WPI President Berkey Announces Departure
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WPI President Dennis Berkey announced at the school's commencement ceremony on Saturday that he is leaving WPI.
Dennis Berkey, president and CEO of Worcester Polytechnic Institute since 2004, announced at the school's Saturday commencement ceremony that he is leaving WPI.
Berkey and WPI said the decision came after discussions between Berkey and the board of trustees. Phil Ryan, newly elected chairman of the board, will assume the role of interim president while the school conducts a search for its next leader.
"This decision was made after careful thought and discussion with the leaders of our board of trustees," Berkey said. "Fresh ideas are important to continuing institutional advancement, and I am looking forward to having the time to reflect on what we have accomplished at WPI and how else I might contribute value in higher education. I leave WPI in capable hands, in a strong condition, and well-poised for further advance as an exemplar of the best in American higher education."
Berkey said he is looking forward to taking the first personal sabbatical of his academic career.
Under Berkey's leadership, WPI has undergone many changes, including the construction of a sports and recreation center, several residence halls and the first two buildings of Gateway Park, which houses life sciences and other companies alongside academic departments. The school opened a school of business, a STEM education center and in 2006 became the first college in the country to offer a bachelor's degree in robotics, later adding master's and doctoral programs. Student enrollment has grown nearly 60 percent and research funding has tripled, WPI said.
Berkey is also credited with being the driving force behind WPI's payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with the city, which is providing $9 million to the Worcester Public Library and Institute Park through 2034.
Ryan praised Berkey for his accomplishments during the past nine years.
"Under his administration, WPI has flourished, both financially and academically," Ryan said. "We applaud his many significant accomplishments, thank him for his service, and wish him well in all of his future endeavors."
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