Alumni
Alumni Spotlight: Jason Hutt '98
Jason Hutt ‘98 serves as the Orion Program Systems Engineering & Integration Manager and Orion Human Rating Lead for Artemis II. He was selected to be one of NASA’s Artemis II Mission Evaluation Room (MER) Managers for the Artemis II mission, launched in April 2026, and served as an Orion Shift Lead during processing of the spacecraft for flight. The Artemis II mission will send astronauts around the Moon in the Orion Spacecraft, the first crewed mission to the Moon since 1972.
Jason shared more with us about his role in Artemis II, his life-long dream of sending people into space, and how his WPI experience helped make it a reality.
Tech Proud
WPI Does Research that Matters
In February, WPI was named an R1 institution by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Areas of high impact include:
WPI has a Project-Based STEM Education that Pays Off
Every year more than 1,000 students travel to one of WPI’s 50+ global project centers to complete professional-level research and design projects.
Our students are job-ready and sought after: Some 400 companies actively recruit on campus each year, and the average starting salary for the Class of 2024 was more than $80,000.
In a recent alumni survey:
- 94% of respondents said their formal project experience at WPI enhanced their ability to develop ideas
- 93% said it helped them function on teams
- 88% said it helped them develop a stronger personal character
WPI has honed its distinctive project-based education—and scaled it up—so well that we teach other schools how to do it through our Center for Project-Based Learning. Hundreds of schools have come to our summer institute to be coached by our faculty and project center directors.
WPI is a Partner in Economic Impact and Development
WPI lends its expertise, capabilities, and influence to drive growth:
- WPI technologies and resulting local and regional spin-off companies have employed more than 500 people and raised over $1 billion in investment.
- Faculty and students collaborate with businesses to develop climate-resilient infrastructure and green technologies, supporting the innovation economy in Massachusetts and beyond.
- WPI’s Office of Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship supports startups and tech transfer initiatives that turn research into viable products—fueling job creation and economic resilience.
- WPI developed and maintains WPILib, the core software library used to power FIRST Robotics teams worldwide. WPI’s software also drives the XRP, a small, affordable robot that helps students learn programming. WPI is a Crown Supplier for FIRST.
WPI By the Numbers
- 94% first-year retention and a four-year graduation rate averaging above 80%
- Strong student support, with 67% of university expenditures focused on academics
- Competitive faculty compensation, attracting top-tier educators and researchers
- 30 NSF CAREER awards winners on faculty
- 56% of the student body placed in the top 10% of their high school class; 63% of incoming students earned a 4.0 GPA
- The perfect size: 7,500 students (5,500 undergraduate, 2,000 graduate); 550 faculty; 750 staff
WPI’s Rankings and Accolades
- #1 best online master’s in engineering programs Forbes (2023)
- #5 best (undergraduate) game design program in the Northeast; #12 nationally The Princeton Review (2025)
- #13 best career placement The Princeton Review (2024)
- #18 best school for internships (private schools) The Princeton Review (2024)
- #18 best school for 40-year long-term return on investment U.S. News & World Report (2025)
- #22 best value college/top return on investment PayScale.com (2024)
- Top 25 best online MBA program in the U.S. Poets&Quants (2025)
- Top 100 colleges where low-income students get the highest ROI Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce (2022)
Homecoming 2026: September 25-27
Two events – one big weekend at WPI! Join your WPI community September 25 – 27 for Homecoming & Family Weekend back on The Hill.
Our vibrant campus will be buzzing with traditions, spirited athletic matchups, and fun, family-friendly activities that showcase everything that makes WPI special. We look forward to welcoming alumni, students, families, and friends to campus for this unforgettable weekend of connection, celebration, competition, and WPI spirit.