At WPI, starting a new academic year doesn’t always mean classrooms and catching up with friends in the Dunks line. Because the university’s Global Projects Program runs throughout the year, nearly 150 students are beginning their A-Term working on projects and gaining vital experience out in the field with an Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) or a Major Qualifying Project (MQP) at one of WPI’s more than 50 global project centers.
“What better way to start the academic year?” says Kathleen Head, MS, Director of the Global Experience Office in The Global School. “Students are headed into the field and out into the world. Back to school takes on a different shape”
Cohorts of students, whether they are working on an MQP or an IQP, enjoy a project center experience that connects them with their own team members and frequently with other students working on different projects. The resulting community away from campus helps students develop connections and gives them a chance to see how their work can make a difference in new settings and situations.
During A-Term for the 2024-25 academic year, the Global Projects Program is hosting projects in these locations:
IQP
- Boston, MA Project with advisor Seth Tuler (DIGS)
- Glacier National Park, Montana with advisors Ingrid Shockey (DIGS) and Lorraine Higgins (DIGS)
- Panama City, Panama with advisors Jim Chiarelli (DIGS) and Alejandro Manga (DIGS)
- Reykjavik, Iceland with advisors Sarah Stanlick (DIGS) and Holly Ault (Adjunct)
- White Mountains, NH with advisor Corey Dehner (DIGS)
- Zurich, Switzerland with advisors Carolina Ruiz (CS) and Jeff Solomon (Adjunct)
MQP
- MIT Lincoln Laboratory-Lexington, Massachusetts with advisor George Heineman (CS)
- Osaka (Ritsu), Japan with advisor Gillian Smith (CS)
- Panama City, Panama with advisor Aaron Sakulich (CEE)
- Switzerland (Waedenswil) with advisor Arne Gericke (UG)
- Switzerland with advisors Sarah Wodin-Schwartz (MME), Zoe Reidinger (BME), and Nancy Burnham (PH)