Following an internal search for the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, WPI has officially named Arne Gericke to the role he has held ad interim since July 1, 2022. At WPI, the dean of undergraduate studies leads efforts to ensure—and improve the quality and effectiveness of—all dimensions of the university’s undergraduate programs and the student academic experience, including courses, projects, academic advising, and undergraduate research. The dean of undergraduate studies also works to communicate the values of the WPI undergraduate program to both internal and external audiences. “Arne avidly champions undergraduate students and emphasizes the crucial role of faculty in both supporting and challenging them,” said WPI’s Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Andrew Sears. “During the time he has served in an interim capacity, Arne has demonstrated an impressive ability to work with senior leadership, administrators, faculty governance, and faculty from across WPI to ensure that the WPI Plan continues to evolve to meet the needs of our current and future students. Not only is Arne passionate about elevating the value, visibility, and quality of project work and research for undergraduate students at WPI, he is also dedicated to expanding access to a WPI education by creating additional pathways, particularly for students from community colleges.” Gericke spent the year before his assignment as the interim dean of undergraduate studies serving as WPI’s associate dean of undergraduate studies. He joined WPI in 2011 as professor and head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and served in those capacities for 10 years. In his research, Gericke studies signaling pathways at biological membranes and has led a lab of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers at WPI focused on the biophysical characterization of lipid-mediated protein functions. Mutations in cell membrane-associated proteins can lead to a broad range of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, and clues to how mutations in certain proteins disrupt the lipid-mediated signaling pathways could lead to new diagnostic techniques and the potential to identify very early signs of disease.

The leader of an iconic apparel company and the co-founder and chair of Moderna are the honored speakers for the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Class of 2025 Commencement exercises, to be held May 15 and 16 at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester.  Michelle Gass ’90, president and chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co., one of the world’s most storied and recognizable brands, will deliver the address at the university’s Undergraduate Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 16 at 2 p.m.  Noubar Afeyan, inventor, entrepreneur, and founder of Flagship Pioneering, and co-founder and chair of Moderna, the pioneering messenger RNA biotech company, will deliver the address at the university’s Graduate Commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 15 at 5 p.m. “Innovation and entrepreneurship are part of WPI’s DNA,” said WPI President Grace J. Wang, PhD. “Michelle’s visionary and innovative leadership at Levi Strauss & Co. is leveraging the brand’s iconic heritage to build sustainable growth for years to come. And Noubar’s ingenuity and capacity to connect humans, technology, and nature are powering revolutionary advances in medicine and biotechnology. They will share their stories with our graduates as they begin shaping their own futures.”  Gass is president and chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co., one of the world’s largest brand-name apparel companies and the global leader in denim. She joined the company in 2023 and is spearheading the transformation of the 171-year-old company into a best-in-class, direct-to-consumer-first denim lifestyle retailer. This involves expanding the Levi’s product portfolio, particularly for women, along with the company’s retail and ecommerce operations across global markets – all while honoring and upholding the company’s heritage and values.  She previously served five years as chief executive officer at Kohl’s, where she developed its ecommerce business into a multibillion-dollar operation and established innovative brand partnerships. Gass began her career with Procter & Gamble, then spent nearly 17 years with Starbucks, ultimately serving as president, Starbucks EMEA, after holding a variety of senior leadership roles across product, marketing and global strategy.  Gass has received numerous professional honors, including being named to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business and Businessperson of the Year lists, as well as being named The Visionary 2020 by the National Retail Federation. Raised in Lewiston, Maine, she received her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from WPI and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington. Gass and her husband Scott now live in San Francisco, and they have two grown children. Afeyan is the founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering and co-founder and board chair of Moderna. Founded in 2000, Flagship has created more than 100 companies, most of them first-in-category bioplatform companies like Moderna. Flagship companies have created more than $100 billion in aggregate value, thousands of patent applications, and have more than 50 drugs in clinical development. Moderna is known for rapidly developing and deploying a lifesaving mRNA-based vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic and for pioneering cancer vaccines in partnership with Merck.  