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WPI Class of 2025
WPI celebrated Commencement 2025 with ceremonies at the DCU Center, which included speeches by students, faculty, administrators, Michelle Gass ’90, president and chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co, who delivered the undergraduate Commencement address, and graduate ceremony speaker Noubar Afeyan—inventor, entrepreneur, and founder of Flagship Pioneering, and co-founder and chair of Moderna.
To help document the graduation of nearly 1,300 undergraduates and more than 900 master's and doctoral students, multiple news organizations covered the ceremonies or interviewed graduating students.
President Grace J. Wang and Vice President and Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Bogdan Vernescu have been named to the Worcester Business Journal’s Power 100 for 2025. The list highlights professionals who have an outsize influence on Central Massachusetts. The selection of these WPI leaders recognizes their leadership of the university and their focus on enhancing impactful research at WPI and driving innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. Read the articles featuring President Grace J. Wang and Vice President and Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Bogdan Vernescu.
Fabio Carrera, teaching professor in The Global School and director of the Venice Project Center, appeared on CNN's The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper as part of an episode titled "Saving Venice." Carrera, who oversees WPI student projects focused on Venice's transformation, provided analysis on some of the city's current challenges with tourism and transportation. A subscription is required to view the episode, however a free transcript is available at this link.
Gillian Smith, director of the interactive media and game development program, provided analysis for an article about the potential implications of the use of artificial intelligence in video game development.
Yahoo! News republished an article originally from The Worcester News in the United Kingdom which documented the experience this spring of students from WPI who were in Worcester, England to conduct their interactive qualifying projects with local community partners.
For Worcester’s Fatimah Daffaie ’25, BS MS Biomedical Engineering, her graduation marks the culmination of a journey that began half a world away. She credits mentorship from WPI faculty and students while she was still in high school with sparking an interest in studying engineering. She shared her story with the Telegram & Gazette.
Paula Fitzpatrick, director of the Center for Well-Being and a faculty affiliate in Social Science & Policy Studies, wrote about how staying in touch with nature, connecting with co-workers, and moving through your day "without activating rushing energy" can help you get more centered at work.
Farnoush Reshadi, assistant professor of marketing, provided analysis for an article in E&E News on factors that influence people's decisions on whether to trust self-driving vehicles. Reshadi, who studies consumer psychology, discussed considerations about control which are heightened in situations involving driving.
Alexander Wyglinski, director of the Wireless Innovation Laboratory, provided analysis for an article on the benefits and side effects of intelligent connectivity -- or the interconnectivity of artificial intelligence, 5G networks, and internet-connected devices. He discusses society's dependence on connectivity and the challenge of bandwidth shortages.
A team of researchers including Joseph Sarkis, professor of management in The Business School, has published a study which found that online reviews of products may influence decisions companies make about which products they will discontinue. The team analyzed thousands of online reviews and identified characteristics of those reviews that make a product more likely to be discontinued.
The third annual event, to be held at WPI's Innovation Studio, will feature a keynote speech from Debora Jackson, Dean of The Business School. The expo provides support, resources, and networking opportunities, and will include a business pitch competition.
Jiawei Yang, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering who is affiliated with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, is developing a new class of medical adhesives to safely and reliably connect human tissues to therapeutic devices implanted in the body, such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, and artificial joints.
A group of student entrepreneurs from WPI was chosen from hundreds of entries to be a top 25 finalist for the Schulze Entrepreneur Challenge. Antonio Marzoratti and Ivan Zou are part of a team that has developed an attachable power-assist device that can transform a manual wheelchair into a powered wheelchair.
How can advancements in imaging technology improve the kidney donation process and save lives? Spectrum News 1 Worcester reported on the efforts of Haichong Zhang, associate professor in robotics engineering and biomedical engineering, and Xihan Ma, a robotics engineering PhD student, to develop and test a robotic system that seeks to empower clinicians to make better decisions about a donated kidney’s viability for transplantation.
Melissa Kagen, assistant professor of teaching in Interactive Media and Game Development and author of "Wandering Games," was quoted in a New York Times review of the new video game "Blue Prince."
Lydia Ellen Tonani-Penha, a PhD student in materials science and engineering, is working on a NASA-funded research project to examine ways to purify the frozen or liquid brine that Mars is infused with. She and Robert Hyers, the George I. Alden Professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, presented the project plan at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Texas.
Xiaowei Teng, the James H. Manning Professor of Chemical Engineering, has received an award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to study the recovery of critical minerals like uranium from industrial wastewater. The work seeks to improve the health of ecosystems and meet a growing demand for nuclear fuel.
Carrick Eggleston, professor of civil, environmental, and architectural engineering, provided analysis for an article in This Old House about solar companies. Eggleston offered insight to homeowners to guide their selection of a solar company and suggestions on factors to consider including efficiency, cost, and maintenance.
Three WPI students represented the university's innovation and entrepreneurship in a citywide intercollegiate pitch competition. Calvin Lambert, Russell Hertel, and Luis Alzamora presented their entrepreneurial ideas at WooTank and won financial support for their business ventures. The event was part of StartUp Week Worcester.
The Worcester Telegram & Gazette highlighted WPI in its coverage of area college graduation speakers. Michelle Gass '90, president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., will give the address at the university's Undergraduate Commencement ceremony. Noubar Afeyan, founder of Flagship Pioneering, and co-founder and chair of Moderna, will give the address at the Graduate Commencement ceremony.
Mike Timko, professor of chemical engineering, spoke with WBUR about new technology coming out of his lab that promises to separate PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ from wastewater sludge and turn what’s left into fuel.
