Channel - Presidential Colloquies

The President’s annual Commencement Colloquy is a tradition unique to Rensselaer, keeping with its mission to prepare the next generation to succeed and lead in this world by bridging disciplines and sectors. On the eve of Commencement, President Shirley Ann Jackson will moderate a panel-style discussion with the Rensselaer Commencement speaker, and other distinguished speakers, who all will receive honorary degrees.

8/22/2022 7:37:35 PM

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2007 Commencement Colloquy

President Shirley Ann Jackson will host our honorary degree recipients and Commencement speaker as they address the Rensselaer community. SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON, Ph.D., moderator, is the 18th President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y. Describing her as “a national treasure,” the National Science Board selected Jackson as its 2007 recipient of the prestigious Vannevar Bush Award for “a lifetime of achievements in scientific research, education, and senior statesman-like contributions to public policy.” Jackson is a former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and past president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner. His most recent book, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, received the inaugural Goldman Sachs/Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award. Friedman joined The New York Times in 1981 as a financial reporter specializing in OPEC and oil-related news. Friedman graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University with a degree in Mediterranean Studies and received a Master of Arts degree in Modern Middle East Studies from Oxford. DON HEWITT is executive producer of CBS News. Hewitt is best known for 60 Minutes, the groundbreaking news broadcast he created in 1968 and stepped down from as its executive producer in 2004. Among his many honors for television news is the Lifetime Achievement Award Emmy presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2003. Hewitt began his career with CBS News in 1948. MAE C. JEMISON, M.D., is the founder of the Jemison Group, Inc. In 1988, Jemison became the first African- American woman astronaut in NASA. Jemison served in the Peace Corps as a medical officer after receiving a Doctor of Medicine degree from Cornell University in 1981. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts degree in African American studies from Cornell University.

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/19/2007 8:00:00 AM

2008 Commencement Colloquy: “Leadership for a Sustainable Global Society: Discovery, Innovation, and Citizenship”.

A Presidential Colloquy will be held Friday, May 16, at 4p.m. in the Darrin Communications Center (DCC 308). Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer, will be joined by this year’s honorary degree recipients to discuss “Leadership for a Sustainable Global Society: Discovery, Innovation, and Citizenship”. David Gergen has spent his professional life immersed in American politics, as an advisor, analyst, author, commentator, and educator. He has worked on both sides of the political aisle as an advisor to four U.S. presidents: first as counselor then as special advisor to President Bill Clinton, as director of communications and assistant to President Ronald Reagan, as special counsel to President Gerald Ford, and special assistant to President Richard Nixon. Gergen is currently a professor of public service at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and director of its Center for Public Leadership. He also serves as editor-at-large for U.S. News & World Report, and provides political analysis as a regular guest on television, radio, and the Web. Gergen received degrees from both Yale University and the Harvard Law School. He served in the United States Navy, is an active participant in the nonprofit sector, and currently is chairman of the National Selection Committee for the Innovations in American Government awards program. Shirley Tilghman, Ph.D., a highly accomplished molecular biologist and educator, became the 19th president of Princeton University in 2001 — the first woman to hold the position. Prior to becoming president, Tilghman served as a member of the faculty at Princeton for 15 years. During her long career as a researcher she made a number of important scientific breakthroughs related to gene behavior and development, including participating in the cloning of the first mammalian gene. Tilghman is a national advocate for the advancement of women in science and has worked to promote efforts that encourage and enable young scientists to make the most of their early careers. Among other honors, she is a winner of the L’Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science and the Society for Developmental Biology’s Lifetime Achievement Award and, in 2007, was named one of America’s best leaders by U.S. News & World Report. Tilghman is a member of the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, and the Royal Society of London. Major General Charles Bolden Jr., USMC (Ret.) became an astronaut in 1981 after serving 13 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a pilot during the Vietnam conflict. After his selection by NASA, Bolden participated in four space flights, logging more than 680 hours in space. He served as pilot of both the January 1986 Space Shuttle Columbia mission and the April 1990 Space Shuttle Discovery mission, and as mission commander of the April 1992 Space Shuttle Atlantis mission and the February 1994 Space Shuttle Discovery mission. He retired in 2003 after nearly 35 years on active duty in the Marine Corps, including serving as commanding general of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing in San Diego, Calif. He now shares his knowledge on leadership with students and others around the country.

