Inauguration of President R. May Lee

Please join the Olin College of Engineering Board of Trustees, Faculty, Staff and Students as we celebrate the Inauguration of R. May Lee as the College's Third President.

The Inauguration of  R. May Lee, the Third President of Olin College of Engineering.

Friday, September 25, 2026 at 1:00 P.M. (EDT)

Campus celebration to follow the Ceremony. Have questions? Email gzolla@olin.edu.

Co-Authoring the Living Blueprint 

Olin has never been a finished product. Built on an architecture of unconventionality, it is shaped over time by the people who teach and learn, create and venture here. This inauguration theme extends a warm invitation to everyone to play a role in the making and becoming of Olin. Together, we mark this pivotal moment with the irreverent, hands-on joy and culture of play that defines our community. 

Kindly RSVP by August 31, 2026 

Voices of Olin: an immersive installation

Every unfinished thing carries a story.

Olin is a place built on making, and no prototype ever feels finished. To celebrate President May’s Inauguration, alumni, students and the wider Olin community contributed unfinished prototypes, sketches, project presentations and objects that represent a meaningful part of their Olin experience.

Our community shared meaningful artifacts along with their Olin story: why they made it, what they learned, why it remains unfinished, or what they hope it becomes.

Using motion-tracking and spatial audio technology, visitors to the campus exhibition will “activate” and hear the stories coming from the artifacts, displayed on illuminated pedestals.

A dynamic team of creatives collaborated to bring this installation to life: guest artist Daniel Rosenberg-Munoz, student Sammy Socol ’28, faculty Tim Sauder, alumna Gati Aher ’23.

Voices of Olin will remain on display in Milas Hall through October 3, 2026.

Symbols of Office 

During the inauguration ceremony, President Lee will be presented with Olin's charter and the presidential medallion. These symbolic items, along with the academic mace and the president’s regalia, make up the Symbols of Office. They are reminders of the important role that each president plays in guiding the institution forward.