Boston, MA D 2010

At a Glance

Term – D 2010
Project opportunities – IQP
Housing – Shared student apartments
Director – Professor Vernon-Gerstenfeld
Preparation – 1/2 unit preparation activity
Application deadline – September 25, 2008 (before 1:00 pm)

LOCATION

The Boston project site is a residential program with resident faculty advisors. This world-class city, featuring a wealth of cultural, educational, recreational, and tourist opportunities, is an exciting, vital and stimulating environment in which to live and work.

PROJECTS

Projects focus on the improvement of the quality of life of the city for its inhabitants and visitors. Most projects will focus on environmental issues, as well as on urban maintenance, management and planning issues, and will include field work in the city's neighborhoods and in the greater Boston area. The data collected will usually be archived in databases and displayed on Geographical Information Systems, as a prelude to a careful analysis to produce insightful conclusions and recommendations. Past projects include: a plan for the reduction of neighborhood disruption during the work on the Big Dig (for the North End Neighborhood Association); an analysis of the impacts of Historic Districts on surrounding neighborhoods and a method of streamlining construction permits in those districts (for the Boston Landmark Commission); the creation of a computerized information system for the management and maintenance of street trees (for the city of Cambridge Department of Public Works); the collection and analysis of environmental data about Chelsea Creek (for the Environmental Protection Agency); the improvement of public safety through the inventory and mapping of all underground fuel tanks (for the Boston Fire Department), as well as projects for various departments of the cities of Boston, Cambridge, Brookline, Quincy and Newton.

ESTIMATED EXPENSES:

Estimated Out-of-pocket Expenses	$ 150 Local transportation - commuting cost to sponsor location $ 500 Groceries $ 300 Dining out (7x term) $ 500 Weekend tourist activities & incidentals $1,450 Estimated total out-of-pocket expenses
Expenses Included on your WPI Bill	$2,300 Housing and program expenses
Estimated Total Expenses	$3,750 Tuition and on-campus housing NOT INCLUDED

Note:

In calculating the extra expense to participate in an off-campus project experience, compare this figure to expenses incurred while living on campus (groceries or meal plan, entertainment expenses, transportation, etc.)

Travel Dates:

Arrive on site: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Depart site: Saturday, May 1, 2010
Housing is provided beginning and ending on the dates determined. Students who plan to arrive earlier or stay later ill need to make their own accomodation arrangements outside of those dates.