From the Editor: A Smooth Transition

Sometimes change can be hard, but this year’s change in Commencement location—from the Quad to the DCU Center—is receiving favorable reviews from the WPI community. Special touches, like the inclusion of the Centennial Walk seal in the rug leading into the arena and the viewing of a video of the Earle Bridge crossing that happened two days prior, offered respectful nods to tradition. Robed faculty lined the tunnel entrance to give a familiar final salute to their hard-working charges. The climate-controlled and spacious DCU Center eliminated the drama of New England’s unpredictable weather and allowed space for more family and friends to cheer on their graduates.

Another benefit was the absence of the tent over the Quad, a ginormous contraption that needed to be installed weeks before Commencement and remained up for weeks into the summer. Students took full advantage of the tent-less Quad through the final days of D-Term, soaking up the fine weather and enjoying lawn games and other fun activities, such as the communal viewing of the total solar eclipse in April.

Much work was done by many people to make this transition as seamless as possible, especially the Core Commencement Committee, led by Director of Events Bill Battelle, Director of Presidential and Institutional Events Jennifer Parissi-Forti, and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Greg Snoddy. Lessons were learned that will make subsequent Commencements even better.

Check out the transcript of the undergraduate student address delivered by Sam Levitan ’24. This thoughtful commentary on what it means to belong kicks off a new first-person essay section called “Corresponding Author.” Any member of the WPI community may submit an essay for consideration, as long as the subject is related to WPI. (Send your 800-word essay to wpijournal@wpi.edu.)

Big thanks to the communications professionals at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute who graciously allowed us to use their new photo studio to take portraits of Harvard PhD student and cover story subject Dominic Chang ’18. The multimedia studio in Byerly Hall is also where the Institute produces its BornCurious podcast.

Each year the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, also known as the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, invites distinguished fellows to collaborate and innovate in a year-long journey of interdisciplinary study. WPI’s own Erin Treacy Solovey, associate professor of computer science, was accepted as a member of the 2024-2025 fellowship class. According to the official press release, “At Radcliffe, she plans to work at the intersection of human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience, leveraging recent advancements in brain-computer interfaces to understand and adapt to a person’s changing cognitive state in real-world contexts.”

Best wishes to Erin for what looks to be a memorable year.

–Kris O’Reilly, Editor