November 5, 2023 marked the 199th year of our alma mater, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which was originally established as the Rensselaer School in Troy, N.Y. As we enter the Bicentennial year, we reflect on our history, celebrate our legacy, and look toward our future. Being alumni, we are each a piece of this history, and I invite you to join me in honoring it and becoming an integral part of our future. 

Over the next 18+ months, there will be a variety of events on campus, regionally and virtually, to commemorate the long-lasting impact that RPI has made. Please stay tuned for more information at alumni.rpi.edu, and then make sure to “Save the Date” for Reunion & Homecoming 2024, happening September 27– 29! We look forward to seeing you there.

We had a beautiful fall weekend for this year’s Reunion & Homecoming – it was great to see so many of you on campus celebrating! The weekend was jam-packed with exciting programming – including the unveiling of RPI’s IBM Quantum System One computer, the announcement of the Bicentennial logo, the RAA Awards Ceremony where we recognized 14 alumni volunteers, four students, two faculty members, and the 2023 Chapter of the Year, Pittsburgh. Congratulations to all! 

I wanted to take a moment to highlight how incredible an opportunity the IBM Quantum System One computer is for RPI and our future. I think Curtis Priem ’82 said it best – “this will be the only quantum computer on a college campus in the universe, not just the world.” The potential is endless, and I cannot wait to see what our students and faculty discover with this tremendous asset. 

RPI President Marty Schmidt ’81 talked a lot during Reunion & Homecoming about “skating to where the puck is going, not where it is.” Let’s ensure that Marty and his team can do just that and prepare for the next 200 years; please contact the Rensselaer Alumni Association Board via RAA@rpi.edu for ways to get involved. We are excited to celebrate with you and are incredibly honored to be a part of this history. As you take a moment to read and enjoy the enclosed class notes from your fellow alumni, I hope you will reflect on your own time at RPI and the memories we all share as graduates. 

In the meantime, head over to rensselaerfirsts.com, the RPI Bicentennial website, for some highlights on over 100 “firsts” across RPI’s history.