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For the last few days, the world has been watching as Tropical Storm Harvey made landfall, first as a Category 4 hurricane late Friday in the Texas Gulf Coast. As the storm has moved out, some parts of the region may see more than 50 inches of rain, according to forecasters. With heavy rain still expected, rivers rising, and major dams outside of Houston overflowing as Storm Harvey pushes reservoirs past capacity, what can flood control officials and engineers do?

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This past weekend, 1,682 new students will make their way to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to start the next stage of their academic careers. The first-year students hail from 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. As a reflection of Rensselaer’s global reach, almost 300 students come from countries around the world. The first-year students will move in on Saturday, August 26. Classes begin on Thursday, Aug. 31

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Results from its first run indicate that XENON1T is the most sensitive dark matter detector on Earth. The sensitivity of the detector – an underground sentinel awaiting a collision that would confirm a hypothesis – stems from both its size and its “silence.”

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A new approach to optical imaging makes it possible to quickly and economically monitor multiple molecular interactions in a large area of living tissue – such as an organ or a small animal; technology that could have applications in medical diagnosis, guided surgery, or pre-clinical drug testing.

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Amphibians can evolve increased tolerance to pesticides, but the adaptation can make them more susceptible to parasites, according to a team that includes researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has named Professor Mariana G. Figueiro, Ph.D., as director of the Lighting Research Center (LRC), after serving as the center’s acting director over the past year.

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On Thursday, July 20, at 7PM, Hollywood special-effects legend Phil Tippett (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, RoboCop) will join artist Lucy Raven at the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for an evening of conversation and film screenings, including the sci-fi classic Starship Troopers, for which Tippett designed the early digital monster effects.

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Rensselaer researcher develops user-friendly mass spectrometry for application in healthcare, drug detection, and food safety.

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A team including researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has developed an innovative approach to measuring cellular mechanical properties (i.e., cell stiffness) that is part of an emerging label-free (i.e, no histology dyes or immunolabeling) biophysical marker that can be used for the identification of cell diseases and cellular states. The research is important, since it can be used for rapid cancer diagnosis and rapid drug screening, as well as the development of personalized medicine.

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will host a Media Day in advance of the first-ever Spatial Audio Workshop, a weeklong symposium for electronic composers and programmers interested in working on new 3D immersive sound systems.

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Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have shown that four strains of E. coli bacteria working together can convert sugar into the natural red anthocyanin pigment found in strawberries, opening the door to economical natural colors for food and cosmetic manufacturers.

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This summer, Capital Region middle-school students eager to participate in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning will have an opportunity once again to explore the STEM fields at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. For the 12th consecutive year, the ExxonMobil Foundation and Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr., the first African-American to walk in space, will sponsor summer science camps at colleges across the country. This is the 10th year that Rensselaer has been selected to participate in the program.

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Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, and supported by the National Institutes of Health, identifies a previously unknown mechanism of the anesthetic propofol that may help to explain its outcomes, knowledge that could lead to safer anesthetics.

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Suvranu De, the J. Erik Jonsson ’22 Distinguished Professor of Engineering and head of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been selected as a fellow of the U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM). He will be recognized at the awards ceremony of the 14th U.S. National Congress on Computational Mechanics, to be held July 17-20, 2017, in Montreal, Canada.

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Describing the dizzying pace of technological innovation, former United States Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz urged graduates to “anticipate career change, welcome it, and manage it to your and your society’s benefit” at the 211th Commencement at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Saturday.

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This spring,1,841 students will receive degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the oldest technological research university in the United States, on Saturday, May 20, beginning at 8:15 a.m. in the East Campus Athletic Village (ECAV) stadium. They represent the next generation of leaders, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, patent holders, game designers, architects, and innovators, in fields ranging from engineering to architecture, fine arts to science, game design to information technology, and business to active military service.

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To kick off the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Commencement weekend, the annual President’s Commencement Colloquy will take place on Friday, May 19, beginning at 3:30 p.m. The discussion, titled “Criticality, Incisiveness, Creativity,” will include the Honorable Ernest J. Moniz, former Secretary of Energy, and the Honorable Roger W. Ferguson Jr., President and CEO of TIAA, and will be moderated by Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson.

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“Family is the most important thing to me,” said Khalil Drayton, who hails from Queens, New York. The oldest of seven children raised by a single mother, Drayton initially wanted to stay close to home when it came time to plan for college. It took some convincing from his mother, mentors, and teachers to get out of his comfort zone.

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The typical path for earning an architecture degree is five years of classes, studio work, and field experiences. Richard Abendroth, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Class of 2017, took a somewhat different path—choosing to serve his country along the way.

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The scientist who ventures away from her original research interest is far rarer than those who stay in familiar territory, according to new research in the emerging field of “the science of research science” published in Nature Human Behavior.

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Winners announced for spring 2017 and “Best of the Best” in the Rensselaer Change the World Challenge; Class of 1951 Student Entrepreneurship Award winners also announced

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Troy, N.Y. – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson has announced that the Honorable Ernest J. Moniz, former Secretary of Energy and the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems emeritus and Special Advisor to the President at MIT, as well as co-Chair and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, will address Rensselaer graduates on May 20, 2017, during the 211th Commencement Ceremony. Moniz will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Science at the ceremony.

