Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | July 28, 2025 | wbjournal.com F O C U S HIGHER EDUCATION 'We will survive' Fresh off achieving a research milestone, WPI looks to navigate turbulent waters as Trump slashes federal research funding BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Managing Editor W orcester Polytechnic Institute reached a significant mile- stone in its 160-year history in February, when it received Research 1 status from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. e designation, held by 187 higher education institutions in the United States, pushed the nation's third-oldest private technological university into the upper echelon of research institutions. WPI's Research 1 status came aer consistent growth in the amount of re- search funding the school has been able to attract, increasing 159% from $23.16 million in fiscal 2016 to $59.95 million in fiscal 2024. WPI is the only Research 1 institution in Central Massachusetts, joining the likes of Harvard University and MIT as one of 11 in the state. "Research 1 status is recognition for a lot of the good work going on here," said Bogdan Vernescu, WPI vice pres- ident and vice provost for research and innovation. "It has visibility. We hope in this way, we can be more attractive to students who are coming here, more attractive to faculty, and also be able to attract more companies to come to Worcester to work with us." Of course, now is anything but a normal time in the world of academic research. WPI achieved Research 1 status just one month aer President Donald Trump was inaugurated. Trump almost immediately set his sights on dramatically reshaping the higher education landscape with defund- ing and high-profile pressure tactics, arguing the nation's universities – seen by academics as the front line in the fight against yet-to-be cured diseases and competing in the global economy through technolog- ical development – are "dominated by Marxist maniacs and lunatics," according to a 2023 Trump campaign video. WPI has already lost about $2.3 million in federal funding through 10 awards canceled by four federal agencies. at federal rela- tionship remains paramount to WPI's research ambitions, as the Worcester institution received about 83% of its research dollars from federal sources, according to its fiscal 2024 research report. Looking to keep its research momen- tum going, WPI is watching carefully where the federal chips fall, hoping the diversity of its research portfolio, relationship with state government, and ties to the business world can provide extra buoyancy in the turbulent waters higher education finds itself in. "We will survive in different models. e question is, 'How well do you sur- vive? And how well can you continue the same type of focus on research?'" Vernescu said. Top-tier status With alumni including liquid rocket inventor Robert Goddard and Elwood Haynes, designer of one of the earliest automobiles made in the United States, WPI has long been involved in shaping important economic developments. Adding to that history, achieving Re- search 1 status was an instant boost to the real-world value of a WPI degree, said Kola Akindele, WPI associate vice president, external relations & partnerships. Isaac Kamola, direc- tor of AAUP's Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom Originally hailing from Romania, Bogdan Vernescu arrived in Worcester as a WPI professor in 1991, founding WPI's Center for Industrial Mathematics and Statistics before eventually working his way up to vice president and vice provost for research and innovation in April 2024. PHOTO | MATT WRIGHT

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