Alumni Awards

James Baum ’86 honored as Inaugural WPI Innovator of the Year Award

Read about Jim Baum’s achievements as an innovator    

On Oct. 27, Jim Baum ’86 was celebrated as the inaugural WPI Innovator of the Year. The award recognizes a graduate or friend of WPI who has demonstrated exemplary accomplishments, showcasing individuals who have excelled in driving innovation within enterprises of all kinds. Baum was honored at a special celebration on Oct. 27, at the Worcester Art Museum and Tuckerman Hall.

“Jim Baum is a wonderful exemplar of how technological innovation coupled with entrepreneurial savvy can drive economic development for the direct benefit of employees and investors, and for the greater good of society,” says President Berkey. “His leadership and achievements are truly a source of inspiration and pride for WPI.”  

Baum says that his role in innovation is to nurture and lead, and to find real world applications and solutions, as well as to develop motivated teams around those ideas. "Innovation comes in many forms, not just in the development of new technology or product but also in the approach we take to bringing that idea to society. The exciting thing about innovation is that with the good ones, we really can change the world,” he says.  

After graduating from WPI with a BS in mechanical engineering, Baum received an MS in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and then went to work for Parametric Technology Corp. where he began his career as an engineer.  Over the course of his 11 years at Parametric Technology Corp., Baum worked in various positions in the areas of product management, marketing and strategy; ultimately he served as executive vice president and general manager, helping drive the company’s growth to more than $1 billion in revenues. During his time at Parametric Technology Corp., his work on the Windchill and ProEngineer systems helped change the product development process for thousands of discrete manufacturing companies all over the globe.  In 2001, Baum became president and COO of Endeca Technologies, an enterprise information management company. He led that company from a startup to the leading provider of innovative information access and delivery software solutions to the Global 2000 and was promoted to CEO in 2005. In 2006, Baum moved on to Netezza Corp., a provider of data warehousing and analytics, where he ultimately served as president and CEO, leading the company through 14 quarters of growth before its acquisition by IBM for $1.7 billion.  

“The WPI School of Business focuses on accelerating the discovery, development and commercialization of breakthrough innovation, as well as economic development and job creation,” says Mark P. Rice, dean of WPI’s School of Business and the Harry G. Stoddard Professor of Management. “The WPI Innovator of the Year Celebration is a key building block in the WPI entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem  It supports our commitment to growing the ecosystem in three ways. First, it will provide role models for our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. Second, it will catalyze the engagement of highly successful innovators and entrepreneurs in the transformation of WPI. And third, it will inspire them to commit their time, talent, and financial resources to help WPI become a leading global contributor to addressing the global grand challenges.”

Alumni Association Awards

Honoring our remarkable alumni and their contributions to WPI and the world

In 1961, WPI and the Alumni Association Citations Committee established several awards to recognize professional achievements of our alumni, as well as their service to and involvement with the Alumni Association and the university.

Each year, the Alumni Association presents these awards to a select group of alumni and other members of the WPI community (faculty, staff, trustees, and other friends). Below you will find pictures of the Homecoming Award recipients this year receiving their awards. Just click on their picture or linked text to see their citations.