By Dave Lucas
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Troy, NY – This week, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is celebrating the 175th anniversary of civil engineering at the college. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
"The Rensselaer School" was established in Troy in 1824 by Stephen Van Rensselaer, quoting here --- "for the purpose of instructing persons ... in the application of science to the common purposes of life." In 1833 the school became "the Rensselaer Institute", and in 1861 "Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute." It is 175 years to the day - On October 14, 1835, scientist and educator Amos Eaton posted a notice informing faculty and students at the fledgling Rensselaer Institute about the awarding of a new degree: civil engineering. It was the first civil engineering degree awarded in the United States.
Today, the sprawling campus is a beehive of activity - new buildings mixed with old - ongoing construction projects - This is also Reunion and Homecoming weekend at the college, which will look back at the world-changing innovations of the Institute's civil engineering graduates and faculty, and look forward to the challenges awaiting today's civil engineering students.
Scheduled activities include today at 2 p.m., Rensselaer's School of Engineering will present the prestigious 2010 Davies Medal Award to James K. Mitchell '51. In his presentation, "Soil Mechanics to Geotechnical Engineering: 60 Years in the Evolution of a Discipline," Mitchell will explore how geotechnical engineering plays a vital role in solving present and future problems in both constructed and natural environments. Also on Oct. 14, the Folsom Library will hold a reception for its latest art exhibit, Re-Inspired, An Artistic Navigation of the Erie Canal, which combines engineering and art into a creative account of the development of the Erie Canal.
Tarek Abdoun, Class of 1997, professor and acting department head of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rensselaer, will deliver his State of the Department Address at 9 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 15, in EMPAC's Goodman Studio 1. He will discuss research projects led by Rensselaer faculty and students that are reshaping the field and practice of civil engineering.
Click here for the full schedule of events.
See Also: James K. Mitchell to receive Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Davies Medal