WPI receives $12M gift, one of the largest in its history
Photo I Courtesy of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute's campus
Worcester Polytechnic Institute has received one of the largest donations in the school’s 160-year history as the estate of an alumnus has committed $12 million to the Worcester university.
The unrestricted philanthropic commitment comes from the estate of ‘60 alumnus Carl Karlsson, who passed away in 2023. The gift supports WPI’s Beyond These Towers campaign: a fundraising campaign launched in 2021 with the goal of raising $500 million.
“This is a shining example of the extraordinary generosity and dedication of our alumni to give back and help WPI continue to thrive,” Grace Wang, president of WPI, said in a Thursday press release.
WPI plans to use a cut of the gift to establish the Carl H. Karlsson ’60 Early Career Professorship, an endowed professorship.
“Carl Karlsson’s remarkable gift will impact the university by supporting faculty excellence, fueling research and innovation, and enriching the student experience. His legacy will empower future generations to achieve, discover, and lead in ways that ensure WPI’s enduring excellence and global impact,” Wang said in the release.
WPI will award the endowment to up to three early-career STEM faculty members in a move the university says will support forthcoming breakthroughs in research and student mentorship.
“Endowed professorships like this one allow us to attract and retain outstanding faculty and are essential to WPI’s ability to remain competitive among top-tier research institutions. They provide faculty with the resources to pursue bold ideas, attract external funding, and contribute to a dynamic learning environment,” Andrew Sears, WPI senior vice president of academic affairs and provost, said in the release.
The Karlsson estate’s gift follows 40 years of annual donations given by Karlsson before his passing.
After graduating from the university with a chemical engineering degree, he had worked at Praxair: a Connecticut-based industrial gas manufacturer that merged with Linde in 2018, according to a Linde press release.
“We are deeply grateful to Carl Karlsson for making this remarkable opportunity possible, which will strengthen our faculty and benefit our students well into the future,” Sears said in the release.
WPI’s latest gift comes after the university earned recognition as a Research 1 institution in February by the national American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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