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Rensselaer business school professor’s research studies new approaches to gathering and using market intelligence in rapidly changing economies

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A team including researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is developing a bioactive foam that can be used to replace skull bone lost to injury, surgery, or birth defect.

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Ancient proteins may offer clues on how to engineer proteins that can withstand the high temperatures required in industrial applications, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

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The graduate programs in engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are once again considered among the best in the United States, according to the U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings released last week. For the third year in a row Rensselaer’s graduate engineering programs have been ranked 39th in the nation.

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The Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States, will take part in a conversation with Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson, a recent recipient of the National Medal of Science, on Tuesday, April 11. The event will be held in the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center on the Rensselaer campus.

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An algorithm based on levels of metabolites found in a blood sample can accurately predict whether a child is on the Autism spectrum of disorder (ASD), based upon a recent study.

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will once again host the New York Tech Valley Regional competition, March 16-18, on the Rensselaer campus in the East Campus Athletic Village.

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) students Zaire Johnson ’18, computer and systems engineering, and Vincent Arena ’17, mechanical engineering and design, innovation, and society, have been named University Innovation Fellows by the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter). The University Innovation Fellows program is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation and directed by Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design and VentureWell.

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute men’s ice hockey coach, Seth Appert, has been relieved of his responsibilities with the Engineers, Rensselaer Athletic Director Lee Mc Elroy announced today.

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Organic additives found in road salt alternatives — such as those used in the commercial products GeoMelt and Magic Salt — act as a fertilizer to aquatic ecosystems, promoting the growth of algae and organisms that eat algae, according to new research published today in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Low levels of magnesium chloride — an alternative type of salt found in the commercial product Clear Lane – boost populations of amphipods, tiny crustaceans that feed on algae and serve as an important food source for fish.

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A team of researchers led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will examine the link between zinc deficiency, Hedgehog, and prostate cancer in a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Research published this week in Nature Communications makes it possible to predict how volume for a given protein will change between the folded and unfolded state. Computations accurately predict how a protein will react to increased pressure, shed light on the inner-workings of life in the ocean depths, and may also offer insights into alien life.

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Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson recently returned from the 2017 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, held in Davos, Switzerland, January 17-20. The theme for this year’s meeting of global decision-makers was “Responsive and Responsible Leadership.”

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A common species of zooplankton—the smallest animals in the freshwater food web—can evolve genetic tolerance to moderate levels of road salt in as little as two and a half months, according to new research published online today in the journal Environmental Pollution.

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Art feeds on self-expression, and all artists are constrained by the limitations of their bodies and their tools. Working with artists with disabilities, a team including researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been creating more accessible tools and instruments that lower barriers to self-expression through the arts. With $100,000 in support from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, the team will extend that access to a wider community.

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Biology dictates that DNA creates proteins which create – among other things – metabolites, the outputs of metabolism. In organisms from fungi to humans, the relationship between these players is heavily influenced by our internal circadian clock, and responds to environmental influences (such as a prolonged day) with implications from industry to human health.

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The Cognitive and Immersive Systems Laboratory (CISL) has developed a prototype of its cognitive and immersive environment for collaborative problem-solving.

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute today announced that Arthur F. Golden ’66 has been elected chair of the Rensselaer Board of Trustees, Wanda Denson-Low’78 has been elected vice-chair, and Curtis R. Priem’82 has been elected secretary, effective January 1, 2017.

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According to renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks, “music can move us to the heights or depths of emotion, but the power of music goes much further.” To hear and experience music’s potential, members of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute campus and local community are invited to a multimedia concert and lecture focused on the links between music and health, sponsored by the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS) and the Department of the Arts. The event will be held on Dec. 8, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) Concert Hall.

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Support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will lead to interactive data visualization platform

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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute held its Inaugural Scholarship Gala—and announced that is has raised over $24 million in scholarship support in the last two years—at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City Nov. 17. The Gala raised support for the Institute’s scholarship initiative, Bridging the Gap, and presented its newest honor, the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, to three recipients—IBM, Howard N. Blitman P.E., Class of 1950, and Curtis R. Priem, Class of 1982.

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A team from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been selected by Amazon to receive sponsorship for competing in the inaugural $2.5 million Amazon Alexa Prize competition.

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Carbon and nitrogen are central to life on Earth – life cannot exist without them, but an overabundance in the atmosphere imperils the life we have. So how much carbon and nitrogen is there on planet Earth? And how much was in the ancient atmosphere? Actually, no one is really sure.

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Naturally occurring chemicals found in de-icing road salts can alter the sex ratios in nearby frog populations, a phenomenon that could reduce the size and viability of species populations, according to a new study by scientists at Yale and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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As a mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1983, Dr. Guion S.Bluford became the first African-American to travel into space. He was also the first African-American to return to space for a second, third, and fourth time. Bluford will deliver a lecture titled “Freefall: Flying in Space,” on the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute campus on Wednesday, Nov.16. The event, hosted by the School of Science and the Student Success office, will be held in the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) Concert Hall, beginning at 7 p.m. The event is open to members of the Rensselaer campus and local community.

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Most people think of “hacking” as a computer security issue. But, to the members of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute student hackathon organization, dubbed “HackRPI,” it simply means using technology to develop or create something that’s never been used before, which for students is part of the excitement and challenge. Plans are underway to host the third annual 24-hour “hackathon” event on the Rensselaer campus Nov.12-13.