Rensselaer board adds three new members

The new RPI Board members took their places officially on Jan. 1.
The new RPI Board members took their places officially on Jan. 1. | File photo

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute board of trustees has added three new alumni as members: Frank Fischer, Daniel Pickett III, and Siva Sivaram.

“As alumni, each of these individuals has a personal understanding of, and appreciation for, the great legacy of Rensselaer, and of the transformation that has recently taken place,” RPI President Shirley Ann Jackson said. “They also share our vision for the future, one in which we embrace and embody the new Polytechnic. As members of the Board of Trustees, each will play a critical role as we support and sustain our commitment to innovative pedagogy, global challenge linked research, and a transformative student experience.”

Fischer is a member of the RPI Class of 1964 and an experienced medical industry executive. He is CEO of NeuroPace and has also served as president and CEO of Heartport Inc and Ventritex Inc.

Pickett is a member of the RPI Class of 1990. He is the co-founder, CEO and chair of the business technology company nfrastructure. He also manages the private investment firm Hudson River Capital Holdings. In previous positions, he has presided over companies controlling more than $1 billion in assets. Pickett has also gathered higher education board experience as a member of the Albany Medical College Board.

Siva Sivaram is a member of the RPI class of 1986 and the executive vice president of memory technology for SanDisk. Sivram has founded and managed a solar-panel business, served on the boards of several startup companies, and held executive positions at Intel and Matrix. He has also published work on chemical vapor deposition and taught at San Diego State University.

The new members took their places officially on Jan. 1.