The Bridge - October 2004

Contents

  1. WELCOME: The Alumni Association Cabinet Looks Ahead
  2. NEWS
    • Poll by WPI Shows Americans Concerned About Electronic Voting
    • University Hosts Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Summit
    • WPI's MBA Program Earns High Rankings
    • "WPI Was There" Ad Campaign Begins in Tri-State Area
    • Trustee Judith Nitsch '75 Named SWE Entrepreneur
    • Alum Bruce MacWilliams and Curt Schilling's Ankle
    • WPI and ARTSWorcester Form Jazz Ensemble
    • Winning Fire Fighter Memorial Design Displayed at WPI
    • Robert Moses Wins McGraw Prize in Education
  3. A. CAREERS: Alumni Association Launches Career/Employment Program
    B. JOB POSTING: Civil Engineer and Engineering Field Technician, Stacey DePasquale Engineering
  4. SAVE THE DATE: Upcoming Alumni Events
  5. CAMPUS EVENTS:
    • Through Oct. 26, Chinese Painting Guild of Boston Exhibit
    • Oct. 29-Dec. 17, Exhibit of Works by Donna Hamil Talman
    • Nov. 1, U.N. Officer Talks about Water and Sanitation
    • Nov. 3, Music Lecture, "The Musical Culture of Persia"
    • Nov. 5, Talk on Parallel Mesh Generation Codes
    • Nov. 8, Colloquium, "From Atoms to Quantum Computers"
    • Nov. 9, Winston Cigarette Ad Model Talks about Smoking
    • Nov. 10, Music Lecture, "Multitrack Recording"
  6. A. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS: GOLD Meeting and Reunion 2005 Workshop
    B. CLASS WEB SITE OF THE MONTH: Show Off Your Class Web Site
  7. SPORTS: Five Inducted into WPI's Hall of Fame
  8. DID YOU KNOW: Baseball Has a Long History at WPI
  9. BOOKMARKS

1. WELCOME: The Alumni Association Cabinet Looks Ahead

Homecoming was terrific! The weather was perfect, and Beth Howland and her staff did an excellent job of putting together an outstanding program. The Class Boards of Directors joint meeting was well attended; breakout sessions provided the Alumni Association Cabinet with goals to work on for the future. Read a detailed account of these goals in the full text of my letter.

This will be a busy year for the Association Cabinet! If you have ideas on how we can better serve our alumni, please let us know.

Fred Costello '59
President, WPI Alumni Association

2. NEWS

Poll by WPI Shows Americans Concerned About Electronic Voting

A poll commissioned by WPI and conducted by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates Inc. reveals that U.S. adults are concerned about electronic voting machines being potentially vulnerable to mistakes and glitches as well as fraud and cheating. Read the full press release...

University Hosts Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Summit

On October 20, WPI hosted the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Summit to ally Massachusetts companies, researchers, universities, and government leaders in building a strong fuel cell industry cluster in the state. At the summit, the new Massachusetts Hydrogen Coalition was introduced; the organization is dedicated to promoting and expanding the fuel cell industry in the state and to increasing the level of funding and related activities among Massachusetts companies, universities, and research labs. Read more about the summit...

WPI's MBA Program Earns High Rankings

The Princeton Review's "Best 143 Business Schools" ranked the MBA program at WPI as number 2 in the nation for offering the "Greatest Opportunities for Women." The publication also ranked WPI number 9 out of ten schools cited (and the only program in southern New England) for "Best Career Prospects." Read about the rankings...

"WPI Was There" Ad Campaign Begins in Tri-State Area

A key element in WPI's external marketing program is a television commercial entitled "WPI Was There," which is currrently running in the Tri-state area (metro New York, northern New Jersey,and southwestern Connecticut). The ad has been reaching about two million viewers; market research reveals that it is increasing awareness about WPI and the university's strengths. Learn more about commercial...

Trustee Judith Nitsch '75 Named SWE Entrepreneur

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) has given the 2004 SWE Entrepreneur Award to WPI Trustee Judith Nitsch '75, president of Judith Nitsch Engineering Inc. The award recognizes entrepreneurial spirit and achievement based upon commitment to quality, integrity, ethics, and professional standards; leadership in civil engineering/ land surveying; and service as a role model and mentor to young women engineers and business owners. Read the press release...

