Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | November 14, 2022 | 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 Optimistic, despite pessimism "Job growth remained remarkably resilient in October as U.S. employers added 261,000 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis. And American workers are still seeing rapid wage gains - average hourly earnings climbed by 4.7% in the 12 months ended in October." Timothy Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, expressing optimism about the region's economy, despite the Central Mass. Business Confidence Index showing local employers are more pessimistic about the future than they have ever been in the 12-month history of the index Cannabis mogul "My mission has always been to create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs in industries where we've traditionally been denied access, and this acquisition provides the immediate scale and impact needed to create a more equitable future in cannabis." Sean "Diddy" Combs, the musician and businessman, who purchased three Central Massachusetts cannabis operations as part of a larger $185-million deal in three states, creating the largest minority-owned marijuana business WPI grad union "We look forward to working with WPI to bargain a strong first contract that includes improved benefits, worker protections, and compensation that reflects the value of our contributions." Sabine Hahn, a graduate worker in the biology & biotechnology program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, after the graduate students voted 364-15 to form the WPI Graduate Workers Union under the United Auto Workers umbrella W orcester Polytechnic Institute has named "Grace" Jinliu Wang as its 17th president, becoming the first person of color to lead WPI and succeeding Laurie Leshin, who le WPI for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in May. "WPI is a world-class institution with a unique and vital approach to teaching, learning, and discovery," Wang said in a Nov. 7 press release from WPI. "Preparing STEM-focused professionals to see the world through technological, human, societal, and cultural lenses is distinctive, especially when so brilliantly coupled with WPI's research and innovation ecosystem." Wang will assume the presidency on April 3. Winston "Wole" Soboyejo, WPI provost and senior vice president since 2019, has served as interim president since Leshin's departure. Wang, who is Chinese-American, is the first person of color to hold the office of WPI president at the university on a non-interim basis. Soboyejo, who is Black, held the office as interim president in between Wang and Leshin, who was the first woman to lead the university. Wang most recently served as executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge enterprise at e Ohio State University in Columbus in 2020, aer serving with the State University of New York system, and the National Science Foundation. Wang led the SUNY research enterprise with about $1.7 billion in annual research and development expenditures. "Having consistently immersed itself in addressing the world's grand challenges, the WPI community is already making a positive difference," Wang said. "I look forward to listening and learning from the great minds who make WPI what it is and whose voices will play an essential role in defining our way forward. To lead this amazing university, one I have always held in high esteem, is an honor and privilege." At Ohio State, Wang created the Enterprise for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge, supporting the entrepreneurial efforts of students and staff. Wang also lead efforts to create the STEAMM Rising (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and medicine) partnership with the Columbus City Schools by providing training to K-12 teachers with the goal of increasing STEAMM awareness at scale. Wang holds seven U.S. patents as materials scientist. She who earned her bachelor's and master's degrees polymer materials from Beijing University of Chemical Technology in China, and a PhD in materials science and engineering at Northwestern University in Illinois. She began her career at IBM/ Hitachi Global Storage Technologies in California, focusing on research and development of thin-film magnetic recording media and carbon overcoat for data storage. "She is as passionate and skilled at advancing community well-being and sustainable inclusive excellence as she is at investing in global education and research, and she will give our students, faculty, and staff the support they need to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world," WPI Board Chair Bill Fitzgerald said in the press release. WPI selects first person of color to serve as non-interim president BY TIMOTHY DOYLE WBJ Staff Writer W "Grace" Jinliu Wang will start as Worcester Polytechnic Institute's president on April 3. PHOTO/COURTESY OF WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

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