Inauguration Keynote Speaker: Andreas C. Cangellaris, founding president, NEOM University, Saudia Arabia

Professor Andreas Cangellaris is the founding president of NEOM University in NEOM, Saudi Arabia. Since joining NEOM University in 2022, he has let the establishment and operationalization of the new university, the first educational institution within NEOM, a futuristic, AI-powered, and sustainable ecosystem in Saudi Arabi’s Tabuk Province.

Cangellaris’ full remarks at the inauguration of RIT President Bill Sanders:

Professor Cangellaris: Distinguished guests, members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, students, alumni, and cherished friends of the Rochester Institute of Technology—what a joyful occasion this is!

It is a profound honor to stand before you today to celebrate a new chapter in the life of this extraordinary institution and to mark the beginning of a presidency that promises vision, courage, and a human touch.

I am especially grateful to be here today, not only because the person we honor is a renowned scholar and transformative leader, but also because he’s been a steadfast companion and inspiration in my own life—Professor William Sanders.

The Sanders’ friendship and Bill’s professional collegiality have been twin treasures for me for almost four decades.

I can tell you many things about Bill, he was a dashing young man; a charismatic young professor; he was lucky in love—as all of you who know Emily realize; and he is very smart, bringing to bear an intellectual prowess that has taken him to the frontiers of science and engineering and established him as an influential scholar and leader.

Bill and I began our academic journeys together at the University of Arizona in Tucson, right as the Third Industrial Revolution, the Digital Revolution was reshaping our world. Computers and communication systems were fueling the digitization of our world, giving birth to the Internet, and launching us all into the dazzling Information Age. Bill was right at the heart of it—dreaming, building, and leading.

In the late 1980’s, when I joined the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at the University of Arizona, I was fortunate to be part of a dynamic, fun, energetic, ambitious crew of assistant professors. Bill immediately stood out. His kindness, his genuine interest in others, his open mind and bold imagination—he made everyone feel welcome and valued.

And ten years later, when our family moved to Urbana-Champaign so I could join the University of Illinois, Bill and Emily made it feel like home.

When Helen, my wife, went house hunting in Champaign, Bill and Emily insisted she stay with them. Their warmth and easy hospitality helped smooth our young family’s transition, which, I assure you, was not easy.  Leaving the striking beauty of the Sonoran Desert for the fertile plains of Illinois was a leap not just in geography, but in lifestyle.

They reassured us: Illinois would be wonderful—the magic of Big Ten football games in the crisp autumn air, the ease of raising a family in a close-knit community. (Of course, they conveniently forgot to mention the bone-chilling winters and the spring tornadoes!) For Bill and Emily, what really mattered was the people— the exceptional caliber and collegial spirit within the ECE department, as well as the supportive atmosphere fostered by the university community.

And they were absolutely right. Bill was a great part of that.

It didn’t take long to notice that everyone in engineering knew Bill—and people wanted you to know they knew him. Not just because of the caliber of his research, teaching, and service, but because of his personality.

A deep thinker, a thoughtful and effective communicator, Bill is at his best in the presence of others, enjoying and contributing to the richness of ideas and actions that a diverse community of people bring to bear.

The vibrancy of Illinois’ interdisciplinary research culture was tailor-made for Bill. The Coordinated Science Laboratory at Illinois, one of the nation’s foremost centers for interdisciplinary research and innovation, inspired and empowered Bill’s ambitious research pursuits. 

Our leadership roles at the University of Illinois were interwoven in ways that allowed me ample opportunities to observe Bill as an academic leader. From Founding Director of the Illinois’ Information Trust Institute to Director of the Coordinated Science Laboratory to Head of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, transformative impact and the success of the institution have always been the guideposts of Bill’s leadership.

He is a natural leader. He leads by heart. He mentors by inception—standing beside his colleagues as they discover the best in themselves. He engenders the cross-disciplinary cooperation that makes an academic institution the best it can be.

Bill’s unique blend of curiosity, creativity and drive brought together interdisciplinary teams of academics and their students to propose bold programs and initiatives addressing vital challenges for the nation and the world.

Beyond success in these endeavors, which was often accomplished, the greatest achievement of these collaborations was the creative, vibrant, lasting communities they forged.

Bill’s leadership of the ECE Department at Illinois was a beacon—he relentlessly advanced the department’s excellence and impact through the success of its students, faculty, and staff, and through the engagement of its alumni, its friends, all its stakeholders.

