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AUST EX-PRESIDENT, PROFESSOR SOBOYEJO ELECTED AS INTERIM WPI PRESIDENT

Former President of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Professor Wole Soboyejo has been unanimously elected as Interim President of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), USA by the Board of Trustees of the institute. His appointment takes effect from May, 2022.

Before his recent appointment, Soboyejo was the Provost and Senior Vice President of WPI.

A highly accomplished academic and administrative leader, Professor Wole is known for being a collaborator with a great respect for the knowledge and experience of those around him. This and other qualities made him the ideal leader to help the university in the months ahead.

Among the significant experience he brings is having served as President and Provost of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Abuja, Nigeria from 2012 to 2014, a Pan-African university founded by the Nelson Mandela Institutions (NMI).

A member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) of the United States of America, Wole was elected a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering on February 17, 2022, Professor Wole Soboyejo is a renowned materials scientist and engineer with more than 30 years in academia and research institutes.

Prior to becoming Provost in 2019, he served as the Bernard M. Gordon Dean of the School of Engineering at WPI. Wole has also held positions at Princeton University, The Ohio State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the McDonnell Douglas Research Laboratories in St. Louis, and the Edison Welding Institute in Columbus, Ohio.  

As WPI Provost, Wole leveraged his noteworthy record of building global research and educational partnerships to help launch The Global School at WPI.  He also joined key stakeholders in facilitating interdisciplinary research teams that are driving new collaborations and innovations—and he worked closely with trustees, administration, and faculty to bring about new opportunities for teaching faculty including a tenure track.

While at AUST, Prof. Wole was instrumental to the establishment of flagship projects in the university including the World Bank step B project on Materials Development and the Pan African Materials Institute (PAMI), an African Center of Excellence (ACE) in Materials.

Even in his busy schedule, he continues to teach as a visiting Professor at AUST and continues to mentor and supervise post graduate students.

He has also hosted many African students from AUST in his laboratory at WPI on research fellowship.

African University of Science and Technology felicitates with Wole and wish him the best of luck as he prepares to serve WPI as interim president.

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