multiple aspects of geotechnical earthquake engineering, according to NAE’s announcement of 76 new members and 11 foreign associates.
(Press Release, February 26, 2004)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Professor Wins NSF Career Award
Borca-Tasciuc Examines Effects of Heat and Energy Transfer at the Nanoscale
Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc, director of the Nanoscale Thermophysics and Energy Conversion Laboratory (NanoTEC) and assistant professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been awarded a Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Borca-Tasciuc will use the $451,413 grant to study heat transport and energy conversion in materials and electrical devices at the nanoscale.
(Press Release, February 19, 2004)

Rensselaer President Jackson Becomes AAAS President
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., began her term as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) at the conclusion of the organization’s annual meeting Feb. 12 -16 in Seattle, Wash. “I am honored to assume the presidency of AAAS,” Jackson said. “As the world’s largest scientific society, AAAS offers a unique platform to address key issues in science and technology critical for global security and economic vitality.
(Press Release, February 17, 2004)

President Jackson Selected as Association for Women in Science 2004 Fellow
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson has been selected as one of seven 2004 fellows of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS). The Association for Women in Science (AWIS) describes itself as the largest multidisciplinary scientific organization for women in the United States, and is dedicated to achieving equity and full participation of women in all fields of science and technology.
(Press Release, February 14, 2004)

In the News: Pulickel Ajayan, nanotechnology expert and professor of materials science and engineering, had a commentary published in the Jan. 29 issue of Nature. His piece accompanied a paper from a Danish research group that has provided the first directed glimpses of nanofibers as they grow. Ajayan said the research “should lead to better control over fiber synthesis for nanotechnology.” However, he added, “even with this new insight, the mystery of the growth of nanoscale filamentous carbon is not completely solved.”
Read Ajayan’s full commentary in Nature (PDF file)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Professor Wins NSF Career Award
Koratkar Will Develop New Nanostructured Vibration Reduction Materials
Nikhil Koratkar, assistant professor of mechanical, aerospace and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been awarded a Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Koratkar will use the $400,000 grant to develop a new class of nanostructured materials used to reduce vibrations in mechanical equipment and electronic devices.
(Press Release, February 12, 2004)

Novel Nanoproperties in Selenium Produced by Bacteria Open New Area of Exploration
Working at the nexus of biology and nanotechnology, a researcher and an alumnus from Rensselaer have released findings that could lead to the tailoring of bacterial processes for smaller, faster semiconductors and other electronic devices.
(Press Release, February 10, 2004)

Rensselaer Researcher Receives $2.1 Million Grant To Develop Treatment for Anthrax
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researcher Ravi Kane has been awarded $2.1 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to develop an antidote to counteract the potentially deadly anthrax toxin in humans who have been exposed to the bacteria’s spores.
(Press Release, February 4, 2004)

New Book on Early African-American Inventors Published by Rensselaer Professor
In his new book, Black Inventors in the Age of Segregation (John Hopkins University Press), Rayvon Fouché explores what it was like to be a black inventor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an age of rapid industrialization and segregation. Fouché is assistant professor of science and technology studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

• New York Times: Scholar Examines Black Inventors

Rensselaer Researcher Receives $2.1 Million Grant To Develop Treatment for Anthrax
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researcher Ravi Kane has been awarded $2.1 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to develop an antidote to counteract the potentially deadly anthrax toxin in humans who have been exposed to the bacteria’s spores.
(Press Release, February 4, 2004)

The Pentaquark: The Strongest Confirmation to Date
An international team of physicists has provided the best evidence to date of the existence of a new form of atomic matter, dubbed the “pentaquark.” The research team confirmed the existence of pentaquarks by using a different approach that greatly increased the rate of detection compared to previous experiments. The results are published as the cover story in the January 23 issue of the journal Physical Review Letters. Rensselaer Research Scientist Valery Kubarovsky is the lead author.
(Press Release, January 23, 2004)

Rensselaer’s Lally School Introducing New MBA Curriculum
The Lally School of Management and Technology is introducing a new MBA curriculum for the fall 2004 academic semester. The new curriculum does not follow the traditional MBA approach in which each course focuses on a specific business discipline, such as marketing or accounting; rather, it combines coursework into year-long classes that capture the complexity of the real-world business environment.
(Press Release, January 23, 2004)

Rensselaer Wins NCAA Vote
The National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III membership has voted overwhelmingly to allow Rensselaer and seven other institutions to continue to offer grants-in-aid to Division I student-athletes.
(Press Release, January 12, 2004)

Statement of President Shirley Ann Jackson

NCAA-Related Articles

Times Union: NCAA vote a net gain for RPI*
Times Union: Women's hockey squad scores a win with vote*
*Link no longer available.

Women's Hockey To Be Elevated to Division I
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) President Shirley Ann Jackson announced today that the Institute is planning to elevate the women’s ice hockey program Division III to Division I. A timetable is being developed for the move.
(Press Release, January 12, 2004)

For earlier news items go to News Archives.