The Bridge - June 2004
Contents
- WELCOME: To Our 680 New Alumni, Welcome to the Family
- NEWS:
- REUNION FOLLOW-UP: Busy Weekend Unfolds Under Blue Skies
- EVENTS:
- JOB POSTINGS: Assistant Director of Financial Aid at WPI
- ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NOTES: A Redesigned, More User-friendly Alumni Web Site
- SPORTS: Women Rowers Garner National Awards
- DID YOU KNOW: First WPI Doctorate Awarded 100 Years Ago
- BOOKMARKS
1. WELCOME: To Our 680 New Alumni, Welcome to the Family
On behalf of my 26,000 fellow WPI alumni, I'd like to officially welcome our newest members: the 680 men and women who crossed the stage on the chilly morning of May 23 to receive that most precious and valuable of commodities: a WPI degree. As WPI graduates, you have left behind the fellowship of WPI students and joined an even larger community, the family of WPI alumni. I urge you all to take advantage of the benefits and privileges that come with your new status. I hope you will continue to nurture the friendships you made at WPI as you build new friendships by attending alumni events on campus and around the country. And, I hope you will all find a way to give something back to this institution, which has given so much to you. The simplest way to do that is to never miss an opportunity to tell other people you meet about the things that make WPI such an outstanding university. More people should know that, and with the help of our 26,000 ambassadors-- including you--they will. Fred Costello '59, President, WPI Alumni Association
2. NEWS
Ground Broken for New Bartlett Center
In a ceremony on June 10, WPI launched the first element of its new campus master plan by breaking ground for the two-story, 15,000-square- foot Bartlett Center, which will house the Admissions and Financial Aid offices. The building, to be located adjacent to the Quadrangle, is made possible by the generosity of James L. Bartlett Jr. ‘39 and his wife, Shirley. Jim Bartlett, who holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and an honorary doctorate in engineering from WPI, is an accomplished entrepreneur who has founded six companies in a wide range of technical fields.
Read the complete news release
Student Projects Help Protect Canals of Venice
Venice's battles with Mother Nature and rising tides are well known. What few people realize is that the "Jewel of the Adriatic" is also in jeopardy from man-made forces. The biggest culprit is the corrosion of canals, bridges and other infrastructure caused by the wakes of motorized boats. Two teams of WPI students have developed a plan to reduce this damage by cutting cargo-boat traffic in the canals by 90 percent.
WPI Loses an Institution as Joe Gale Passes Away
Few people in WPI's 139-year history have made an impression as profound or as lasting John J.B. "Joe" Gale, who served as a member of the WPI staff for 54 years. Gale taught hundreds of WPI students to weld, he was a constant presence at athletic events, and he always had a smile and a hearty greeting for everyone he met. Gale died on May 24 after a long illness. Read a tribute to him.
WPI to Offer Accelerated CNC Machining Courses
To help support WPI's Haas Technical Center for Computer-Controlled Machining and provide funds to keep the CNC labs open after normal hours for project work, individual help and special courses during the school year, the Manufacturing Engineering Program is offering four accelerated CNC course modules for engineers this summer. Each module costs $400. Individualized instruction is also available.
To learn more, e-mail Matthew Munyon at elwood@wpi.edu or visit the web site.
Student Wins Society of Women Engineers Scholarship
Venera Varbanova '06 recently received the 2005 Microsoft Corporation Scholarship from the Society of Women Engineers. The $2,500 scholarship is for sophomores, juniors or seniors majoring in computer science or computer engineering. As part of its national educational activities, SWE administers over 70 individual scholarships that are awarded annually.
3. REUNION FOLLOW-UP
The weather was picture-perfect as some 650 alumni returned to campus for Reunion Weekend, June 10-13. They found a wide range of activities to keep them entertained, informed--and well-fed.
- More than a dozen Alumni College sessions, on topics ranging from system dynamics to the sounds of Venice, enlightened guests.
- Twenty-three distinguished alumni and one faculty member received awards from the Alumni Association for career achievement and service to WPI.
- Two Segway Human Transporters and a fuel cell-powered vehicle led the Reunion Parade around the Quadrangle.
- Magician Steve Dacri '74 baffled audience members with his close-up brand of prestidigitation at the Cabaret on Friday night.
- The Reunion classes presented retiring WPI President Edward Alton Parrish with gifts for the university totaling nearly $5.8 million (this total may grow as additional contributions come in between now and June 30).
It was truly a weekend with something for everyone. At press time, an online gallery with some of the best photos of Reunion was being assembled. Check the new alumni Web site, alumni.wpi.edu, in about a week to see them. If you attended Reunion, be sure to let us know what you thought of the weekend by filling out the online evaluation form.
