Although our academic community seeks always to acknowledge and reward outstanding individual and collaborative accomplishments as they happen, it is important that we have occasions when we focus our attention on the people whose excellence and support form the very essence of our university. We are blessed as a community to have people among us who exemplify the remarkable place Rensselaer has become.
On Thursday, I will join the Board of Trustees, the faculty, and the administration for the annual Celebration of Faculty Achievement events. On Friday, I will join our accomplished scholarship students at the annual Celebration of Student Support luncheon, as they meet some of the generous donors who help fund their education at Rensselaer. As the semester reaches its conclusion and we begin preparations for the holidays and New Year celebration, this is an ideal time to celebrate our community and the people who make this such a special place to learn, live, and grow. Please take a moment with me to recognize the combined achievements of the year and thank some very important members of our faculty and community for their achievements and contributions.
It was a remarkable year for Rensselaer. We were recognized again this year in the U.S. News & World Report college rankings as one of the top 50 universities in the nation. In October, BusinessWeek included Rensselaer among the 60 “most forward-thinking design schools.” Rensselaer was nominated for “Savviest Nonprofit of the Year” in the Nonprofit Awards for Excellence sponsored by Institutional Investor News and the Information Management Network. And Fortune magazine counted Rensselaer’s Lally School of Management and Technology among the nation’s best business schools, noting that our program has “entrepreneurial flair” and is “best for double majors.” These achievements for Rensselaer were earned largely by the hard work, dedication, and creativity of our students and faculty.
At the Celebration of Faculty Achievement, the community comes together to acknowledge the individual achievements of some exceptional men and women on the Rensselaer faculty. Their continued commitment, talent, and perseverance as teachers, researchers, writers, artists, entrepreneurs, editors, and inventors should make us all proud to be part of this top-tier university.
This year our faculty have been bestowed outstanding national and international awards and honors. Eleven faculty members were elected Fellows of the nation’s most influential societies, including two – Toh-Ming Lu, R. P. Baker Distinguished Professor of Physics, and Wilfredo Colon, associate professor of chemistry and chemical biology – who were elected 2007 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. I have a particular appreciation for that honor, having served as president and chair of the board of the AAAS.
Three of our faculty members were awarded prestigious National Science Foundation Early Career Development Awards. They are Daniel Gall, assistant professor of materials science and engineering; Ana Milanova, assistant professor of computer science; and Wai-Kin (Victor) Chan, assistant professor of decision sciences and engineering systems. Dr. Chan was also named one of the “Nation’s Brightest Young Engineers” by the National Academy of Engineering.
Just last week, a team of Rensselaer faculty led by professors Tarek Abdoun, Thomas Zimmie, and Ricardo Dobry received an assortment of prestigious awards – including the Commander’s Award for Public Service – from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for their contributions to the rebuilding of New Orleans’ levees.
The faculty are the backbone of this institution. These are just a few examples of the achievements that we will recognize at the celebration. The faculty we honor have brought great distinction to themselves, to their colleagues, and to Rensselaer. I salute them, and the entire faculty, for their vision and success.
I also salute the students, who bring recognition to Rensselaer through their energy, knowledge, and talent. At the Celebration of Student Support, we will celebrate philanthropic support for the truly precious gift of education.
Our donors’ scholarship and fellowship support helps fund the education of more than 420 graduate and undergraduate Rensselaer students. It removes some of the financial obligation that so many of our brilliant students must bear. This week we celebrate the gift of scholarship from one generation to the next. We celebrate our ever-expanding legacy of support and academic achievement.
Both of these celebrations remind us that we are part of a truly amazing community, comprised of remarkable individuals. As we look back at yesterday’s accomplishments, we also look to the future, to the generations ahead, as Rensselaer and all members of our community continue to grow and achieve new heights.
It is my pleasure to recognize publicly all the faculty, students, and donors we will honor this week, and to thank the members of our community for making Rensselaer the special place it has become.
