Laurie Leshin, ground-breaking WPI president, to leave for NASA

Photo/Matt Wright Worcester Polytechnic Institute President Laurie Leshin

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By Katherine Hamilton

Worcester Polytechnic Institute President Laurie Leshin will leave her role at the college to become the director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, according to a Thursday announcement from Caltech.

Leshin has served as WPI’s 16th president and first woman president since 2014. She will be JPL’s first female director.

During her time at WPI, Leshin has focused on expanding research through the Global Projects Program, and the school launched its largest-ever, $500-million fundraising campaign in October. The school has widened its campus footprint considerably during her tenure, with the addition of the 40,000-square-foot Innovation Studio and newly opened, 100,000-square-foot Unity Hall academic building.

Under her tenure, WPI strove to diversify its student body, particularly by adding more women. Its class of 2021 is the most gender diversity in its history, with female students making up 44% of the student body.

Leshin will remain as president of WPI through the end of the academic year, according to WPI’s version of the announcement.

"We know that this comes at a time when strong and consistent leadership is more important than ever," said WPI Board Chair Jack Mollen in a Thursday announcement. The news comes two days after WPI said it was investigating its seventh student death in six months.

Over the next several months, the board will initiate a presidential search process. An interim president will be voted upon by the board and begin service in mid-May.