October 2008
An Update From Bill Krein ’62, Alumni Association President
Dear Fellow Alumni,
If you attended Homecoming events on October 3rd and 4th, no doubt you were as amazed and proud as I am of all the wonderful changes and additions that have taken place at WPI over the past several years. From the addition of East Hall, WPI’s new ‘green’ residence hall to ongoing renovations of Goddard Hall, expected to be completed next fall and will house the new Undergraduate Life Sciences Laboratories, our institute is experiencing a phenomenal period of growth and expansion.
Thanks to all alumni who continue to stay involved with WPI, whether through financial support or in volunteering your valuable time. Alumni engagement is a critical component in the continued success of our institution.
In last month’s update, I told you about some of the activities in which the Alumni Association is involved. Homecoming ’08 can be added to that list, as alumni participation and presence were outstanding. Working in concert with the Athletics Department, we honored the newest members of the Athletics Hall of Fame with a dinner and induction ceremony. Alan Carpenter ’83, Steve Hall ’87, Nicola (McGowan) Campbell ’91, Jeff Rosen ’80, Bob Schultz ’55 and Toby Wyman ’91 were inducted into the Hall of Fame. To read more visit the Athletics Department site at http://wpi.prestosports.com/navbar_white/alumni/athletics_hall_of_fame/members.
And the honors did not stop there.
We worked with the office of Alumni Relations to honor eight outstanding alumni during the Alumni Awards Recognition Ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 4.
• Matthew Friend ’93, Rebecca Hoffman Bach ’98, Seth Popinchalk ’98 and John J. West Jr. ’88 were awarded the John Boynton Young Alumni Award for Service to WPI http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Alumni/News/2008aw249.html.
• Walter T. Towner Jr. ’83 received the Herbert F. Taylor Award for Distinguished Service to WPI http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Alumni/News/walter258.html
• James M. Welch ’83 received the Robert H. Goddard Alumni Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Alumni/News/goddard2008.html#welch.
• Chrysanthe Demetry ’88 and Samuel Pullara III ’93, were awarded the Ichabod Washburn Young Alumni Award for Professional Achievement http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Alumni/News/2008wa261.html.
Read more about all of the winners at http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Alumni/Events/awardw246.html.
After the individual honors, Stu Kazin ’61, chairman of the Annual Fund Board, announced a million-dollar reunion class gift provided by the classes of ’83, ’88, ’93, ’98, ’03 and ’08, all of which had special gatherings throughout the day. Among the distinguished members of the class of ’83 was the undefeated football team, which celebrated its 25th anniversary.
For the first time in our history, President Berkey’s State of the Institute address, which followed the awards ceremony, was broadcast live worldwide via streaming video on the alumni Web site. For those who missed the address, the videotape of the event soon will be posted on the alumni home page at http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Alumni/index.html.
Dr. Berkey’s address provided alumni valuable information about how your continued support and engagement can impact WPI. The president also addressed the state of WPI as the country grapples with the uncertainties of a shaky economy. He assured alumni that WPI’s financial picture is strong as the university is operating on a $3.6 million surplus largely resulting from prudent management of funds and a close examination of open positions, which have led to expense savings. The university’s endowment remains stable despite difficult markets, closing at $385 million. This is after the annual 5.5 percent withdrawal per the university’s spending rule.
This year’s freshmen class of 908 exceeded the enrollment goal of 810, and includes a record number of women, domestic students of color and students from outside New England. These numbers indicate that WPI is solidifying its position as one of the nation’s top-quality science and engineering schools. As alumni, we play a significant role in WPI’s future success and global positioning by continuing to nurture bonds with current students, faculty and staff. Investing in and supporting the Global Perspective and IQP programs are small steps that will have a monumental impact.
In a testament to the strength of these programs, and of our commitment to fostering alumni participation, the offices of Development and Alumni Relations and Interdisciplinary and Global Studies will spearhead a series of presentations at project centers in mid-December. These new programs will kick off at the end of B-term IQPs at project centers in Worcester, Washington, D.C., Costa Rica, Venice, and Nantucket, R.I. The students will celebrate their accomplishments by making a presentation of their projects to local alumni, who will be invited. Project center directors and advisors will host the events. And let’s not forget that students also will be conducting projects at our Cape Town center as well. To read more on student projects visit http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/GPP/Projects/index.html.
These events are one of the many ways WPI is fostering increased engagement among students, faculty and alumni. The “WPI Impact: Theory and Practice in Our World” program, featuring Provost John Orr and a rotating faculty member, is another.
This special series of programs, which kicks off 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18 at The Hartford Club in Hartford, Conn., with the provost and professor George D. Pins, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering, will be held in various cities throughout the year. The events will feature Provost Orr and a faculty member discussing important challenges facing society and how the work of WPI faculty and students will impact these issues. To attend this event, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni-office@wpi.edu or 508-831-5600. You can use this same contact information if you’d like to make a suggestion about alumni events or programs.
I hope you will continue to visit this Web site to learn about upcoming events and more ways that you can remain or become engaged. If you have suggestions for stories you’d like to see on the Web site, you may send your idea to alumnitips@wpi.edu.
Suggestions are great ways to help you stay engaged, joining AlumniConnect http://wpi.imodules.com/s/648/index.aspx is another. During the Class Board of Directors meeting held at Homecoming, the AlumniConnect Task Force announced that it has completed a survey of the social networking site and is making recommendations for feature and functionality upgrades to enhance and improve user experiences. The relaunched Web site will give you even more of the information you’ve asked for about fellow alumni.
With more than 30, 000 members, the alumni community is an integral component of the WPI family. I am encouraged that you feel as strongly as I do that we can and DO make a difference every day at WPI. Continued alumni engagement is the key to our legacy, and that of WPI.
With best regards,
Bill
W. A. Krein ‘62
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: December 09, 2008 17:50:33