Romeo L. Moruzzi Young Faculty Award for Innovation in Undergraduate Education

Romeo Moruzzi grew up in the north end of Boston and served with the U.S. Air Force in Europe during World War II. After the war, he graduated from Northeastern, received his Master’s Degree from Harvard and his Doctor of Engineering degree from Yale. In 1954, after several years on the faculty of the University of Connecticut, he joined the Electrical Engineering Department of WPI. He set exceptionally high standards for his students while always being concerned with their personal welfare. As the years went on, he served not only as a role model for his undergraduates, but a valued mentor to the younger faculty. In the late 1960s, Romeo became a campus leader in two historic developments. Through his efforts, and at some risk to his own position he was the person primarily responsible for bringing tenure to the faculty of WPI. In 1969, he was one of the six faculty elected to the WPI Planning Committee which developed and promoted the famous “Two Towers” series. These documents revolutionized education at WPI, and in May 1970, they were accepted by the faculty for implementation as the WPI Plan. Romeo retired from WPI in the late 1980s and passed away in 1993. The Romeo L. Moruzzi Award was established by his wife and supplemented by one of Romeo’s former students, Fred Snively ’60, to recognize innovation in undergraduate education by a young faculty member.

Past BME Winners:

• 2022: Catherine Whittington
• 2016: Dirk Albrecht
• 2005: Kristen Billiar
• 2002: Ross Shonat