About two years ago, when Sam Altschuler, Hon. ’08, began considering a gift to assist Wentworth’s Department of Computer Science and Networking, he made it clear that he wanted to think big. Already a supporter of the department through the funding of scholarships, Altschuler was interested in making an even broader impact on the lives of Wentworth students.
The result is a state-of-the-art classroom and networking laboratory—the Altschuler Computer Center—funded in large part by a $1 million gift from Altschuler and his wife, Nancy.
“When we started to talk about renovating a major new space and adding classroom space, we became 
very excited about how that’s going to improve the chances for students in their careers,” Altschuler says.
A 50-year veteran of the electronics industry, Altschuler founded Wilmington, Mass.-based Altron Incorporated, a leading manufacturer of electronics equipment—primarily surface-mount assemblies, custom-designed backplanes, and circuit boards—in 1970. He retired in 1999. The Altschulers’ son, Jeff, is a 1984 graduate (Manufacturing Engineering Technology) and founder of New Hampshire-based electronics manufacturing company Altronics. Grandson David is a current Wentworth student (Computer Networking) who will benefit directly when he works in the center this summer.
“In order to have a successful career in the high-tech industry, it’s extremely important to have a solid education as provided here at Wentworth,” Sam Altschuler says. “David has really benefitted from the co-op experience. Wentworth students are ready to hit the ground running and do real work rather than going through a transition period from school to work. As a result, Wentworth students are prized employees for many companies in the United States.”
Thanks to Altschuler family’s generosity, Wentworth students now have a computer networking facility that ranks among the very best in the country.
—Caleb Cochran
