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

Occupational therapist works with child raking sand.

Occupational Therapy Helps People Do the Things That Matter Most

April 07, 2026

April is Occupational Therapy Month. WNE's Department of Occupational Therapy is using the month to highlight both the profession’s impact and its innovative educational pathways preparing future practitioners.

Pharmacy students and professors evaluate data standing around a computer.

WNE Researchers Recognized for Innovation in Online Learning and Pharmacy 

April 07, 2026

WNE College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences' faculty and students are earning recognition across disciplines for research that advances both student success and healthcare innovation.

Wide-angle shot of the floor with the robots and parents and students in the stands.

Robots, Rivalries, and Real-World Skills: Future Engineers Compete at WNE 

March 30, 2026

WNE welcomed nearly 1,300 high school students, mentors, and coaches to campus for a high-energy weekend of innovation, competition, and hands-on engineering as part of the internationally recognized FIRST Robotics Competition. 

Wide view of students presenting poster presentations.

Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair’s Top Young Scientists Convened at WNE for Hands-On Showcase 

March 30, 2026

Promising young scientists and engineers participated in the annual Region 1 Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair at WNE. High school students from across western Massachusetts presented original, student-led research and competed in a wide range of STEM disciplines.

Monica Albarron stands under her three painting trilogy handing in the student hub

A Mother’s Art, A Student’s Campus: International Artist’s Paintings Enrich the WNE Student Hub 

March 18, 2026

Mexican artist Mónica Albarrán, whose son is a current Western New England student, donated four paintings now on permanent display in the Student Hub, adding a striking artistic presence to one of campus’s most active gathering spaces. 

Dave DiSabito standing at the top of a spiral staircase

College of Business Faculty Member Joins National Initiative on Generative AI in Higher-Education Assessment

March 17, 2026

David M. DiSabito Jr., MBA, Professional Educator of Business Analytics and Information Management and AI Liaison for the College of Business, has been selected as a Member of the Generative AI in Assessment Community of Practice, a national initiative convened through the 2026 Assessment Institute in Indianapolis.

Photo of tech leaders talking about AI with a screen in the background.

NextGen Enterprise Academy Partners with Mass Bankers Association to Deliver AI Training for Bank Leaders

March 10, 2026

“AI Bootcamp for Bank Leaders” is a two-day virtual program scheduled for April 7 and April 14, 2026, to provide senior banking professionals and emerging leaders with hands-on training in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and its practical applications in the financial services industry.

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 Western New England 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

Western New England University Appoints Dr. Joseph C. Hartman as President

January 07, 2026

The Board of Trustees of Western New England 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.