Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is a private research university located in Troy, New York, with a campus also situated in Hartford, Connecticut (a third campus in Groton, Connecticut, closed in 2018). Established in 1824 by Stephen Van Rensselaer and Amos Eaton, RPI is renowned for its focus on applying science to practical life purposes, making it the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world and the Western Hemisphere. Positioned on a hillside, the 265-acre campus offers scenic views of Troy and the Hudson River. RPI hosts an on-campus business incubator and the extensive Rensselaer Technology Park spanning 1,250 acres. The institute comprises six main schools housing 37 departments, primarily emphasizing science and technology fields. Classified as an “R1: Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity,” RPI boasts a distinguished faculty and alumni, including members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Science, Fulbright Scholarship awardees, and Nobel Prize-winning engineer Ivar Giaever.