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RPI holds inauguration for school’s 19th president

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Dr. Martin Schmidt was inaugurated as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s new president on Thursday. Since taking office in July, Dr. Schmidt hopes to focus on four themes to further the opportunities and education available at RPI.

He believes in building college classes to create a pipeline to science and engineering jobs for students. He specifically mentioned the development of the semiconductor industry with the hope that the passage of the CHIPS Act can further opportunities for students.

“Not only does it secure the pipeline of semiconductors for today, but there are going to be lots of innovations moving forward when we advance chip technologies,” Dr. Schmidt explained. “There’s a real spirit of innovation and education on this campus, and I think there’s an opportunity to do even more.”

Dr. Schmidt graduated from RPI in 1981. He then earned his PhD in electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Now, he’s excited to finish his career in higher education where it all began.