Afeyan entered biotechnology during its emergence as an academic field and industry, completing his doctoral work in biochemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1987. He was a senior lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management from 2000 to 2016, a lecturer at Harvard Business School until 2020, and currently serves as a member of the MIT Corporation. He teaches and speaks around the world on topics ranging from entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development to biological engineering, new medicines, and renewable energy. In 2022, Afeyan was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) announced today the election of Chartsiri “Tony” Sophonpanich ’80, president of Bangkok Bank, to its Board of Trustees. He will start his five-year term on May 1.  “Confronting global challenges is part of our DNA at WPI,” said Bill Fitzgerald ’83, board chair. “Tony has taken that charge to heart. As a renowned leader in the global banking industry, he brings deep experience in investment management to our board. His perspectives will be invaluable to WPI as we pursue our mission of delivering excellence in education and research.” Sophonpanich was appointed executive director of Bangkok Bank in 1992 and named president in 1994. He is also the chairman of Bangkok Bank (China) and president commissioner of Permata Bank in Indonesia.   He has dedicated his career to developing Thailand’s financial sector and works to find new ways to increase access to education. As the driving force behind Bangkok Bank’s initiatives to train science teachers across Southeast Asia, Sophonpanich’s efforts have supported communities through social development and educational initiatives. In 1993, he established a partnership between WPI and the faculty of science at Chulalongkorn University that continues to this day.  Sophonpanich received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from WPI in 1980 and received master’s degrees in chemical engineering and management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At last year’s WPI Graduate Commencement ceremony, he received an honorary doctorate of business.  “Tony’s visionary leadership and his track record of creating partnerships and driving innovation and growth will add tremendous value to our board,” said WPI President Grace Wang. “His approaches and achievements exemplify the impact of WPI’s transformative, project-based STEM education.”

A first-of-its-kind study from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) shows that reusing automobile parts can greatly cut greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing the quality of the products. The research, which examined commonly reused components such as engines, transmissions, bumpers, headlights, and doors across different vehicle types, highlights the environmental benefits of using reclaimed auto parts in vehicle repairs, which reduces the need for energy-heavy manufacturing processes. Brajendra Mishra, Kenneth G. Merriam Professor in Mechanical Engineering “This work provides clear, quantifiable evidence that reusing auto parts offers a practical way to reduce carbon emissions while improving supply chain resilience,” said Brajendra Mishra, the Kenneth G. Merriam Professor in Mechanical Engineering. “By extending the life cycle of automotive components, we can significantly cut manufacturing-related emissions and decrease dependency on imported parts, making the industry more sustainable and self-sufficient.” The study, led by Mishra and Hyunsoo Jin, a research assistant professor in the mechanical and materials engineering department, titled “Quantifying the Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Carbon) Impact of Reusing Automotive Parts for Vehicle Repairs,” was sponsored by the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), a nonprofit organization that represents the interests of over 4,500 professional automotive recyclers across the United States and in 17 countries. The tests were conducted at WPI’s Metal Processing Institute, one of the nation’s leading centers for advancing materials science and sustainable manufacturing. The team assessed 10 common automotive components across three vehicle categories: sedans, SUVs, and pickup trucks. Researchers analyzed data from 2015 models of the Toyota Camry, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Ford F-150, examining parts such as engines, transmissions, bumpers, headlights, doors, wheels, fenders, tailgates, hoods, and door mirrors. Using the Argonne National Laboratory’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET2) model and guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency, the research team measured the carbon footprint of manufacturing new parts, including mining raw materials and producing steel, aluminum, copper, plastics, glass, and rubber. Their findings confirm that reusing auto parts dramatically reduces greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, reusing a single Toyota Camry engine can save more than 1600 kilowatt-hours of energy (depending on the source) and prevent the emission of up to 1,760 kilograms of carbon dioxide. These amounts do not include the impact of transport emissions and end-of-life assessment. “Further findings in our research demonstrate additional benefits for recycling rather than building from scratch,” said Jin. “The energy and labor required for transporting and manufacturing new parts are significantly higher than the energy used to dismantle cars and reclaim parts."