4a. CAMPUS EVENTS
June 23-July 28: Summer Concert Series at the Campus Center. Free hour-long concerts each Wednesday at noon on the Burt Terrace (rain location, Forkey Commons). Bring your own lunch or purchase food in the Campus Center Food Court. For more information call +1-508-831-5291. Here's the schedule:
- June 23: Ed Zaloom (country)
- June 30: Slo-Grass Band (bluegrass)
- July 7: Dave Binder (acoustic guitar, folk-rock)
- July 14: Rich Falco Quartet (jazz)
- July 21: Woodvale String quartet (classical)
- July 28: New England Brass Guild Quintet (classical)
June 26-Aug. 14: Summer Day Trips Sponsored by the Campus Center. Browse the shops on Martha's Vineyard. See the tall ships up close off Newport, R.I. Enjoy a New England lobster bake in Maine. Sail on a whale watch from Gloucester, Mass. WPI's Campus Center staff invites members of the greater WPI community to join them on these day trips.
July 9 (through Aug. 13): "Portraiture Abstracted," the photography of Kimberly Taberner, an exhibit in the Gordon Library 3rd-Floor Gallery. For more, call +1-508-831-5410.
View the complete calendar of campus events...
4b. ALUMNI EVENTS
August 7: New England Revolution Soccer at Gillette Stadium. Come see the Revolution take on the Columbus Crew, 4-7 p.m., Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass. Limited number of tickets available at $24 group rate. Purchase tickets online at http://alumni.wpi.edu/ or contact the Alumni Office at +1-508-831-5600 or regional-events@wpi.edu.
September 4: "The Producers" at the Bushnell Theatre in Hartford. Limited number of orchestra seats available for matinee performance at $72.50 per person. Tickets must be purchased by July 9; buy tickets online at http://alumni.wpi.edu/. Direct questions to the Alumni Office at +1-508-831-5600 or regional-events@wpi.edu. Sponsored by the WPI Alumni Association.
Oct. 8-9: Homecoming.
Dec. 11: Radio City Christmas Spectacular, 2 p.m., Wang Theatre in Boston. Welcome in the holidays and join fellow alums for this production featuring the Radio City Rockettes. Limited number of orchestra seats available at the group rate of $74.50 per person. Purchase tickets on-line at http://alumni.wpi.edu/ by August 20, or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at +1-508-831-5600 or regional-events@wpi.edu.
View the complete calendar of Alumni events
5. JOB POSTINGS
Assistant Director of Financial Aid at WPI: Duties include assisting in the collection and processing of financial aid applications, assessing students' eligibility for financial aid, and assisting in administrating federal, state and institutional aid to students and families.
Read the full job description6. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS
A Redesigned, More User-friendly Alumni Web Site
A brand new Web site for the WPI Alumni Association made its debut just after the close of Reunion Weekend. The site, the product of a collaboration between the Alumni Web Site Redesign Advisory Board, made up of dedicated alumni, and WPI's Web Development Office, makes it easy for alumni to stay informed about their alma mater, find information about fellow alums and alumni groups, learn about services available to alumni, and discover opportunities to support WPI and the association.
7. SPORTS...
Women Rowers Garner National Awards
Three members of WPI's women's crew team received national recognition recently. Emily Pikor '05, Stephanie Thomas '04 and Jessica McAlear '04 were selected to the Division III Academic All-America Team. McAlear was also selected as a Division III First Team All-America Oarswomen. Only two other WPI female athletes have been named to All-America teams. Kerri Coleman '03 was an All-American in track and field and Sue Tarallo '93, who was inducted into the WPI Athletic Hall of Fame last October, was a First Team All-American in field hockey.
Relive the women's crew team's amazing year
8. DID YOU KNOW...
First WPI Doctorate Awarded 100 Years Ago
WPI awarded its first doctoral degree in 1904. It would be many years, though, before a sizable group of students were engaged in doctoral studies at the Institute, a trend made possible by a growing program of faculty research that began in the latter half of the 20th century. By 1994, WPI was awarding so many doctorates each year that the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching reclassified it from a comprehensive institution to a doctoral university. With that change, U.S. News & World Report moved WPI from the category of Regional Universities in the North, where it had topped the list for several years, to National Universities, where it has been ranked among the top 60 for the past decade.
9. BOOKMARKS
- Class Notes - Share news with classmates
- Alumni Job Opportunities
- Career Development Center
- Alumni Web Site - Your source for alumni information and events!
- Alumni Events
- Transformations: WPI's Alumni Magazine
- Athletics: Weekly Roundup
- Athletics: Schedule
- Campus Events
We'd love to hear your suggestions or comments. Please send them to us at thebridge@wpi.edu.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: May 25, 2006, 13:59 EDT