In the News

WBUR spoke with Professor Alex Wyglinski about the CHIPS and Science Act and how its passage will affect the semiconductor industry in Massachusetts.

Drone Life, an industry trade publication, wrote about the $350,000 NSF grant from the U.S. Navy that aerospace engineering professors Michael Demetriou and Nikolaos Gatsonis’ secured to develop a computational model that processes data from underwater drones to estimate the source and concentration of contaminants in oceans.

The Worcester Business Journal wrote about the $350,000 NSF grant from the U.S. Navy that aerospace engineering professors Michael Demetriou and Nikolaos Gatsonis’ secured to develop a computational model that processes data from underwater drones to estimate the source and concentration of contaminants in oceans.

The Worcester Business Journal wrote about the renaming of the former Office of Multicultural Affairs, which is now known as the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education, to reflect the university’s diversity mission.

The Boston Globe mentions WPI as a “critical academic player” in its article detailing the robotics ecosystem in Massachusetts.

The Telegram & Gazette published a feature on the WPI research team who helped the New York Times investigate a fatal fire in the Bronx. It article also mentions how this study will be used in future WPI Fire Protection Engineering classes.

Why are some areas in a city so much hotter than others during a heat wave? WPI Associate Professor Steve McCauley, Department of Integrative & Global Studies (DIGS), discusses “heat islands” with the Telegram & Gazette.  According to WPI's Global Lab, neighborhoods in Worcester can be as much as 17 degrees warmer than the air in neighboring towns, particularly in the afternoon and after sunset. The article is part of an extensive USA TODAY Network reporting project on climate change.

Associate Professor Elisabeth Stoddard of the Department of Integrative & Global Studies within The Global School spoke with NBC10 as part of their Climate 2022 coverage about the Farm Stay Project Center in Paxton, Massachusetts. Through the partnership with Turn Back Time, WPI students are helping some of the youngest learners get excited about environmental education through the university’s project-based education.

Professor Jennifer Rudolph, an expert on modern Chinese political history, lends her thoughts about the potential impact of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in a Financial Times article which was picked up by several other media outlets including The Irish Times.

The Worcester Business Journal highlighted two grants secured by WPI researchers: a $900,000 grant secured by WPI’s Institute of Science and Technology for Development (instead) for work in Ethiopia related to WPI MicroFlush toilets; and a $700,000 National Science Foundation grant secured by WPI researcher and associate professor Erin Ottmar to improve math tools for middle school teachers.

Associate professor Michelle Ephraim spoke with WBUR Radio Boston about her popular “Infected Shakespeare” class at WPI that studies how the famed playwright understood and wrote about pandemics and infectious diseases, as part of the station’s “Brilliant Boston” series.

Adjunct Professor of Music David Ibbett appeared on the GBH program “Boston Public Radio” to talk about the “Black Hole Symphony” he composed and is performing at the Museum of Science planetarium. Ibbett worked with astrophysicists to turn the different aspects of a black hole galaxy into a concert and immersive experience that includes audio and visuals.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette interviewed researcher Erin Ottmar about the $700,000 grant she received from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop technology that will help middle school teachers better understand when and how students are succeeding or struggling while learning algebra.

The Washington Post spoke with Social Science & Policy Studies Department Head Rob Krueger about what the term “carbon neutral” means for hotels, and how people using a sustainable building can change the way it functions. Krueger also gave recommendations on how to travel in an environmentally-friendly way.

The Academic Minute on WAMC NPR aired a segment by Professor Rob Krueger titled “Overcoming the Hubris Problem in Engineering”.  Kruger examines how decades after US interventions to "develop" the "third world" were deployed without consideration for culture or context, programs like WPI’s Institute of Science and Technology for Development (InSTeD) are replacing hubris with humility, thus reframing the goals of engineering in development.

WBUR's Radio Boston spoke with Professor Jennifer deWinter about a ban on arcade games in Marshfield that lasted from 1982 to 2014 for its “Hidden History” series. Professor deWinter talked about the history of video and arcade games, the concerns that drove the ban, and how similar sentiments are being manifested today.

Video game news site TechRaptor says it sees a “bright future” for the gaming industry after speaking with two Interactive Media and Game Development students and IMGD Director Associate Professor Gillian Smith.  

The Boston Globe spoke with Adjunct Professor of Music David Ibbett about his “Black Hole Symphony” concerts. The performances are being held in the planetarium at the Museum of Science. Ibbett composed the music for the symphony, which features a live chamber orchestra, recorded electronic music, visuals, and a narration. The symphony seeks to educate and entertain by combining music and science to help the audience understand black holes.

Spectrum News 1 covered a visit to MassDigi at WPI by fifth-graders from Elm Park Community School, who "playtested" video games being developed by students participating in MassDigi's 12-week Summer Innovation Program.

Money Magazine included WPI on its list of the best colleges for engineering majors, citing the university’s longtime commitment to a project-based learning curriculum, as well as the focus on combining theory and practice.