Seven new members have been selected for induction into the Alumni Hall of Fame, bringing the total membership to 79. The 2015 Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame Induction will be held in the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center on Friday, October 2, as part of Reunion & Homecoming weekend.
Conceived in 1995, the Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame was created to honor the past while celebrating all generations of Rensselaer pioneers. For information on previous classes, visit the website.
William E. Gurley | Class of 1839
Lewis E. Gurley | Class of 1845
In 1852, the Gurley brothers founded W. & L.E. Gurley, one of the first manufacturers of precision measuring instruments in the United States. The innovative company, based in Troy, N.Y., met the growing demand for quality surveying instruments and grew to international prominence.
David L. Noble | Class of 1940
David Noble conceived and led the design and development at IBM of the 8-inch flexible floppy disk and associated disk drive mechanism, which launched a major new segment of the computer industry. Today, the floppy disk icon remains a universal symbol for saving files.
William M. Klages | Class of 1947
Bill Klages established his reputation as a lighting designer in the early days of television and has lighted landmark shows, entertainment specials, and events. The recipient of seven Emmy Awards, he was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 2012.
Stephen E. Harris | Class of 1959
A member of three national academies, Stephen Harris has been recognized for his pioneering contributions to the science of light, including groundbreaking research in nonlinear optics, and the first observation of electromagnetically induced transparency and its use for slow light.
John F. Schenck | Class of 1961
John Schenck was a key member of the research team at GE that developed the first high-field MRI scanner in the early 1980s. The 1.5 tesla magnet his team chose for the prototype became the industry standard, and MRI became a vital and widely used medical diagnostic tool.
E. Trifon Laskaris | Class of 1974 Ph.D.
The pioneering contributions of E. Trifon Laskaris to the design and construction of superconducting magnets have had a major impact on magnetic resonance imaging, a technology that has helped revolutionize modern medicine. His work as chief scientist at GE has resulted in more than 200 patents.