After a record number of applications were submitted to the Institute this past year, the RPI Class of 2013 has shaped up to be a very diverse group of students. Read more...

On June 29, a fire occurred in the Jonsson-Rowland Science Center as a result of a laboratory accident during a routine procedure. Only one student suffered minor injuries in the accident and the fire was quickly contained. Troy firefighters responded to the scene and put out the blaze, but were later sent to the hospital for a check-up. Although nothing was wrong with the firefighters, Troy wanted to err on the safe side, as they stated they were unsure what chemicals could have been in the lab and what the firefighters could have been exposed to. Read more...

The best things in life come in threes. You have the Three Musketeers, the Three Stooges, the three Marx Brothers. So when you take the dynamic trio of Manny, Sid, and Diego, and add three adorable baby dinosaurs that think Sid is their momma, you have a recipe for laughter. Read more...

Big news has passed through the streets of Troy in recent days as both the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams have announced their schedules for the 2009–2010 seasons, as well as which student-athletes would be selected to captain the teams in what is expected to be an exciting year for RPI hockey. Read more...

Paul Marthers, Dean of Admissions at Reed College in Oregon, was appointed as Rensselaer’s new Vice President for Enrollment and Director of Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions in May. Marthers will replace James Nondorf, who announced that he would be accepting a position at the University of Chicago last March. The appointment will be effective as of August 1. Read more...

Rensselaer announced in mid-May that it had filled two of the empty dean positions. Evan Douglis will take over as the new dean of the School of Architecture and David Rosowsky will be the new dean for the School of Engineering. Rosowsky’s appointment will be effective July 15, while Douglis’ will be August 1. Read more...

As part of the burgeoning Rensselaer Engineering Education Across Cultural Horizons program, 40 of RPI’s engineering students studied abroad for the Spring 2009 semester, while 50 international students studied at RPI. The ultimate goal of REACH is to have every engineering student experience education overseas, primarily at one of RPI’s partner schools, though the program is flexible and will allow a variety of programs to count as a student’s REACH experience. In addition, in an attempt to broaden the international focus of the university, the REACH program seeks to have equal numbers of students from other countries study at RPI. This program aims to realize the vision that “every student will have an international experience,” according to Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Richard N. Smith. Read more...

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is initiating a “p.rogressive dialogue” on ways to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in New York State. The Empire State STEM Education initiative, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, launched on June 25 with a colloquy entitled “Carpe Momentum—Seize the Moment” in the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies Auditorium. Read more...

A research study supervised by Assistant Professor of Computer Science Barbara Cutler has produced a model that uses computer graphics to visualize lunar eclipses of the past and future. Using celestial geometry and data about the earth and moon, the model was able to create images nearly identical to photographs of the eclipses. Cutler and graduate student Theodore Yapo combined models dealing with the refraction and scattering of sunlight, the different layers of Earth’s atmosphere, and other astronomical occurrences to create their model. Cutler noted that the models can help with “investigations into historical atmospheric phenomena, and they could also be of interest to artists looking to add this special effect to their toolbox.” Read more...

Gwo-Ching Wang, professor and head of the Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been appointed the Travelstead Institute Chair. This endowed chair was established with a gift from G. Ware Travelstead ’60. Read more...

Welcome to RPI, Class of 2013! As you go through orientation, you will get lots of advice on how to go about your four (or five, or six, or seven ...) years here. You will hear both the cliché and the useful, but I would like to offer a few bits of knowledge from my experiences so far. Read more...

Ever since I was little, my mom would tell me stories about how her family left home for America because her mother wanted a better life for her children. Read more...

I hope that everybody is having a relaxing summer. To the Class of 2013: Welcome to RPI. You are about to enter a time in your life unlike any other, where you and your peers will undergo a transformation, becoming the next generation of professionals ready to enter the workforce. While this can be a daunting process, you will be surrounded by friends and people who are ready to help you make it through. The Rensselaer Union is here to help provide you with the resources you need—both to get through your studies and to help you escape when you need a minute away from the books. Read more...

Summer has reached its apex and we are fast approaching the return of life to the Rensselaer campus. Sure, there is Summer@Rensselaer, which many students take advantage of to whittle away their credit hours as the campus hosts many summer camps and conferences. But nothing compares to the beginning of the academic year on August 31, when everything (clubs, sports, and, yes, classes) fires up again. Read more...

Secretly like rap but cringe every time you hear the word “biatch?” Enter Hich-Kas: a rapper native to Tehran, who is at the forefront of the burgeoning rap movement in Iran. Born Soroush Lashgari, Hich-Kas (meaning “nobody” in Persian) combines the natural rhythm of the Persian language with traditional western rap styles to create something all his own. Hich-Kas’ latest (and only) album is Jangale Asfalt (Asphalt Jungle), which came out in 2006 and was produced by the Iranian hip-hop producer Mahdyar Aghajani. Read more...

The Sims is the single best-selling PC game series of all time. Back in 1989, a man named Will Wright designed a game called Sim City. He had the novel idea of a game where there was no real conclusion; no ending, no final boss, and no closing cinematic. In short, he took the lazy way out and allowed the players to take responsibility for their own entertainment. He took this to the extreme in his most recent game, Spore, where the player constructs every aspect of an organism’s existence. That being said, Wright was not involved in the development of The Sims 3. Thus, the game is slightly different than its predecessors. I’m going to openly assume that you, the reader, have already played or watched someone play The Sims in one form or another, so I can continue on as such. Generally, the gameplay remains very similar, but in The Sims 3 there is a much heavier emphasis on each Sim’s life goals and overall progress/success instead of a moment-to-moment effort to stay alive and satisfied. Read more...

If you don’t think you would enjoy the food in a building that used to be a plumbing supply store, you might want to think again. New World Bistro Bar is a unique dining experience nestled in a residential neighborhood in Albany. The restaurant makes a genuine effort to keep sustainability in mind, so you can feel good about having a nice night out. Read more...

The Rensselaer women’s softball team closed out its regular season in May with three doubleheaders against Utica College, Union College, and Skidmore College. Although the Red Hawks dropped the two against Utica, the ladies managed to split the other two doubleheaders, rounding out their overall record on regular season play to 23-12. Following the end of its regular season, the team finished out the year by participating in the ECAC Tournament, where they it took away three wins and two losses to finish out the season 26-14. Read more...