April 2026 Bridges: Connecting Campus and Community

A monthly message from President Marty Schmidt ’81 on giving back & getting involved.

April has a particular quality on this campus — the trees are beginning to bud, the days are finally long enough to notice, and there is an unmistakable shift in the air. It’s the kind of month that holds two things at once: the accumulating weight of a nearly-finished academic year and the genuine excitement of what comes next.

For our students, that weight is real. Projects are wrapping up, final exams are on the horizon, and the sprint to the finish is underway. I want to say directly to every student in our community: we see the effort you’re putting in, and the entire RPI family is behind you. Take care of yourselves. Lean on the people and resources around you. Finishing well matters, but so does taking care of yourself getting there.

I also want to share some wonderful news about the students who will join us next fall. On March 21, we welcomed 621 accepted students and their families to RPI for the first Accepted Student Celebration of the spring. What I witnessed that day was a community at its best — faculty sharing their passion, current students speaking honestly and proudly about their experiences, staff going out of their way to make every family feel genuinely seen. This is who we are, and I am grateful for every person who showed up to demonstrate it.

April 11 brings our second and final Accepted Student Celebration, and I hope you’ll find a way to be part of it. Beyond that, I want to encourage everyone to look outward to the broader community this month. Troy is coming alive. The riverfront is calling. And the organizations that support our neighbors — including the United Way of the Greater Capital Region — continue their work every day, in every season. There are simple, meaningful ways to get involved, and I hope you’ll consider one.

ACCEPTED STUDENT DAY: MARCH 21 RECAP

On Saturday, March 21, RPI welcomed 621 accepted members of the Class of 2030 and their families to campus for the first Accepted Student Celebration of the spring. Across the day, prospective students explored academic departments, visited labs, attended student panels, and had the kinds of genuine conversations with faculty and staff that shape a decision in ways no viewbook ever could.

To everyone who opened their doors, shared their story, or simply went out of their way to make a visiting family feel welcome: thank you. You are what makes this place worth choosing.

UPCOMING ACCEPTED STUDENTS DAY: APRIL 11

Our second and final Accepted Student Celebration of the spring takes place on Saturday, April 11. This is another pivotal opportunity to help shape the incoming Class of 2030, and every warm and authentic interaction our guests have that day carries real weight in the decision they’re working toward.

How You Can Help

  • Reach out to the Office of Enrollment Management to ask how you can volunteer, present, or simply be a welcoming presence on campus that day.
  • Consider opening your department, lab, or student organization for informal visits or demonstrations.
  • If you have a connection to an admitted student, reach out personally to share your own RPI story.
    On April 11, be present and be proud. You never know which hallway conversation makes the difference for a future Engineer.

RPI FORWARD: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

RPI Forward reflects our deepest commitments as an institution — to rigorous discovery, to the preparation of students who will shape the world, and to a genuine, sustained relationship with the communities in which we live and work.

Community engagement is not a side note to that mission. It is woven through it. Whether through partnerships with local schools and nonprofits, expanding access to RPI’s expertise and talent, or contributing to Troy’s economic and cultural vitality, we are actively building something here: an institution that has earned its place in this city, not just occupied it.

This spring, we invite every member of our community to consider what that engagement looks like in their own sphere — through service learning, mentorship, volunteering, attending a local event, or simply showing up for a neighbor. These aren’t add-ons to the work of an engineer or a researcher or an administrator. They are part of the story we are writing together as RPI.

GOOD NEWS FROM RPI

Institutional Highlights

  • Rπ Giving Day on March 14 was a record-setting success — the RPI community came together to raise over $1 million in a single day — the first time we have reached the $1 million mark in the event’s history! Gifts supported scholarships, student clubs and organizations, athletic programs, research platforms, and the Rensselaer Annual Fund. Thank you to every donor, challenger, and volunteer who made it happen.
  • The new RPI Sports Performance & Wellness Department is being launched thanks to a transformational gift from Linda Pitzi Jojo ‘87, ‘92G and Bob Jojo, unlocked through Rπ Giving Day. The department will take a multidisciplinary approach to student-athlete development, grounded in data, technology, and holistic wellness — a meaningful step forward for RPI Athletics.
    Athletics Highlights

Athletics Highlights

  • Men’s Lacrosse is on a roll, defeating MIT 17-10 and holding off Williams 11-10 in back-to-back home contests at ECAV Stadium. Cooper Manzi has been outstanding, leading the Engineers in scoring across both matches.
  • Women’s Lacrosse bounced back with a strong 16-12 Liberty League win at Skidmore on March 18, featuring seven different goal scorers. Camille Stackhouse and Abigail Couzens each finished with four goals, and goalkeeper Halley Feaga turned in a 60-minute effort with 11 saves.
  • Track & Field sent six national qualifiers to the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama — including distance standout Julianne Bleskoski, who qualified in both the 3000m and 5000m, and the men’s Distance Medley Relay squad.
  • Men’s and Women’s Tennis opened Liberty League play with 6-1 victories over St. Lawrence, setting a strong tone for the spring season. 

