The 2024 Faculty Honors Convocation, held April 26 in the Rubin Campus Center Odeum, celebrated outstanding WPI faculty members and teaching assistants. Awards were presented during the ceremony to recognize excellence in areas including innovation, teaching, service to community, research, and academic advising. Here are the winners:
Karen Troy, professor and associate department head in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, received the Board of Trustees Chair’s Exemplary Faculty Prize. The award honors excellence across areas of faculty performance, including teaching, research, and scholarship. Troy was recognized for inspiring and mentoring students, exposing them to the excitement of lab experimentation, and researching biomechanics, bone strength, and risk factors for bone stress injury. Read the award citation here.
Greg Lewin, assistant teaching professor and associate head in the Department of Robotics Engineering, received the Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Teaching. The award recognizes faculty who display excellence in teaching and outstanding professional contributions. Lewin was recognized for his engaging approach to presenting introductory robotics, for helping students in the lab, and for being invested in the success and well-being of students. Read the award citation here.
Jamal Yagoobi, the George F. Fuller Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, received the Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Research & Creative Scholarship. The award recognizes outstanding teaching, research, and creative scholarship, academic advising, and service to the community. Yagoobi was recognized for his significant contributions to the understanding of drying and thermal processes and connecting industry and academic research. Read the award citation here.
Leonard Albano, associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering, received the Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Academic Advising. The award recognizes the guidance and mentorship offered by academic advisors through stages of professional and personal development. Albano was recognized for always leaving his door open for students, going out of his way to make students feel seen, and helping them grow as people and professionals. Read the award citation here.
Mark Richman, associate professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and WPI’s Secretary of the Faculty, received the Denise Nicoletti Trustees’ Award for Service to Community. The award honors the memory and spirit of service of the first tenure-track female faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the co-founder of Camp Reach, a summer program which introduces girls to engineering and science. Richman was recognized for supporting and elevating people in the WPI community. Read the award citation here.
Joseph Aguilar, assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Humanities & Arts, Kate McIntyre, assistant professor in the Department of Humanities & Arts, and Rose Bohrer, assistant professor in the Computer Science Department, received the Romeo L. Moruzzi Young Faculty Award for Innovation in Undergraduate Education. The award honors the memory of a longtime faculty member who was a key player in bringing tenure to WPI and creating the WPI Plan, which revolutionized undergraduate education on campus. Aguilar and McIntyre were recognized for their work to make creative writing thrive at WPI. Read the award citation here. Bohrer was recognized for advancing computer science education at WPI through a redesign of a programming language course and integration of theory with social and ethical considerations. Read the award citation here.
Rebecca Gilchrist, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, received the Teaching Assistant of the Year Award. The award honors the contributions graduate students make to the quality and success of WPI’s curriculum. Gilchrist was recognized for teaching with humor and skill and allowing students to leave the fear of failure behind. Read the award citation here. Alexandra Harrison, a graduate student in the Department of Chemical Engineering, received honorable mention for her excellent support of students and faculty.