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/17/2008 8:00:00 AM

2009 Commencement Colloquy: "The Long View: Leading and Thriving in Challenging Times"

A Presidential Colloquy will be held Friday, May 15, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. in the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center Concert Hall. Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer, will be joined by this year’s honorary degree recipients to participate in “The Long View: Leading and Thriving in Challenging Times.” A reception will follow. KENNETH I. CHENAULT will deliver the opening remarks. A groundbreaking global business leader and mentor, he is chairman and chief executive officer of American Express Company. Before joining American Express in 1981, Chenault was a management consultant with Bain & Co. and an attorney with Rogers & Wells. Chenault serves on the boards of American Express and several other corporate and nonprofit organizations. A wide variety of civic, social service, and community organizations have recognized him for his public service leadership. In addition, he is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. SAMUEL JOSEFOWITZ ’42, industrial and chemical engineer, is one of the world’s most influential collectors of Post-Impressionist art. As a businessman and entrepreneur, he built some of the world’s largest record and book clubs, pioneering new ways of delivering culture and entertainment. In 1980, Josefowitz sold his business in order to concentrate on art, where his interests include Polynesian, Indonesian, and Pre-Columbian art, as well as Post-Impressionism. In 1998, Josefowitz, who had always generously lent and donated his art to museums, was honored with a gallery for his Pont-Aven collection in the Indianapolis Museum of Art. In 2005, he was made an officer in the Légion d’honneur by the French government in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to French culture. ROBERT C. RICHARDSON is the F.R. Newman Professor of Physics and senior vice provost for research, emeritus, at Cornell University. Richardson’s collaborative research in low-temperature physics has been recognized with numerous prestigious prizes and awards, including the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1996. Richardson is a fellow of numerous professional societies and his service on many national governing boards has helped set research and higher education policy. Of his many accomplishments, Richardson often highlights his 30 years of teaching college physics. PETER SCHWARTZ ’68, an internationally renowned futurist, business strategist, and author, is cofounder and chairman of Global Business Network, a Monitor Group company, and a partner of the Monitor Group, a family of professional services firms devoted to enhancing client competitiveness. Schwartz specializes in scenario planning, working with corporations, governments, and institutions to create alternative perspectives of the future and develop robust strategies for a changing and uncertain world. His first book, The Art of the Long View, is considered a seminal publication on scenario planning and has been translated into multiple languages. SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON, PH.D., moderator, is the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. President since 1999, she has led an extraordinary transformation of Rensselaer, including the new Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, the Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations, and the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center. A theoretical physicist, she chaired the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (1995-1999). Described as a “national treasure” by the National Science Board, she is a member of numerous prestigious boards and organizations including the National Academy of Engineering and the American Philosophical Society, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Physical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/15/2009 8:00:00 PM

2010 Commencement Colloquy - “Re-Igniting the Innovation Economy: Science and Technology”

Fri., May 28, 4-6 pm, EMPAC Concert Hall

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/28/2010 8:00:00 PM

2011 Commencement Colloquy "The Architecture of Change: Action to Impact"

President Shirley Ann Jackson invited the honorary degree recipients to participate in a discussion entitled, "The Architecture of Change: Action to Impact" on Friday, May 27, 2011 at 4 p.m. in the EMPAC Concert Hall.

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/27/2011 8:00:00 PM

2012 Commencement Colloquy - “Honoring Tradition, Responding to a Changing World.”

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., invites you to join her and the 2012 Honorary Degree Recipients as they come together to discuss “Honoring Tradition, Responding to a Changing World.”

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/25/2012 7:30:00 PM

2013 Commencement Colloquy ~ "Leading Cultural Shifts: Courage, Creativity, Commitment"

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/24/2013 7:30:00 PM

2014 Commencement Colloquy - “Creating Clarity in Complexity to Enable Transformational Change”

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., invites you to join her and the 2014 Honorary Degree Recipients as they come together to discuss “Creating Clarity in Complexity to Enable Transformational Change”

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/23/2014 7:30:00 PM

2015 Commencement Colloquy - “Resilient Leadership for a Resilient World.”

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., and the 2015 Honorary Degree Recipients come together to discuss “Resilient Leadership for a Resilient World.” The Colloquy will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 29, in the concert hall of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC).

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/29/2015 7:30:00 PM

2016 Commencement Colloquy - “The Unity Underlying Diversity: Multi-cultural, Intellectual, and Geographic"

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., and the 2016 Honorary Degree Recipients come together to discuss “The Unity Underlying Diversity: Multi-cultural, Intellectual, and Geographic.” The Colloquy will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 27, in the concert hall of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC).

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/27/2016 7:30:00 PM

2017 Commencement Colloquy - “Criticality, Incisiveness, Creativity"

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., and the 2017 Honorary Degree Recipients come together to discuss “Criticality, Incisiveness, Creativity.” The Colloquy will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 19, in the concert hall of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC).

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/19/2017 7:30:00 PM

2018 Commencement Colloquy-"Breaking Paradigms and Transcending Borders: Transformative Leadership in the 21st Century"

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., and the 2018 Honorary Degree Recipients come together to discuss “Breaking Paradigms and Transcending Borders: Transformative Leadership in the 21st Century.” The Colloquy will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 18, in the concert hall of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC).

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/18/2018 7:30:00 PM

2019 Commencement Colloquy-“Health of the Planet: Leadership for Local Care and Global Impact”

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., and the 2019 Honorary Degree Recipients come together to discuss “Health of the Planet: Leadership for Local Care and Global Impact”. The Colloquy will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 17, in the concert hall of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC).

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/17/2019 7:30:00 PM

2021 Commencement Colloquy-“Grand Challenges of Humanity … Opportunity in Disruption”

The grand tradition of the President's Commencement Colloquy - a lively and thought-provoking panel discussion moderated by President Jackson - will be held on May 21, 2021, and the theme for the discussion will be “Grand Challenges of Humanity … Opportunity in Disruption.”

The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Ph.D., President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/21/2021 7:30:00 PM

2023 Commencement Colloquium-"Against All Odds: The Power of Passion and Persistence"

Sometimes the cards are stacked against you and other times, they're in your favor. Moderated by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Acting Provost Mary Simoni, Ph.D., Against All Odds is an all-female panel featuring four dynamic and successful women in philanthropy and STEM who will inspire you with their stories and experiences as they discuss the power of passion and persistence in making the best of the hand you are dealt.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

5/19/2023 7:30:00 PM