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.
How can AI tools help consumers find the best deals and tackle the holiday shopping list? Associate Professor of marketing Purvi Shah spoke with NBC Boston about the technology driving retail transformation. "AI can help you compare products and prices across stores. It can also give you review summaries that can help you evaluate various product options based on those review summaries," Shah said. "All of this is done very efficiently."
James Urban, assistant professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, spoke with 7News about active brush fires in Massachusetts, the elevated fire risk in the area, smoke hazards, and the challenges of putting out these types of fires in dry and windy conditions.
The agreement allows for pre-engineering students at Framingham State who meet minimum academic requirements to transfer into WPI’s School of Engineering, allowing them to complete a bachelor’s degree in engineering. The deal will see the two universities collaborate on three new accelerated master’s degree programs in data science, medicinal chemistry, and neuroscience.
The funding will finance fellowships for graduate students studying to become researchers and educators in cell and molecular biology and microbiology. Eight doctoral students will be funded in the Department of Biology and Biotechnology.
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
Drought and winds have increased wildfire risk in Massachusetts. Dozens of fires have started in the last month. James Urban, assistant professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, provided insight into the factors leading to the elevated risk for an article in The Boston Globe.
An article in TechBullion highlighted WPI's research programs, talent pipelines, and partnerships with industry as drivers of growth in the tech economy in Worcester.
The Engineer reported on WPI Assistant Professor Yihao Zheng's new $1.2 million National Science Foundation grant to develop an artificial intelligence-enabled probe that can provide doctors with real-time assessments of blood clots in the brain.
An article on the economic growth of Central Massachusetts highlighted WPI's role in educating skilled graduates and advancing research and innovation in fields like engineering and biotechnology. It also featured the facilities and resources of Gateway Park.
“When you go from a lot of wet weather to a lot of dry weather, there’s a lot of fine fuels that grow and then die. If it dries out, that can be very dangerous tinder for a wildfire to start and spread.” James Urban, assistant professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, explains how dry weather is a factor in brush fires around the Northeast.
The Worcester Business Journal highlighted key strengths that bolster the life sciences sector in Central Massachusetts. Among those important resources outlined in the article for the publication's "Fast Forward to 2034" series is Gateway Park, a center of research, innovation and commerce that is home to many WPI academic, research, and development programs.
An article in The Worcester Business Journal's "Fast Forward to 2034" series looking at the future of job growth and workforce needs in Central Massachusetts highlighted WPI's role in helping shape the region's future. “I would say biomanufacturing, as well as clean tech. We have untapped potential in robotics, especially with the intellectual capital we have at WPI” and other local universities, said Worcester chief development officer Peter Dunn when asked to envision breakout work sectors.
“The fusion community needs to demonstrate a prototype fusion reactor that will produce more energy than the energy required to get the reaction going in the first place. That’s really the first major hurdle.” William McCarthy, assistant professor of physics, spoke to the Worcester Business Journal for an article in its "Fast Forward to 2034" series about the potential, and the challenges to overcome, of making commercial nuclear fusion energy a reality.
Professor Craig Shue, head of the computer science department, provided analysis for this USA Today article on the impact and frequency of cyberattacks that probe critical networks.
The Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science at WPI received high marks in a ranking of best schools by the website Niche. As a state-designated "school of excellence," the academy is an administrative unit within WPI, and 12th grade students at the academy enroll in classes at WPI.
Tech and Science Post reported on a paper, published recently in the academic journal ChemSusChem, in which Xiaowei Teng, the James H. Manning Professor in Chemical Engineering at WPI, reported success in using silicate to make batteries more efficient.
Damaging hurricanes in 2024 have caused significant disruptions to supply chains. Sara Saberi, associate professor of operations and industrial engineering, spoke with Inside Supply Management Weekly about how organizations can better prepare their supply chains for the risk of power storms.
Senior Nolan Warner, a biology and biotechnology major and tight end on the football team, underwent a stem cell donation procedure to help a one-year-old boy. The donation was facilitated in part by the football team's participation in the "Get in the Game" initiative that educates campus communities about the potential to save lives through bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants.
The Worcester Guardian reported on the research work of Roee Shraga, an assistant professor of computer science and data science. Shraga has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to explore the "human-in-the-loop" concept, which is focused on the importance of human involvement to improve the quality of data in artificial intelligence processes.
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.
