Welcome: Greetings from the Director of Corporate Relations Dave Ortendahl

Pomp and circumstance and academic regalia were in full effect early November, but not for graduation—they were part of a rare and special installation ceremony highlighting the inauguration of Laurie Leshin as WPI’s 16^th president. With over 1,200 attendees, the inauguration events celebrated the history of WPI’s accomplishments and ushered in promise, hope, and clearer direction for a bright future at WPI.

Many of our employer and alumni partners are familiar with the WPI motto of “Theory and Practice.” During the inauguration, the WPI community embraced a new direction with the added emphasis of “Impact.” The ideals of Theory, Practice, and Impact better reflect the value of a WPI education for students, alumni, and our employer community. In addition, this revised motto helps give a fresh perspective as WPI celebrates our sesquicentennial (150-year anniversary).

In this vein, the Career Development Center actively tracks the impact of WPI students after graduation. We will be releasing our Class of 2014 data in time to share at the Career Fair on February 19, 2015. We are also an active participant in sharing the Universum student survey with WPI students and have a better understanding of the impact of a WPI education on our students as they begin new chapters in their professional careers.

For example, did you know that nearly 60% of WPI students would like to be with an employer for 5+ years after graduation? The qualities of WPI students are very distinct from those of many other universities. Generally, in comparison with other students across the US, WPI students are heavily drawn to organizations that have corporate cultures desiring friendly atmospheres that bring an entrepreneurial and team-based approach to the work.

There are many more results that we have obtained from the 2013 Universum survey that will be showcased at our faculty-industry dialogue event on April 2, 2015. Save the date to learn more about our students, our faculty, and the impact that WPI can make on your company.

Read more about President Leshin’s inauguration and news release.

Read more about WPI Career Fairs.

Read more about Universum.