Worcester Polytechnic Institute Earns Prestigious Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research Achievements

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Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has received the prestigious Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) 2023 Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments (AURA), underscoring the university’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation, inquiry, and academic excellence.

CUR is a leading advocate for high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship. The AURA acknowledges institutions that demonstrate exceptional support for undergraduate research and creative inquiry experiences in classrooms, teaching laboratories, and faculty-led research groups, highlighting dedication to empowering students to engage in meaningful research experiences.

Grace J. Wang, PhD, President of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, expressed her delight at receiving this esteemed recognition, stating, “At WPI, we are deeply committed to providing our students with transformative educational experiences in the classroom and beyond. This distinguished award from the Council on Undergraduate Research is a testament to the outstanding efforts of our students, faculty, and staff in pushing the frontiers of knowledge and advancing technologies through collaborative research efforts.”

This distinguished award from the Council on Undergraduate Research is a testament to the outstanding efforts of our students, faculty, and staff in pushing the frontiers of knowledge and advancing technologies through collaborative research efforts.

Grace J. Wang, PhD, WPI President

A leader in experiential undergraduate education and research excellence, WPI’s holistic and deliberate approach to project-based education integrates research and design experiences into the entire curriculum, building a scaffold of various research projects throughout a student’s journey. In addition to having project experiences in the majority of their classes, all WPI undergraduate students must complete three research projects prior to graduation, including the Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP), Major Qualifying Project (MQP), and a humanities and arts project requirement. Nearly a third of first-year students also take part in a Great Problems Seminar. This commitment to hands-on research, design, and creative inquiry ensures that WPI is empowering the next generation of innovators, scholars, and leaders who will shape the future and make a positive impact on society. WPI’s rigorous experiential learning approach ensures students are not only career-ready but also career-resilient, equipped with skills to adapt to changes in the rapidly evolving fields of science and technology.

According to the CUR press release, “WPI exemplifies how investing in their faculty and students, showing passion for undergraduate research, and building a career-readiness mindset around undergraduate research provides a model for many other campuses to follow.”

2023 AURA awardees also include the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, and the University of Florida. CUR will hold a virtual award celebration honoring this year’s awardees on June 11, 2024, 2:00 – 3:30pm ET.

For more information about Worcester Polytechnic Institute's undergraduate research programs, visit: https://www.wpi.edu/project-based-learning.