Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (/rɛnsəˈlɪər/), or RPI, is a private research university and space-grant institution located in Troy, New York, with two additional campuses in Hartford and Groton, Connecticut. The Institute was established in 1824 by Stephen van Rensselaer and Amos Eaton for the "application of science to the common purposes of life" and is described as the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world. Numerous American colleges or departments of applied sciences were modeled after Rensselaer. Built on a hillside, RPI's 265-acre (107 ha) campus overlooks the city of Troy and the Hudson River and is a blend of traditional and modern architecture. The institute operates an on campus business incubator and the 1,250-acre (510 ha) Rensselaer Technology Park. Today, Rensselaer is organized into six main schools which contain 37 departments, with emphasis on science and technology. It is well recognized for its degree programs in engineering, computing, business and management, information technology, the sciences, design, and liberal arts. RPI's Science MBA, Engineering MBA and Master of Science in Technology Commercialization and Entrepreneurship are identified as highly inventive and innovative by the Peterson's guide. As of 2017, Rensselaer's faculty and alumni include six members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, six National Medal of Technology winners, five National Medal of Science winners, eight Fulbright Scholarshiprecipients, and a Nobel Prize winner in Physics; in addition, 86 faculty or alumni are members of the National Academy of Engineering, 17 of the National Academy of Sciences, 25 of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, eight of the National Academy of Medicine, and nine of the National Academy of Inventors. Research projects include the areas of Astrobiology and Astrophysics, Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Energy, Environment, and Smart Systems (EES), Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Computational Science and Engineering, and Cognitive Engineering.