Worcester Polytechnic Institute has received a $100,000 pledge from Chicago-based Rolf Jensen Associates to help fund a new, state-of-the-art fire sciences laboratory. RJA has committed to a five-year endowment to support the project and has volunteered to spearhead fundraising.

Although plans for the laboratory are in the conceptual phase, the facility ultimately will be used to support teaching and research programs in fire protection engineering, said Kathy A. Notarianni, associate professor and head of WPI’s fire protection engineering department. RJA’s donation is the anchor gift for the laboratory.

“We recognize the integral role WPI plays in educating and training the future leaders of our profession,” said George Toth, COO of The RJA Group and chairman of WPI’s Fire Protection Engineering Advisory Board. “Their programs, professors and students are first-rate, and we couldn’t be more excited to be involved at the beginning stages of this new development.”

RJA founder Rolf Jensen was an emeritus member of the WPI FPE advisory board, where he provided counsel during the development of the university’s FPE degree program, which was launched in 1979. After his death in 2002, RJA established the Rolf Jensen Memorial Fund Endowment at WPI to support the FPE program. Martin Reiss, president and CEO of The RJA Group, has also chaired the WPI FPE advisory board.