Awards, Honors, and Recognitions

Following an internal search for the dean of undergraduate studies, Arne Gericke was officially named to the role he held ad interim since July 2022. The dean of undergraduate studies leads efforts to ensure—and improve the quality and effectiveness of—all dimensions of the university’s undergraduate programs and the student academic experience, including courses, projects, academic advising, and undergraduate research. Gericke previously served as the associate dean of undergraduate studies. He joined WPI in 2011 as professor and head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and served in those capacities for 10 years. In his research, Gericke studies signaling pathways at biological membranes and has led a lab of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers at WPI focused on the biophysical characterization of lipid-mediated protein functions.

Chartsiri (Tony) Sophonpanich ’80, president of Bangkok Bank, was elected to the WPI Board of Trustees. He started his five-year term on May 1. Sophonpanich was appointed executive director of Bangkok Bank in 1992 and named president in 1994. He is also the chair of Bangkok Bank (China) and president commissioner of Permata Bank in Indonesia. He has dedicated his career to developing Thailand’s financial sector and works to find new ways to increase access to education. As the driving force behind Bangkok Bank’s initiatives to train science teachers across Southeast Asia, Sophonpanich’s efforts have supported communities through social development and educational initiatives. In 1993, he established a partnership between WPI and the faculty of science at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University that continues to this day.

The leader of an iconic apparel company and the co-founder and chair of Moderna are the honored speakers for Class of 2025 Commencement exercises, to be held May 15 and 16 at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester. Michelle Gass ’90, president and chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co., will deliver the address at the undergraduate Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 16, at 2 p.m. Noubar Afeyan, inventor, entrepreneur, and founder of Flagship Pioneering and co-founder and chair of Moderna, the pioneering messenger RNA biotech company, will deliver the address at the graduate Commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 15, at 5 p.m.“Innovation and entrepreneurship are part of WPI’s DNA,” says President Grace Wang. “Michelle’s visionary and innovative leadership at Levi Strauss & Co. is leveraging the brand’s iconic heritage to build sustainable growth for years to come. And Noubar’s ingenuity and capacity to connect humans, technology, and nature are powering revolutionary advances in medicine and biotechnology. They will share their stories with our graduates as they begin shaping their own futures.”

Mitra Anand, director of innovation for WPI Makerspace and Innovation Studio, was honored with the Excellence in Education Award at the 2024 Education 2.0 Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This recognition highlights his contributions to advancing engineering education through makerspace innovation and the integration of an entrepreneurial mindset. Since joining WPI in 2018 as part of the inaugural makerspace team, Anand has made contributions in integrating makerspace-focused, project-based learning into multiple academic courses, Major Qualifying Projects, and research labs.