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has awarded promotions and/or tenure to 33 full-time faculty members in recognition of their exemplary teaching, research, and service to the WPI community. All promotions and awards of tenure take effect July 1, 2025. “I am delighted to congratulate the talented faculty members who have been promoted and awarded tenure this year,” said Andrew Sears, WPI provost. “These faculty are being recognized for the outstanding contributions they have made through their teaching, advising, research, and scholarship. They are excellent teachers, internationally recognized scholars, and respected representatives of the WPI community.” Among those recognized for their achievements are 21 faculty members who have been awarded tenure. Sixteen faculty members were awarded tenure for their achievements in both teaching and research. Six other professors were awarded tenure through the university’s innovative tenure track for faculty who focus on excellence in teaching. WPI launched the tenure track for teaching faculty in 2021 and first awarded tenure to teaching faculty members in 2024. 

WPI students huddled together around tables strewn with copper tape, cardstock, scissors, coin cell batteries, vibration motors, nail clippers, and paperclips. Some students picked up and examined the items. Others opened their laptops and studied a diagram.  It was a training session for WPI’s Engineering Ambassadors, a group of 42 undergrads who work with the Office of Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs to get young students excited about STEM. On this day, the trainees were putting together a wristband that could send Morse code signals using motorized vibrations. It’s one of the projects featured in the recent NOVA docuseries Building Stuff and the ambassadors were making sure they could complete it themselves before teaching it to younger students. The student ambassadors got to work with a hum of animated chatter. Individual voices periodically stood out from the rest: Assembling the mechanical wristband “Actually, a paperclip would be really nice.” “I’m so confused.” “We got it!!” One student smiled while raising an arm encircled by a vibrating wristband.  Ambassadors as troubleshooters Last summer staff from GBH, Boston’s PBS affiliate and producer of the popular science show NOVA, recruited the Engineering Ambassadors to troubleshoot instructions for the wristband and two other hands-on projects in an outreach toolkit that supplements the Building Stuff docuseries.  “The Engineering Ambassadors’ mission goes right along with what GBH was trying to do with this documentary, which is getting younger folks interested in STEM,” says James Guaragna, associate director of WPI’s pre-collegiate outreach programs. NOVA’s outreach kit helps classroom teachers and community groups further demystify the engineering topics covered in the docuseries by getting viewers to learn by doing. Each project in the booklet corresponds to one of the series’ episodes: “Boost It!,” “Reach It!,” and “Change It!” Seven WPI ambassadors volunteered to try out the projects and offer input to help GBH staff clarify the toolkit’s written instructions.  “Their feedback was extremely helpful and informative in making sure that the engineering activities had instructions and diagrams that were easy to follow for students and would keep students engaged,” says Ralph Bouquet, NOVA’s director of education and outreach. Mechanical engineering major Jorge Saa ’26 tested the wristband project, which was inspired by a section of the documentary about haptics.  “When we looked at the first diagram that we were given, we were confused. The instructions were a bit broad, but we made it work,” Saa says. “Then we met with the GBH people who designed the project and gave them a few recommendations on what information to include.”

