Thank you all for coming to my first Spring Town Hall as president of RPI. It is hard to believe that it has been nine months since Lyn and I moved here. In some respects, it feels like the time has flown by, but in other ways, it’s amazing to think of all that has happened in this time. In September we welcomed the largest first year class in the history of RPI (I am happy to let the faculty know that we are on track to have a class size this year which is closer to our annual target of 1650!).

I thank all of you for joining for what is the first RPI Town Hall for Lyn and me!I am very happy to have the chance to speak with you at this particular moment. After four intense months of getting to know the 21st century Rensselaer, I feel it is time to start working to address the hopes and challenges you’ve told me about—and to put our collective vision for RPI into action.

Welcome back, student-athletes! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of you already and I want to thank you for the warm welcome you’ve given me and Lyn. Being back on campus is really special for us. We are a sports family (maybe not on the field, but certainly in the stands!) and we’re so looking forward to watching you all compete in the amazing athletic venues we have here at Rensselaer. Athletics play an integral role in Rensselaer’s campus life by promoting teamwork and collaborative learning, as well as fostering pride, community, loyalty, and legacy.

Welcome to RPI! This is the largest class in Rensselaer history—and the most diverse—and we are looking forward to getting to know all of you. In the fall of 1977, as a first year RPI student, I was in exactly your shoes. In fact, I am a freshman again, starting my first year as President of RPI, after 41 years at MIT. 

It is my great pleasure to welcome the parents, family members, and guardians of the Class of 2026, and of the Architects of the Class of 2027. We are thrilled you and your sons and daughters have joined Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute!

Thank you all for joining me for the Welcome Fest kickoff barbecue. This is a special occasion for me, for a couple of reasons. One is that you are my first entering class as the 19th president of RPI. Another is that, back in 1977, I was exactly where you are today. At that point, I was still choosing between electrical engineering and architecture. I could not have imagined that my time here would lead me to MIT, or that my 40 years of experience at MIT would bring me back to lead my alma mater.