Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 29, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 7 Strategic tax planning Business valuation M&A Cybersecurity Estate planning Consulting Audit & assurance Backoffice transformation Fmerly Paresky Fli & Company Same trusted team in Massachusetts, now with more resources. uhy-us.com 508.650.1122 Contact us in Wayland today! E D U C A T I O N P O W E R 1 0 0 Barry Maloney President Worcester State University Employees: 1,274 Residence: Worcester College: University of Maine As the higher education industry struggles with falling enrollment, Worcester State is bucking the trend. In September 2023, Worcester State welcomed an incoming freshman class of 938, up from 825 the previous fall, making WSU the only one of the nine Massachusetts state universities with an enrollment increase for this school year. For Maloney, persistence pays off. He is the longest serving of the nine presidents of Massachusetts state universities, and nearly the longest serving of all 29 public col- lege and university presidents, second only to UMass Chan Medical School Chancel- lor Dr. Michael Collins. Maloney's 13-year tenure has given him ample time to pro- duce results, doubling down on enrollment and graduation rates at Worcester State while nurturing connections between the university and the surrounding community. Importantly, the Worcester State student body is growing in diversity, with 44% of all new students being people of color, up 22% from the previous year Worcester State students are vital to the area workforce, with 90% of students remaining in Massachusetts aer graduating. e positive trends are no accident. By expanding early college offerings to high school students, Worcester State helped create a larger pipeline of students into the university with some college credits already in hand. is spring, the number of early college classes increased to 61 and the number of high school partners rose to 20. is opens Worcester State to a wider pool of applicants and helps make school more affordable to increase retention and graduation rates. Maloney and his team were able to balance the $34-million fiscal 2024 budget without resorting to layoffs or deep budget cuts, thanks to the work of a task force he convened to address a budget gap. – Article by Emily Micucci Grace Wang President Worcester Polytechnic Institute Employees: 1,378 Residence: Worcester College: Northwestern University Even before she came to WPI in April 2023, Wang saw the school as a pioneer in project-based learning. As the 17th president at WPI, she plans to continue that forward-thinking tradition, cultivating pathways between academic research and innovative real-world solutions. Wang has experience in the private sector as well as academia and understands the importance of a partnership between the two sectors. Since 2012, WPI tech- nologies have resulted in regional spin-out companies employing more than 500 people and raising about $1.7 billion in investment. Wang sees the latest innovations coming out of WPI – particularly around climate technology and life sciences – pro- viding a boost to the region's tech industry. Wang, the first person of color to serve as WPI president on a non-interim basis, has taken some time to get to know the community, hoping to strengthen partner- ships and welcome new opportunities. In June, WPI and the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester partnered to allow Holy Cross graduates to earn a master of science or master of engineering degree at WPI. To be at the forefront of the latest technology, WPI in December established a master's degree in artificial intelligence, and in April, WPI announced the nation's first PhD program in financial technology. Looking ahead, Wang is excited about the potential of Gateway Park, established in 2010 to house research facilities and commercial enterprises and considers it a re- sponsibility to work with the city, state and other stakeholders to further the project. Among the tenants at Gateway, the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science is teaching the next generation of students about STEM (science, technology, engi- neering, and math), the core areas of study at WPI. - Article by Nancy Campbell

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