About

A Message from Dean Jean King

 

Imagine. Innovate. Integrate. Impact. These concepts lie at the heart of WPI’s School of Arts & Sciences. The interdisciplinarity of the arts and sciences at WPI— seamless interactions between and among the arts and sciences as well as engineering and business—allows what our imagination sparks to come to life through scientific, technological, artistic, and humanistic innovation. 

The arts and sciences eliminate barriers between disciplines such that the specter of what is possible is limitless. Overcoming barriers between disciplines has allowed WPI faculty and students to utilize their imagination, innovation, and creativity in extraordinary ways to tackle the unprecedented global challenge of the COVID-19 crisis. This approach lies within the fabric of our institution and school. With a challenge like COVID-19, WPI faculty and students continue to imagine a world where we play a critical part in addressing not just the needs of the moment but those that will define our future.

I am honored to be part of this amazing community without boundaries. Where music, art, and design-thinking allow our scientists and engineers to have long-lasting and eternal impact, inspiring and exciting the imagination to reach their own stars, regardless of what they choose to research or study. The students and faculty of WPI’s School of Arts & Sciences are making an impact not only here on campus and nationally, but throughout the world.

-Jean King, Peterson Family Dean of Arts & Sciences

Our Vision

To inspire members of the Arts & Sciences community to be creators, scholars, inventors, and responsible global citizens

Our Mission

To bring together cross-disciplinary and diverse perspectives to promote discovery and communication, advance knowledge, and improve the human condition

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Critical Conversations

Exploring Global Challenges Through Critical Conversations

WPI’s Critical Conversations series—initiated by the School of Arts & Sciences in 2018—uses panels of faculty, students, and external guests to explore emerging topics. Recent topics included Technology & Social Justice, Impact of Social Media, Climate Science, Student Mental Health, and Circular Economy.

Be Well Together

Taking Care of Our Community

After the pandemic hit, WPI implemented a Be Well initiative offering free virtual yoga, meditation classes, and wellness talks to students, faculty, and staff. Envisioned by Jean King, the virtual get-togethers were led by community practitioners and A&S faculty members Angela Rodriguez, assistant professor of social science & policy studies; Jeanine Skorinko, professor of psychology; and Kathryn Moncrief, professor and head of the Department of Humanities & Arts.

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Arts & Sciences Annual Report: PATHWAYS

Discover how our students and faculty are making an impact not only here on campus and nationally, but throughout the world, in the latest edition of Pathways, the annual report of the School of Arts & Sciences. Download the latest report (2022) here.

Rankings & Recognition


#14

top game design programs nationally (undergraduate)

The Princeton Review (2024)
Top 100

best colleges for math in America

Niche (2024)
Top 20%

Game Design MS/MA programs in the U.S.

Animation Career Review (2024)

Recent Work, Research, and Accomplishments

L Dana, lab manager for the physics department, worked within COVID restrictions to provide uninterrupted student learning. She figured out how to teach remote labs for 700 students, with 140 working remotely and the rest staggering their lab time.

Farley Chery, assistant teaching professor, demonstrates equipment during the interactive media & game development (IMGD) program during the Visual Art Design Showcase & Gallery Walk.

John Galante, assistant teaching professor of humanities & arts, Aarti Smith Madan, associate professor of humanities & arts, and Angel Rivera, professor of arts, communication, and humanities, lead WPI's Latin American and Caribbean Studies program and initiatives.

Amity Manning, assistant professor of biology & biotechnology, received a $799,995 American Cancer Society grant for research into a tumor-suppressor protein in cancer cell division. Manning and Sarah Olson, associate professor of mathematical sciences, were awarded $917,999 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop cancer-related computational models.