WPI Alumni

What has the Class of 2024 been up to since leaving the Hill?

Sequoia Truong '24 shares: "Started a new job and moved out to sunny Southern California to begin a new adventure, but not before backpacking eastern Europe with 2 of my fellow 2024 WPI alumni!"

What do you remember about the months after you graduated? What advice would you share with our newest members of the WPI alumni community? Share in the comments below!

Hey Class of 2022! Your hammocking space from your class gift is up and running on campus!

It's next to the Rubin Campus Center back patio, just behind the Innovation Studio. Poles have been installed to accommodate six hammocks, alongside an accessible seating area. Students can use their own hammocks or check one out at the Rubin Campus Center Info Desk.

And it’s all thanks to YOU and so many of your classmates, families, and friends. We're so grateful!

Come see it for yourself at Homecoming! On Saturday, September 28 at 11:30, we'll be doing an official dedication. Join President Wang and members of your class for this special celebration.

Learn more and register here: https://www.wpi.edu/news/annual-events/homecoming/schedule

What a great time at last week's alumni gathering in Boston! Special thanks to Pamela Giasson Lynch '05 for hosting and to the Alumni Association for sponsoring.

Sorry to have missed out? Your next opportunity is coming right up! Join host Morgan Boyd '15 and fellow alumni tomorrow night in Portsmouth, NH.

Learn more and register here: https://www.wpi.edu/news/calendar/events/portsmouth-area-alumni-gathering

Thanks to all who joined WPI Voyagers for their academic year kickoff event yesterday!

Members enjoyed a social and a presentation by WPI's Bogdan Vernescu, Vice President and Vice Provost for Research and Innovation.

Their next event will be held on October 1: presentation by WPI's Arne Gericke, Interim Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and Kristin Wobbe, Director of the Center For Project-Based Learning. Learn more: https://www.wpi.edu/news/calendar/events/wpis-approach-stem-education-arne-gericke-and-kristin-wobbe-hosted-wpi-voyagers

We're starting off this academic year with gratitude—for you! Dean of Students Emily Perlow shares:

"I love it when our students return to campus every fall. They bring such energy and excitement, and the campus comes alive.

In this moment, I see the impact from alumni and friends like you.

WPI is a place where multi-talented people gather to make the world a better place. Here, our students learn that their voices matter and that listening to other voices matters, too. They learn to trust themselves while taking risks and challenging themselves and to pivot when things don’t go as planned.

Gifts from alumni and friends like you are supporting that incredible student journey. Your generosity follows our students from when they first set foot on the Hill—crossing Earle Bridge, donning their beanies, and getting their Tech Bibles, as our first-year students just did—all the way through to IQPs and MQPs, athletics competitions, student leadership positions, and Commencement."

Thank you for all you do for your alma mater!

Looking for an opportunity to connect? Join Pamela Giasson Lynch '05 in Boston on September 5 and Morgan Boyd '15 in Portsmouth, NH on September 10! These events are sponsored by the WPI Alumni Association

Morgan shares, "The WPI community gave so much to me when I was a student there. As I have moved into my career, it has always been great to connect with fellow alumni, especially when they have chosen to make the same area home!"

Details and registration for Boston here: https://www.wpi.edu/news/calendar/events/boston-alumni-gathering
And Portsmouth here: https://www.wpi.edu/news/calendar/events/portsmouth-area-alumni-gathering

Pictured: Alumni at a gathering in LA last fall.

Grace Hadley ’23, MS ’24, was one of the fastest Division III milers in the country in the 2023-24 indoor and outdoor track seasons, but that doesn’t mean she limited herself to just one distance. She competed in everything from the 800m to the 10K and found success in most as she stayed healthy and injury free in her final year of collegiate racing.

And while running can be an intensely individual endeavor, she says being on a team adds a layer of enjoyment that makes the long hours of training worth it.

You might think her wire-to-wire victory in the mile run at the NCAA Division III indoor track championships in March—where she ran her personal best and the second-fastest women’s Division III championship mile ever—would be her favorite memory of that weekend in Virginia Beach. But her dramatic come-from-behind distance medley relay (DMR) was just as thrilling, she says, especially as she embraced her crying-with-joy teammates—who happen to be her best friends—at the end.

Read more in the Summer WPI Journal here: https://wp.wpi.edu/journal/articles/for-runner-grace-hadley-the-team-makes-training-worthwhile/

As the director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Christine Nolan ’88 is helping the next generation of innovators by connecting the state’s 7,000 manufacturers with funding and resources needed to stay competitive and create jobs.

“This really is my dream job. It marries both worlds—my manufacturing background as well as my community engagement background,” she says. “I’m inspired by manufacturers’ passion for creating things, solving problems, and working through tough challenges. My job is to ask, ‘How can I use the resources available at the state level to help them succeed?’”

Read more in the WPI Summer Journal here: https://wp.wpi.edu/journal/articles/helping-massachusetts-manufacturers-succeed/

We previously shared the WPI Journal story detailing how Steve Vassallo ’93 and his wife, Trae, have made a seven-figure commitment to WPI that lays the foundation for the Helen G. Vassallo Distinguished Presidential Professorship, named in memory of Steve’s mother who was also a longtime WPI faculty member, mentor, and advisor.

