From the Desk of Pamela (Giasson) Lynch
Dear Alumni,
When I’m on campus, I often use the Alumni Lounge in the WPI Alumni Center in Higgins House. It’s a wonderful place to have meetings or simply work in the beauty and quiet of Higgins House. If you have the chance, I encourage you to visit your forever home on The Hill, where you can chat with current students, visit favorite spaces, and use the Alumni Center, which is available to all alumni. We hope to see you on campus soon.
Now for some updates:
• The 2025 Alumni Association annual meeting will take place on Thursday, May 22, at 6 p.m. in the Rubin Campus Center. The association will recap its work from the past year, welcome new board members, and present its annual gift to WPI. The event will also include Beyond These Towers: An Evening with President Grace Wang, where Grace will share her vision for how WPI will become an even more empowering, leading-edge, and inclusive STEM institution. With a focus on providing a transformative STEM education, bolstering impact-driven research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and fostering an immersive campus experience, WPI will reach even greater heights.
• On Saturday, May 16, WPI will hold its 156th undergraduate Commencement ceremony at Worcester’s DCU Center. This year’s speaker will be Michelle Gass ’90, president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., one of the world’s largest brand-name apparel companies and the global leader in denim. The graduate Commencement ceremony will be held on Friday, May 15, also at the DCU Center, and will feature Noubar Afeyan, inventor, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Moderna pharmaceutical and biotech firm. On behalf of the Alumni Association, I send best wishes to the Class of 2025 and welcome them all into the Alumni Association.
• The Senior Class Gift program has been changed to Class Giving. With Class Giving, students from any class year can donate to current projects, clubs, and organizations on campus that benefit their peers and/or they can donate to a scholarship fund, which will be awarded to incoming first-year students. This updated model of giving benefits the lives of current students, has a longer-lasting impact on campus, and allows donors to give to areas they are passionate about.
• In case you missed the news, I’m pleased to share that WPI has been designated as an R1 institution, the top tier for US research colleges and universities, in new classifications announced by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. By acknowledging the amazing work of WPI’s research community and PhD education, this highly coveted designation enhances the already prestigious reputation of your alma mater. WPI was one of two new R1 designations awarded in the state. Of the 11 R1 institutions in Massachusetts, WPI is the only one in Worcester.
• At the 2025 Alumni Association annual meeting, I will complete my term as Alumni Association president and President-Elect Arly Dungca ’08 will begin his term. Thank you for the opportunity to serve over the past two years and for allowing me to join my fellow board members in advancing the Alumni Association’s key strategic priorities. In the past two years, we have deepened alumni engagement through local events and strengthened our volunteer network. We’ve expanded alumni-hosted gatherings to more communities, fostering meaningful connections across the WPI network. With more than 10 successful events under our belt, we invite you to get involved and host one in your area.
Lastly, please save Sept. 26–28 for Homecoming 2025. By combining Reunion and Homecoming, we will encourage our entire herd to return to The Hill to revisit favorite spots, reunite with friends, and relive the WPI experience.
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