Q&A: Get to Know President Grace Wang
WPI's 17th president reveals what attracted her to the position, what's surprised her so far, and how she relaxes.
Read StoryGrace J. Wang, PhD, Formally Installed as WPI President
At a formal inauguration ceremony attended by hundreds of faculty, staff, and students, delegates from more than 30 colleges, universities, and learned societies, political dignitaries, and other special guests, Grace J. Wang, PhD, was formally installed on Friday, March 22, as the 17th president of WPI.
“WPI is an innovative, learning community. Here, our students, faculty, and staff find their people, pursue their passion, and live their purpose,” Wang said in her address. “With focus, determination, and collective effort, we will achieve a new level of excellence right here at WPI beyond our imagination.”
An accomplished materials scientist and esteemed leader in higher education, government, and industry, Wang outlined her vision for the university and celebrated the achievements of the campus community. Her comments reflected the theme of her inauguration, “Impact Driven: Honoring Tradition, Innovating the Future.” She encouraged the WPI community to build upon the university’s proud 159-year history by focusing on providing a transformative STEM education; expanding high-impact research, innovation, and entrepreneurship; and creating an immersive campus experience for students, with an emphasis on well-being and belonging. She said with this focus, WPI will become “an even more empowering, leading-edge, and inclusive STEM institution where our faculty, students, staff, and alumni across the world push boundaries, explore solutions, and blaze trails in the future.”
Wang also announced $18.6 million in philanthropic commitments made to WPI in the last two months. The gifts, from generous alumni and friends of the university, include the fourth largest to the university to date and are in support of Beyond These Towers: The Campaign for Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
The commitments support facilities, WPI’s distinctive global projects program, an endowed professorship, faculty research, and undergraduate scholarships:
• Mike Abrams ’77 and his wife, Nancy, have made a seven-figure commitment, and the fourth largest gift to the university to date, to support future capital projects.
• Diran Apelian, WPI Provost Emeritus (1990-1996) and the founding director of the Metal Processing Institute at WPI, and his wife, Seta, have established the Apelian Family Armenian Project Center Endowment with a seven-figure gift.
• Steve Vassallo ’93 and his wife, Trae, have made a seven-figure commitment that lays the foundation for the Helen G. Vassallo Distinguished Presidential Professorship, named in memory of Steve’s mother, a longtime WPI faculty member.
• The remaining gifts will support undergraduate scholarships and a faculty research fund.
Before formally installing Wang, Board of Trustees Chair William Fitzgerald ’83 addressed the president and expressed that the WPI community is looking to her leadership with confidence and optimism. “The global need for WPI’s distinctive STEM education has never been greater. Our immersive student experience, project-based learning, and purpose-driven research provide a strong foundation for you to shepherd WPI into a new era of excellence.”
Terrence Sejnowski, a pioneering and award-winning computational neuroscientist, delivered the keynote address. The Francis Crick Chair at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology at the University of California, San Diego, and winner of The Brain Prize 2024 (the world’s largest brain research prize), spoke of the potential of artificial intelligence, a field in which WPI has spearheaded research and innovation for more than 50 years. “We are in the midst of a cognitive revolution that is enhancing human cognitive power in the same way that human physical power was enhanced by the steam engine in the Industrial Revolution 250 years ago.”
During the inauguration, President Wang awarded the Presidential Medal to Diran Apelian and Judith Nitsch ’75. The Presidential Medal, established in 2001, recognizes individuals who exemplify the “technological humanist,” an ideal at the core of WPI’s educational approach. Apelian was honored for his innovative research and entrepreneurship in materials science and engineering. Nitsch, founder of Nitsch Engineering, Inc. and the first alumna elected to WPI’s Board of Trustees, was recognized for her impactful career and significant role in WPI’s sustainable infrastructure.
The inauguration featured an investiture ceremony in which Wang was presented with two symbols: WPI’s original charter from 1865, and the Presidential Medallion that features WPI’s seal, designed in 1885. Board of Trustees Chair Fitzgerald read a charge formally empowering Wang with the responsibility of leading the institution as its chief executive. While the inauguration represents a formal installation, Wang assumed her role as president of WPI on April 3, 2023, bringing with her a wealth of experience in academia and industry.
WPI students contributed significantly to the pomp and circumstance the event. Featured were a mosaic of Rubik’s cubes created by WPI’s Rubik’s Cube Club, an original music piece composed by a student and performed by WPI’s Brass Ensemble, and a podium floral arrangement made of LEGO pieces that was produced by WPI’s LEGO Club.
