Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | November 8, 2021 | wbjournal.com C E N T R A L M AS S I N B R I E F V E R BAT I M Biomanufacturing training "There is a coming wave of opportunity in biomanufacturing in Central Massachusetts." Jon Weaver, president and CEO of Worcester incubator Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, announcing a new collaboration with Quinsigamond Community College and biopharmaceutical company AbbVie to promote access to the manufacturing workforce Crossing Park Avenue "We will cross Park Avenue to establish a signature presence, and we will do so with a typically [sic] Clark spirit of care and collaboration." David Fithian, president of Clark University in Worcester, in a letter announcing the school's $7-million purchase of a former Diamond Chevrolet site in Worcester Historic apartments "The Courthouse Lofts has been a project that has been in the works for over a decade now, and it has it all: historic preservation, affordable hous- ing, and the adaptive reuse of a truly beautiful building." Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty, marking the grand opening of the 118-unit Courthouse Lofts housing development on Main Street at the site of the former Worcester County Courthouse W orcester Polytechnic Institute has officially removed the name of the late Robert Foisie, an alumnus and the largest donor in its history who gave $63 million over his lifetime, from its formerly named Foisie Business School and Foisie Innovation Studio & Messenger Hall, following a May settlement with Foisie's ex-wife over a lawsuit where she alleged he improperly donated money to the school. WPI President Laurie Leshin first notified the college's community of the removal in a letter dated May 27, which was not made public at the time. Following the message, WPI began implementing the name changes to what are now known as e Business School and e Innovation Studio, according to WPI spokesperson Colleen Wamback. As a result of a lawsuit settlement, Janet Foisie requested that the Business School and the Innovation Studio remove Robert Foisie's name from their titles, to which WPI agreed, according to the memo. e message was sent out aer a post-divorce lawsuit was settled between Janet Foisie and WPI over the donations from Robert Foisie, who died in 2018. In May, Janet Foisie voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit, in which she was aiming to recoup a $4.5-million donation her husband made to the school aer the couple's divorce in 2011. e money used for the donation WPI scrubs Foisie's name from campus BY KATHERINE HAMILTON WBJ Staff Writer was allegedly hidden in offshore assets and promissory notes, which prevented her from recovering her portion of that money in the divorce. e lawsuit brought other allegations against Robert Foisie to light, including Robert was accused of hiring a hit man to kill his adult son, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in 2017. "e decision included findings about Mr. Foisie's conduct that we feel are inconsistent with WPI's values," Leshin's message said. "WPI was not a party to the case and had no knowledge of Mr. Foisie's conduct at the time of his donations." When searching the WPI website on Oct. 29, the only places Robert Foisie's name still appears are archived news articles, including the 2018 In Memoriam tribute to him following his death. In light of the decision to remove Foisie's name and following the settlement with his ex-wife, WPI created a $100,000 endowment to support the Janet Foisie Lecture Series, an annual ethics presentation to be offered as part of orientation for all new students. e Robert and Janet Foisie Scholarship Fund will remain in WPI's endowment and continue as a source of financial aid for students, per Leshin's message. Robert Foisie donated nearly $39 million to the school aer the divorce and is understood to be the school's largest donor. In the 2014 announcement saying WPI would name both the business school and innovation building aer Robert Foisie, WPI said Foisie gave $63 million to the institution over his lifetime, pre- and post-divorce. PHOTO/GRANT WELKER W In 2018, WPI President Laurie Leshin officially opened the Foisie Innovation Studio and Messenger Hall, named after the school's largest donor. Over the summer, WPI removed Foisie's name from the building.

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