MY BEYOND THESE TOWERS STORY

Although Victoria “Tori” Fleek ’15 began her academic journey as a Neuroscience major at the University of New Hampshire, she realized early on her interest in combining healthcare with the practical applications of engineering made her a much better match for WPI. As a transfer student, Fleek gained tremendous benefit from WPI’s distinct project-based curriculum and acute global awareness.

“Having grown up in Worcester County, I knew of WPI’s highly regarded technical education. Their motto of “Lehr und Kunst” or “Practice and Theory” deeply resonated with me, and I was impressed by their unique, global approach to delivering on this motto, particularly with the Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) and Major Qualifying Project (MQP),” says Fleek.

Fleek began her career as a consultant focusing on transformational R&D operations with large multinational biopharma companies. With a growing interest in the healthcare investment space and while working toward her MBA, Fleek became intrigued by start-ups that were grabbing headlines with their innovative ideas and rapidly growing valuations.

“There were many challenging concepts brought out in lectures at WPI, and though the hours spent dissecting them were arduous, this fueled an endless curiosity in me. Today, when I am introduced to a complex issue, I relish the opportunity to dig into the component pieces and build my understanding with each layer. WPI taught me this process, why it is important, and most critically, how to enjoy getting to the answer.”
Tori Fleek ‘15

Landing a corporate development analyst role with Deerfield Management Company, Fleek currently works on licensing deals, supporting a range of portfolio companies, and developing and incubating new ventures. Offering gratitude for her WPI education, Fleek recalls her Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) and Major Qualifying Project (MQP) as valuable precursors to the skills she would need to succeed. “My IQP and MQP prepared me well for my career. Having to structure a project plan, define deliverables, engage with stakeholders, and update mentors were skills I gained at WPI and regularly apply to my work.”

“I conducted my IQP at the Melbourne, Australia project center, and it really was the experience of a lifetime. It was incredibly different from my classroom experiences and gave me the opportunity to conduct interviews with patrons and formulate mobile app design plans based on findings for the Melbourne Museum.”

“For my (MQP), I worked with physicians from UMass Medical School in Worcester, MA. It was very empowering to work closely on a challenge the physicians had identified with their patients. My five-person team worked on designing a splinting device for thumb carpometacarpal joint arthritis, a painful condition affecting millions of older adults. I enjoyed combing real-life input from physicians based on what they had seen in the clinic with theoretical finite element analysis (FEA) models to identify potential solutions. Little did I know at the time, both my IQP and MQP would be incredibly helpful for me early on in my career as a consultant.”

In closing, Fleek says, “I have frequently told people that WPI may be a small university, especially when I compared it to attending UNH, but it can truly be referred to as ‘small, but mighty.’”