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Hurricane Milton is a real-time test for satellite cell service
Recent hurricanes are putting the spotlight on ways to address disaster-related cell phone service outages. Some providers are turning to space, leveraging satellites to keep customers connected. Professor Alexander Wyglinski, in the department of electrical and computer engineering, provided analysis on satellite-to-cell systems, including potential benefits and challenges, for this article in The Boston Globe.
Milosh Puchovsky, a professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, provided analysis for The Boston Guardian about the fire risks associated with batteries in e-bikes when they are charged improperly, stored incorrectly, or not up to industry safety standards.
The Green Business Journal in the United Kingdom reported on an analysis authored by faculty and PhD students in the Department of Chemical Engineering and researchers from the University of Bath. It found a simple and scalable technology could increase the viability of recycling products like food packaging and packing peanuts.
Inside Higher Ed highlighted recent research by WPI researchers who looked into how syllabi can signal inclusivity in the classroom. The study, originally published in Nature's Humanities and Social Sciences Connections, was authored by Francesca Bernardi, Crystal Brown, Lindsay Davis, Michelle Ephraim, Rebecca Moody and Raisa Trubko.
Live Science explained the science behind the squeaking sounds of metal with the help of Robert Hyers, professor and department head of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at WPI. The article was also distributed through Yahoo! News and Inkl.
The Worcester Guardian reports WPI landed on College Raptor's 2025 "Best Colleges" rankings. These rankings, now in their tenth year, evaluate schools based on selectivity, financial health, academic rigor, and student success. WPI earned recognition as one of the top schools in the nation for AI, ranking 14th on the list.
At a ceremony on August 2, President Grace Wang and Middlesex Community College (MCC) President Phil Sisson signed an articulation agreement to provide a clear pathway for MCC students to transfer to WPI. "Graduates from this program will be well-prepared to contribute to the local economy, particularly in STEM fields that are vital to our region’s growth,” said Wang. “This initiative holds immense promise for both institutions and, most importantly, for the students who will benefit from it.”
Milosh Puchovsky, professor of practice and associate head of the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, provided analysis to the Las Vegas Review-Journal for its coverage of a fatal residential fire, and laws regarding retrofitting older buildings with fire protection equipment. Puchovsky discussed the benefits of sprinklers, including the additional time they provide residents to escape a fire.
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 on August 4. 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 Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is providing funding to Mehdi Mortazavi, associate teaching professor in the Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering. The funding will support research to develop more efficient production of green hydrogen for use as fuel in heavy-duty transportation.
The Bangor Daily News and other media outlets reported on the results from a study by students at WPI's Acadia National Park, Maine Project Center in Bar Harbor. Students, as part of WPI's interactive qualifying project requirement and the Global Projects Program, have been collecting data on e-bike usage in the national park since 2019.
Suzanne LePage, an instructor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering juggles engineering with a side gig. Read more about her work in the classroom and her work running a farm-to-table restaurant, brewery, and bar. LePage is one of several women in engineering featured in this article in Society of Women Engineers Magazine on women in the field with professional endeavors outside of engineering.
What lessons should we learn from the global technology outage that resulted from a faulty CrowdStrike cybersecurity software update? NPR spoke with Professor and Computer Science Department Head Craig Shue to get his take. He discussed the need for speed in cybersecurity software updates and why there are pros and cons to the cybersecurity landscape's reliance on a handful of providers.
‘Technology is changing so fast, and there are many cool things to learn,’ said Elke Rundensteiner, head of the data science program and professor of computer science. The Worcester Business Journal spoke with Rundensteiner and reported on WPI's new master's degree program in artificial intelligence in a story on AI in higher education in the region.
A team from WPI representing the startup FinSafe AI placed second in a pitch competition held during the FinTech + AI 413 Startup Launch Series. The startup seeks to provide AI-driven cybersecurity solutions for early-stage FinTech organizations.
Steve Taylor, a professor in The Business School, is quoted in a column in BeautyMatter that suggests companies with a sustainability focus must also pay attention to aesthetics to connect with customers. Taylor, who researches organizational aesthetics, discusses storytelling as an aspect of aesthetics.
Peter Hansen, a mountaineering expert and professor of history and director of International and Global Studies at WPI, spoke to the BBC’s The Forum podcast about the history of mountain climbing dating back to the 1300s. Hansen, author of several books on mountaineering, including “The Summits of Modern Man: Mountaineering after the Enlightenment,” gave important insight into the role climbing has played in society’s ever-changing relationship with nature.
“If you’ve got a thousand computers, that’s going to take somebody a while to do.” Craig Shue, head of WPI’s computer science department discussed the recovery work facing organizations affected by a global technology outage. Professor Shue provided analysis on the outage’s effects and on cybersecurity software for an article in The Boston Globe.
Computer Science Department Head Craig Shue helps explain a global technology outage that resulted from a CrowdStrike software update. "It is an ‘all our eggs are in one basket’ situation,” he told The Associated Press.
EdTech Digest reported on federal efforts to support developers of educational technology and provide essential information regarding artificial intelligence. The article credits Neil Heffernan, the William Smith Dean's Professor of Computer Science and the director of the Learning Sciences and Technologies Program, with contributing ideas for translating Department of Education recommendations for AI in education into practical guidelines.
David Ibbett, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Humanities & Arts, was featured in The Boston Globe for an article about composers who translate science into musical scores. Ibbett's "Mars Symphony" is being performed this summer at the Museum of Science in Boston
