MITRE Day will give students
the opportunity to learn about
project and internship
opportunities, and network
with the MITRE staff.
The Quad will become a “festival of technology” on MITRE Day, a chance for the WPI community to exchange ideas with representatives from MITRE Corp., on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 1:30 to 5 pm.
Inside a 40×80-ft. tent, nine 60-inch screens will play, each highlighting MITRE’s various technologies. While students learn about project and internship opportunities, and network with the MITRE staff, faculty may take this opportunity to discuss possible research collaborations.
“We hope to engage with both WPI students and professors to share some of the exciting, cool work we do at MITRE,” says digital engineer Joe Chapman. “Specifically, we want students to walk away thinking, ‘Wow! I didn’t know MITRE did that. I want to know more!’” Chapman, WPI Class of 2005, has been the liaison for the event, working with Sharon Deffely, executive director for corporate engagement at WPI.
“At the same time, we want faculty members to meet with their MITRE counterparts to discuss how their research aligns with MITRE’s goals, spawning future engagements,” Chapman adds.
“WPI consistently produces top-notch engineers and scientists that come with the technical and professional skills to easily integrate into our work environment and make immediate impacts.” – MITRE digital engineer Joe Chapman
This event is the result of mutual efforts between MITRE and WPI’s Academic and Corporate Development Division, comprising Corporate and Professional Education (CPE), The Office of Corporate Engagement (CE), The Career Development Center (CDC), The Biomedical Education and Training Center (BETC), and the Healthcare Delivery Institute (HDI), which fosters corporate partnerships for the university.
MITRE has had a long-standing relationship with WPI; more than 120 alumni currently work at MITRE, including president and CEO Alfred Grasso ’93 and Peter Sherlock ’82, senior vice president for programs and technology in MITRE’s Center for National Security.
Last year, as part of the company’s efforts to create stronger partnerships with universities near its Bedford, Mass., campus, MITRE chose three local schools with which it already had strong ties to make even stronger connections.
“We chose WPI as one of these schools for two reasons,” says Chapman. “WPI consistently produces top-notch engineers and scientists that come with the technical and professional skills to easily integrate into our work environment and make immediate impacts.
“And WPI’s world-class faculty often work on research problems whose solutions could have profound impacts for our sponsors. One of MITRE’s responsibilities is to bring the best solutions to our sponsors’ most challenging problems,” he says. “This event moves toward that goal by providing a forum for students to learn about the depth and diversity of MITRE’s work program while encouraging dialog leading to more substantial collaboration between our institutions.”
Balloons, banners, and food will add to the upbeat atmosphere during the main part of MITRE Day, which is open to all. “We’re going to turn the Quad into a festival of technology,” Deffely says. “Anybody and everybody from the WPI community is welcome to attend.”
