In Memory of a WPI Trailblazer: Helen Vassallo

In support of Beyond These Towers: The Campaign for Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Trae and Steve Vassallo ’93 recently committed a seven-figure philanthropic gift to establish the Dr. Helen G. Vassallo Distinguished Presidential Professorship in memory of Steve’s mother.

Q: What drew you to WPI, and how was your overall WPI education experience?

A: Growing up, I was always drawn to building. Whether in the form of sketches, structures, or circuits, I found flow in the creative process of turning ideas into prototypes that I would quickly put to the test and then feverishly improve upon. By the time I began to contemplate college, it was clear that my predilection for building things—together with my strong academic interest in math and physics—would lead me to engineering. And since my mom was a professor here at WPI, with two of my older sisters as happy alums, it felt somewhat inevitable that I would pursue engineering here as well.

Q: How have the education and life skills you gained at WPI served you in your career? 

A: WPI was founded on the principle that “every student should blend theory learned in the classroom with practice in the shops.” Nearly 160 years later, this couldn’t be more true, especially if you’re hoping to become an engineer or entrepreneur who nudges the world forward in some meaningful way. I started my career as a design engineer at the global design firm IDEO. Then I led the development of a broad array of haptic technologies and products for Apple, Microsoft, BMW, and others, and was awarded 77 patents along the way. Now I invest in early-stage start-ups through Foundation Capital, where I’m a general partner.  As I look back on the last 30 years, it’s clear that the education and life skills I gained at WPI both set the trajectory and elevated the ceiling of my career by providing me with a strong technical foundation combined with an invaluable set of project-based experiences.

Q: What was it like to have such a strong family connection to the university?

A: While I never took any of my mom’s courses—perhaps the thought of being cold-called by her would have been too awkward (for us both)—it was always such a genuine pleasure to hear stories from my classmates, including many Phi Sigma Sigma sisters, about the indelible impact she had had on their lives, both as a professor and life-mentor. 

Q: What motivated you and Trae to establish the Dr. Helen G. Vassallo Distinguished Presidential Professorship?

A: We did it to honor my mom and cement her legacy as one of WPI’s most generous and impactful professors. She was a true pioneer at nearly every stage of her life, and in every facet. A clinical biologist turned distinguished professor, mother to 10 children, two-time author, American Businesswoman of the Year, helicopter pilot, patent holder, recipient of the Key to the City of Worcester—her bio clearly needs an intermission—my mom blazed many trails in her lifetime but never sought the limelight. Instead, her focus was always attuned to service, finding ways to help others achieve their goals and find their own personal, academic, and professional success.

When my mom joined WPI, it was a joint appointment in the Department of Management, for which she was the first woman named department head, and the Department of Biology and Biotechnology. Her innate curiosity, breadth of knowledge, and experience allowed her to teach through both lenses, benefiting students in her classes with a unique perspective. In recognition of her excellence, she was the recipient of the 2003 Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Teaching.

Q: What do you hope your gift will achieve—either for future generations of students and faculty at WPI, or for individuals and communities beyond our campus, or both?

A: My mom’s North Star was seeing students flourish and grow—not just in their technical zone of genius, but in every facet of their lives. The goal of the Dr. Helen G. Vassallo Distinguished Presidential Professorship is to extend the gift of my mom’s impact in perpetuity by supporting an outstanding, recently tenured faculty member who embodies her pioneering spirit and has demonstrated excellence in all relevant areas of faculty performance, including teaching, research and scholarship, service and leadership, and advising.

Q: What would you say to other alumni and friends to encourage them to stay connected and to support WPI by giving back?

A: My mom would occasionally remind us kids (yes, all 10 of us) that it’s not about what you know, it’s about how enthusiastically you approach the things you don’t. This urgent curiosity—the rush to learn, to build, and to solve real problems in the world—is the spirit of WPI as well as the spirit of the start-up world I live in today. Entrepreneurs don’t see the world as it is, but rather as it should be. 

Alumni and friends are welcome and encouraged to contribute to the Dr. Helen G. Vassallo Distinguished Presidential Professorship fund. Please contact Vice President of University Advancement Donna Stock, dstock@wpi.edu.