The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), in collaboration with the Albany Symphony, the New York State Canal Corporation / New York Power Authority, and WMHT, will host a symposium titled Reflections on Waterways: Intersections of Arts, Culture, and the Environment in New York on Friday, November 14, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Center For Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS) Auditorium at RPI.

The symposium revisits and reflects on RPI’s connection to the Erie Canal and the series of musical performances presented along the Erie Canal during its 200th anniversary, exploring how art, history, and the environment converge in shaping New York’s cultural identity.

Completed in 1825, the Erie Canal was the largest state-funded public works project of the 19th century and the first navigable waterway linking the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. The Canal transformed commerce, accelerated westward expansion, and forever altered the trajectory of U.S. history. Today, though its primary use is recreational, the Erie Canal remains a powerful symbol of innovation and community. Its legacy is preserved through museums along its corridor and recognized nationally as the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

When Stephen Van Rensselaer founded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1824, he envisioned a new kind of education. At that time, the college experience was passive; the typical college student attended lectures and took exams. Van Rensselaer wanted students to be active. He wanted them to participate in lectures, engage with the material, experiment and go into the field to learn and apply their knowledge. Now, as RPI enters its third century, in tandem with the Erie Canal, the institution stands ready to redefine what it means to lead in higher education.

“RPI is committed to supporting and sharing local history through the arts,” said Rebecca Doerge, Provost at RPI. “The Erie Canal, often called the internet of its day, had just opened when the first class of RPI students earned their degrees. The completion of the canal system revealed vast new opportunities for Rensselaer graduates to shape revolutions for an industrializing nation. Today, in partnership with some of New York State’s most innovative organizations, RPI faculty, students, and graduates are continuing to shape revolutions. This free symposium offers a forum for curious people from all disciplines to push the boundaries and embrace the transformative power of knowledge.”

The two and one half-hour program will feature screenings of videos on the history of the Canal and musical works originally commissioned for the Erie Canal Bicentennial, with RPI thought-leaders providing deeper academic, engineering, and music technology context and inquiry. The music, scholarship, and public dialogue will celebrate the ongoing legacy of both RPI and the Eric Canal, while also considering the role of waterways in shaping both past and future cultural life in New York State.

Program highlights include:

Opening remarks by Rebecca Doerge, Provost of RPI; a representative of the New York State Canal Corporation; and David Alan Miller, Artistic Director of the Albany Symphony.

Screenings of short documentary films produced by WMHT on the interlinking history between RPI and the inception of the Erie Canal, as both institutions embark on their third century of operation.

Screenings of Albany Symphony-commissioned musical works including Canton Tea Man’s Tale (Dai Wei) and Earth and Water (Clarice Assad).

Scholarly responses and commentary from RPI faculty, including Chris Tozzi (Science and Technology Studies), Rob Hamilton (Arts), and Kate Galloway (Games and Experiential Media).

Student presentations will highlight cutting-edge interdisciplinary work that engages themes of waterways, culture, and environment.

The symposium is free and open to the public. Please register at https://webforms.rpi.edu/registration-reflections-waterways. Coffee and light refreshments will be available in the morning, and boxed lunches will be available first-come, first-serve for those continuing to network after the closing address.

For more information and to register, please visit: https://webforms.rpi.edu/registration-reflections-waterways or AlbanySymphony.com.