Safe Space
As a human factors system engineer, Celena Dopart '12 hasn’t just studied what’s “out there” in space—she’s helping humans explore space firsthand.
Read StoryThe Need for Dynamic Collaborations
Autumn is here on campus. The beautiful fall foliage on our historic campus looks picturesque and gives a sense of tranquility. WPI is truly a storied institution. Its history and tradition are alive, well, and physically visible everywhere you go on campus.
WPI was founded at the dawn of the second industrial revolution and has been playing a vital role in our region’s economic growth. As our young country saw rapid growth, it became clear to our founders that our city, our region, and our nation needed a more educated workforce for emerging industry sectors.
John Boynton, a local tinware manufacturer and philanthropist, and Ichabod Washburn, owner of the largest wire-making factory in the country at the time, seeded a university that would go on to nurture generations of scientists, engineers, and business leaders.
Many visionary leaders have helped shape WPI’s history. And that history lives through our campus buildings and structures. Salisbury Labs was funded by the Salisbury family, prominent Worcester business leaders and philanthropists. Fuller Labs was named for George F. Fuller, prominent industrialist and former chairman of Wyman-Gordon, and the Stoddard Complex was named after the Stoddard family, significant benefactors of WPI and influential in Worcester’s industrial scene. The beautiful Alden Memorial was built in honor of George I. Alden, co-founder of Norton Company and a key figure in Worcester’s history.
Today, as technologies rapidly advance, WPI is once again at the forefront of enabling discoveries, creating solutions, and empowering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics talent, all critical to the economic growth of our region and our nation.
Within the past 10 years alone, nearly two dozen start-up companies with unique technologies invented by faculty, students, and alumni have launched, creating more than 500 jobs and raising nearly $1.7 billion in capital.
Beyond that, students, faculty, and staff are deeply involved in the Worcester community. Every year, WPI’s STEM Education Center collaborates with local schools to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education among K-12 students. And, through our Worcester Project Center, WPI students collaborate with local organizations, businesses, and government agencies to tackle real-world challenges in areas such as urban development, public health, environmental sustainability, and education. By applying their knowledge, skills, and innovative thinking, students help create practical solutions that benefit the community, while also gaining valuable hands-on experience.
The growth of our region calls for dynamic interactions and collaborations among universities, industry partners, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. WPI is proud to provide leading-edge, transformative and inclusive STEM education and research, catalyzing innovation-based economic growth in our home city and region.
Sincerely,
Grace
