Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) today announced the appointment of Crate Herbert as vice president for university advancement. A nationally recognized advancement leader with more than 25 years of experience in higher education and nonprofit fundraising, Herbert brings a proven track record of transformational philanthropy, strategic innovation, and collaborative leadership to WPI. She will begin her new role Sept. 15, 2025.Herbert joins WPI from Wentworth Institute of Technology, where she served as vice president for institutional advancement and external relations. There, she built a 40-person team, overseeing Advancement and Marketing and Communications, and managing a $7 million operation. During her tenure at Wentworth, the institute enjoyed unprecedented fundraising success as she reshaped the team with centers of excellence in donor relations and stewardship; industry and government relations; demand generation; advancement operations; and internal communications. She also laid the foundation for Wentworth’s first-ever comprehensive campaign including the closure of foundational lead gifts.At WPI, Herbert will lead the Division of University Advancement during a time of extraordinary opportunity. The university was recently designated an R1 research institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and is nearing the successful completion of its $500 million Beyond These Towers campaign. Reporting directly to President Grace Wang and serving on the president’s cabinet, Herbert will guide a strategic refresh of WPI’s advancement operations, donor and alumni engagement, and philanthropic partnerships.“Crate Herbert is a results-oriented leader who understands how to connect mission-driven institutions with the resources needed to fuel their impact,” said Wang. “Her vision, energy, passion to deliver impact, and her empathetic leadership style position her perfectly to advance WPI’s distinctive impact.”“Crate’s collaborative spirit and the energy she brought to each interaction throughout this process were notable,” said George Oliver ’82, member of WPI’s Board of Trustees and search committee chair. “The committee was impressed by her deep understanding of how to cultivate meaningful philanthropic partnerships, and we look forward to having her join this community.”Prior to her role at Wentworth, Herbert held senior leadership positions at Harvard University, where she helped launch and lead campaigns totaling over $4 billion. As executive director of development for the Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, she exceeded the school’s $450 million campaign goal by 50% and played a key role in securing and stewarding a historic $400 million naming gift. She also pioneered Harvard’s Leadership Giving program, securing six- and seven-figure unrestricted gifts.Herbert’s appointment reflects WPI’s commitment to building a data-informed advancement program that deepens alumni engagement, strengthens corporate and foundation partnerships, and attracts transformative gifts. She will lead a team of more than 50 people and work closely with faculty, trustees, and university leaders to scale philanthropic support with WPI’s strategic priorities.“I am honored to join WPI at such an exciting time.” said Herbert. “WPI embodies the best elements of American higher education, offering a powerful model for the future. WPI’s distinctive education blends hands-on, project-based learning with field-leading research. This is an exciting moment in WPI’s long, impressive history, and I look forward to partnering with President Wang and the entire community—alumni, parents, students, faculty, and staff—to build lasting relationships that advance this extraordinary institution. I can’t wait to get to work.”Herbert holds a master of music from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor of arts from Earlham College. She also serves as faculty dean of Cabot House at Harvard College and is a former professional classical singer.

From perfectly coordinated Pinterest boards to last-minute duffel bag packers, this episode dives into the highs, lows, and hilarious moments of living on campus. The director of WPI's housing and residential experience center shares insider tips, real-life stories, and advice for students and parents navigating the exciting new world of college housing.

Spreading WPI spirit one sticker at a time. #wpi(no stickers were left behind in the making of this reel)

WPI’s Dr. Alexander Wyglinski answers 3 questions you didn’t know you needed the answers to: 📍 How does GPS work? 📵 What’s a cellular “dead zone”? 📱 And why do we call it a cell phone?Spoiler: It’s all about wireless innovation.Meet Alexander Wyglinski — wireless wizard, innovation leader, and WPI’s Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. From 5G to connected cars, he’s shaping the future of tech and helping the next generation of engineers thrive. 🚀📡 #WPI #WirelessInnovation #CellNetwork #Cellcoverage #GPS #STEM #stemmajor #stemsoftiktok

Researchers across departments at WPI are studying how wildfires start, spread, and impact communities. In this episode of The WPI Podcast, James Urban, assistant professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, and Albert Simeoni, professor and head of the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, discuss their research on fire behavior and how they’re working to share the knowledge generated from this research to protect people and property. This is the first of two episodes focused on wildfire-related research at WPI. In the next episode on the topic, researchers in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering will talk about their work to understand the impacts of wildfire smoke on indoor environments, with a focus on children’s sleep health and the absorption of smoke by building materials.     Related links: Wildfires Explained WPI Experts on Wildfires Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center National Fire Protection Association: Firewise USA (wildfire risk reduction program)

Researchers Develop Cleaner, Scalable Process to Recycle Lithium-Ion Batteries. Findings published in prominent international journal In a major step forward for sustainable energy technology, researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), led by Professor Yan Wang, William B. Smith Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, have developed a new, scalable method to recycle lithium-ion batteries in a way that is both efficient and environmentally friendly.The team’s research, titled Upcycling Mixed Spent Ni-Lean Cathodes into Ni-Rich Polycrystalline Cathodes, was recently published in Energy Storage Materials, a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal focused on the topics of materials and energy. The paper details an innovative hydrometallurgical upcycling approach that offers both environmental and performance advantages over traditional recycling methods.The process specifically targets spent mixed nickel-lean (Ni-lean) cathode materials, which are commonly found in used lithium-ion batteries. Traditional recycling methods struggle to recover these materials effectively and often rely on energy-intensive processes that produce lower-value outputs. In contrast, Wang’s approach recovers more than 92% of critical metals—nickel, cobalt, and manganese—and turns them into high-performance cathode powders.Testing shows that batteries made with these recycled materials perform on par with those made from virgin materials, retaining 88% of their capacity after 500 charge cycles and over 85% capacity after 900 cycles in commercial-scale pouch cells. The new process also uses 8.6% less energy than conventional hydrometallurgical methods and significantly reduces carbon emissions—by 13.9% when compared with traditional recycling, slightly more than with direct upcycling.“This work not only addresses the environmental challenges of battery waste but also helps reduce our dependence on mining for critical materials,” said Wang. “We’ve shown that it’s possible to create high-performance batteries from recycled materials at scale, which is essential for building a more sustainable and resilient battery supply chain.”This innovation directly tackles two major challenges: the growing volume of battery waste and the global demand for critical materials used in electric vehicles and other clean energy technologies. With industry and policymakers focused on sustainable solutions, this advancement could play a key role in building a more circular and climate-conscious battery economy.

Discover how WPI's industrial legacy is fueling the future of advanced manufacturing. In this episode, a WPI materials science professor breaks down how cutting-edge tech—from AI to sustainable materials—is transforming the way we make things. Whether you're a curious listener or a future innovator, tune in to explore part of the next industrial revolution.

Join the WPI Business School conversation with FinTech student, junior John Kenney. In this episode, John shares how he landed at WPI from California, his insight into FinTech topics like blockchain and cryptocurrencies, getting involved on campus, and the upcoming student investment fund.

🎤 We asked our incoming students: What are you most excited about for your first year here?Their answers are giving us ALL the feels!Welcome to the family, future goats!#WPI2029

Current student and alumni: your story could inspire the next generation of WPI students. Where did you land your first job/internship? How did WPI prepare you?