As part of the Microsoft 365 Storage Management project, we have asked our community to reduce their WPI OneDrive storage; and we are working at it here in ITS as well! Find out what Mike Hamilton, Staff Council Chair and ITS Project Manager, discovered in his quest to assist the community with OneDrive cleanup. Here's what I learned along the way - and the key tips that can save you both time and storage space. OneDrive Cleanup Companion We hope you are inspired to tend to your OneDrive files by using Mike’s fabulous tips or following self-service instructions. You are also welcome to join ITS for assistance at these upcoming events, including a webinar and drop-in sessions.

July's focus is on PHISHING. Many of us are familiar with this topic, but bad actors and technology continue to evolve so there is always more to learn! Check out the July SECURE IT to learn how phishing emails can shapeshift. This is also known as polymorphic phishing. In this issue: From the CISTO: Separate Personal Email from WPI Email Polymorphic Phishing and Other Types of Phishing & Social Engineering Why is Higher Ed a Target? Watch Out for Summer Scams Learning with Laughter Meet KnowBe4 In the News and Featured Videos It Landed in Junk Mail for a Reason! Diversity in Cybersecurity      

Next week, ITS will be hosting a OneDrive Clean Up webinar as part of the Microsoft365 Storage Management project. Come join us on Tuesday, July 22 from 10:00am - 11:00am EDT for a live tutorial and tips on how to clean up your OneDrive storage. Please register on this Microsoft Form to attend the webinar or receive the recording.   Microsoft 365 Storage Resources: These resources will help you get started on managing your Outlook and OneDrive storage. Storage Management FAQs Exploring Outlook Outlook Clean Up Resources Exploring OneDrive

Senior Vice President and Provost Andrew Sears announced today that Nikolaos Gatsonis, professor and head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, has agreed to serve as interim dean of the School of Engineering, effective immediately. He will serve until our newly appointed permanent dean, Daniel Linzell, joins us in October. Dean Linzell succeeds John McNeill, who served as dean since 2018. Professor Gatsonis brings to this role extensive academic leadership, deep institutional knowledge, and a strong record of research and educational innovation. As founding director and inaugural head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, he has led the program’s growth from a concentration within mechanical engineering to a nationally ranked department with nearly 470 students. Under his leadership, the department has expanded its undergraduate and graduate programs, enrollment, and research enterprise. Since joining WPI in 1994, Professor Gatsonis has held numerous leadership roles, including associate head of the mechanical engineering department and chair of multiple university-wide committees. He has played a key role in academic planning, faculty hiring and mentoring, and ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accreditation. His collaborative leadership and commitment to academic excellence have earned him wide respect. Professor Gatsonis received his undergraduate degree in physics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in Greece; a master’s in atmospheric science from the University of Michigan; and both a master’s in aeronautics and astronautics and a PhD in the physics of fluid and plasmas from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is an internationally recognized scholar in the fields of fluid and plasma dynamics, with applications to areas including spacecraft micropropulsion, spacecraft-environment interactions, plasma devices and diagnostics, nanospacecraft attitude dynamics and control, and control/estimation with unmanned vehicles. He participated in several spacecraft propulsion development programs and space missions.  His research has been supported by NASA, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the National Science Foundation, among others. He also has a robust record of industrial collaborations through multiple Small Business Technology Transfer and Small Business Innovation Research programs. He has authored more than 125 publications and advised more than 30 graduate students, 10 postdoctoral fellows, and 60 undergraduate Major Qualifying Projects. He is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and serves as associate editor of the Aerospace Science and Technology Journal. At WPI, Professor Gatsonis has been honored with the Board of Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Scholarship and the Norton/Saint Gobain Award for integrated research and teaching and has held both the George I. Alden and John Woodman Higgins professorships. Professor Gatsonis will resume his role as department head in October when Dean Linzell arrives.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has been gaining national attention for our STEM forward approach to business education. Poets&Quants, one of the leading sources for business school news and rankings, recently produced two separate articles recognizing both the undergraduate and graduate business programs.  In the article “10 Undergraduate Business Schools to Watch in 2025,” Poets&Quants for Undergrads highlights WPI among other standout institutions across the country. The piece specifically highlights the project-based curriculum, STEM integration, and post-graduation outcomes.  It also features a Q&A with Kwamie Dunbar, interim dean of The WPI Business School and professor of finance, who offers insights into the program’s growth, new academic offerings, and the unique value WPI provides.   WPI’s online MBA program was mentioned in a separate article, “2025 Best & Brightest Online MBAs.” The piece profiles WPI employee Ermal Toto, PhD ’21, MBA ’25, who shares his experience with the program, balancing work and study, and how he has grown as a leader since entering the program.  Both pieces from Poets&Quants highlight the strength and momentum of the business school.  Read “10 Undergraduate Business Schools to Watch in 2025”  Meet Ermal Toto, one of 2025’s Best & Brightest Online MBAs 

Stephanie Smieszek-Racine ’19 Stephanie Smieszek-Racine ’19 is the Vice Chair of the Women of WPI. This summer, the group, with support from the Alumni Association, is hosting a Vineyard Tour and Tasting event with WPI alumna Marissa (Mertzic) O'Connor '00 and Corey O'Connor at Agronomy Farm Vineyard. Ahead of the event, we caught up with Stephanie to learn more about her WPI journey and why she stays involved. Read on below, then make your plans to join Stephanie, Marissa, and a few dozen other alumni and friends on August 3! Learn more and register by July 31 for the event here. Tell us a little about your WPI experience. I was involved in the Student Alumni Society (SAS) and Tau Beta Pi. My best experience at WPI was IQP in Namibia. Being immersed in different cultures showed me how important it is to enjoy everything in life and prioritize learning from others and their experiences. What are you up to now, and how did your WPI experience help? I work at Takeda Pharmaceuticals as a Manufacturing Manager. WPI gave me the opportunity to hold leadership positions in a few clubs, which allowed me to try different leadership styles and gave me a jump start into people leadership. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn! What are the ways you've stayed engaged with WPI over the years?  I've stayed connected to WPI via the Women of WPI and going back to campus for SAS alumni events and alumni weekend. I have already registered for Homecoming this September—I hope you’ll join me! I decided to take on a leadership role because I wanted to have a larger impact on the future engagement of the Women of WPI. This group includes alumnae from different decades and I love working with a group with so many different perspectives. This group has given me the opportunity to foster more connections with women that I wouldn't have gotten the chance to know outside of this group. Why should other alumni join you at the Vineyard Tour and Tasting this summer? Staying engaged with WPI allows you to maintain connections with classmates and to meet new alumni and current students. The vineyard tour and tasting in August will be a great way to stay connected with others and support WPI alumni!