Why did you choose to study at WPI?  

The WPI Plan drew me to apply to and attend WPI. Project-based learning and the emphasis on global immersion particularly excited me. When I learned about the Interactive Qualifying Project, which makes it easy to travel abroad and help solve real societal issues, I realized that WPI was unlike any other university I had seen. I don’t think there anywhere else that allows every student to so directly use the skills they learn in the classroom to help the world. 

How are you involved with the WPI community?  

Beyond classes, I actively participate in WPI’s Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) chapter, the WPI Green Team, and the Omicron Iota chapter of Alpha Phi Omega (APO). ACM has been a great opportunity and through the club, I have found other people with similar computing interests. I helped plan WPI’s yearly hackathon, GoatHacks. The Green Team has allowed me to be involved in improving sustainability practices on campus, which is something I am very passionate about. APO, a service fraternity, has provided me with numerous opportunities to perform community service, helping the WPI and broader Worcester community. 

What’s your favorite thing about WPI?  

My favorite thing about WPI is the supportive and helpful community. I have never felt afraid to ask a faculty member, teaching assistant, or fellow undergraduate for help when working on a project, completing homework, or studying for an exam. The collaborative, rather than competitive, nature of WPI is a defining aspect of the school and has helped me, and many others I know, succeed academically. 

Do you have a faculty or staff mentor?  

Professor Stephen McCauley has substantially influenced my academic career at WPI. He taught one of the first classes I took during A term (first Fall term) of my first year and I began working at the lab he runs, The Global Lab, shortly after during C term (first Spring term). My research with Professor McCauley focuses on heat vulnerability in Worcester. My work on this project has broadened my horizons for what I can do with a data science degree. Working on this project helped me realize that I can apply my data science knowledge to benefit the environment and global community directly, showing me that there is more to this subject than the traditional applications at large technology companies. 

How has WPI’s project-based learning influenced your education? 

Due to the project-based learning curriculum at WPI, I have become a better teammate and leader, which are traits that I have found integral throughout my educational experiences and employment opportunities. While not all projects at WPI are performed in groups, many are, and this has allowed me to learn how to work with new people, blend my expertise with the skills of the rest of the group, and take the initiative when needed. My project experiences at WPI were quite helpful when interning for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection last summer where I had to integrate into a preexisting group and apply my skills to solve new problems.