Alumnus Bruce MacWilliams and Curt Schilling's Ankle

In 1998, Bruce MacWilliams '86,'88,'92 co-authored an article in the American Journal of Sports Medicine entitled "Characteristic Ground- Reaction Forces in Baseball Pitching," which explored the multicomponent forces of both the push-off and landing limbs in baseball pitchers. The New York Times ran a table used in the MacWilliams (et al.) article to accompany an Oct. 15 feature article on Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's torn right ankle tendon. MacWilliams is a research assistant professor in orthopedics at the University of Utah and serves as co-director of the Movement Analysis Laboratory at the Shriners Hospitals for Children-Intermountain. He is active in research in the areas of gait analysis, joint mechanics, and soft-tissue mechanics.

WPI and ARTSWorcester Form Jazz Ensemble

The ARTSWorcester Jazz Ensemble is the product of a new partnership between WPI's music division and ARTSWorcester. The ensemble meets each Monday evening at WPI to use the university's rehearsal facilities and musical equipment. Each month, the musicians attend a master class conducted by Richard Falco, WPI's director of jazz studies. For more information, contact the ensemble's director, Dan Foley, at dan-foley@comcast.net or go to www.artsworcester.org.

Winning Fire Fighter Memorial Design Displayed at WPI

A design by Gala Simon Associates Inc. of Watertown, Mass., was chosen to honor the six Worcester firefighters who died in the December 1999 Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire. The memorial was one of five finalists for the design and was chosen by an 11-member selection jury after a public viewing of the designs was held Sept. 23 in Alden Memorial. The winning memorial features six limestone columns leaning toward one another and six shafts of light from the columns that intersect in the night sky. The memorial will be built in Institute Park behind the Grove Street fire station; WPI is working with the city on a master plan for the park.

Robert Moses Wins McGraw Prize in Education

WPI's 2004 Commencement speaker, Robert Moses, was one of four winners of the 17th annual McGraw Prize in Education. Moses is a civil rights activist and creator of the Algebra Project, a math education program that prepares students for algebra in the eighth grade and upper-level mathematics courses in high school and beyond. The awards were established in 1988 to honor Harold McGraw Jr., chairman emeritus of McGraw-Hill Companies.

3A. CAREERS: Alumni Association Launches Career/Employment Program

The WPI Alumni Association is introducing a program to assist alumni in the search for new employment or with making a career change. Volunteers are now available to provide counseling and mentoring on a private, one-to-one basis. For more information, e-mail alumni-office@wpi.edu or call 508-831-5600.

3B. JOB POSTING: Civil Engineer and Engineering Field Technician, Stacey DePasquale Engineering

Stacey DePasquale Engineering in Maynard, Mass., has two open positions. Send a resume, cover letter, salary requirements, and description of why you are a good candidate to hr@sdepasquale.com, fax to 978-897-7648, or mail to Stacey DePasquale Engineering, Human Resources, Five Burnside St., Maynard, Mass. 01754-1601.

Civil Engineer: The ideal candidate has one to three years' experience and is highly motivated, reliable, and independent. Must have a strong background in municipal drainage and sewerage utilities; field experience required. Strong written, verbal, computer, and organization skills are essential. A B.S. in civil/environmental engineering is required; an engineer-in-training (EIT) certificate is preferred or is obtainable within 12 months.

Engineering Field Technician: Responsibilities include physical inspection of drainage and sewerage utilities. The ideal candidate has excellent communication skills, the ability to report inspection results on paper or on a handheld computer, and good computer knowledge and experience in Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office software. Desirable qualifications include data management skills, OSHA certification, first aid training, and confined space entry training. A high school diploma and valid driver's license are required.

ARE YOU LOOKING TO HIRE? Send open position listings to The Bridge at thebridge@wpi.edu. Deadline: the first week of the month, for posting in that month's issue.

4. SAVE THE DATE: Upcoming Alumni Events

Nov. 5: Engineering Career Fair, Columbia University, N.Y., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For students of engineering schools in the northeastern U.S. Companies attending include Avaya, DuPont Engineering, EMC Corp., Goldman-Sachs Technology, KLA-Tencor, Lucent, Merrill Lynch, and Boeing. For more information, go to www.cce.columbia.edu.

Nov. 10: Kenneth Gloss, Brattle Book Shop, discusses "Treasures in Your Attic: Old and Rare Books" at 10:30 a.m. in the Campus Center Odeum. The event is presented by Tech Old Timers.

Nov. 17: The New York Alumni Event will be held at The University Club, 1 West 54th St., New York, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Meet President Dennis Berkey and current students of the WPI Wall Street Project Center. Cost is $20 per person. For more information, e-mail alumni-office@wpi.edu or call 508-831-5600.

