Â黨ĘÓƵ

All News

Â黨ĘÓƵ University is a private, coeducational institution founded in 1919, located on a 215-acre suburban campus in Springfield, Massachusetts. Â黨ĘÓƵ serves 3,955 students, including 2,575 full-time undergraduate students. With the academic options of a university, and a focus on individualized attention, Â黨ĘÓƵ inspires students to achieve more than they ever imagined possible.
University News Archives can be found here.

Graphic featuring six faculty members headshots.

Recognizing the Power of Great Teaching: WNE Announces Teaching Excellence Award Finalists 

March 04, 2026

Six finalists are announced for the Teaching Excellence Award. The award honors a full-time faculty member in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, or Engineering who exemplifies outstanding teaching and has made a distinct difference in the academic environment through innovative instruction, mentorship, or campus leadership.  

Graphic of six faculty headshots holding blue not gold ticks

Six WNE Faculty and Staff Receive KEEN “Golden Tickets” for Engineering Teaching Innovation  

March 04, 2026

Six faculty and staff members in the College of Engineering have earned “Golden Tickets” to a national engineering education initiative. The highly sought-after opportunity supports educators in developing innovative teaching strategies that combine engineering fundamentals with entrepreneurial thinking and real-world applications. 

Standing L to R: Sierra Sellers, Tiffany Thibodau, Bren Chaisson and Prof. Julie Steiner

Arguing All Sides: WNE Law Students Impress Judges at National Competition

March 03, 2026

Competing against law students from across the country, students Sierra Sellers and Tiffany Thibodau earned high praise from judges for their composure, organization, and command of complex legal issues at 2026 National Environmental Law Moot Court competition.

Professor Aydogdu stands outside in front of trees on a summer day.

College of Business Professor Murat Aydogdu Honored with International 2026 SAS Educator Award

March 03, 2026

College of Business Associate Professor Murat Aydogdu has been recognized as a 2026 North American SAS Educator Award recipient—an international distinction honoring faculty who are advancing analytics, data science, and artificial intelligence education in higher education.

Four students stand holding their winning CFA certificates.

Real-World Finance in Action: WNE Team Wins CFA Boston Challenge

February 19, 2026

Students from WNE's College of Business has earned top honors at the CFA Society Boston Investment Research Challenge, winning the Local Finals on February 11 and advancing to regionals. This annual global equity research competition provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis.

Two students work on jet engine components

$2M NSF Grant Helps WNE Remove Financial Barriers for Future Engineers 

February 17, 2026

WNE has been awarded a $2 million National Science Foundation grant to provide scholarship support for academically talented, low-income students pursuing degrees across all engineering disciplines in the College of Engineering.

Three panelists sit at a table while one speaker addresses the audience at a podium.

Health Equity in Focus at Â黨ĘÓƵ University Law Forum 

February 16, 2026

WNE Law hosted a sold-out forum uniting legal, medical, and public health leaders to discuss racial disparities in health care.

Two students and professor Bart Lipkens running an experiment in a lab.

WNE's New Biopharmaceutical Technology Graduate Program Fast-Tracks Training for High-Demand Life Sciences Careers 

February 02, 2026

Intensive, hands-on, day-based master’s program delivers industry-ready skills and accelerated pathways to biomanufacturing and bioprocessing roles.

Approximately 12 honors students holding rocks as part of the WNE Honors Program meditation garden

Mindfulness in Bloom: WNE Honors Project Gains National Attention

January 26, 2026

WNE Honors Students Publish in National Honors Journal Highlighting Campus Meditation Garden

L-R in the picture are Dr. Janelle Goodnight, award recipient Alexis Torres, Alicia Powers mother of the student the memorial award is named after, and Dr. Elizabeth Elam.

WNE Presents 4th Annual Breana Giordano Memorial Award to Senior Marketing Major Alexis Torres

January 23, 2026

WNE senior Alexis “Lexi” Torres was named the 2025 recipient of the Breana Giordano Memorial Award. Torres has distinguished herself through scholarship, engagement, and professional drive, embodying many of the same qualities that defined Giordano during her time at WNE.

L to R: Conor McCormick, Professor Fred Royal and Christopher Nasta

Third Straight Year in Finals: WNE Law Takes Third at ABA Tax Challenge

January 23, 2026

Law students Conor McCormick and Christopher Nasta placed third nationally at the American Bar Association (ABA) Law Student Tax Challenge, held January 16, 2026, in San Diego, California. The ABA Tax Challenge is considered one of the nation’s premier experiential competitions for aspiring tax attorneys.

Joseph C. Hartman

Â黨ĘÓƵ University Appoints Dr. Joseph C. Hartman as President

January 07, 2026

The Board of Trustees of Â黨ĘÓƵ University today announced the appointment of Joseph C. Hartman, Ph.D., P.E., as the University’s seventh President. Hartman will assume the role on June 1, 2026.

Student designers of the Handilink concept standing around a prototype of the concept.

Student Innovators Deliver Standout Prototypes at WNE’s 11th Annual Showcase 

December 12, 2025

The 11th annual Product Innovations Showcase gave the next generation of student innovators from business and engineering a platform to create diverse projects addressing real-world needs — from mobility and accessibility to home goods, environmental solutions, sports innovations, and industrial tools. 