Reducing human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” is a significant societal challenge. In the search for possible solutions, a group of researchers in WPI’s Department of Chemical Engineering has developed a process for wastewater treatment plants that not only shows promise in removing PFAS from sewage but also may ultimately generate renewable fuel while potentially reducing the amount of carbon emissions produced by these plants. Demonstrating WPI’s commitment to developing impactful innovations, the researchers are collaborating with academic, industry, and government partners in hopes of bringing their technological approach from the lab into communities facing the daunting challenge of remediating PFAS contamination. “PFAS are insidious. They can slowly accumulate and contribute to health risks. We’re trying to reduce those risk factors,” said Michael Timko, professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. (L-R) Julian Bennett, chemical engineering doctoral student, Michael Timko, professor of chemical engineering, David Kenney, chemical engineering doctoral student The timing of WPI’s work is important: Government, health, and community leaders are increasingly pushing for reductions in PFAS in the environment. PFAS are human-made chemicals that have been used for decades in the production of goods such as nonstick cookware, water-resistant clothes, and firefighting foam used at airports and military bases. Once in the environment, they are hard to break down and the widespread use of products with PFAS has resulted in the chemicals being found in soil, water, crops, livestock, and the human food chain.  When someone drinks water or eats food with PFAS in it, the chemicals can build up inside the body. According to the federal government’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, evidence suggests associations between increased exposure to specific PFAS and health effects including certain cancers, higher cholesterol, and higher levels of enzymes that can signal liver damage. Michael Timko, professor of chemical engineering PFAS often show up in wastewater, and, if they are not broken down, they can re-enter the environment through emissions as both runoff water and solid waste. But, it can be challenging, costly, and energy-intensive for municipalities and water systems to remove PFAS from wastewater and its associated by-products. That’s where the team from WPI comes in. “As we aim to reduce the presence of PFAS and people’s exposure to health risks, we also want to reduce the carbon footprint of wastewater treatment,” said Timko. “There’s enough energy in the incoming waste stream to power wastewater treatment facilities, and we believe these plants can be carbon-neutral or even energy-producing.” The team, which is led by Timko, built upon a core advanced technology known as hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) to create a process called radical initiated hydrothermal liquefaction (RI-HTL). The process works by heating up wastewater treatment–generated sewage sludge in a reactor that serves as a pressure cooker. A “radical,” hydrogen peroxide, is put into the mixture to help speed up the reactions that break down the bonds holding PFAS together. Ultimately, RI-HTL generates solid waste, processed water, gas, and biocrude oil. A reactor inside a WPI laboratory which can be used for radical initiated hydrothermal liquefaction. Initial tests found that heating sludge for 10 minutes at roughly 570 degrees Fahrenheit in the WPI-developed process removed 99 percent of PFAS from the processed water, 98 percent from solid waste, and 89 percent from the oil. Techniques for further processing the oil can remove additional PFAS and upgrade it into transportation fuel, such as diesel or aviation fuel. The testing also found RI-HTL increases the amount of biocrude generated, offering a 60 percent yield, compared to a 40 percent yield from HTL. Additionally, because WPI’s RI-HTL works with  sewage sludge in a “wet” state, it bypasses the energy-intensive steps of drying and incinerating sludge used by some treatment facilities.  Hoping to bring this technology to the market, Timko and his team worked with WPI’s Office of Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship to seek a patent on the technology and license it to River Otter Renewables. Timko co-founded the Massachusetts-based company in 2023 with CEO Amelia Thomas.  “River Otter hopes to use this technology to save wastewater treatment facilities money by reducing solid waste heading to incinerators or landfills and by reducing their use of natural gas, electricity, and chemical additives for other methods of sludge disposal,” said Thomas. Sewage sludge (left) can be turned into a biocrude oil (right) using the WPI-developed process to reduce PFAS. The Environmental Protection Agency helped advance the research in 2023 when it awarded Small Business Innovation Research funding to River Otter Renewables for testing and design work. Timko and Thomas hope to build a larger pilot-scale reactor, test more sludge samples, conduct analysis on the gas generated through RI-HTL for PFAS and hydrocarbons, and investigate other potential radical initiators or catalysts. “There isn't going to be a one-shot solution to the PFAS problem. There will be many different solutions in different areas,” said Timko. “We think we have a sweet spot with a technology that could benefit wastewater treatment. It has very complex and rich chemical engineering science behind it that I hope to further understand through testing  so we can help reverse some of the damage PFAS have been silently causing for decades.”

Even though students were away until mid-month, campus was still busy in January. Between athletics events, welcoming new students to campus, and even championing some late B-Term events, our campus and staff photographers had a lot to capture in the first month of 2025.