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Wildfire research at WPI
The devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area exemplify the dangers of wind-driven fires in inhabited areas. WPI’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering is leading research designed to understand how fires spread with the goal of contributing to measures that can better protect communities and firefighters.
WPI’s experts in this field include those who are part of the National Science Foundation’s Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center, a collaboration with San Jose State University, to study new fire detection methods, first responder safety, and wildfire suppression systems.
WPI’s research, which involves faculty and ongoing experiments conducted by students in a state-of-the-art wind tunnel on campus, was featured by several media outlets including The Boston Globe, WCVB, NBC 10 Boston, NECN, and Spectrum News 1.
The Associated Press also interviewed James Urban, an assistant professor of fire protection engineering, for an article that helps explain how firebrands, or flying embers, contribute to the spread of wildfires. The AP also interviewed Urban and visited campus to observe fire laboratory experiments for its coverage explaining how fire whirls, or fire tornadoes, can develop in large fires like those occurring in the Los Angeles area. Their experiments were photographed and featured in an AP article, "Fire tornadoes pose a threat in California. A fire lab shows how they work" and in an AP video.
Professor Urban also spoke with WPTF, a news radio station in Raleigh, NC, about how wind and drought factored into the California fires, and about wildfire prevention.
“Since lithium-ion batteries are a high energy density fuel, there is a possibility of an explosion hazard,” Ali Rangwala, a professor of fire protection engineering and director of WPI’s first-in-the-nation explosion protection engineering master’s program, provided analysis for a Wall Street Journal article on the risks associated with a fire at one of the world’s largest battery storage facilities. Lithium-ion battery fire and explosion dangers are among the topics being studied by WPI students in the explosion protection engineering program.
The Sustainable Career Mentorship Program allows students of all majors to connect with professionals working in green and sustainable jobs and industries for one-on-one meetings to discuss job search advice, internships, resume assistance and more. The program is a partnership across the university including The Global School, the Technology, Policy, and Sustainability Program, the Office of Sustainability, and the Career Development Center.
Ali Rangwala, director of WPI's first-in-the-nation Master of Science in Explosion Protection Engineering program and professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, provided expert analysis to Business Insider for an article, republished by Yahoo! News, about a New Year's Day truck explosion in Las Vegas.
Alexander Smith, assistant professor of economics in the Department of Social Science & Policy Studies, was interviewed by WalletHub for an article that explains the driver's license "points" system used by many states to address moving violations and manage license suspensions.
Reeta Rao, professor and department head of biology and biotechnology, talked with MHA Online about online master's degrees in biotechnology with MHA Online.
What are some of the thoughts and behaviors that drive our gift giving decisions? Farnoush Reshadi, assistant professor of marketing in The Business School, does research on gift giving and consumer behavior. In this Yahoo! Finance article, she explains some of her research, including how the wealth of the gift recipient affects how much a gift giver spends, and how people think about an item's price and benefits differently if they're purchasing the item as a gift rather than for themselves.
Many know the story of Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. Authors are also exploring the story of his former business partner Jacob Marley by writing Marley-focused books. Dickens scholar Joel Brattin, a professor in the Department of Humanities & Arts, helps explain the interest in Marley in an article in USA Today.
Faced with increasing competition, long-running food brands embrace various strategies to stay fresh. Purvi Shah, associate professor of marketing, spoke with Food Technology, a magazine from the Institute of Food Technologists, about these strategies, including limited time offers
WPI's online Master of Business Administration program was the biggest climber in a ranking of best online MBA programs. Poets&Quants, an online site that reports on graduate business education, ranked the program offered by The Business School at number 24 in the U.S., an increase of 17 positions in one year.
Kwamie Dunbar, associate professor of finance and director of WPI's FinTech programs, provided analysis for an article in Payments Dive that explains stablecoins, a virtual currency, and their potential practical applications.
The Brazilian newspaper O Globo interviewed Albert Simeoni, professor, and head of the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, about the Notre Dame Cathedral fire in Paris, upon the building’s restoration and reopening to the public. "The confusion over the approximate area of the fire and the time it took to reach the roof from the stairs resulted in a significant loss of time, which allowed the flames to grow beyond the firefighters' ability to control," Simeoni said.
Elke Rundensteiner, professor of computer science and head of the data science program, provided analysis for a Boston Globe article on Liquid AI. The startup's technology is inspired by the brain structure of a tiny roundworm, and the company seeks to build more efficient AI systems that require the use of less energy than current AI technology.
A weekend celebration in March 2025 paying tribute to Johann Sebastian Bach will include a concert including singers from WPI choirs, led by Joshua Rohde, director of choral activities.
The climate-focused site, The Cool Down, reported on research led by Xiaowei Teng, the James H. Manning Professor in Chemical Engineering, to make batteries more efficient by using silicate, with an eye towards potential energy storage.
Boston 25 News reported on the accomplishments of WPI students Antonio Marzoratti and Ivan Zou whose company developed a device to transform a manual wheelchair into one powered by a portable battery. The report also featured comments from Rosanna Garcia, the Beswick Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, who spoke about how the student innovators received support including mentorship and pitch competition experience from WPI’s i3 Lab. The students' company won the 2024 Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization Global Pitch Competition.
Boston 25 News, the Telegram & Gazette, and Spectrum News 1 reported on a Christmas tree burn demonstration conducted in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering by the student chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. For the first time in the history of this annual event, the laboratory demonstration included an artificial tree in addition to a real tree. The student-organized event is meant to educate WPI students and the public on the dangers and dynamics of Christmas tree fires and highlight important fire prevention and safety tips during the holiday season.
Camila Gomez and Hassan Dajana, graduate students in WPI’s master’s in community climate adaptation program are exploring the potential operational and environmental impacts of using beet juice for treating roads and highways to avoid icing. They spoke with the Telegram & Gazette about preliminary findings from their year-long project with Worcester’s Department of Sustainability & Resilience which is aimed at providing a variety of recommendations to help the city address winter climate resilience.
Securing edge servers and edge data centers requires measures to protect against physical and environmental threats; and dangers from bad actors seeking to tamper with them. Shahin Tajik, assistant professor of electrical & computer engineering, shared his thoughts in StateTech on how to protect critical devices from vulnerability.
Antonio Marzoratti, a robotics student and co-founder of Technotonin Industries, spoke with GBH’s All Things Considered along with his business co-founder Arav Tyagi of Boston University about the company’s technology that can adapt manual wheelchairs into powered devices. The pair discussed how their idea became a business and the support they’ve received from wheelchair users and accelerator programs including the Goat Innovators Summer Accelerator at WPI's i3 Lab.
