In the News

In this quirky holiday column by Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham, Physics professor Germano Iannacchione calculates the physics of Santa's Christmas Eve flight.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute has appointed Bogdan Vernescu, professor of mathematical sciences and former head of WPI's Mathematical Sciences Department, as vice provost for research. He has held the position on an interim basis since October 2014.

Professor Alex Wyglinski shares how better wireless networks can be created for connecting vehicles by studying how bumblebees make decisions as they forage.

5G will allow for a more dynamic power grid capable of managing wind, solar and other renewable forms of energy, despite their unpredictable nature. Mike Ahern, WPI director of power systems engineering, weighs in on the future of the power industry.

Aaron Birt, a PhD graduate in Materials Science, is named one of the manufacturing engineering industry's rising young leaders in Advancing Manufacturing (2016). He is also the co-founder of the lithium-ion battery start-up Kinetic Batteries and was named to Forbes “30 under 30” list for manufacturing & industry (2017).

At WPI, Marion Emmert recycles automobile engines to reclaim rare earth metals—precious metals that are in short supply but are critical to our tech-centered lives.

Mechanical engineering professor Allen Hoffman says "To Engineer Is Human" promotes critical thinking.

A unique partnership between WPI's Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biology departments has led researchers to study connections between bumblebees' foraging behavior and connected cars.

Professor Raghvendra Cowlagi explores how unmanned aerial vehicles can be operated safely and reliably even in unexpected situations.

After several years balancing his second-shift custodial gig at Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a full slate of classes there, Michael Vaudreuil is moving on from the school that helped him reset his career at the age of 54.

Professor Yan Wang, director of WPI's Electrochemical Energy Laboratory, highlights a novel process for recycling lithium-ion batteries.

In this expansive Q&A, civil engineering professor Rajib Mallick discusses the future of roadway designs and material selection.

Robotics Engineering Director Michael Gennert says "Boston Dynamics has greatly advanced robotics technology since its founding in 1992."

WPI professor Susan Landau, considering the position of both Apple and the FBI, said, “This is not about a new right of privacy; it's about a new form of security...[This] is very much a 20th century way of looking at a 21st century problem.”

WPI instrumental in developing software for a firefighting robot dubbed SAFFiR,  short for Shipboard Autonomous FireFighting Robot.

Steve Koppi, executive director of WPI's Career Development Center, weighs in on proposed federal rule set to take effect in fall 2017.

WPI robotics professor Dmitry Berenson highlights research on a firefighting robot that is undergoing tests aboard the USS Shadwell.

Professor Marion Emmert's two-step hydrometallurgy process for separating rare earths from the drive units of electric vehicles is featured.

The National Academy of Engineering named WPI the 2016 winner of the Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education for “The WPI Plan,” a revolutionary project-based approach to education.

Physics professor Richard Quimby, head of WPI's IPG Photonics lab,  offers thoughts on the design and basic concept of a laser razor.