Opening Remarks

Provost Wole Soboyejo

Wole Soboyejo received a BSc in mechanical engineering from King’s College London in 1985. He then went on to Cambridge University where he obtained his PhD in materials science in 1988. Between 1988 and 1992, he worked as a Research Scientist at the McDonnell Douglas Research Labs. In 1992, he worked briefly at the Edison Welding Institute before joining the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University, where he worked from 1992 until 1999. Between 1997 and 1998, he spent a year as a Visiting Martin Luther King Associate Professor at MIT. He then moved to Princeton University as a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 1999. At Princeton, he has served as the Director of the US/Africa Materials Institute (USAMI) and the interdisciplinary undergraduate program in materials science. Soboyejo is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. He is also a recipient of: National Young Investigator Awards from the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research; ASM’s Bradley Stoughton Award for excellence in the teaching of materials science; the Lumley Research Award of The Ohio State University; and Princeton University’s Old School Award for Innovation. Soboyejo is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS), the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, African Academy of Science, and the Materials Society of Nigeria. He is the author of five textbooks and over 430 peer-reviewed journal papers. He has also edited 20 special issues of journals and conference proceedings. Between 2012 and 2014, Soboyejo served as the President and Provost of the African University of Science and Technology in Abuja, Nigeria. In September of 2016, Soboyejo moved to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) as the Bernard M. Gordon Dean of Engineering and Professor of Engineering Leadership. He was appointed as Provost at WPI in September 2018. Soboyejo’s current research focuses on biomaterials and the mechanical properties of materials.

Talks

Dr. Anna Nagurney 

Eugene M. Isenberg Chair in Integrative Studies Director, Virtual Center for Supernetworks Department of Operations and Information, Management Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts 

Anna Nagurney is the Eugene M. Isenberg Chair in Integrative Studies at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Director of the Virtual Center for Supernetworks, which she founded in 2001.  Anna’s research focuses on network systems from transportation and logistical ones, including supply chains, to financial, economic, social networks and their integration, along with the Internet.  She has also been researching sustainability and quality issues with applications ranging from pharmaceutical and blood supply chains to perishable food products and fast fashion to humanitarian logistics as well as human migration and refugee networks. 

Dr. Paul Gölz 

Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University 

Paul Gölz is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard. He received his Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University under the supervision of Ariel Procaccia. Paul studies democratic decision-making and the fair allocation of resources, using tools from algorithms, optimization, and artificial intelligence. Algorithms developed in his work are now deployed to select citizens’ assemblies around the world and to allocate refugees for a major US resettlement agency.

Dr. Andrew C. Trapp 

Associate Professor, The Business School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute 

Andrew C. Trapp is an Associate Professor of Operations and Industrial Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), with courtesy professorships in Mathematical Sciences and Data Science. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. His objective is to use science and technology to assist real human need by improving systems that serve vulnerable peoples, such as refugees and asylum seekers, survivors of human trafficking, and children in the foster care system. 

Panel

Moderator

Dr. Crystal Brown 

Assistant Professor, Social Sciences, International & Global Studies, WPI

Dr. Crystal H. Brown is a political scientist with expertise in comparative immigration policy, race/ethnicity and politics, marginalized groups, and international relations. Her dedication to advancing inclusivity and diversity is reflected in her academic achievements, including several publications, policy briefs, and presentations at national and international conferences. Dr. Brown currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Political Science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in the Social Science and Policy Studies Department. She obtained her PhD in Political Science from the University of Oregon and holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Pennsylvania State University. Through her research, Dr. Brown has made significant contributions to the field of political science, particularly in shaping our understanding of the complex issues surrounding immigration policy, race and ethnicity, and international relations. In addition to her research, Dr. Brown is also a committed teacher and mentor, with a passion for creating an inclusive and welcoming learning environment for all students. Overall, Dr. Crystal H. Brown is a respected authority in her field, a valuable member of the academic community, and an advocate for equity and justice in all aspects of academic and personal life. 

Panelists 

Dr. Geri Louise Dimas 

Incoming Assistant Professor, Bryant University 

Geri Louise Dimas is a professor in Data Science at Bryant University and is the Co-Director of the Institute for the Qualitative Study of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (QSIDE) Stopping Trafficking And Modern-day Slavery Project (STAMP) Lab. Her research focuses on applied analytics and data science at the intersection of societal issues such as immigration, anti-human trafficking, and homelessness. She received her Ph.D. in Data Science from WPI in April 2023.

Dr. Sarah Stanlick

Assistant professor, Department of Integrative and Global Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the Director of the project-based, first-year Great Problems Seminar program

She was the founding director of Lehigh University’s Center for Community Engagement and faculty member in Sociology and Anthropology. She previously taught at Centenary College of New Jersey and was a researcher at Harvard’s Kennedy School, assisting the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power. She belongs to organizations such as the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) and the International Association for Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE), as well as co-chairing the Imagining America Assessing the Practices of Public Scholarship (APPS) research team and the Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative. She has published in journals such as The Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, and the Journal of Global Citizenship and Equity Education.  Her research interests include reparations and restorative practices, refugee resettlement, global citizenship & civic identity development, and how technology can empower, connect, and support vulnerable populations. 

Mike Mitchell

Executive Director of No One Left Behind

No one Left Behind is a national nonprofit devoted to evacuating Afghans from the Taliban who worked alongside US, helping them in the US and advocating for them before Congress and the Administration.  He has an extensive background in nonprofits with significant experience in refugee & immigration, housing, and workforce development.   

Prior to his role at No One Left Behind, Mike led the Luminus Network for New Americans where be helped build a local organization serving immigrants from more than 35 countries, and before that, he served in senior roles at two national refugee resettlement organizations. 

Mike is a social sector entrepreneur with a passion for creating tools for nonprofits that utilize technology and to bring about more effective organizations.  Prior to his time in nonprofits, Mike served as volunteer with AmeriCorps and worked on Capitol Hill.  In addition to is professional roles, Mike has served on multiple Boards including serving as Chair of Maryland Nonprofits for two years.

Aimee Mitchell

Chief Community Services Officer, Ascentria

Aimee Mitchell joined Ascentria in June 2021 as chief community services officer bringing with her over 25 years of experience serving people ranging from individuals with disabilities to those with psychiatric needs and those impacted by the child welfare system. Aimee is an innovative clinical leader who has focused her career on designing and implementing services that make an impact on people’s lives, both those being served and the staff doing the work. She believes that by amplifying the voices of those with lived experience and creating collaborative spaces for human-centered design, we can accomplish the critical goal of making a difference.

Aimee has a Bachelors Degree from the University of California in Santa Cruz, and earned a MSW from Smith College School for Social Work. She attended the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and has continued to apply what she learned there to her work.

ARCHES Lab Lighting Talks

Closing Remarks

Dean Debora Jackson 

Dean, The Business School, WPI 

The Reverend Dr. Debora Jackson is Professor of Practice and Dean of the Business School at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a premiere STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) based institution recognized for project-based education that integrates the theory and practice of management. In response to changing industry needs, Dr. Jackson seeks to promote research, collaboration, and partnerships that understand broader societal needs and recast the vision for business education in ways that prepare leaders to disrupt, reorient, and innovate for societal impact. 

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