Note: Some media outlets require users to log-in. The Gordon Library offers the WPI community free access to a number of newspapers. Visit newspaper database for details.
WPI to research wildfires, from space
Astronauts on the International Space Station will perform experiments for a study led by James Urban, assistant professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering. A spacecraft carrying materials for the experiments was launched to the space station in August. Urban studies wildfires and believes the experiments in microgravity will provide insight on non-steady flame behavior and lead to better understanding of how wildfires spread on Earth. The research was featured in Are We There Yet? - The Space Exploration Podcast, Spaceflight Now, Spectrum News 1, Industry Wired, and MassLive.
Vox spoke with William Smith Foundation Dean's Professor of Mechanical Engineering Yan Wang about the future of recycling lithium-ion batteries, and why the recycling process needs to be taken into consideration at the beginning of a battery’s life – during the manufacturing process, rather than just at the end.
The Telegram & Gazette, Spectrum News 1, and MassLive covered the opening of Flourish at Thrive, a food pantry designed with the help of WPI IQP students from the Worcester Community Project Center.
Chemical Engineering Professor Mike Timko and PhD student Heather LeClerc spoke with Biodiesel Magazine Podcast about their research to create a renewable biodiesel fuel from food waste.
Spectrum News 1 interviewed interim President Winston “Wole” Soboyejo about continuing his research even after taking on more administrative responsibility at the university, and the importance of remaining connected with students at WPI.
The Global School professor and Venice Project Center director Fabio Carrera spoke with the BBC about the different plans and proposals to help Venice survive an existential crisis. As climate change causes sea levels to rise, the city is sinking and it could be underwater in a matter of decades. Carrera talked about how Venice needs to be more forward-looking than it has in the past - that the time for temporary fixes is over, and a longer-lasting solution is now necessary in order to save the city.
The Business School Professor Joe Sarkis spoke with the State House News Service after he testified in a Beacon Hill hearing on a bill about blockchain and workforce development in Massachusetts. Sarkis told State House News how blockchain technology can be used for social good, to support sustainability goals, and transform supply chains.
Science Daily covered the continued collaboration between Professor Suzanne Scarlata and Associate Professor Nima Rahbar to develop their Enzymatic Construction Material – a sustainable, low-cost replacement for concrete that can also heal itself. Scarlata and Rahbar recently received a nearly $700,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to refine the material, explore its ability to repair cracks in glass, and create educational programs for girls in Worcester and Nigeria.
INSIGHT into Diversity spoke with The Business School Dean Debora Jackson about the new Executive PhD program and how it is giving executives the opportunity to support social justice initiatives and diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Dean Jackson told INSIGHT that with this program, WPI is “making an impact for the betterment of society because we are helping our leaders to understand the value of giving back.”
Lisa Pearlman, the director of student health services at WPI was interviewed by NPR for its segment. Lisa says we can’t forget it but “I do think we can kind of live with COVID for the first time and still do all of the other normal things. And that feels really different about this year than the past two."
Professor Alex Wyglinski, electric and computer engineering department spoke with KCBS radio out of San Francisco, CA about how self-driving cars can continue to evolve after being involved in an accident, helping the field increase its overall safety. When asked about a specific fender bender, Wyglinski says it’s “a learning opportunity for the computer in this vehicle which has never seen this explicit case before, so what will do is take the most conservative the most safe outcome.”
Spectrum News 1 spoke with Nikolaos Gatsonis, head of aerospace engineering, about what he will be looking for when the Artemis I test flight to the moon launches.
Popular Mechanics spoke with Professor Yan Wang about his groundbreaking research to develop a method to recycle lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Wang talked about the impetus for his research, the unique recycling process, the future of battery recycling, and how the technology is now being used commercially by Ascend Elements, the company Wang co-founded, along with his former PhD student Eric Gratz.
Drone Life, an industry trade publication, wrote about the $350,000 NSF grant from the U.S. Navy that aerospace engineering professors Michael Demetriou and Nikolaos Gatsonis’ secured to develop a computational model that processes data from underwater drones to estimate the source and concentration of contaminants in oceans.
The Worcester Business Journal wrote about the $350,000 NSF grant from the U.S. Navy that aerospace engineering professors Michael Demetriou and Nikolaos Gatsonis’ secured to develop a computational model that processes data from underwater drones to estimate the source and concentration of contaminants in oceans.
The Worcester Business Journal wrote about the renaming of the former Office of Multicultural Affairs, which is now known as the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education, to reflect the university’s diversity mission.
The Telegram & Gazette published a feature on the WPI research team who helped the New York Times investigate a fatal fire in the Bronx. It article also mentions how this study will be used in future WPI Fire Protection Engineering classes.
Why are some areas in a city so much hotter than others during a heat wave? WPI Associate Professor Steve McCauley, Department of Integrative & Global Studies (DIGS), discusses “heat islands” with the Telegram & Gazette. According to WPI's Global Lab, neighborhoods in Worcester can be as much as 17 degrees warmer than the air in neighboring towns, particularly in the afternoon and after sunset. The article is part of an extensive USA TODAY Network reporting project on climate change.