In the News

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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.

 

Telegram.com

Alex Wyglinski, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and his team of Ph.D. candidates and fellow faculty members are working to apply bumblebee communication methods to driverless cars.

Scienmag

WPI’s Katrina Hansen and Glenn Gaudette demonstrate changes in heart function that occur directly in the region where researchers delivered stem cells. 

Telegram.com

A team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute is headed to Alabama soon to test a blanket that doesn't snuff out flames, but keeps them going to clean oil spills.

TechTarget

Fearlessness, curiosity, and mastery of statistics are keys to data science success, says Elke Rundensteiner, director of WPI’s Data Science program. 

ASME

Mike Gennert, head of WPI’s Robotics program, highlights lessons learned from the DARPA Robotics Challenge  

Lee Sheldon, professor of practice in the computer science department, recalls his time as writer and producer on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

SMART Manufacturing

Wally Towner, director of the WPI Center for Innovative Manufacturing Solutions, offers guidance on flexible manufacturing systems.

Telegram.com

Martha Cyr, executive director of the STEM Education Center at WPI, discusses Seeds of STEM, an initiative to create STEM curriculum for preschool in partnership with Head Start.

NBC News

WPI professor Susan Landau weighs in on the debate of whether law enforcement should have "back door" access to private, encrypted networks to investigate crime and terrorism. 

Boston Globe

Professor Yan Wang demonstrates how lithium ion batteries can ignite and explode when overheated. Older devices with battery management systems that no longer work are especially dangerous.

Daily Mail

Professor Sergey Makarov explains how 5,000 high resolution cross sections of a cadaver, digitally stitched together in a lab at WPI, will aid medical researchers.

The Washington Post

Kristen Tichenor, senior vice president at WPI, explains why making SAT and ACT test scores optional for applicants increased enrollment of women and underrepresented minorities.

CBS Boston

Professor Sergey Makarov exhibits the "virtual human" 5,000 high resolution cross sections of a cadaver, digitally stitched together in a lab at WPI, to aid medical research.

Beta Boston

As part of a list of contributions to the field of robotics made in Massachusetts, WPI is noted as the first university in the country to offer a major in robotics engineering.

U.S. News

The benefits of project-based curriculum are highlighted by students, graduates, Art Heinricher, dean of undergraduate studies, and Richard Vaz dean of the interdisciplinary and global studies division.

CBS Boston

WPI professors Craig Shue and Krishna Venkatasubramanian discuss cybersecurity concerns in the realm of the internet of things (IoT) where devices, including toys, are connected to WiFi.

Boston Globe

WPI Senior Vice President Kristen Tichenor explains why WPI has experienced a surge in applications and enrollment from women and minorities since the admissions process became test-optional.

BBC

Professor Michael Elmes provides perspective on the factors that may contribute to accidents and casualties during high altitude mountain climbing. 

NPR

Professor Michelle Ephraim discusses how she was inspired to combine Shakespeare and cocktail hour through a coffee-table book which provides cocktail recipes to pair with Shakespeare's plays.

BBC Horizons

BBC Horizons featured WPI professor Marion Emmert’s work in reclaiming rare earth metals from automobile engines for an episode on recycling and waste reduction efforts around the world.