In the News

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.  

Preview Graphic celebrating top 100 women-led businesses in Massachusetts

The Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts in 2024

President Grace J. Wang was named to the annual list which was featured in The Boston Globe Magazine as part of its Women & Power issue. The list was created by The Women’s Edge, a nonprofit that supports female business leaders, and celebrates the state’s leading companies and nonprofit organizations led by women. The group examined 2023 revenue or operating budget as well as other variables and ranked organizations according to its own formula. 

The Washington Post

Civil, environmental, & architectural engineering professor Shichao Liu was interviewed by The Washington Post on the hot weather gripping much of the United States. He explained why setting your thermostat to a lower temperature than normal when it’s very hot outside will not provide any additional cooling.

Spectrum News 1

Dean of Engineering John McNeill spoke with Spectrum News 1 Worcester about the new partnership that will open additional pathways to a master’s degree at WPI.

Worcester Business Journal

Innovative dual degree programs will offer a 4+1 pathway for students to earn a master’s at WPI. The Worcester Business Journal reported on the announcement that degrees will be available in mechanical engineering, and electrical and computer engineering, with more offerings expected to be available in the near future.

Mass Live

A company created by a mechanical engineering graduate launched a prototype of its electric jet ski on Lake Quinsigamond. The event was attended by community leaders including Congressman Jim McGovern, and Rosanna Garcia, professor of innovation and entrepreneurship in The Business School. WBZ News Radio also covered the launch.

 

News 24

A high school robotics team from Worcester, South Africa spent more than a week on the WPI campus for a robotics competition. The teens met with and learned from WPI faculty, staff, and students. News24 South Africa reported on their visit. Articles on the team’s trip were also featured in other South African media, including CapeTownETC.com, and Independent Online.

Worcester Magazine

Students from WPI helped get a new community fridge built in Worcester. The WPI team helped weatherize the shelter that houses the food resource.

Spectrum News 1

The campus is hosting nine high school students from Worcester, South Africa. They are learning new skills in robotics and programming. Spectrum News 1 reported on the teens’ participation in an international robotics competition on campus and preparations for their next event.

Worcester Business Journal

Robotics engineering professor Loris Fichera is advancing research to create robots that can be used to facilitate incision-free surgery. The Worcester Business Journal profiled Fichera’s work and a National Science Foundation award supporting it.

Spectrum News 1

More than 1,000 young people from around the world took part in a three-day LEGO robot competition at Harrington Auditorium, hosted by the Robotics Resource Center. Spectrum News 1 came to campus to witness the excitement and the enthusiastic participants in the Inaugural WPI Annual FIRST LEGO League Event.

Mass Live

The recent presence of wildfire smoke in the air has caused harmful air pollution. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering assistant professor Shichao Liu explained to MassLive why future wildfires could pose an even greater danger to air quality if the smoke arrives during hotter weather.

Waste & Recycling Magazine

A group of private and educational groups, including WPI, is working to find new ways to reduce waste and recover more useable materials in metals processing. Waste and Recycling Magazine profiled the new effort and how WPI was involved in creating the partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory.

NECN

Smoke from wildfires can be dangerous, especially to people with certain health conditions. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering assistant professor Shichao Liu studies indoor air quality. He spoke with NECN about how smoke particles can get into buildings and affect health.

WBUR 90.9

Assistant professor Shichao Liu, in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, warns that the thick wildfire smoke over much of the east coast is not just an outdoor air quality issue. He spoke with WBUR about how harmful particles can seep into homes and offered advice on steps people can take to protect themselves indoors.

Boston Herald

WPI research on wildfires includes how smoke plumes affect indoor air quality. Assistant professor Shichao Liu explained to the Boston Herald why wildfire smoke does not stop at a building’s doors and windows. The story was also published in The Lowell Sun and The Sentinel & Enterprise.

Spectrum News 1

WPI assistant professor Shichao Liu studies indoor air quality. As wildfire smoke blankets Worcester and much of the U.S., health officials have urged people to stay indoors. Liu explained to Spectrum News 1 how smoke particles can infiltrate buildings and how people can stay safe indoors.

WCVB

An inspiration on the links and in the lab. Chronicle, which airs nightly on WCVB, featured Douglas Shirakura, WPI ’24 “Adaptive golf league provides inclusive experience for golfers facing challenges.”

Inside Higher ED

For more than 20 years WPI’s Trustee Mentor Program has been connecting many of its trustees “to diverse and engaged juniors and seniors to receive professional guidance, advice and networking opportunities.” The overwhelming success of this program is the focus of an Inside Higher Ed article.

Worcester Magazine

Worcester Magazine interviewed Carter Bullock ’23 in a story on student volunteers who make a difference in people’s lives.

The Chronicle of Higher Education

The Chronicle of Higher Ed’s weekly newsletter “Latitudes” which features a rundown of the top stories in international ed, included WPI is its article “Two colleges, two approaches to increasing study abroad.” The article credits the University of Chicago and Worcester Polytechnic Institute who “have made it an institutional priority to give students an international-education experience.” 

Spectrum News 1

Spectrum News One reported on the undergraduate commencement and included snippets of comments by both undergraduate speaker Susanna Oppong and Rep. Jim McGovern in its broadcast.