Creating a more sustainable future requires more than new technologies—it requires exceptional educators who inspire the next generation of innovators, engineers, designers, and problem-solvers.

That belief is the foundation of the Blittersdorf Professorship Fund at Wentworth Institute of Technology, an endowed fund established to support faculty whose work advances sustainable engineering, technology, design, and management. Through this investment, the Blittersdorf Family Foundation is helping ensure that students are equipped not only with technical expertise, but with the creativity, curiosity, and leadership needed to solve the complex environmental and societal challenges of the decades ahead.

Why Faculty Matter

Great institutions are built on great educators.
Faculty have the unique ability to influence generations of students—not only through classroom instruction, but through mentorship, research, and real-world collaboration. By supporting distinguished professors whose work centers on sustainability, the Foundation is investing in a multiplier effect: every student inspired today has the potential to improve countless lives tomorrow.

Endowed professorships are among the highest honors a university can bestow, recognizing faculty for excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service while providing resources that allow them to expand their impact.

A Shared Commitment to Applied Learning

For David Blittersdorf, a Wentworth alumnus, supporting his alma mater reflects a lifelong belief that education should be practical, purpose-driven, and focused on solving real-world problems.

Wentworth’s longstanding philosophy of “do, learn, succeed” aligns closely with the Foundation’s own mission of advancing practical solutions that strengthen communities and accelerate the transition to resilient, regenerative systems. Students learn by building, testing, designing, and collaborating—developing the skills needed to tackle challenges in renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies.

The Blittersdorf Professorship Fund was created to help ensure these educational experiences continue to evolve alongside the world’s changing needs.

 

Advancing Sustainability Through Education

Sustainability is not confined to a single discipline.
Today’s environmental challenges require engineers who understand policy, designers who consider environmental impact, business leaders who value long-term resilience, and technologists who can develop innovative solutions.

By supporting faculty working across these interconnected fields, the Blittersdorf Professorship Fund encourages interdisciplinary thinking and helps prepare graduates to lead the transition toward a cleaner, more equitable economy. The professorship rotates periodically, allowing different faculty members—and new areas of innovation—to benefit from its support over time.

 

Building Lasting Impact

The Blittersdorf Family Foundation believes that philanthropy should create lasting change rather than temporary solutions. Supporting educators represents one of the highest-leverage investments available. A single professor can influence thousands of students throughout a career. Those students go on to launch companies, develop technologies, shape public policy, strengthen communities, and educate future generations themselves. The impact extends far beyond a single classroom.

 

Education as Climate Action

The transition to a more resilient and regenerative future depends on people.

It depends on talented educators who challenge assumptions, encourage innovation, and inspire students to imagine what is possible. It depends on institutions willing to invest in excellence. And it depends on partnerships that recognize education as one of society’s most powerful tools for lasting change.

Through the Blittersdorf Professorship Fund, the Blittersdorf Family Foundation is proud to support the educators helping build that future—one student, one idea, and one generation at a time.

Why Faculty Matter

Great institutions are built on great educators.
Faculty have the unique ability to influence generations of students—not only through classroom instruction, but through mentorship, research, and real-world collaboration. By supporting distinguished professors whose work centers on sustainability, the Foundation is investing in a multiplier effect: every student inspired today has the potential to improve countless lives tomorrow.

Endowed professorships are among the highest honors a university can bestow, recognizing faculty for excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service while providing resources that allow them to expand their impact.

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