The Alumni Magazine for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. (WPI)
Issue link: http://wpialumnimag.epubxp.com/i/406282
Fall 2014 5 DEAR FRIENDS, C an a building change the world? If it is flled with WPI students, faculty, and alumni working together to test their ideas, share knowledge across disciplines, and invent technological solutions that can raise the quality of life in communities worldwide—then I believe the answer is a resounding "yes!" In fact, this is our vision for the new Robert A. Foisie '56 Innova- tion Studio at Alumni Gym—a building, to be sure, but more impor- tant, a thrilling advance for WPI's project-centered education and a reaffrmation of our commitment to the WPI Plan. The Alden Trust, one of Worcester's most venerable foundations and one of WPI's most generous benefactors, agrees. The Trust recently offered us a gener- ous challenge: if we raise $9 million from our alumni and friends for the transformation of Alumni Gym, the Trust will contribute $3 million to the renovations. I am delighted to have this opportunity to share with you some thoughts on this important project and its impact on our university's future. When I accepted the presidency of WPI, I did so, in part, because I felt a deep kinship with the students and faculty of this great university. We are a community of problem solvers who are inspired by the intersection of science, technology, and the human condition. With the transformation of Alumni Gym into the Foisie Innovation Studio, WPI will place this intersection at the heart of our campus and our curricu- lum, giving students the resources they need to pursue their ideas to the fullest and position them for even greater success in their careers and lives. As an admitted techno geek, I cannot help but share my excitement about the tools our students and faculty will have at their fngertips: a robotics laboratory with an observation gallery to show off our great work, tech suites for students working on projects, class- rooms for the global challenge-based Great Problems Seminars, and a maker space with cutting-edge equipment for rapid prototype devel- opment. And, to help students, faculty, and alumni build their ventures and bring successful ideas to the marketplace, the Foisie Innovation Studio will include a business development accelerator and a Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. From my offce in Boynton Hall, I can hear the future humming already. The future looks bright from my window, for sure. And while the Innovation Studio is an important part of our future, it also provides a wonderful opportunity for refecting on WPI's past. As one of the new- est members of this community, I am profoundly moved by the legacy of Alumni Gym, and the band of graduates from the 19th and earliest part of the 20th centuries, who believed that WPI's students should have a place to exercise their bodies and spirits as well as their minds. I am proud that the Foisie Innovation Studio at Alumni Gym, named in honor of another extraordinarily generous alumnus, Bob Foisie, will honor this legacy with prominent displays highlighting generations of innovations and achievements by alumni and students. A building alone cannot change the world, but as the embodiment of all that is WPI, and fueled by our 35,800-strong alumni community, the Foisie Innovation Studio at Alumni Gym can. At a time when the world's challenges are more complex, urgent, and impactful than ever before, WPI must innovate as never before. And if we do, and if we do it well, the short-term gains for our students will be extraordinary, and the long-term gains for the planet will be the kind of advances and inventions that spur economic growth and improve the human condi- tion. WPI has proven that we know how to do this. It's time to hit the accelerator. Won't you join me? Sincerely, Laurie A. Leshin President The View from Here message from the president