A Letter From the President

Having officially moved into my Boynton Hall office, I’m already feeling what WPI aims for all to feel—a sense of belonging and higher purpose. In a community where transforming lives is as much about student well-being as it is about our distinctive project-based education and purpose-driven research, I have found my place, my home, as WPI’s 17th president.

I was fortunate to get a head start both in feeling welcomed by the community and in envisioning our future. During several extended visits before I officially started in April, faculty, staff, students, trustees, and parents and guardians alike portrayed a place and possibilities where I could readily see myself immersed. In arts performance spaces and the newly opened Center for Well-Being, in the Rubin Campus Center, Unity Hall, Innovation Studio, and Gordon Library, at the police station, and in labs where I witnessed WPI’s high-impact research activities, and off campus in thoughtful and encouraging discussions with WPI alumni, and with industry and government partners, I have learned so much about our remarkable institution.

All my interactions and listening have deepened my understanding of our history, culture, and community and excited me for what’s ahead. From the beginning, WPI was a boundary breaker. At the height of the American Industrial Revolution, WPI merged theory and practice, knowledge and skilled art, and learning and doing to create a lasting model of scientific and technological education. A century later, in reimagining that model, WPI pioneered project-based learning, including the integration of the humanities and arts into our curriculum. It’s an approach that has stood the test of time, even though this community has never stood still.

Now, amid the fourth industrial revolution and as our society faces pressing, complex challenges, the WPI community is again pushing boundaries, continuing to innovate and discover, and preparing critical thinkers and change makers to be STEM leaders who are capable and motivated to better the world.

This year, at our 154th WPI Commencement ceremonies on May 11–13, about 2,000 more STEM leaders—bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree recipients—will take the next steps forward in continuing to make a difference in the world as they build meaningful lives. As in prior years, our graduates were sought out for their knowledge, global outlook, and ability to collaborate, lead, and solve problems.

It is a privilege and honor to lead our amazing institution, filled with—and constantly nurturing—change makers, value creators, and STEM leaders.

Sincerely,

Grace