9/11 memorials
Many events around campus will mark tomorrow’s two year anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. At 8:46 am, the time the first plane struck tower two of the World Trade Center, members of the ROTC will lower the flags around campus to half-staff. Also at 8:46, President Jackson and Vice President for Student Life Eddie Knowles will deliver remarks at the flagpole on 15th Street and Sage Avenue.
At noon, a campus wide moment of silence will be observed. A dinner reception will be held on the Hassan Quad at 4:30 pm, followed an hour later by a discussion panel entitled “Historic Memorials, Commemoration, and Remembrance” in Sage 3303. After introductory remarks from President Jackson, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences John Harrington, Alan Balfour, dean of Architecture, and Professor Emeritus Michael Halloran will discuss memorials of the tragedy. University of California, Davis professor Carole Blair will also talk about plans for the World Trade Center site.
Alumni director named
After serving as acting director of alumni relations for more than a year, Jeffrey Schanz has been named to the position permanently. He will manage all of the programs run by the Office of Alumni Relations and serve as executive director of the Rensselaer Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Schanz served in similar capacities at Marist College, where he received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, before coming to RPI in 2000. As the acting director, Schanz led the volunteer relations program, which saw a 30 percent rise in alumni volunteers and was nationally recognized.
Schanz was picked following a national search conducted with the help of an outside executive search firm. The committee that selected Schanz was comprised primarily of Rensselaer alumni.
Alumni name fellow
William Renfro ’67 will be presented with the Rensselaer Alumni Association Fellows Award next week. The award is given to both alumni and non alumni who have set an example for the men and women of Rensselaer to follow.
Renfro’s volunteering history to the Institute includes his service on many committees and as a cofounder of the Robert Resnick Lecture Program, named in honor of the former RPI professor and author. Renfro is a lecturer and author and is currently president of the Policy Analysis Company, a firm based in the nation’s capital that looks into international issues.
In addition to a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree from Rensselaer, Renfro also holds a Master’s degree from Yale and a juris doctorate from the University of Connecticut. The award will be presented when he visits September 17, by the departments of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy.
Award Nominations
On Sunday, October 26, 2003, Rensselaer’s ninth annual Honors Convocation will be held in the Alumni Sports and Recreation Center at 11 am. Approximately one percent of the student population will be honored this year — around 70 from each of Rensselaer’s schools.
Nominations for the highest award given out, the Founders Award of Excellence, are being accepted until September 25. The award is for a student “who embody qualities of creativity, discovery, leadership, and the values of pride and responsibility at Rensselaer.”
Nominations can be submitted by students, faculty, and staff. For a nomination form, call 276-5364 or e-mail Joseph Michels, director of university events at michels@rpi.edu.
