As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to thank you for all that you do to make RPI such a remarkable place. While we continue to grapple with the changes emanating from Washington, I can also say that it’s been a truly energizing semester. That is a reflection of the dedication, collaboration, and shared purpose of our entire community.

In October, we welcomed alumni and guests to campus for Reunion & Homecoming. A highlight of the weekend was the ribbon-cutting of a newly renovated gathering space in the Rensselaer Union, attended by former Grand Marshals and Union Presidents. It was a wonderful celebration of RPI’s enduring tradition of student leadership. Photos and videos from the weekend are available online.

This fall has also brought exciting research and innovation milestones. We launched two major initiatives: the Center for Smart Convergent Manufacturing Systems, driving innovation in manufacturing, and the Semiconductor CoLab, advancing semiconductor research and microelectronics education.

Our community’s achievements extend beyond research, reflecting the RPI spirit of excellence and impact. Earlier this month, Shekhar Garde was formally invested as the Thomas R. Farino, Jr. ’67 and Patricia E. Farino Dean of the School of Engineering, the first endowed deanship in RPI’s history, established through a $5 million gift from the Farinos.

We also announced the second $750 million phase of a $1.5 billion comprehensive campaign. As I shared at our annual State of the Institute event during Reunion & Homecoming, the Campaign for Our Third Century has four key pillars: strengthening and extending education, scaling research excellence, deepening community and partnerships, and rebuilding our campus to achieve our goals. The campaign is a call to action for everyone who believes that RPI is just as relevant and important today as it was in 1824.

Finally, we celebrated Eben Bayer ’07 and Gavin McIntyre ’07, co-founders of Ecovative, who were named the William F. Glaser ’53 Entrepreneurs of the Year for their pioneering use of biodegradable mycelium-based materials in construction, fashion, consumer packaging, food, and more.

It is your hard work and dedication that make everything we achieve together possible. Thank you for helping move RPI forward.

Lyn and I wish you and your loved ones a safe, joyful, and peaceful Thanksgiving.