WPI capital campaign brings $248M

Laurie Leshin

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The largest capital campaign ever undertaken by WPI was a resounding success, with the school bringing in $48 million above the $200 million it sought.

One doesn’t need a calculator or mathematical mind to know that the results shoot almost a quarter higher than an already-ambitious goal.

The campaign, called “if … The Campaign to Advance WPI,” was launched when Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s 150th anniversary was still seven years away. Today, the school wraps up its yearlong sesquicentennial celebrations with the announcement about the final fundraising figure.

In a telephone interview, WPI President Laurie Leshin was buoyant about the successful campaign — and thoughtful. She said that, as a relatively new president, the fundraiser helped show her that the school has built a wide base of respect and support during its long history.

“It’s a great testament to our alumni, our partners, our friends … and it will help advance us to the next level,” she said. Leshin, who has been president close to a year and a half, said she is particularly pleased that the bump-up in financial aid funds will allow the school to attract and assist more talented students. Beyond that, she spoke of the myriad ways the money “will help WPI do its work.”

The university’s Board of Trustees approved the campaign in 2008. Since then, more than 10,000 individual alumni contributed nearly $140 million. Corporations and foundations gave more than $55 million, and $52 million was pledged by parents and friends, according to WPI.

“It’s such a thrill to know there is that much community support for our work,” Leshin said.

The money will pay for student financial assistance ($100 million); faculty and academic program support ($36 million); and campus facility development ($52 million), including improvements already completed such as the impressive sports fields and recreation center alongside Park Avenue.

The campaigns brought 45 donations of $1 million or more, including $40 million from Robert A. Foisie, a WPI scholarship recipient in the 1950s who designated his gift for the same purpose.

WPI, known for its student-centered and project-based approach to learning and teaching, has long lent its blend of practicality and excellence to efforts locally and around the world.

The school says it sends a larger percentage of engineering and science majors overseas than any other higher-education institution in the U.S.

By 2018, Leshin would like to see 90 percent of WPI students engaged in the university’s Global Projects Program. She said it’s all part of graduating students who are ready for the workforce and the future, wherever they land.