Dear Campus Community,

It is an honor and a pleasure to rejoin you as president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The opportunity to lead my undergraduate alma mater is a special one, and I’m excited to build on our strengths.

As I begin this new role, I look forward to meeting and speaking with as many of you as I can. I’m especially interested, over the weeks and months ahead, in listening to your thoughts and ideas, even your dreams, for the future of Rensselaer. Together, we can continue the university’s tradition of interdisciplinary research, collaboration with partners in government and industry, and pedagogical innovation. Just as importantly, we can commit to creating an environment that is welcoming and inclusive for all our members.

Beyond campus, the past few years have been a time of upheaval and division. But Rensselaer’s students, graduates, and faculty have always built bridges, sometimes literally, connecting shore to shore; other times they connect people to each other and to solutions for the problems we face.
It’s been more than four decades since my wife, Lyn, and I first arrived here. In that time, the university has been transformed. I believe Rensselaer’s future is even brighter, and I’m very excited to help shape that future with you.

Martin A. Schmidt
President