A monthly message from President Marty Schmidt ’81 on giving back & getting involved.
May carries a quality unlike any other month on this campus. The semester reaches its conclusion, the weather finally obliges, and something that has been building all year long becomes beautifully, unmistakably visible: our graduates are ready. They are ready to step into lives shaped by what they have learned, who they have become, and the extraordinary things this institution and community have made possible for them. I hope every member of our RPI family will find a moment this month to pause, look up, and share in that.
There is also much to celebrate beyond Commencement. One of our own has traveled to the Moon and back. Our students have elected new leaders with a record show of democratic participation. Spring has arrived in earnest in Troy. May is a month for celebrating what RPI is and what it does — in the world and in this community we are so proud to call home.
COMMENCEMENT 2026
Celebrating the Class of 2026 — Saturday, May 16
On Saturday, May 16, at 8:30 a.m., RPI will hold its 220th Commencement ceremony at the East Campus Athletic Village stadium. This year’s graduates — spanning the August 2025, December 2025, and May 2026 degree conferral periods — will be celebrated alongside two extraordinary honorands: The Honorable Dr. Darío Gil, Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy and former IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research, and Christine Ann Miller ’97, former President and CEO of Melinta Therapeutics. Both carry distinguished legacies of leadership and deep ties to this institution.
The ceremony will be livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot be present. Graduates should arrive at Harkness Field by 7 a.m. for check-in.
A Commencement rehearsal and the annual President’s Alumni Launch Party took place today, May 11, at EMPAC — a joyful opportunity to officially welcome the Class of 2026 into the RPI alumni family.
President’s Commencement Colloquy — Friday, May 15
The evening before Commencement, President Schmidt hosts the annual President’s Commencement Colloquy at EMPAC Concert Hall. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the program begins at 3:30 p.m., followed by a reception at Evelyn’s Café. Free and open to the public — registration required. This is one of the most intimate and intellectually lively events of the academic year, and a meaningful way to honor our graduates on the eve of Commencement. We hope to see you there.
RPI IN THE WORLD
One of Our Own, Beyond the Moon
Last month, RPI alumnus Reid Wiseman ’97 commanded NASA’s Artemis II mission — the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years. The crew launched on April 1, traveled farther from Earth than any humans in recorded history, and splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean on April 10. President Schmidt was among RPI’s leaders present in Florida for the launch.
“Feeling the rumble beneath my feet and watching the rocket soar into the sky was awe-inspiring, but what made it truly personal was hearing RPI alumnus Reid Wiseman’s voice communicating with NASA, both before launch and in those critical moments after takeoff,” President Schmidt said. “It was a powerful reminder that exploration is driven as much by human ingenuity as it is by courage — and a moment of immense RPI pride knowing one of our own was part of it.” Provost Rebecca Doerge, who also attended, called the experience “inspiring in a way that’s hard to put into words.”
Wiseman’s path from Troy to the stars is well-documented. After graduating from RPI with a degree in computer and systems engineering, he joined the Navy, became a test pilot, and was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 2009. He previously spent 165 days aboard the International Space Station in 2014, and after the loss of his wife Carroll to cancer in 2020, took time to focus on raising his daughters before accepting the call to lead Artemis II.
Wiseman is not the only RPI alumnus with a stake in the mission. Several RPI engineers staffed the mission’s control room, including Maeve Marshall ’23 and Paul McKee ’17, who supported navigation and docking camera operations from Johnson Space Center. As McKee noted, “My work at NASA is just the latest in a long line of RPI-NASA collaboration.”
In a deeply moving moment during the mission, crew member Jeremy Hansen formally requested that a newly discovered lunar crater be named “Carroll,” in honor of Commander Wiseman’s late wife. Reid Wiseman’s journey — from a dorm room in Troy to the far side of the Moon — stands as an enduring testament to where an RPI education, and the determination to use it, can take you.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
New Student Leaders Elected in Record-Breaking GM Week
GM Week 2026 set a new record for student civic engagement, with 2,826 students casting votes — the highest turnout in the history of GM Week elections. The results, certified unanimously by the Elections Commission, bring a new generation of leadership to the Rensselaer Union.
Grand Marshal
Jordan Krishnayah ’28
President of the Union
Kate Goldstein ’26, ’27G
Undergraduate President
Grace Meehan ’28
Graduate President
Melissa Flores ’28G
Congratulations to each of our newly elected leaders. The Rensselaer Union is one of the oldest and most proudly student-run unions in the country, and the record participation this year reflects how deeply our students care about the community they steward. We look forward to working alongside you.
IN THE COMMUNITY
May Dates to Know
May 16, 23, 30
Troy Waterfront Farmers Market has moved outdoors — The market transitions to Monument Square every Saturday through October, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fresh produce, local vendors, and the Hudson as a backdrop.
May 18
518 Day (United Way of the Greater Capital Region) — The region’s largest single day of volunteerism, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ciccotti Center, Albany. Hundreds of volunteers support dozens of local nonprofits. Learn more at unitedwaygcr.org.
May 21
CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge — For every 518 Day volunteer also registered, United Way GCR donates $10 to local charities, up to $10,000 total. A meaningful way to compound your community impact.
Ongoing
Sidewalk Warriors Troy — Every Thursday evening, 35 State Street (Christ Church Troy United Methodist). Setup 4:30 p.m., serving 6 p.m., breakdown 7:30 p.m. Contact Robin Fontanelli: (518) 265-7026 or visit sidewalkwarriorstroy.com.
Sources
Spectrum News
WGY / iHeart
The Polytechnic
A correction regarding our April edition: We have been made aware that a Student Experience item in last month’s Bridges drew from a 2025 article in The Polytechnic — “Rensselaer Endurance Motorsport and NASA-based competition club gain affiliation,” by Moiz Steenhuis — without attribution, and that the information was outdated at the time of publication. We apologize to The Polytechnic and to Moiz Steenhuis for the oversight.
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.