The theme of this year’s Commencement is navigating the ever-changing world during the economic crisis. All four honorees—Schwartz, Samuel Josefowitz ’42, Kenneth Chenault, and Robert Richardson—who will be receiving honorary degrees at the Commencement ceremony have had experience in uneasy times and, according to President Shirley Ann Jackson, can offer much from their experiences to the colloquy preceding Commencement, entitled “The Long View: Leading and Thriving in Challenging Times.”

Schwartz received a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering and astronautics while at Rensselaer. “Coming back to give the Commencement address is a profound honor for any alum,” Schwartz said, “and in my case, the feeling I have about coming back has everything to do with [Jackson] … I am impressed with the advances in education and human knowledge that Dr. Jackson has enabled the students to participate in.”

Schwartz is a futurist and business strategist, who specializes in scenario planning and works with corporations, governments, and institutions to develop alternate perspectives of the future and create new strategies for a constantly evolving world.

In addition to working on several books as author or co-author, Schwartz has also served as head of scenario planning at Royal Dutch/Shell and as director of the Strategic Environment Center at SRI International. He also has served as a script consultant on films such as Minority Report, Deep Impact, Sneakers, and War Games.

“In the midst of extraordinary global economic uncertainty, we will honor four world-class leaders who understand the importance of taking the long view,” Jackson said in a press release. “They are educators, entrepreneurs, and innovators. They have demonstrated what is possible at the intersection of science, arts, and engineering. They embody the power of scientific discovery and technological innovation to change the world.” Schwartz participated in the 2009 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier this year—which Jackson also attended.

“Beyond the near future lies almost unimaginable potential for those who know how to apply their considerable intellectual power to getting things done when they are with new technologies, designing new buildings, expanding vital infrastructure, and even reinventing what it means to be human,” Schwartz said. “Take the opportunity of the economic disruption to expand your maneuvering room, learn more, try more, and contribute more.”

Schwartz cited relationships formed at RPI as being an important preparation for life outside of RPI. “Aside from the obvious and important body of knowledge embodied in my studies—some of which I mastered and, sadly, some of which I did not—there were three experiences from my RPI days that were fundamental to my future, none of which I would have anticipated when I graduated.”

Friendships that he developed with two professors as well as the Protestant chaplain at the time introduced him to various ideas that would later play into his professional life. Professor Merritt Abrash introduced Schwartz to concepts that pushed him towards improving the way institutions make decisions about the future, while Chaplain Herb Hodgeson gave him “the human tools critical to building enduring companies.” Finally, he took away the lesson from Professor Joe Duffy that there are complex dynamics to each situation. Schwartz suggested students “get to know the people this campus has to offer.”