All Over Albany

The character in the SUNY Poly CNSE seal?

JES emailed us recently:

Been noticing the new signs, etc. on the Nano [College] buildings. Do you know what the mythological character is that has been added to those signs?

The character in the logo seal is the god Hermes from Greek mythology.

And why did SUNY Poly CNSE pick Hermes?

Here's the answer from Jerry Gretzinger, VP for strategic communications and public relations at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering:

The logo seal image is that of Hermes, the herald of the Olympian gods, who is befitting of SUNY Poly CNSE's mission to serve as a 21st century educator, innovator, and economic catalyst. Hermes is regarded as the author of many inventions, such as the alphabet and numbers, underscoring SUNY Poly CNSE's groundbreaking educational paradigm and leading-edge research platform; as the god of commerce and promoter of interaction among nations, akin to SUNY Poly CNSE's partnerships with leading global companies and organizations; and for his helpfulness to mankind, consistent with nanotechnology's role in driving new discoveries and technologies to benefit society. In some myths he is a trickster, and outwits other gods for the sake of humankind, utilizing his vast knowledge and diverse capabilities to achieve great progress. Aided by the wings on his sandals and his cap, Hermes traveled with great swiftness, an embodiment of SUNY Poly CNSE's recognized agility in exploring and implementing new opportunities to educate, innovate, and enable economic vitality.

So, there you go.

By the way: As JES and many others already know, the figure depicted in UAlbany's symbol is Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom.