National Academy of Engineering presents 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize to WPI

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has named Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) as the winner of the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education.

The award recognizes the WPI Plan, a project-based engineering curriculum developing leadership, innovative problem solving, interdisciplinary collaboration, and global competencies. It also recognizes the leadership and contributions of four faculty members who continue the development and growth of opportunities offered by the WPI Plan: Diran Apelian, Alcoa-Howmet professor of mechanical engineering and director of WPI’s Metal Processing Institute; Arthur Heinricher, dean of undergraduate studies; Richard Vaz, dean of interdisciplinary and global studies; and Kristin Wobbe, associate dean of undergraduate studies.

This award is given annually to recognize new modalities and experiments in education that develop effective engineering leaders. It includes a $500,000 award, half of which will go to the four faculty members. The university will invest $250,000 of the prize purse in the Center for Project-Based Learning, which deepens the level of support that WPI provides to colleges and universities that are looking to implement project-based learning on their own campuses.