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3 Worcester Students Receive Top Academic Distinction

Worcester Polytechnic Institute said more than 25 seniors were chosen by their departments for the long-running award.

| Updated

WORCESTER, MA — Three students from Worcester were among 27 Worcester Polytechnic Institute seniors selected for the university’s Salisbury Prize.

The school announced that Paula Gibbons, Nathan Randa and Seoyoon King, all from Worcester, were named winners from a graduating class of more than 1,200 undergraduate students.

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The Salisbury Prize was instituted in 1871 by Stephen Salisbury, a businessman, philanthropist and one of the founders of the university. He also served as president of the Board of Trustees and created the award to recognize outstanding members of the senior class “who have faithfully, industriously, and with distinguished attainment” completed all course and project requirements for the bachelor’s degree, the school said.

Gibbons, a member of the class of 2026 majoring in biomedical engineering, Randa, a member of the class of 2026 majoring in civil engineering and professional writing, and Kang, a member of the class of 2026 majoring in physics and robotics engineering, were selected for this year's award. The school said students are selected by their departments for the award.

“These students exemplify the spirit of WPI,” said Professor Arthur C. Heinricher. “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."

WPI said the annual honor is tied to both academic work and the school's project-based model. All 27 students completed required projects in the Humanities and Arts, on a problem involving science, technology and human need and in their major area of study.

"These students have helped make WPI a better place to study and work," Heinricher added.

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