A digital snowman in falling snow with a sign pointing toward Forest Park are featured over an image of the XR lab.

WNE XR Lab Brings Augmented Reality to Bright Nights in New Community Partnership 

December 08, 2025

WNE's XR Lab is bringing immersive technology to the Spirit of Springfield’s Bright Nights at Forest Park in what marks the XR Lab’s first large-scale community partnership. Visitors to Santa’s Magical Forest will be able to step into an interactive augmented-reality (AR) experience designed and developed by WNE students. 

Students engaging in discussio around a table with a WNE professor.

Inspiring Tomorrow’s Educators: WNE–Duggan Partnership Builds the Teacher Pipeline

December 03, 2025

WNE and Duggan Academy have been collaborating for nine years to provide high school students with valuable college-level experiences and unique opportunities to explore college life, engage in hands-on learning, and consider careers in education. 

Lab student in white coat using pipette to fill beakers.

WNE and Bay Path University Launch Articulation Agreement to Strengthen Regional Workforce in Genetic Counseling and Pharmacogenomics

November 20, 2025

WNE and Bay Path University are partnering to create an academic pathway between genetic counseling and pharmacogenomics designed to support the significant regional workforce demand for professionals trained in precision medicine, genomic testing, and personalized therapeutics. 

High shot of 29 WNE student ambassadors dressed in black tie and black gowns.

WNE Students Shine as Ambassadors at the 2025 Spirit of Springfield Bright Nights Ball 

November 14, 2025

WNE once again played a meaningful role in one of the region’s most celebrated traditions—the 2025 Spirit of Springfield Bright Nights Ball. Twenty-nine WNE student ambassadors served as event volunteers representing the University with professionalism and Golden Bear pride.

From L to R: Dr. ChangHoon Lee and civil engineering students Weronika Kaczor, Kendra Robayo, and Meghan Lemieux

College of Engineering Showcases Research Excellence at ASCE Structural Engineering Institute Seminar 

November 12, 2025

WNE civil engineering students earned second place in a research poster competition presented during the 2025 American Society of Civil Engineers Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Connecticut Chapter Seminar.

Head shot of Associate Professor Seyed Niknam under a blossoming tree

WNE Helps Power the Hydrogen Economy with New Training Program 

November 10, 2025

Powered by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, new program equips the next generation of engineers and technicians to support the rapid expansion of hydrogen technologies.

Student Veronika Hicks stands next to large graphic AMCP logo at a convention center

From Research to Recognition: WNE’s Veronika Hicks Shines at National AMCP Conference

November 07, 2025

CoPHS student Veronika Hicks, Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate, Class of 2027, recently represented the University at AMCP Nexus 2025, held in National Harbor, Maryland. The annual conference brings together pharmacy professionals, residents, fellows, and students from across the country to explore innovations and career pathways in managed care pharmacy.

Photo of student at desks in a classroom

WNE School of Law and Hampden District Attorney’s Office Welcome New “Future Lawyers of Springfield” Class

November 07, 2025

The School of Law and the Hampden District Attorney’s Office have welcomed 50 inductees to the 2025–2026 class of the Future Lawyers of Springfield program, a collaborative initiative designed to inspire and mentor students interested in careers in law, criminal justice, and public service. WNE Law Student and Newly Elected City Councilor Gerry Martin embodies the program’s spirit of civic leadership.

Headshot of Joi-Lee Key-Washington with a graduation cap on and wearing a pink jacket.

Criminal Justice Student Joi-Lee Key-Washington Honored with Outstanding Springfield Youth Award

November 04, 2025

WNE first-year student Joi-Lee Key-Washington has been recognized with the Outstanding Springfield Youth Award, which honors young individuals who make a meaningful difference in promoting safety, integrity, and positive influence in their neighborhoods. 

Night photo of Blake School of Law exterior

WNE School of Law Launches JD Access: A Flexible, Part-Time Evening Online JD Program Expanding Access to Legal Education

November 04, 2025

WNE Law announces the launch of JD Access, a part-time evening online Juris Doctor program designed to expand access to legal education for working professionals, non-traditional students, and others whose life circumstances make traditional, on-campus attendance challenging.

US Supreme Court Justice Katengi Brown Jackson stands next to WNE School of Law Dean Zelda B. Harris

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Inspires WNE Law Community  

October 28, 2025

Fifty students from the WNE School of Law joined law alumni, faculty, and members of the WNE Board of Trustees October 27 to hear Ketanji Brown Jackson address a sold-out crowd as part of the Springfield Public Forum’s Justice Talk: A Conversation on Democracy & the Courts. 

Three panel graphic featuring on L: Center for Quantum Hardware Development; top R: Biotechnology Lab; lower R: AI-Driven Multi-Sensor Monitoring

WNE Secures Nearly $1.3 Million in State Funding to Advance Biopharma, AI, and Quantum Innovation 

October 27, 2025

WNE has been awarded nearly $1.3 million in state funding through three major grants designed to strengthen WNE’s leadership in workforce development, applied research, and industry partnerships in the fields of biopharmaceutical technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum hardware.Â