Fellowships Honor Professor Ed Ma’s Legacy
Teachers can impact students in profound ways. And among the many WPI professors who exemplify these special educators, the late Professor Yi Hua (Ed) Ma is high on the list.
Read StoryThe Value of Showing Up for Students
When Nicholas Tsapatsaris ’86, MS ’87, attended an alumni event in New York City years ago, he couldn’t have imagined the impact that one night would have on his life. There, Tsapatsaris learned about WPI’s newly formed Architectural Engineering (AREN) program, and soon he began to reengage with his alma mater in exciting and rewarding ways.
Shortly thereafter, Tsapatsaris accepted a position on the WPI Engineering Advisory Board, where he continues to share his time and expertise. “WPI is definitely on today’s cutting edge of STEM education,” he says, praising the value of the program. It’s the first in the country to offer a five-year program that integrates an ABET-accredited engineering bachelor’s with an NAAB-accredited master of architecture.
Tsapatsaris often hires WPI graduates at Nick Tsapatsaris & Associates, the company he runs with his wife, Stacey. “WPI’s AREN graduates are on a fast track to leadership roles in any architectural engineering, construction, or real estate development firm,” he says. Tsapatsaris also has endowed the Nicholas and Stacey Tsapatsaris Architectural Engineering Fund at WPI. “We feel good about giving and fueling this extraordinary opportunity to increase WPI’s prominence in the built environment,” he says.
Maxwell WiesenfeldMeeting people who have recently been in my shoes and who are now doing meaningful work across the industry was reassuring and gave me confidence in my path forward.
Beyond generously sharing his time, expertise, employment opportunities, and financial support with the WPI community, this past spring Tsapatsaris hosted a special dinner in New York City during an AREN trip that included tours of the city’s landmark buildings. With support from several Engineering Advisory Board members and organized primarily by the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, the trip included behind-the-scenes tours of several World Trade Center projects—both complete and under construction. More than 70 people attended, including all AREN faculty members and dozens of students and alumni.
“Many advisory board members stepped forward to make the trip happen—through financial sponsorships, making connections, participating in tours, and attending the event,” he says. “Advisory board members from Arup, Thornton Tomasetti, SGH, and Nick Tsapatsaris & Associates who recognized the value of connecting students, alumni, and employers were able to showcase the work of their firms and potentially attract future interns and employees.”
“In many of the fields represented, the WPI AREN program is highly valued for the technical design skills brought to today’s increasingly complicated building designs,” says Katie Crockett, an adjunct faculty member in WPI’s Great Problems Seminar, Engineering Advisory Board member, and AREN donor.
“The day was packed with tours of new projects and landmarks, often guided by alumni who made me feel more deeply connected to WPI,” says AREN major Maxwell Wiesenfeld ’27. “The experience helped me connect my courses to the real world. Meeting people who have recently been in my shoes and who are now doing meaningful work across the industry was reassuring and gave me confidence in my path forward.”
Like so many alumni, Tsapatsaris recognizes the importance of his own degree. Together with Stacey, he acknowledges the success of their business by giving back to causes that have deep meaning to them, including the WPI AREN program.
Max Wiesenfeld
And for Wiesenfeld, the desire to give back is already present. “Seeing how technical knowledge plays out in complex buildings reminds me why I love this field, and I’m really grateful to have been part of the AREN event in New York,” he says. “I hope to give back when I’m on the other side.”
We are deeply grateful to Nicholas Tsapatsaris for his incredible generosity and continued support of WPI’s Architectural Engineering program. From serving on the Engineering Advisory Board and hiring WPI graduates to endowing a fund and organizing networking experiences like the New York City trip, his dedication has made a lasting impact on our students, alumni, and the future of the program. Thank you, Nicholas, for exemplifying the true spirit of the WPI community!