Common Searches:
The message was sent to the WPI Community. 
At a reception earlier this evening thanking donors who have supported WPI’s campaign, I had the distinct pleasure to announce, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, that in recognition of President Leshin’s extraordinary leadership, dedication, and service to Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the building on WPI’s campus now known as the “Project Center” shall, from this day forward, and in perpetuity, be named and known as the Laurie A. Leshin Global Project Center.

The naming of a building on a college campus duly recognizes commitment to the university, to its mission and values, and to its community.  President Leshin has demonstrated unwavering commitment to WPI over the past eight years, and I know WPI will always hold a big piece of her heart. In preparation for this historic announcement, I reflected on the profound accomplishments of our remarkable institution under the leadership of President Laurie A. Leshin, the 16th president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  

An Immediate and Lasting Impact

President Leshin made an immediate impact on our community when she arrived in June 2014. As our first woman president, Laurie has been a transformational leader who has tremendously helped grow this university from a regional engineering school to a globally recognized STEM institution with a flourishing research enterprise. Under her leadership, WPI has grown the number of women undergraduates considerably; dramatically increased the diversity of the administration; successfully stewarded the articulation of university values; and updated the university’s mission statement, last changed in 1987. She engaged our students as never before, partnering with them on critical challenges, from campus planning to mental health. Accolades from The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education honored WPI as the university that is best at balancing teaching and research. Together, we achieved great things over the past eight years, guided by Laurie’s vision and the Elevate Impact strategic plan and enabled by incredibly successful fundraising efforts.

Laurie’s accomplishments are all the more impressive given the larger global context of the past eight years. This has been a time of extreme and rapid change not only in the world, but also in the field of higher education. This was a period of significant financial pressure on universities—enough so that more than 30 private institutions were forced to close between 2014 and 2022. Laurie presided during a time of deep conversations nationwide on the importance of racial justice, spurred by the murder of George Floyd; of ongoing political unrest around the world; and the pandemic and all its implications—in particular, the exacerbation of growing mental health challenges faced by the nation’s youth and felt on our own campus. It is noteworthy that despite these exceptional stressors, WPI has improved its standing by any measure. Laurie has been the constant for our community in these times of change, and we are better for her leadership. 

Let me share some of the successes that most impress me, while acknowledging that Laurie would be the first person to say that the credit truly belongs to all of you because of your leadership, commitment, and dedication. I am so proud of our collective accomplishments, as we celebrate:  
While impressive, this list just scratches the surface. Of course, the past eight years have also seen tremendous challenges and some profound sadness; I’d be remiss if I didn’t take this moment to recognize the work that each of you have done to navigate a global pandemic and the efforts underway on a comprehensive plan of action to help improve mental health across the WPI community. We’ve done a lot together, and we will continue to do so. Although the timing of Laurie’s departure means that she won’t get to see Lead With Purpose, the current strategic plan, come to fruition, I know WPI will always hold special meaning to her. Her eyes may be looking skyward, but with the new Leshin Global Project Center, her legacy will continue, here on the hill. 

Please join me in congratulating Laurie as she embarks on her next chapter, confident in all of you, and ready to make her next impact.

Jack Mollen
Chair, WPI Board of Trustees

source