Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) today announced that 31 full-time faculty members have been promoted and/or awarded tenure. For the first time, those awarded tenure include faculty members from the university’s tenure track for professors who focus on excellence in teaching.
“It is an honor to congratulate these remarkable members of our WPI community,” said Arthur Heinricher, interim senior vice president and provost. “Tenure and promotion recognize the significant contributions that each has made to our students and to the wider community of scholars. They are exceptional teachers and advisors, internationally recognized scholars in their disciplines, and leaders for the future of WPI and for higher education.”
All promotions and awards of tenure take effect July 1, 2024.
Tenure at WPI, like other U.S. colleges and universities, has long been a distinction awarded to faculty members who focus on both teaching and research. Other faculty members hired to focus on teaching typically worked under short-term contracts and did not have the opportunity to pursue tenure.
Beginning in fall 2021 and after years of discussions among faculty, administrators, and university trustees, WPI launched a second tenure track for the teaching faculty. A total of 43 individuals were appointed to the track over the past three years and received titles of assistant, associate, or full professor of teaching.
Top row, from left: Marcel Blais, Esther Boucher-Yip, Farley Chery. Middle row from left: Destin Heilman, Ryan Madan, Buddika Peiris. Bottom row, from left, Geoffrey Pfeifer, Elisabeth Stoddard, Sarah Wodin-Schwartz
The following faculty members are the first to be awarded tenure on WPI’s teaching track:
- Marcel Blais, professor of teaching in the Department of Mathematical Sciences
- Esther Boucher-Yip, professor of teaching in the Department of Humanities and Arts
- Farley Chery, associate professor of teaching in the Interactive Media and Game Development Program
- Destin Heilman, professor of teaching in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Ryan Madan, associate professor of teaching in the Department of Humanities and Arts
- Buddika Peiris, associate professor of teaching in the Department of Mathematical Sciences
- Geoffrey Pfeifer, associate professor of teaching in the Department of Integrative and Global Studies
- Elisabeth Stoddard, associate professor of teaching in the Department of Integrative and Global Studies
- Sarah Wodin-Schwartz, associate professor of teaching in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
“Five years after a group of dual mission and teaching mission faculty members first conceived of the idea, today’s announcements bring to life with real examples the power and promise of a teaching path to tenure,” said Mark Richman, WPI’s secretary of the faculty. “At this historic moment, we should congratulate our newly tenured colleagues for their outstanding achievements; we should be proud of the WPI faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees for their forward thinking; and we should redouble our efforts to share our institutional model with all colleges and universities looking to properly value the contributions of their teaching faculty.”
In addition to the nine teaching faculty members who have been awarded tenure, six other faculty members are being promoted to full professor, eight are being awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor, and eight more are being promoted to associate or full teaching professor.
