$12 million gift from Carl Karlsson will support rising scholars in STEM fields
Worcester Polytechnic Institute received a gift that promises to shape the future of its academic and research enterprise.
The $12 million gift, made by distinguished alumnus Carl Karlsson, stands as one of the most significant individual contributions in the institute’s 160‑plus‑year history.
This gift offers WPI a rare degree of flexibility to allocate funds where they are most urgently needed—without constraints—a powerful enabler in navigating rapidly evolving academic and technological landscapes.
The centerpiece of Karlsson’s gift is the establishment of the Carl H. Karlsson ’60 Early Career Professorship—a named endowment intended to support up to three early‑career faculty members.
This visionary investment acknowledges that the authors of tomorrow’s scientific breakthroughs often stand at the beginning of their academic journeys.
By offering targeted support to rising scholars in STEM fields, WPI aims to not only attract but to retain emerging talent, ensuring the institution remains vibrant, competitive, and innovation‑driven.
University leaders have praised the gift as an embodiment of transformative philanthropy.
WPI President Grace J. Wang described Karlsson’s gift as “a shining example of the extraordinary generosity and dedication of our alumni,” emphasizing that the funds will “impact the university by supporting faculty excellence, fueling research and innovation, and enriching the student experience.”
President Wang framed the legacy donation as a conduit for empowering future generations to achieve, to discover, and to lead with enduring global impact.
Andrew Sears, WPI’s Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, underscored the crucial role endowed professorships play in building institutional excellence.
According to him, these positions furnish faculty members with the stability and resources needed to explore bold ideas, to secure external funding, and to cultivate dynamic learning environments that elevate both teaching and discovery.
The broader context of this donation—named “Beyond These Towers,” a nod to WPI’s iconic original buildings—underscores its strategic importance to the university’s comprehensive development campaign.
Launched in 2021, the campaign seeks to raise $500 million to support students, faculty, research initiatives, global programs, facilities, and campus life.
Karlsson’s gift, while unrestricted, aligns closely with the campaign’s goals: enabling WPI to transform theory into practice, address pressing global challenges, and foster educational impact through project‑based learning and research excellence.
WPI alumni and the broader Worcester region have received the news with admiration and appreciation.
As a chemical engineering graduate, Karlsson forged a successful career in information systems and technology, including significant work at Praxair Inc. in New York.
His continued commitment to WPI—evident in nearly forty years of habitually directing contributions toward the institution’s greatest needs—reflects a lifetime of appreciation for the transformative power of education.
The impact of this gift will ripple outward: early-career STEM faculty will gain resources to launch ambitious research projects, mentorship opportunities will blossom for students, and WPI’s academic reputation will be further elevated.
In an era where institutions must adapt swiftly to technological advances and global challenges, unrestricted gifts like Karlsson’s are particularly meaningful—they offer leadership the agility to respond with strategic vision and impactful action.
Looking ahead, as WPI prepares to award the endowed professorships, anticipation builds around the fields they will support and the breakthroughs they might catalyze.
Whatever directions the institute chooses, Carl Karlsson’s donation will stand as a defining moment—a gesture that underscores how one alumnus’s legacy can nurture a future of discovery, learning, and lasting excellence.