Office of the President

Grace Wang, PhD
A materials scientist and highly accomplished and collaborative leader in higher education, government, and industry, Grace Wang, PhD, began her term as the 17th president of WPI on April 3, 2023.
Learn more about the career path that led Grace to WPI.


Moving Forward Together
Read President Wang's message to the community as she takes the helm on April 3, 2023.

President Wang Shares Her Thoughts in Q&A
In a Q&A with WPI's Journal, President Wang shared her excitement for working with the campus community to advance WPI's strengths in purpose-driven education and research.
Getting to Know the WPI Community
As the president-elect, Wang visited campus numerous times to meet and engage in conversations with WPI students, faculty, staff, and community members.
"All my interactions and listening have deepened my understanding of our history, culture, and community and excited me for what’s ahead." —President Grace Wang

President-elect Wang attended the President's IQP Awards ceremony, an annual event that recognizes student teams whose Interactive Qualifying Project work (a required project that addresses an open-ended problem at the intersection of science, technology, and society) is determined to be outstanding.
WPI students had the chance to meet the incoming president at the Rubin Campus Center during a recent visit to campus.
President-elect Grace Wang’s first address to the WPI community on November 7.

On a recent campus visit, students had the opportunity to chat with President-elect Wang.
Theory and Practice: Our Founding Tradition Since 1865
The nation’s third-oldest private technological university, WPI was founded amid the bustle of the American Industrial Revolution. Our distinctive approach to education began with a compromise that led to a breakthrough: combining a college that would provide a scientific education to young people destined for emerging technical careers with a school that could elevate the traditional apprenticeship system for mechanics and other technical tradespeople. By blending these visions, WPI created a new approach to higher education unlike any that had come before—one that combined theory with practice. This Two Towers Tradition has guided the university for more than 150 years.