Wentworth News Archive

Nearly half of college students everywhere would be considered first-generation students—those whose parents did not complete a four-year college or university degree. These students are navigating uncharted waters, forging a new path for themselves and their families.

But what is it like to be a first-gen student? What are the obstacles these students face and what kind of support exists to help them better succeed?

Wentworth Institute of Technology has been recognized as a top school for diversity and inclusion by the American Society for Engineering Education’s Diversity Recognition Program.  

Dear Wentworth Community,

Not a Moment, But Rather the Continuation of the Movement

This year will bring forward new master’s degree programs at Wentworth Institute of Technology that are focused on two very in-demand fields: data science and business analytics. 

An unprecedented amount of data is currently being produced within companies and organizations, and employers are clamoring for trained professionals who can interpret and make the most of that data. 

A statement from President Mark Thompson regarding yesterday's events in Washington, D.C.:

"Yesterday, the world watched as our Nation’s capital and democracy came under attack by an angry mob. What took place at the United States Capitol Building was not an exercise of first amendment rights, it was a failed attempt to use force and violence to intimidate and interfere with a fundamental constitutional process. What took place yesterday was neither partisan nor patriotic, it was an act of domestic terrorism that was abhorrent and an affront to all citizens in this country.

Wentworth Institute of Technology has made a Stacker list of the 100 colleges in the country with the best return on investment.

Wentworth came in at #92, ahead of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (93); Binghamton University (94); Boston University (95); the University of Virginia-Main Campus (96); Capitol Technology University (97); the University of Connecticut-Stamford (98); the University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus (99); and Wake Forest University (100).

The School of Management would like to recognize the 18 students who were inducted into Sigma Lambda Chi International Construction Honor Society.

The fundamental purpose of Sigma Lambda Chi is to provide recognition to outstanding students in construction curricula. Sigma Lambda Chi offers students the opportunity to be recognized locally and internationally for their academic accomplishments as a construction major.

Wentworth’s OMICRON IV Chapter of Sigma Lambda Chi inducted the following students into the society in December through a virtual ceremony:

Wentworth learned a lot while confronting the pandemic this fall and expects similar success in the spring by employing many of the same anti-COVID-19 strategies, according to President Mark A. Thompson. In the meantime, the university is also pivoting when necessary to meet real-time challenges from the health crisis. 

Much changed across the world in 2020 with job opportunities and career options among the first things to impact people. To continue helping students and alumni in an uncertain climate, Wentworth Institute of Technology’s CO-OPS + CAREERS office pivoted fast. These are the ways they did it.

The Department of Facilities was among those at Wentworth Institute of Technology who went the extra mile in Fall 2020. Sanitation, de-densification and distribution were all a part of what helped Wentworth complete a full semester.

In addition to work related to COVID-19, nine Facilities upgrades/renovation projects—between summer and fall—were managed by Sharon Gaffney and the Planning and Construction team.

Janine Murphy, director of project administration, shares some of the numbers from the fall months.  

As the winter of 2019 began to fade, momentum was building across campus around a new shared vision for the future of Wentworth Institute of Technology.  President Mark A. Thompson was focused on moving the university forward with a collaborative, progressive and bold strategic plan. Admissions goals were being exceeded. The mood across the institution was optimistic.

Then the COVID-19 heath crisis materialized, as if from thin air—a rogue wave pounding the economy and interrupting life as we know it everywhere.

More than 8,000 participations took place this fall within Wentworth Institute of Technology’s Fitness and Recreation (FitRec) programs and facilities. And, according to FitRec Director Michael Williams, zero cases of COVID-19 were connected to the spaces during the Fall 2020 semester.

A semester’s worth of labs in 2020 with no COVID-19 transmissions sounds like a holiday miracle, but data indicates that’s exactly what happened this fall with lab technicians and a team of Wentworth Institute of Technology co-op students at the helm.

An early-20^th century artist who taught visual design at Wentworth Institute of Technology and later became a part of the anti-Nazi resistance is the subject of an exhibit currently on display in the Center for Engineering, Innovation and Sciences.

As more women continue to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, management and design, they are increasingly attending schools like Wentworth Institute of Technology to help prepare them for those careers.

After years of a mostly male student body, though, Wentworth leadership and newly formed groups like the Women’s Council are working hard to make sure that the university is catching up, being more inclusive and accommodating to all genders.

A standout lacrosse player currently on co-op in Israel, Randy Ryan, Computer Science ’21, has been named the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Person of the Week.

Wentworth Professor Mark Pasnik (Architecture) has been honored as part of Out Magazine’s 26th annual Out 100 list, a collection of LGBTQ+ trailblazers, artists, leaders and creators who have used their talent and voices to influence change and visibility in the past year.

Members of the Construction Management Club at Wentworth Institute of Technology earned something we can all be thankful for this holiday season: A first place showing at the Associated Schools of Construction’s annual

Crate Herbert, a pathbreaking fundraiser for health care programs and academia, has been named vice president of Institutional Advancement at Wentworth Institute of Technology.

“Crate is a mission-driven leader with more than two decades of development experience,” said Wentworth President Mark A. Thompson. “She has distinguished herself throughout her career by establishing highly effective collaborations in large and small organizations.”

A block away from Wentworth Institute of Technology sits one of the more storied and revered art collections in the country. Wentworth student Luana Vala decided to pay tribute to it and the building’s namesake, Isabella Stewart Gardner.

Vala and her “Boston History” classmates were asked by Associate Professor Ella Howard to propose a monument to a significant figure in Boston's history. Vala chose Gardner, the famed philanthropist and art collector, for her inspiration.