Current Issue

Awards, Honors, and Recognitions

Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society Names Hyers as Fellow

Robert W. Hyers, the George I. Alden Chair in Engineering, professor and head of the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, has been named to the 2025 class of fellows of The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS), a professional organization with more than 11,000 members. The award, the highest honor given by TMS, recognizes members who are leading authorities and contributors to the practice of metallurgy, materials science, and technology. Honorees are noted for their scholarship, patents, research or engineering work, advances in their fields, and service to TMS. Hyers is one of seven TMS members named to the 2025 class of fellows.

Robert Hyers

Hoffman Appointed as CMCO

President Grace Wang has appointed Bryce Hoffman as the university’s new vice president, chief marketing and communications officer. A seasoned professional, Hoffman brings over 19 years of experience in higher education marketing and communications and proven strengths in institutional branding, enrollment marketing, advancement communications, data-informed strategy, and creative development to his new role. He is responsible for all strategic marketing and communications efforts and will provide leadership and strategic direction to the division.

Bryce Hoffman

New Teaching Professors on Tenure Track

WPI has added five teaching professors to the university’s pioneering tenure track that recognizes and rewards excellence in teaching: Melissa Kagen, assistant professor of teaching in the Interactive Media and Game Development Program; Svetlana Nikitina, professor of teaching in the Department of Humanities and Arts; Raul Orduna Picon, assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; William Sanguinet, assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Mathematical Sciences; and Wilson Wong, associate professor of teaching in the Department of Computer Science. Including these new appointments, a total of 48 teaching faculty members have been named to the innovative tenure track since 2021 and nine have been awarded tenure.

President Wang Receives Prestigious National Honor for Inventors

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI), an esteemed organization dedicated to recognizing and honoring academic innovation, has named President Grace Wang as an NAI Fellow. This distinction, the highest professional honor awarded exclusively to academic inventors, highlights her exceptional contributions to pioneering research and innovation. An accomplished materials scientist and esteemed leader in higher education, government, and industry, Wang holds seven U.S. patents. Her inventions have focused on materials, design, and manufacturing process improvements for magnetic recording media, such as hard disk drives.

Tuler Named to U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

Seth Tuler, associate professor in the Department of Integrative and Global Studies, was recently appointed to serve as a member of the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board. The board is an independent federal agency that performs technical and scientific peer reviews of nuclear waste management and disposal activities in the United States. It also issues reports and recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Energy and Congress regarding the U.S. Department of Energy’s activities concerning high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Tuler has conducted research focused on the clean-up of sites in the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, nuclear waste management, and community climate change adaptation planning.