MY BEYOND THESE TOWERS STORY

Of WPI’s many proud traditions, legacy is an especially meaningful one for many WPI families. For Ryan Johnson ‘01 his WPI legacy story began with his grandfather Joseph Johnson ’46 and includes five family members who have proudly worn the crimson and grey.

Joseph Johnson, an Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) brother who played football and managed the baseball team during his time at WPI provided his son Philip (Phil) Johnson ‘71, ‘77 with enough advanced knowledge of the

Joseph Johnson ’46

school and its offerings that the second-generation Johnson confidently followed his father’s footsteps to the Hill. “Although my dad was a member of the Class of 1946, he was part of the WPI Navy V-12 program and graduated a year early to satisfy his year of service. Following graduation, he spent his entire career at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in Connecticut and passed away in 2003. He was a regular attendee at milestone alumni weekends, and in fact, was celebrating his 25th class reunion the day I graduated.” says, Phil.

Having celebrated his 50th class reunion last year, Phil explains he was further drawn to WPI by the chemistry major he intended to pursue, the university’s smaller size, and its New England location. Retiring in 2019, he spent eighteen-years at an industry leading Massachusetts optical company followed by thirty-years with a Rhode Island company that was Uvex Safety, and then Honeywell Safety Products, where he designed and manufactured personal protective equipment (PPE). Phil Johnson recalls his WPI experience fondly. “During my time at WPI, I very much enjoyed the challenge of both the technical discipline of my undergraduate chemistry degree, and later the business focus of my management science and engineering degree. Both offered me multiple skills that served me well across a number of career roles including vice president of research and development (R&D) at Uvex Safety, and Honeywell Fellow.”

Joseph’s grandson and Phil’s son, Ryan Johnson became the third generation of Johnsons to attend WPI. “I was always proud to tell other undergraduates my father was a WPI graduate, and now that some years have passed since I myself have graduated, it’s still a very nice bond for us to share.” The biotechnology major is currently an attorney and partner with Fenwick & West. His practice focuses primarily on representing life sciences companies in patent litigation. He also advises life sciences companies on a variety of patent strategy matters. “It’s probably not the most traditional post-WPI career, but for me, it’s the perfect blend of science and advocacy.” says Ryan.

Recalling his time on the Hill, Ryan says, “I believe that my experiences at WPI—all the very good ones and even some of the more challenging ones have truly shaped who I am professionally. The WPI education experience fosters a kind of independence and personal responsibility that ultimately have made me a more effective professional, I think. And despite not directly working in science or engineering, everything I learned about chemistry, biology, biotechnology, etc., at WPI has been immensely valuable to my work as a patent litigator/counselor on an almost daily basis.”

When asked how it felt to follow in both his father and his grandfather’s footsteps, Ryan says, “Being a WPI legacy student made me more aware of the university’s rich history. I believe that I felt a stronger connection to the school than most of my closest friends, who weren’t legacy students.” Adding, “I did not choose WPI because my father and grandfather were graduates, but because it was the best option for me. So, I was sure to make my WPI experience my own. And of course, having my younger brother Chris join me on campus for a year (he was a freshman when I was a senior) was an additional layer of family connection that made for a truly unique and special college experience.”

Chris Johnson ’04, a management information systems major was quite familiar with WPI’s campus and educational values by the time he arrived on the Hill. “I felt very confident about attending WPI in my father’s footsteps. When I was younger, there were two of my father’s strengths that I tried to emulate as much as possible: work ethic and decision making. I saw my father exhibit these traits throughout my life. So, when he and I discussed options for my education, and he explained the value of his WPI education, I knew if I worked hard and maximized the resources at the school, I could have a similar experience.” Chris has spent his career in the financial services industry, currently serving as head of financial planning & analysis at Edelman Financial Engines, top rated independent financial advisory firm in the nation.

Reflecting on how his WPI education laid the foundation for his career, Chris says, “The fast-paced, rigorous quarter system at WPI was very helpful in preparing me for the challenges I faced after graduation. At WPI, you need to demonstrate proficiency in complex subjects within a hurried seven-week timespan, and as projects and initiatives in the business world often have short deadlines where teams need to quickly assess and solve complex problems, I am a strong believer that WPI’s term system helps prepare students for what we encounter in our careers.”

Though each of the Johnsons took their own path to and through WPI, one important thread woven among the three generations was the brotherhood of Greek life. “Greek life has been a big part of my family’s relationship with WPI.” says Ryan. “My brother Chris and I are both brothers of Theta Chi fraternity and were very involved with the fraternity as undergrads (and are still involved to some extent today). Meanwhile, my father and grandfather are Alpha Tau Omegas; my father is still involved with ATO at WPI. I respect my father for letting me and my brother choose our own paths when it came to Greek life, and I think Chris and I both found our tenures at Theta Chi to be meaningful experiences (and also a lot of fun). Unfortunately, my sister Ashley declined to break the 2-2 stalemate and chose to marry Stefan Nicotra ’09, a WPI Sigma Phi Epsilon brother, but we’ve embraced him as family all the same!”

Nicotra, an industrial engineering major joined the WPI Johnson family legacy when he married Ryan and Chris’ sister Ashley. He has spent his entire career with Consigli Construction and is currently a senior project manager with the company. When asked about his choice to attend WPI, Nicotra said, “I knew I wanted to play football in college, but I wanted to ensure I attended a school that also provided me with a top-level education and solid career prospects. WPI provided me with the best opportunity for both and was a natural fit.” Offering gratitude for how his education positively impacted his professional career, he said, “The project focus and quarter system definitely helped prepare me for my professional career. The seven-week terms train you to be focused and proactive towards reaching your goals, and I found working with a team to be much more applicable in the working world than understanding how to take a test.”

Nicotra’s membership in the Johnson family and on the Consigli Construction team (who perform a great deal of work at WPI), make Nicotra sometimes feel like he’s never left campus. “Not only do I share WPI with my family, but there are also dozens of WPI alumni who work at Consigli Construction. I also remain quite close with a lot of my former teammates and classmates. It’s good to see how much WPI has been able to help set us up to be successful and contributing members to society.”