As our students and faculty return to campus for a new academic year, we wanted to share this video of what Professor Vassallo and this professorship in her memory mean to the WPI community.

Watch on YouTube here:

Honoring Helen Vassallo MBA `82

Read in the Summer 2024 WPI Journal how Maureen McCaffrey ’86 and Amy Prange ’07 transform city neighborhoods and counter the gender imbalance in commercial real estate.

McCaffrey shares, “When you think about all of the aspects of design and how people interact with spaces, all of us come to the table with different experiences."

Read more here: https://wp.wpi.edu/journal/articles/reshaping-urban-life/

Campus is alive and full of energy and excitement! A term kicked off today with the first day of classes.

What advice would you share with the Class of 2028?

As summer winds down, that back-to-school feeling is in the air.

What do you remember most about coming home to the Hill? The crisp fall air, the energy on campus, the promise of a fresh start? Or maybe the anticipation and fun of reuniting with friends and classmates?

This year, we’d like nothing more than to welcome you home to the Hill once more. Homecoming 2024 will be held September 27 and 28!

See the full schedule and register here: https://www.wpi.edu/news/annual-events/homecoming/schedule

Today, we're concluding our celebration of the 2024 Alumni Association Award recipients with a spotlight on Holly Keyes Ault ’74, MS ’83, PhD ’88.

A recipient of the William R. Grogan Award for Support of the Mission of WPI, Holly is Professor Emerita, Mechanical Engineering, and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Global Studies WPI, retired.

Holly’s primary teaching responsibilities included undergraduate and graduate level courses in computer-aided design, mechanical design and rehabilitation engineering. Her research interests included computer aided mechanical design, geometric modeling, kinematics, machine design, rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology. In addition, she has advised off-campus project students in London; Copenhagen; Stockholm; Windhoek, Namibia; San Jose, Costa Rica; Washington, D.C.; Boston; Modesto, Calif.; Melbourne, Australia; Hong Kong; Bangkok; and Yerevan, Armenia. She previously served as director for project centers in Melbourne, Australia, and Copenhagen.

Read more about Holly, and all of this year’s award recipients, here: https://bit.ly/2024wpialumniawards

We had a blast welcoming the Class of 2028 as they crossed Earle Bridge and received their Tech Bibles and beanies!

The sudden downpour will make this Bridge Crossing one to remember. What do you remember most about your own Bridge Crossing? Share with us in the comments below!

It's Move-in Day for the Class of 2028!

As you look back on your own first moments on campus (and enjoy this move-in photo from the 1980s!), what do you remember most? What advice would you share with the incoming class?

Trae and Steve Vassallo ’93 recently committed a seven-figure philanthropic gift to establish the Dr. Helen G. Vassallo Distinguished Presidential Professorship in memory of Steve’s mother.

When asked what he hopes this gift will achieve, Steve shared, "My mom’s North Star was seeing students flourish and grow—not just in their technical zone of genius, but in every facet of their lives. The goal of the Dr. Helen G. Vassallo Distinguished Presidential Professorship is to extend the gift of my mom’s impact in perpetuity by supporting an outstanding, recently tenured faculty member who embodies her pioneering spirit and has demonstrated excellence in all relevant areas of faculty performance, including teaching, research and scholarship, service and leadership, and advising."

Read more in the summer edition of the WPI Journal: https://wp.wpi.edu/journal/articles/in-memory-of-a-wpi-trailblazer-helen-vassallo/

Welcome back to "When Was It?" Wednesday! We post a photo and your job is to guess when it was taken.

Post your guess in the comments below!

We're continuing our celebration of the 2024 Alumni Association Award recipients with a spotlight on Rick Baruffi ’14, MS’15.

A recipient of the John Boynton Young Alumni Award for Service to WPI, Rick has represented the university at college fairs with the Admission Office, stayed involved as Alumni Advisor for SAS, served on the Aquinas Association for Kap, and led WPI’s Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Committee for several years.

He shares, " I got involved with GOLD thanks to some encouragement from some SAS alumni and served as chair of the committee for four years, having only recently stepped down. It’s hard to admit I’m too old for GOLD, but I’m looking forward to the next phase of my WPI experience!"

Read more about Rick, and all of this year’s award recipients, here: https://bit.ly/2024wpialumniawards

Feeling the end of summer blues? Gear up for Homecoming on September 27 and 28 and make your plans to come home to the Hill!

Stay tuned for registration opening next week! In the meantime, check out the event schedule here: https://www.wpi.edu/news/annual-events/homecoming/schedule and enjoy this photo from a Homecoming past. Can you guess the year?

Today, we're highlighting Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos ’84 as part of our celebration of our 2024 Alumni Association Award recipients.

A recipient of the Herbert F. Taylor Alumni Award for Distinguished Service to WPI, Pouli is a storyteller, educator, author, and professional speaker as well as a WPI Volunteer and Former WPI Alumni Association Board Member.

