ON TUESDAY, APRIL 16, RPI WAS VISITED by U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Patrick Gallagher, who toured several of RPI’s leading-edge manufacturing and robotics labs. In these labs, RPI faculty and students demonstrated the work currently being conducted at RPI, showing Gallagher the ways in which the labs are being utilized. The research involved life-size manufacturing robots, ultrasonic welding of fuel cell components, laser processing, and biocomposite manufacturing. During the tours and a following dinner, Gallagher answered questions “about the most recent news coming out of the White House about U.S. innovation, industrial competitiveness, science, and technology,” according to Assistant Director or News and Editorial Services Michael Mullaney. Mullaney explained that “Manufacturing in the Capital Region and New York State is on the upswing. To capture and boost this momentum, the RPI CATS and CEG created the annual Advanced Manufacturing Conference for regional manufacturing companies to learn about the latest and greatest tools, strategies, and technologies for competing in the global marketplace.” The event was held on Tuesday, April 16, and Wednesday, April 17, of this week.