As December arrives and the year draws to a close, our community takes on a special glow — not just from the lights adorning our streets, homes, and the trees on ’86 Field, but from the warmth of human connection that illuminates these shortest days.

As November arrives, gratitude fills the air. It’s a time when we pause to appreciate the people and places that sustain us — and to look for ways to lift others, especially as the days grow shorter and the year winds down.

As autumn deepens, I am reminded that giving back is more than a seasonal act — it is part of the ethos we cultivate here at RPI. Our progress, our innovations, and our successes are built not in isolation, but in interaction — with neighbors, with local institutions, and with the city we call home.