Last month, the Lally School of Management, the business school at Rensselaer, hosted a series of special events to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Program highlights included the annual William F. Glaser ’53 Rensselaer Entrepreneurs of the Year celebration, a visit from the president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the daylong “Investing in Entrepreneurship” showcase that featured entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Internet pioneer Steve Case.
“The celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Lally School is part of an ongoing effort to highlight milestones of how the world has been transformed by the achievements of the Rensselaer community—past and present—as a bridge to the bicentennial of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2024,” said Thomas Begley, dean of the Lally School.
Rensselaer alumni and Pi Kappa Alpha brothers John Delbridge ’91, Jeffrey Stewart ’91, and David Uyttendaele ’91 were recognized as the 2014 William F. Glaser ’53 Rensselaer Entrepreneurs of the Year during an event held on Oct. 3. Established in 1990, the award brings the world of entrepreneurship into Rensselaer classrooms by recognizing successful entrepreneurs and role models who share their wisdom and experiences with students.
On Oct. 7, William C. Dudley, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, gave a talk titled “The National and Regional Economy” to students, faculty, and staff. The program was co-hosted by the Lally School, and the Department of Economics within the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at Rensselaer. The talk included a discussion of the national and regional economies, opportunities for growth, and the bank’s recent research on higher education.
Fifty years ago, in the midst of the space race, at the dawn of the information age, under the leadership of President Richard Folsom, the new School of Management was established. Institute leaders foresaw the exploding technological revolution, and wanted to ensure that our students were prepared to lead and succeed in the new era.”—President Jackson
The anniversary celebration concluded on Oct. 21, as the Lally School hosted a daylong showcase titled “Investing in Entrepreneurship” that featured conversations, startup pitches, and educational sessions designed to increase the pool of angel investors and entrepreneurial talent.
Program highlights included a panel discussion and workshop titled “Angel Investors and Entrepreneurs—How To Speak the Same Language,” which was part of the Jerome S. Reinert ’56 Visiting Executive Series Forum; and a pitch session featuring several local startup companies led by students from Rensselaer and area colleges, Rensselaer alumni and alumnae, and community members in search of venture capital.
“One-hundred and ninety years ago Rensselaer was established to apply science to the common purposes of life,” said Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson. “Since our beginning, on November 5, 1824, Rensselaer has been focused on scientific discovery and technological innovation; and on moving discoveries and innovations from the lab to the marketplace.”
“Fifty years ago, in the midst of the space race, at the dawn of the information age, under the leadership of President Richard Folsom, the new School of Management was established,” President Jackson said. “Institute leaders foresaw the exploding technological revolution, and wanted to ensure that our students were prepared to lead and succeed in the new era.”
Case participated in the concluding session of the daylong showcase. President Shirley Ann Jackson led a conversation with Case, titled “Cultivating Data-Driven Entrepreneurship.”
“Rensselaer people always have been discoverers and innovators,” President Jackson said. “Importantly, they always have been entrepreneurs—launching enterprises from Texas Instruments, National Instruments, and NVIDIA to the data-driven companies of today. An enormous amount of data is being generated by us, for us, and around us from multiple sources. The ways we generate it and mine, manage, preserve, and connect it, by harnessing powerful new analytical and computational capacities, will shape and change our world.”