In the News

IFLScience featured Jeanine Skorinko’s research in the article, “Women (But Not Men) Are Judged Less Human and More Sexually Available If They Have A Drink In Their Hand.”

In the article, “Women, Alcohol and Perceived ‘Sexual Availability”, The New York Times reported on a study coauthored by Jeanne Skorinko, professor of psychology, “She Looks Like She’d Be an Animal in Bed: Dehumanization of Drinking Women in Social Contexts.” 

This Inside Higher Ed article featured work by WPI faculty and administration to clarify the university’s faculty promotion guidelines to better support associate professors and offer options that go beyond traditional research paths.

WBZ radio interviewed WPI graduate Jared Grier, who suffered a spinal injury at the end of his freshman year but was determined to finish his degree. Grier said he was eager to get back to WPI after the injury: “This is where I’m supposed to be. A lot of my motivation was from not wanting to lose what I already achieved,” he told WBZ.

An op-ed by Kristin Tichenor, senior vice president of enrollment and institutional strategy, was published in the Concord Monitor.

WPI graduate Jared Grier, who suffered a spinal injury at the end of his freshman year but was determined to return, was interviewed by WCVB-TV after commencement, where he received his degree in mechanical engineering.

WBUR talked with Jeanine Skorinko, professor of psychology, about her research on how women who drink alcohol in social settings are seen as less human by other women and men. 

Professor Joseph Sarkis, Foisie Business School, had his op-ed,“Inclusion of ‘circular economy’ in Green New Deal Could Support Economic Transformation,” published in the Telegram & Gazette’s As I See It column.



 

The Telegram and Gazette reported on a study by Jeanine Skorinko, professor of social science and policy studies that looks at the social perceptions of women and men who drink alcohol and considers the consequences of these perceptions.

 

WBZ Radio reported on Mass STEM Hub and Project Lead The Way’s High School Student Showcase and STEM signing day at WPI. Martha Cyr, director of Strategic Growth, Project Lead The Way at WPI, was interviewed about the program and the importance of STEM education, especially for young women.  

 

Fabio Carrera, teaching professor and director of the Venice Project Center for 30 years, was interviewed for a lengthy feature story in The Guardian (UK) about the negative impact of tourism on Venice. In this article, Carrera, who tracks tourism flow and believes Venice’s maximum capacity for tourists per day should be better managed, noted that “no other city faces a bigger tourism challenge.”  

CBS Boston's Eye on Education featured the FIRST Robotics News England Championship, which was hosted at WPI. Over 3,000 high school students designed solutions that could "collect samples on another planet with unpredictable terrain and weather. (Clip begins at the :41 second mark).

Worcester News Tonight covered the Stigma Free app, designed by WPI students, which will help people battling addiction and other struggles anonymously. The City of Worcester and WPI students teamed up to get the app off the ground. 

Reuters quoted Jennifer Wilcox, the James H. Manning Chaired Professor, in the article. She noted in the article that a Dublin-based company’s pilot program to build 1,200 carbon-cleansing metal columns within a year would be the world's largest "direct air capture" operation to date.

The Telegram & Gazette quoted President Leshin and highlighted WPI students’ collaboration with the city on a new app that provides help for those needing substance abuse recovery, mental health support and housing services. “There are a lot of challenges and stigmas,” Leshin told the T&G. “If we can take down a barrier just a little bit and reduce a stigma by just a little bit, the impact to the community could be tremendous.”

NBC Boston reported on WPI announcing its partnership with the Worcester Red Sox whereby the university will be the official academic technology advisor to the team, helping the club design and develop what will be known as Polar Park. It is expected to open in 2021.



 

MassLive reports WPI will be the official academic technology advisor of the Worcester Red Sox, helping design and develop the forthcoming Polar Park. The announcement was made at a press conference attended by officials from the university and team.  

The Atlantic featured a story about the impact of technology developed by Business School professor Andrew Trapp to improve refugee resettlement across the US and around the world. The article, How Technology Could Revolutionize Refugee Resettlement, describes an algorithm and software program Trapp and colleagues developed that calculates thousands of bits of data to help humanitarian aid agencies give each refugee the best shot at success in their new home.   

Nature reported on the increased demand of AI researchers by universities and businesses, citing a report by Craig Wills, professor and department head of computer science, who has been studying the increase in unfilled tenure track faculty positions in this field.  

 

Worcester News Tonight featured the news of PracticePoint at WPI’s Gateway Park being named the site of the first so-called “sandbox” by Gov. Baker who was on campus yesterday to announce the new grant program. “It’s going to be about engineering and data science, and those are two areas where WPI is a national leader,” Gov. Baker said (8:45 mark). President Laurie Leshin added, “There’s so much innovation happening right here in the heart of the commonwealth, right here in Worcester. It’s fantastic to see the state recognizing that.”