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RPI President's Commencement Colloquy



President's Commencement Colloquy

“Driving Technology Innovation in Industry” 

Join us on May 9 for a Fireside Chat between RPI President Martin A. Schmidt ’81 and Lisa Su, chair and CEO of AMD.  

Doors open at 3 p.m. Colloquy begins at 3:30 p.m. in the EMPAC Concert Hall followed by a reception at Evelyn’s Café. Free and open to the public. 

Register Now  

Martin A. Schmidt ’81, Ph.D., and his wife, Lyn, invite you to the President’s Commencement Colloquy, a special Fireside Chat featuring Lisa Su, Ph.D., chair and CEO of AMD, TIME’s CEO of the Year, and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI.

Get ready to engage in a dynamic conversation exploring the rapidly evolving world of technology. Hear directly from Dr. Su, who led AMD through a remarkable transformation to a global leader in high-performance computing, advanced graphics, and emerging AI technologies.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear firsthand from two visionary leaders about driving technology innovation in industry. This free event is open to the public and will be followed by a reception with refreshments in Evelyn’s Café. We hope to see you there!

Martin A. Schmidt ’81

Dr. Martin A. Schmidt is the 19th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), the first technological research university in the U.S. Founded in 1824, RPI is recognized as a premier university, noted for its robust and holistic learning community that connects creativity with science and technology. Under his leadership, RPI is advancing emerging fields like quantum computing and semiconductor research to address urgent global challenges.  

An accomplished researcher and entrepreneur, Dr. Schmidt holds more than 30 U.S. patents and has founded or co-founded seven startups, several rooted in his pioneering work in microfluidics. Prior to RPI, Dr. Schmidt served as provost and senior academic and budget officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He earned his B.S. from RPI in 1981 and his S.M. (1983) and Ph.D. (1988) in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT. 

Lisa Su

As chair and chief executive officer at AMD, Dr. Lisa Su has led the company’s transformation into the industry’s high-performance and adaptive computing leader, helping solve the world's most important challenges by delivering the next-generation of AI and computing solutions.  

Dr. Su is TIME’s CEO of the Year, one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a recipient of the Global Semiconductor Association’s Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award and the Grace Hopper Technical Leadership Abie Award. The IEEE recognized her with the highest semiconductor honor, the Robert N. Noyce Medal. Dr. Su is vice chair of the board of directors for the Semiconductor Industry Association, and is on the Department of Homeland Security’s Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board. 

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