The Forty-Eighth Commencement Exercises at the Hartford campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute took place under a bright sun and blue skies on Saturday, June 4, 2005. The 324 graduates of the Class of 2004-2005 celebrated with their families, friends, and loved ones, and were applauded by the faculty, staff, and administration of Rensselaer. The graduating class was welcomed into the ranks of the Rensselaer alumni community.

Graduates Arrive and Check In

Commencement Exercises

The Exercises began with a Hartford campus tradition, the academic processional led by bagpiper, Charles Murdoch. The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, presided over the ceremony. Several awards were presented and John J. Anthony, who graduated with an M.S. in Computer Science, was a big winner, walking away with three plaques. Anthony was honored for his work at the 21st Annual Rensselaer at Hartford Computer Science Seminar Conference. He was awarded “Most Original Paper” and “Most Outstanding Presentation” for his work entitled, “The Cost of Reliability: A Comparison of Reliable and Unreliable Web Service Messaging.”

Anthony also received the Outstanding Student Award for Computer Science from the Department of Engineering and Science, while Todd M. Gustafson, who graduated with an M.S. in Electrical Engineering, was presented with the Outstanding Student Award for Engineering, also from the Department of Engineering and Science. Kelly S. Magnuson, who graduated with an M.B.A., received the Outstanding Student Award for Management from the Lally School of Management and Technology. Click HERE for more information on the Outstanding Student Award winners.

Anthony with Professor Heidi Ellis

Commencement Address

The address to the graduates was delivered by John P. Casey (’81 M.B.A.), President, General Dynamics Electric Boat. Casey emphasized the importance of having the capacity to build and maintain personal relationships, and the need for emotional intelligence to complement expertise and technical knowledge. He elaborated, saying “Emotional intelligence is key to leadership development.” He went on to say, “Know your job. Know your people. Know yourself….Stand behind your values every day.” Casey also hit on the three “Ps,” explaining that many leaders recognize product and performance values, but fewer understand people values. “Harness creativity and the power of your people,” he stated.

Conferring of Degrees

President Jackson and G.P. “Bud” Peterson, Ph.D., Provost, then conferred the master’s degrees to an enthusiastic and cheering assembly beaming with pride. The graduates were congratulated and everyone who supported them during their pursuit of academic achievement were recognized and heartily thanked.

Picnic Lunch

The ceremony was followed by a delicious picnic luncheon on the grounds of the Hartford campus. The ice cream cart was extremely popular, as was the wide variety of merchandise for sale by the Rensselaer Shoppe. It was truly a glorious day for Commencement!