SAVE THE DATE: COMMENCEMENT 2026

The 220th Commencement ceremony is set for Saturday, May 16 at the East Campus Athletic Village. We look forward to celebrating the Class of 2026 and all they have accomplished. Volunteers are an essential part of making Commencement run seamlessly — if you're interested in helping out on May 16, please reach out to commencement@rpi.edu.

SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS THROUGH THE FINAL STRETCH

As the semester winds toward its close, the pace of student life intensifies. For many students, the coming weeks bring a convergence of final projects, presentations, and exams that demands everything they have. The RPI community — faculty, staff, and fellow students alike — plays a real role in helping everyone cross the finish line well.

Finals season can be hard; reaching out for help is a strong and positive step. Rest, good food, and human connection are not luxuries during a stressful stretch — they’re what make sustained effort possible.

To the Class of 2026 in particular: you have worked for this. Finish strong.

APRIL IN TROY: GET OUT AND CONNECT

Spring is arriving, and Troy is one of the finest small cities in the Northeast to experience it. Here are a few ways to step off campus and into the community this month:

Troy Night Out — Friday, April 25 | 5-9 p.m. | Downtown Troy: The monthly celebration of arts, culture, and community returns for a spring edition. Local galleries, shops, and restaurants open their doors with special events, live music, and creative energy throughout downtown. A welcome reward after a long week, and a great reminder of everything Troy has to offer. downtowntroyny.org/troy-night-out.

Earth Day — Around April 22 | Citywide: The City of Troy coordinates community-wide cleanup and stewardship activities around Earth Day each year, bringing together residents, students, and neighbors to care for parks, green spaces, and streets across the city. A grounding way to invest a few hours in the place we call home. Details at recycling@troyny.gov.

Troy Waterfront Farmers Market — Saturdays, Transitioning to the Riverfront in May: The outdoor season is nearly here. The market moves to its River Street home along the Hudson as spring fully arrives — a wonderful Saturday morning habit worth building. Local produce, crafts, and community in one of the region’s most vibrant settings.

Ongoing — Sidewalk Warriors Troy: Unity House Food Pantry: Every Thursday evening at the corner of 5th Avenue and State Street (35 State Street at Christ Church Troy United Methodist). Setup 4:30 p.m., serving 6:00 p.m., breakdown 7:30 p.m. Volunteers are always welcome to help distribute hot meals, fresh produce, and essential supplies to over 120 neighbors in need each week. Contact Robin Fontanelli at (518) 265-7026 or sidewalkwarriorstroy.com.

Consider Supporting United Way of the Greater Capital Region:
The United Way of the Greater Capital Region serves nine counties and addresses our neighbors’ most pressing needs — from food security and housing stability to early childhood education and health access. The needs don’t pause when the weather turns warmer, and neither does the opportunity to help.

For RPI employees, one of the simplest and most sustained ways to give is through payroll deduction — a small, recurring contribution from each paycheck that adds up to meaningful, year-round support for the organizations that keep our region strong. To set up payroll deduction or make a direct gift, contact Jacqueline Farmer at farmej@rpi.edu, or give directly at unitedwaygcr.org. You can also browse volunteer opportunities at unitedtovolunteer.org/need.

If you’ve been considering getting involved, April is as good a time as any to take that first step.

ONGOING VOLUNTEER AND SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES

Food Security

  • RPI Student Food Pantry — East Campus Community Center, 2 Edgehill Terrace. Drop-off: Tuesdays 1–4 p.m., Wednesdays 9 a.m.–12 p.m., Fridays 11 a.m.–2 p.m.. Most needed: soup, tuna, pasta, rice, beans, toothpaste, soap. Email offcampus@rpi.edu.
  • Hope 7 Community Center — 520 Pawling Ave. Open weekdays 9:30–11:45 a.m., Thursdays 5–7 p.m., last Saturday monthly. hope7.org
  • Unity House Food Pantry — 2431 Sixth Ave. (518) 274-2607. Recovery efforts continue following the January fire at the Kathryn Allen Center — your support makes a difference. unityhouseny.org

Community Service

  • United to Volunteer — Year-round volunteer opportunities across food security, literacy, housing, and more. unitedtovolunteer.org/need
  • Capital Roots — Urban farm programs and community gardens across the Capital Region. (518) 274-8685.

 

Bridges is published monthly by the Office of the President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Questions or ideas? Contact the President’s Office at president@rpi.edu. 

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