The Center for Project-Based Learning is excited to welcome Marcel Blais, a professor of teaching in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, as its new assistant director, effective July 1. Marcel has collaborated extensively with the Center in recent years, serving as a lead for a multi-workshop engagement with a community college partner, facilitating a weeklong series of national workshops through the KEEN Engineering Unleashed network, and coaching several teams at the Institute on PBL.
Marcel brings a wealth of leadership experience within WPI, having served as the associate head of the Department of Mathematical Sciences from 2017 to 2022 and as a founding member of the WPI FinTech Collaborative. He is also an active member of the Mass FinTech Hub and a co-founding member and the investor manager on the board of directors for Equilibrium Brewery in Middletown, N.Y.
This deep experience with both small business and academic leadership will transfer well to the work of the Center. Each year, between 30 and 40 colleges and universities seek out support from the Center to improve their ability to provide high-quality experiential learning to their students.
“We are delighted to have Marcel join our small but mighty team! His creativity and commitment to learning will be hugely beneficial to us, but also to those we partner with across higher ed,” said Kris Wobbe, director of the Center.