He shares, "Today, I feel a great sense of pride that, in some small way, the Greek system is still a part of the WPI experience because of my efforts as IFC President. I stayed involved with the Greek system by serving as president of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Board for a number of years."

He also shares that he's proud of giving back to undergrads through teaching, career coaching, and sharing insights as well as his roles in his class reunion committees, the Alumni Association Board, and the group of alumni who raised funds for the new academic advising suite in honor of the remarkable John van Alstyne.

Read more about Pouli, and all of this year’s award recipients, here: https://bit.ly/2024wpialumniawards

It's !

In this 1992 photo, two unidentified students paddle for shore in the ASCE Concrete Canoe Race. This annual tradition sees students at campuses across the country compete in “America’s Cup of Civil Engineering.” To see more concrete canoe actions, please visit Digital WPI: https://digital.wpi.edu/concern/generic_works/5712m754w?locale=en

Welcome back to "When was it?" Wednesday! We post a photo and your job is to guess when it was taken.

First, the answer to last week's photo: 2019.

For this week's photo, comment your answer below!

This month, alumni and friends gathered in Portland, the DC area, and Denver. Thanks to all who joined and to our hosts Bernard M. Gordon Dean of Engineering John McNeill, Lindsey McKan '09, and Tom Cappelletti '87!

Next up, Pamela Giasson Lynch '05 is hosting a gathering in Boston on September 5. Learn more here: https://www.wpi.edu/news/calendar/events/boston-alumni-gathering

These events are made possible by the Alumni Association. Interested in hosting an event in your area? Please email [email protected].

We're continuing our celebration of our 2024 Alumni Association Award recipients with a spotlight on Peter W. Tunnicliffe ’74, PE, DBIA, CIRM.

A recipient of the Robert H. Goddard Alumni Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement, Peter is the former executive vice president and president of CDM Smith’s construction unit, CDM Constructors (CCI), where he was responsible for sales
and delivery of design/build, CMAR and construction projects in the United
States and six countries for CDM Smith. He is a registered professional engineer,
attorney and international risk manager.

When asked what career achievements he's most proud of, he shared:
• Created CDM Constructors, the design build and general contractor in 1981,
advancing the CDM Smith organization from an A/E firm to an E/C firm that
now generates nearly $2 billion per year in revenues.
• Led the Water Design/Build Council as it shaped the Project Delivery
approach in the water market to Progressive Design/Build, improving cost
and schedule performance versus traditional design-bid build delivery.
• Youngest senior vice president of CDM Smith, president of a $500 million
per year operating unit, and member of the Board of Directors.

Read more about Peter, and all of this year’s award recipients, here: https://bit.ly/2024wpialumniawards

It's ! A group of students are enjoying pleasant weather and company as they spectate an unknown activity, possibly a baseball game in this undated photo.

To see if you can spot yourself in the crowd around campus, visit Digital WPI! https://digital.wpi.edu/concern/generic_works/08612p84t?locale=en

Welcome back to "When was it?" Wednesday! We post a photo and your job is to guess when it was taken.

First, the answer to last week's photo: 1981.

For this week's photo, comment your answer below!

Trae Jennette ’15 is living out his childhood dream. The Aerospace Engineering major’s fascination with fighter jets led him to WPI’s rigorous academic curriculum and ultimately to his position with RTX (formerly Raytheon), a multinational aerospace and defense conglomerate.

He shares, "WPI laid a strong foundation for my career, empowering me to contribute innovatively to the field of aerospace engineering. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities and experiences that have shaped my path, and I am committed to leveraging my skills and knowledge to push the boundaries of technology and inspire the next generation of engineers."

Read more about Trae here: https://www.wpi.edu/news/announcements/trae-jennette-15-when-childhood-passion-fighter-jets-develop-aerospace-engineer

Today we're highlighting Timothy F. Murray ’74 as we celebrate our 2024 Alumni Association Award recipients!

A recipient of the Robert H. Goddard Alumni Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement, Timothy is the principal consultant and owner of Murray Advisory Services, LLC (MAS) advising C-level clients and investors on strategy and business development.

When asked which career achievements he's proudest of, he shared:
• Creating a better safety culture in each enterprise I led.
• Creating a culture in OFS that promoted everyone fairly and enabling an old
line Japanese company to see the benefit and to support it after I retired.
• Maintaining a commitment to invest in R&D when our company was
recovering from the first internet bubble bust in 2000-2002.
• Convincing Mr. Takeuchi (CEO) to invest $7,000 in a clean room for medical
parts assembly when OFS was losing $1 million per day.
• Convincing Furukawa in 2009 to invest $1 million of OFS cash in a start-up
named “Acacia” making 100 gigaBit optical transciever modules when OFS
EBITA was $7 million/year; the result was $100 million+ gain.

Read more about Timothy, and all of this year’s award recipients, here: https://bit.ly/2024wpialumniawards

Thanks to all who joined WPI GOLD at their summer social at Kimball Farms last weekend! We loved connecting with you!