Bill has earned many awards, each testament to his impact. Among them, one notable achievement that speaks about the impact of Bill’s leadership at Illinois, is his 2018 Campus Award for Executive Officer Distinguished Leadership from the University of Illinois—a recognition I am especially proud of, having served as the dean that appointed Bill as ECE Department Head.

Let me share a line from Bill’s nomination that captures the spirit of his leadership: “Bill envisioned the department’s new building as an opportunity to gather faculty members, students and staff in collaborative spaces where ideas could be exchanged. A colleague described him as ‘an exemplar of effective leadership who has led diverse groups through strategic improvements for our department.’”

Bill’s fascinating journey to the presidency of RIT cannot be discussed without recognizing the significant role that trust has played in facilitating this achievement.

Trust is a bedrock of effective leadership in any context, but its significance is magnified within the university environment, where a leader must unite individuals across disciplines, backgrounds, and interests in pursuit of a shared vision.

A university leader who truly embodies trust—through consistency, integrity, and a commitment to shared goals— cultivates a climate where everyone feels empowered to contribute, take risks, innovate, and work toward a meaningful mission.

Bill understands deeply the significance of trust. His research pursuits and his academic leadership have served him well as the laboratories and the proving grounds for the advancement of the importance of trustworthiness to the safety and prosperity of our world.    

Dependability of complex systems, and the computational challenge of its predictive modeling, were a big part of his research pursuits. Bill’s pioneering contributions in this area opened wide an interdisciplinary field of education and research whose significance and impact has been felt by industries and governments alike in their efforts to keep pace with and make the best out of the Information Age.  

A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Bill is renowned for his contributions to the advancement of the science and engineering of trustworthy cyber infrastructures for societal-scale systems.

In 2016, Bill was recognized with the IEEE Innovation in Societal Infrastructure Award for his trailblazing research on the advancement of information trust and the security of the digital backbone on which our world is becoming increasingly dependent for its safety, well-being, and prosperity.

Information trust is central to our safe and successful pursuit of the intriguing opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution at the nexus of human thought and artificial intelligence. Beyond his expert technical understanding of trustworthy cyber-physical systems, Bill’s deep appreciation of the pivotal role people play in ensuring that these systems steward and advance the safety and prosperity of humanity will prove invaluable as he guides RIT with wisdom, responsibility, and care.

RIT stands at the crossroads of creativity and technology, innovation and inclusion. It is a place where the future is imagined and built—where students are empowered to shape the world.

Nearly two centuries after its founding as the Rochester Athenaeum in 1829, RIT’s steadfast dedication to the convergence of education in the arts, the sciences, and industry continues to drive its mission and impact as a premier university. 

This harmonious convergence is essential for human progress. Aristotle’s words, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” are more relevant now than ever.

In this moment, with the world intrigued, yet uncertain and anxious, about the potential and promise of artificial intelligence, as these AI systems of our creation appear ready to advance from being at our service to becoming our peers and possibly our masters, institutions of higher education face deep responsibilities, unique challenges and exhilarating opportunities.

We must rethink how we teach and learn, how we research and discover, how we inspire and innovate. We are challenged to reassess our role as mentors and educators of the citizens of tomorrow whose choices, decisions, and actions will shape the world’s future.

In these times our responsibility as educators is truly profound. To meet the moment, we need leaders who are wise, courageous, visionary, collaborative, and inspiring—leaders we can trust to bring the university community and all its stakeholders together, to comprehend the challenges and propose and advance and right path forward.

Bill Sanders is that leader, for this very moment.  

I am full of admiration of RIT for choosing Bill to be its next president. You have chosen a leader who will honor your legacy and elevate your future.

His dedication to serving the institution’s best interests is unwavering. His energy and resolve are truly inspirational.

As someone who exemplifies trustworthiness, Bill will be the nexus of the RIT community, empowering the success of its students, faculty and staff, bringing the alumni home with pride and mission, and leveraging each relationship to broaden the university’s impact and ensure its leadership in an ever-changing world.=

So today, as we celebrate President Sanders’ inauguration, let us also celebrate the values that brought us here: community, trust, responsibility, integrity, respect, and care.

Let us walk forward together—with confidence in the future, with optimism, gratitude, and excitement for the journey ahead.

Congratulations, President Sanders!

May your presidency be as transformative as your character is inspiring!

Thank you.