The Times Union reports that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has opened an office in Washington, DC that will be used as a "base of operations" for a number of campus constituencies. According to the article:

... RPI's Office for Government and Community Relations would increase the school's exposure in Washington and help it shape federal and state research in technology. Through its contacts in Washington, the office also hopes to persuade lawmakers, federal officials and researchers from government agencies to visit and lecture at RPI....