The Graduate Program in Architectural Acoustics offers an intense curriculum in acoustics for effectively shaping sonic environments to achieve optimum acoustic performance and sound quality. The Program offers studies toward both Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees. This unique program in architectural acoustics provides the knowledge for next-generation acousticians involved in room acoustics, psychoacoustics, acoustic and vibration measurement techniques, and sound reinforcement.

The Program offers the knowledge and skills needed for advanced practice and applied research. Fieldwork develops the experience of sensitive perception of sound environments and musical performance, and industry relations give access to advanced techniques and materials used in acoustical practice.

Latest News

Students Visit Boston Symphony Hall

04/29/08- A group of students from the Graduate Program in Architectural Acoustics made a field trip to Boston Symphony Hall on April 29, 2008. After finishing a series of room-acoustic measurements in the Hall, Dr. Leo Beranek led the RPI students on a tour of the hall, and told many legendary stories about the hall design and Wallace Clement Sabine, the pioneer of the modern architectural acoustics. Following the measurements and the tour, the RPI students visited Acentech and met with Acentech consultants along with Dr. Leo Beranek, Dr. David Griesinger, and a group of MIT students to discuss their on-going research projects at RPI and Acentech.

3 Students Receive the Prestigious Newman Medal

11/25/07- Joseph Digerness, Yun Jing, and Dorea Ruggles each received the Robert Bradford Newman Student Medal for Merit in Architectural Acoustics, given by the Robert Bradford Newman Student Award Fund and the Acoustical Society of America. The medal is in recognition of excellence in the study of acoustics and its application to architecture. Additional details can be found at the Newman Fund's website.

Paul Calamia and Yun Jing receive ICA Young Scientist Grants

05/01/07- Prof. Paul Calamia and Yun Jing have each received a Young Scientist Grant from the International Congress on Acoustics for their research to be presented at ICA 2007 in Madrid in September:

"Culling insignificant diffraction components for interactive acoustic simulations," Paul Calamia and Peter Svensson (Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology);

"Investigation on higher orders of spherical harmonics equations for efficient room-acoustic predictions," Yun Jing and Ning Xiang.

Dorea Ruggles receives an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

03/25/07- Dorea Ruggles, a graduate student in RPI's Graduate Program in Architectural Acoustics, is a 2007 recipient of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. This prestigious fellowship is awarded to outstanding graduate students who demonstrate the potential to become knowledge experts and who can contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering. Dorea's area of research is speech intelligibility. With NSF fellowship support she is going to pursue her Ph.D. research in the area of binaural room-acoustics evaluation in the Ph.D. Program of Architectural Sciences in the School of Architecture. She is a 2006 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, where she studied physics and music.

Distance and Intimacy: Musicians Transcend Distance to Join Voices Over the Internet

03/22/07- On Thursday, March 22, 2007, four ensembles located across the States came together via Internet2 for a co-located performance of improvisational music. Tintinnabulate, an ensemble helmed by pioneering composer Pauline Oliveros and co-run with Jonas Braasch's CARL group at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy NY, joined Chris Chafe’s SoundWire ensemble at CCRMA Stanford University, Cynthia Payne’s DANM group from UC Santa Cruz, and Sarah Weaver’s Weave Soundpainting Orchestra at Chicago’s Loyola University. Together, the four groups performed original works by Pauline Oliveros and Else Olsen S., an improvisational celleto concerto featuring Chris Chafe and conducted by Sarah Weaver, and an improvisation with interactive visual art by Arthur van der Harten. The night featured a range of instruments from multi-channel celleto, laptop, harp, electronics, and live video manipulation. The ensembles were also joined by dancer Asimina Chremos. The event was not only attended by audiences at all locations, but also broadcast live to the public through the world wide web.

This project is a part of ongoing research in high quality internet transmission between artists across the globe. The performance was made possible by a technical collaboration between Jonas Braasch, Dan Valente, Juan Pablo Caceres, Lynne Sheehan, Jim Warner, Bob Vitale, Joe Owens, Terry Figel, Lyle Troxell, and Christopher Sorg, along with various members of all the ensembles.

Graduate students visit Acentech, Inc. for a round-table meeting with consultants and students from the University of Nebraska Acoustics Group.

03/16/07- Prof. Xiang and eight RPI graduate students visited the office of Acentech, Inc. in Cambridge, MA to take part in a round-table meeting on current projects and research with consultants as well as students from the University of Nebraska Acoustics Group. Each student made a short presentation on her/his thesis project. Dr. Leo Beranek was also present, and delivered a lecture on "Audience absorption in concert Halls".

