The aim of Leaders in Action Conversations is to create a platform for current students and recent graduates to learn from the experiences of accomplished alumni. These conversations provide a unique opportunity for students to gain insights into real-world challenges and successes, allowing them to make informed decisions about their future paths.

Spring 2025 Schedule
Join us from 12:00 to 2:00 PM in the Great Room of the Heffner Alumni House for an inspiring lineup of speakers:

• 02/27 – Dr. Rebecca W. Doerge, Provost, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• 03/10 – Thomas J. Curran, Founder & Co-CEO, Curran Wealth Management, Curran Investment Management, and Hippo Tax Services
• 03/27 – Brigadier General Kimberly Marie Colloton ’92 (Architecture), MG, Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• 04/07 – Dr. William Conlon ’76G, '82PhD, President, Pintail Power
• 04/14 – Christine Ann Miller ’97, CEO, Melinta Therapeutics
   

Past Conversations:

Trustee Curtis Priem '82 During this session, host Prof. Azita Hirsa and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Curtis R. Priem ‘82 will discuss “the value of intellectual curiosity and mentorship through challenging questioning.” Participants will be able to ask relevant questions. Date: Thursday, December 25, 2024, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM in CBIS Auditorium 

Brendan Keegan '91  During this session, host Prof. Azita Hirsa and Mr. Brendan P. Keegan '91 — award-winning six-time president and chief executive officer, 19-time board director, two-time best-selling author and the leader behind the bFEARLESS movement — will discuss "Leading & Living through FEARLESS LEADERSHIP – Balancing Work, Life & Self." Participants will be able to ask relevant questions.  Date: Monday, October 7, 2024, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM in CBIS Auditorium 

Trustee Thomas Capek '86 The RPI community is invited to join Professor Azita Hirsa and Trustee Thomas Capek ’86, senior vice president and chief engineer at Corning Incorporated, as he discusses the evolution of his engineering career and leadership in the 21st century.  Date: Thursday, September 26, 2024, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM in CBIS Auditorium

Trustee Dr. John Capek B.S. ’83, M.E. ’84, M.E. ’85, MBA ’87, Ph.D. ’88 During this session, hosted by Prof. Azita Hirsa, Trustee John Capek B.S. ’83, M.E. ’84, M.E. ’85, MBA ’87, Ph.D. ’88, retired Executive Vice President at Abbott Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Abbott, a global healthcare company, will discuss the intersection of business, entrepreneurship, and science and engineering. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions related to the topic. Refreshments will be served following the session. Date: Thursday, August 1, 2024, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM in CBIS Auditorium 

Trustee Dr. John Bennett ’74 During this session, hosted by Prof. Azita Hirsa, Trustee Dr. John Bennett, '74, CEO of CDPHP, will discuss the principles of authentic leadership and what it means to embody this practice. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions related to the topic. Refreshments will be served following the session. Date: Monday, July 29, 2024, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM in CBIS Auditorium 

Dr. Rick Carter  During this session, host Professor Azita Hirsa will discuss the “evolution and rebirth of the semiconductor industry and leadership in a dynamic geopolitical environment” with Dr. Rick Carter, Senior Director of GlobalFoundries.  Participants will also be able to ask questions about any relevant aspects of the topic.  Date: Friday, July 12, 2024, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM in CBIS Auditorium 

Trustee TJ Wojnar ’80  The RPI community is invited to join Professor Azita Hirsa and Trustee TJ Wojnar Jr. '80 (retired) Vice President of Corporate Strategic Planning at ExxonMobil Corp., as they discuss factors that influence ethical decision-making, corporate strategy planning, and how business actions and choices align with societal values and standards. Participants will be able to ask questions. Date: Thursday March 28th, 2024, from 12:00 – 2:00 pm in the CBIS auditorium

Marc Eigner ’97, ’99G, ’99MBA During this session, host Professor Azita Hirsa will discuss leadership in action with Marc Eigner ’97, ’99G, ’99MBA, Executive Chairman of the Board of Datacubed Health.  Marc will discuss his experience starting, growing and selling an ethics and compliance based pharmaceutical software and consulting business, focusing on ethics as a business, as well as ethics related decisions faced by entrepreneurs. Participants will also be able to ask questions about any relevant aspects of the topic. Date: Monday, March 18, 2024, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM in CBIS Bruggeman

Dr. Paul DeLeo ‘92 During this session, host Professor Azita Hirsa will discuss leadership in action with Dr. Paul DeLeo ‘92, Senior Director at American Chemistry Council.  Paul will discuss topics such as bias, conflicts of interest, and scientific integrity associated with business decisions in the chemical industry.  Participants will also be able to ask questions about any relevant aspects of the topic. Date: Thursday February 29, 2024;  Noon – 2:00 pm; CBIS Auditorium

