WORCESTER—Out of a class of more than 1,200, 21 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) undergraduate students were nominated by their departments to receive the Salisbury Prize, the school announced on Monday.
In 1871, Stephen Salisbury, a 19th-century entrepreneur, philanthropist, and co-founder of WPI, established this award.
As president of the Board of Trustees, he came up with the accolade to honor exceptional seniors who demonstrated unwavering commitment and notable achievement in fulfilling all course and project requirements for their bachelor’s degree.
“These students exemplify the spirit of WPI,” said Professor Arthur C. Heinricher in a press release. “WPI is more than an academically elite university; from the moment our students set foot on this campus, we challenge them to use their intelligence and their abilities to solve problems and help people around the world.
“In addition to their exceptional coursework, each recipient of a Salisbury Prize has done outstanding work in all three of WPI’s required projects, one in the Humanities and Arts, one addressing a problem at the intersection of science and technology with human need, and one in their major area of study. These students have helped make WPI a better place to study and work.”
The following students received the prize:
- Skyler Kauffman, majoring in Chemical Engineering, class of 2024
- Duncan Soiffer, majoring in Computer Science and Mathematical Sciences, class of 2024
- Naisargi Mehta, majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering, class of 2024
- Gabriel Espinosa, majoring in Mechanical Engineering, class of 2024
All winning students are residents of Worcester.
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