Waleria Duarte of Doral Receives 2016-17 ALANA Leadership Award

2017 May 9

Waleria Duarte of Doral, Fla., a member of Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) class of 2020, majoring in industrial engineering, received the Emerging Leader Award. This award is for a first-year ALANA student organization member who has made a significant impact outside of the classroom and to campus life by demonstrating leadership qualities and commitment.

Each year administrators from Worcester area colleges and universities come together to award and celebrate outstanding students in the ALANA (African-American, LatinX-American, Asian-American, and Native American) network. The network's committee is made up of higher education administrators from Anna Maria College, Assumption College, Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, WPI, and Worcester State University that focus on diversity and inclusion. Hosted by Clark University in April of this year, seven students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute received awards.

The Network has proven to be an excellent means for its members to support each other through the sharing of information and resources. One of the goals of the Network is to develop a stronger connection between all the ALANA students in the Worcester Consortium of Colleges and Universities. Our hope is to expand support and resources for our ALANA students, provide opportunities for them to meet, and for them to develop genuine, supportive relationships with each other.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Projects Program. There are more than 40 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.