John E. Kolb '79, P.E.  As RPI gets ready to become the first university in the world to house the IBM Quantum System One, join host Prof. Azita Hirsa as she discusses leadership in action with John E. Kolb '79, P.E., Vice President, Information Services and Technology and Chief Information Officer. Participants will learn what it takes to place a technological institution at the top as Kolb has done through his dedication, and will be able to ask questions. Date: Thursday, February 15, 2024 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM 

Dr. Jason Eichenholz '93 Host Professor Azita Hirsa will discuss leadership in action with Dr. Jason Eichenholz '93, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Luminar Technologies, who will share his entrepreneurial career and RPI's profound impact on his professional success. Participants will be able to ask questions about any relevant aspects of the topic and can enjoy networking and refreshments from noon until 12:30, followed by the discussion itself at 12:30. Date: Friday, February 9, 2024 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM  in CBIS Auditorium

Trustee Linda Jojo '87 During this session, Prof. Azita Hirsa will discuss leadership in action with Trustee Linda Jojo as she shares her leadership experiences in the 21st century. Trustee Jojo will also answer questions about any relevant aspects of the topic that may be useful to attendees. Date: Monday, November 13, 2023 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in CBIS Bruggeman

Trustee Roy Davis '78  During this session, Prof. Azita Hirsa will discuss leadership in action with Trustee Roy Davis as he shares his leadership experiences, discusses what characterizes good leaders and good leadership, as well as how to communicate effectively in the workplace.  Trustee Davis will also answer questions about any relevant aspects of the topic that may be useful to attendees. Monday, July 17, 2023 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the CBIS Auditorium 

“Ten questions for Trustee Roy Davis '78 about Corporate Ethics" Members of the RPI community are invited to join Professor Azita Hirsa and Trustee Roy Davis as they discuss ethical considerations in organizational settings. Thursday, February 16, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the CBIS auditorium

The Online Ethics Center (OEC) is an international site that caters to the OEC community and visitors from all over the world. It is hosted by the University of Virginia, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 

OEC webinar recordings for 2024 - 2025 Academic Year:

• The Mysterious Relationship of Technology and Ethics (01/31/2025)
• Ethical issues on the frontier of organ replacement (03/07/2025)
• The Dark Pattern: Hidden Dynamics of Corporate Scandals (04/04/2025)
• Ethics: Some Finer Points
• Responsible AI: Moving Principles to Practice
• A Policy Framework For Anticipatory Neuroethics and Diverse Engagement Concerning CRISPR and Cognitive Conditions

OEC webinar recordings for 2023 - 2024 Academic Year:

• Ethical challenges on the frontier of organ and tissue transplantation
• 2024 Professional Ethics: Cybersecurity, Compliance, Audit & Law
• Navigating the gray space – Bioethics in the Pharmaceutical Industry and Innovative Technology
• On the Dark (Linguistic) Arts Practiced by Today’s Large Language Models with Dr. Selmer Bringsjord
• Operationalizing AI Ethics with Dr. Francesca Rossi
• Maintaining My Scientific Integrity: When Should I Blow the Whistle?
• Ethical Cultures in Corporations with Roy Davis

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Competes in Lockheed Martin’s Seventh Annual Ethics in Engineering Competition - 2024

Students Aaron Sucov and Dominic Smith traveled to Lockheed Martin headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, to compete in the seventh annual Ethics in Engineering Competition that took place Feb. 26 to Feb. 28, 2024.

More than 200 students and faculty from colleges and universities across the U.S. participated this year to present solutions to a business ethics case. This year’s hypothetical case highlighted the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence to assist NASA with accurately quantifying the risk of a collision between a detected asteroid and Earth.  Competitors were challenged to work together to find a solution to help determine if an asteroid detected by an existing ground-based telescope is a concern.

RPI competed against Hampton University, Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology, and University of Connecticut in the competition. In the finals, Rice University emerged victorious over runner-up The Citadel.  The quarterfinals featured students from Drexel University, Michigan State University, Penn State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University, and University of Southern Mississippi.
During this year’s event, students learned about Lockheed Martin’s mission, attended HR-sponsored workshops, participated in a paper airplane competition, and went on off-site tours.
Students also had opportunities to experience simulators and try out virtual reality stations.

Participants heard from Lockheed Martin executives and a panel of employees who are part of LM’s Early Career Leadership Development Program.

Featured speaker Bob Behnken, LM’s Director of Ignite Technology Acceleration and former astronaut, shared his experiences in space and talked about his current role at LM. He was joined by LM Program Manager Sandra Freund who shared her experiences leading the OSIRIS-REx Mission.

Lockheed Martin hosts this annual event in partnership with our faculty advisors to help students consider the importance of addressing ethical business practices in the fast-paced world of technology. As college students prepare to enter the workforce, exposure to case competitions provides an opportunity to explore their ethical decision-making processes.

To learn more about the event, please reach out to Prof. Azita Hirsa at hirsaa3@rpi.edu