Graduate students visit the Institute of Acoustics at Tongji University in Shanghai and the Institute of Acoustics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

03/02/07 - 03/14/07- Prof. Xiang and five RPI graduate students visited the Institute of Acoustics at Tongji University in Shanghai and the Institute of Acoustics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing during a two-week field trip to China. In Shanghai they worked ogether with Tongji acoustics graduate students, led by Prof. Shengwo Sheng, on a series of standard acoustics experiments using their acoustics facilities. In Beijing they met with Prof. Maa Dah You, Prof. K. Liu, and a large number of acoustics graduate students. They also toured various new performing arts centers, building sites, and acoustics laboratories in both cities.

Prof. JiQung Wang from the Institute of Acoustics at the TongJi University in Shanghai Lectures at RPI

02/06/07- Prof. Wang paid a visit to the Graduate Program in Architectural Acoustics at RPI on February 6 - 8, 2007 and delivered a lecture on the "Acoustics of Courtyard Theaters".

Dr. David Griesinger from the Harman Specialty Group Lectures at RPI

01/30/07- Dr. Griesinger delivered a guest lecture for the Graduate Program in Architectural Acoustics at RPI on January 30, 2007 about the "Perception of Concert Hall Acoustics when the Reflected Energy is Stronger than the Direct Energy".

An Institute-Wide Academic Minor in Architectural Acoustics is Now Available

10/27/06- The minor in Architectural Acoustics is open to all Rensselaer students. Please click here for details.

Dr. Thomas Rossing, World Renowned Expert in Musical Acoustics, Lectures at RPI

10/19/06- On Thursday, October 19, Dr. Thomas Rossing delivered a lecture entitled, "Acoustics of Percussion Instruments, Old and New". He discussed the modes of vibration of bars, membranes, and plates and the physics of several percussion instruments, including drums, cymbals, gongs, bells, stone chimes, and Caribbean steel pans.

RPI Students Win Student Design Competition at the ASA Conference in Providence, RI

6/6/06- Anthony McCreery, Indi Savitala, and Arthur VanDerHarten won first honors for their architectural design at the meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Providence, RI. Their entry can be seen here. There were more than twenty entries from numerous schools. In addition two other groups from RPI, Matt Boyd and Dan Valente as well as Jarrod Whittington, Zühre Sü, and Gordon Rubin won commendations for their designs. More information on the competition can be found at www.newmanfund.org.

Graduate Student Wins Student-Paper Award

6/6/06- Graduate student Zühre Sü placed second in the Student Paper Competition in the area of the Architectural Acoustics during the Providence Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in June 2006.

Former Graduate Students Win Awards

6/6/06- Former graduate students Courtney McGinnes and Ken Andria each received a 2006 Newman Student Award from the Acoustical Society of America, a prestigious award bestowed upon Architectural Acoustics students.

Acoustician Red Wetherill Gives Guest Lecture

6/1/06 Acoustician Red Wetherill visited RPI and gave a guest lecture on some of his experiences as an acoustics consultant. In the photo he is seen working with two acoustics graduate students, Indi Savitala and Anthony McCreery.

Wooster Theater Group Visits Gurley NYSTAR Sound-Field Composition Lab

5/25/06 The Wooster Experimental Theater Group visited the Gurley NYSTAR Soundfield Composition Lab to experience the multi-channel rendering of audio using Virtual Microphone Control.

RPI Student is Awarded Fellowship from AT&T

5/23/06 Gordon Rubin was awarded a three year fellowship from AT&T for his Ph.D. research in the Architectural Acoustics Program. Rubin, currently a Master's student, will be continuing his research in Laser Doppler Vibrometry.

Leo Beranek Gives Lecture on Sound Quality

4/19/06 Renowned acoustician and author Leo Beranek came to RPI and gave two lectures to the students and staff. He also had an open book signing for his book "Concert Halls and Opera Houses".

Jonas Braasch Receives Lothar Cremer Award

3/20/06 Jonas Braasch received the Lothar Cremer Award, the highest honor of the German Acoustical Society (DEGA) for a young career scientist.

Richard Lyon Gives Guest Lecture

3/09/06 Richard Lyon, former MIT professor and president of Lyon Associates, visited the RPI Graduate Program in Architectural Acoustics and delivered a guest lecture on Statistical Energy Analysis applied in vibration-control projects.

Wolfgang Ahnert Speaks on EASE Software

2/15/06 Wolfgang Ahnert of ADA came to RPI to speak with students about using EASE acoustic modeling software and other acoustic modeling techniques. Ahnert remains a regular visitng professor and more information about him and his software can be found in the Faculty and Staff page.