Nov. 30: The Worcester Alumni Event features a holiday concert by the WPI Orchestra and Festival Chorus. A reception will be held at Higgins House at 6 p.m. The concert follows at 7:30 p.m. in Alden Memorial. Toys for Tots donations will be accepted at this event. RSVP to the Office of Alumni Relations by Nov. 19.

Dec. 8: WPI's Music Division gives a holiday performance at 10:30 a.m. in the Campus Center Odeum. The event is presented by Tech Old Timers.

Dec. 15: Deadline to purchase tickets for the Feb. 11, 2005, 8 p.m. performance of "Miss Saigon" at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Hartford, Conn. A limited number of mezzanine seats are available for $46 each. Purchase tickets online...

Dec. 20: Deadline to purchase tickets for the March 5, 2005, 2 p.m. performance of "Thorougly Modern Millie" at the Providence Performing Arts Center. A limited number of orchestra seats are available for $52 each. Purchase tickets online...

Dec. 20: Deadline to purchase tickets for the April 2, 2005, 2 p.m. performance of "Phantom of the Opera" at the Opera House, Boston. Mezzanine seating is $59.70 each. Purchase tickets online or send payment to the Office of Alumni Relations, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609-2280. For more information, call the Office of Alumni Relations at 508-831-5600 or e-mail regional-events@wpi.edu.

5. CAMPUS EVENTS

Through Oct. 26: Exhibition of works by the Chinese Painting Guild of Boston at the Gordon Library. Admission is free. For more information, call 508-831-5410.

Oct. 29 through Dec. 17: "Signs of Life: A Collaboration by Donna Hamil Talman." Hamil Talman's art reflects her fascination with the ancient past and our connection to it. She has been selected for two Massachusetts Cultural Council grants, a Creative Arts Fellowship, and residences at the Vermont Studio Center and the Hungarian Multicultural Center. Admission is free. For more information, call 508-831-5410.

Nov. 1: Marcia Brewster, senior economics affairs officer for the U.N. Economic and Social Council and manager, Interagency Task Force on Gender and Water, talks about water and sanitation. In addition, the film "Water: The Drop of Life" will be shown. The event runs from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Odeum.

Nov. 3: "The Musical Culture of Persia," a talk by Mohsen Abtahi, is part of the WPI Evening Music Lecture Series. The talk, which is free and open to the public, runs from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Music Classroom, Alden Memorial. For more information, contact Richard Falco at 508-831-5236 or e-mail rfalco@wpi.edu.

Nov. 5: "Parallel Unstructured Mesh Generation Using COTS Software," a talk by Nikos Chrisochoides, CS Department, College of William and Mary, runs from 2 to 3 p.m. in Higgins Laboratories, Room 116. For more information, e-mail mdemetri@wpi.edu or call 508-831-5236.

Nov. 8: "From Atoms to Quantum Computers," a colloquium presented by Antonio Castro Neto, Boston University, focuses on the problem of the transition from a quantum to a classical description of the world. The talk will be held in Olin Hall, Room 107, from 4 to 5 p.m. For more information, e-mail garcia@wpi.edu or call 508-831-5342.

Nov. 9: Former "Winston Man" Alan Landers, model for Winston cigarette ads, disputes the notion that smoking is glamorous or cool in a talk sponsored by Healthy Alternatives. The event is free and runs from 7 to 8 p.m. in Salisbury Laboratories, Room 115. Landers is now a World Health Organization spokesperson as well as a two-time lung cancer survivor.

Nov. 10: "Multitrack Recording: From the Signal Chain to Tracking," by Mark Dailey, is part of the WPI Evening Music Lecture Series. The talk, which runs from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Music Classroom, Alden Memorial, is free and open to the public. For further information, contact Richard Falco at 508-831-5794 or e-mail rfalco@wpi.edu.

View the complete calendar of campus events.

6A. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS: GOLD Meeting and Reunion 2005 Workshop

On Wednesday, Nov. 10, Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) meets from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Chairman's Room. For more information, e-mail gold@wpi.edu or call 508-831-5600.

Reunion planning for the classes of 1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, and 1980 will take place at the Reunion 2005 Workshop on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Higgins House Great Hall. Prepare your class budget, make banquet menu selections, discuss decorations for hospitality suites, and more. Snow date is Nov. 20. For more information, e-mail alumni-office@wpi.edu or call 508-831-5600.

Please visit the redesigned, more user-friendly alumni Web site at alumni.wpi.edu.

6B. CLASS WEB SITE OF THE MONTH: Show Off Your Class Web Site

Each month, the Bridge plans to recognize an outstanding class Web site, one that is a great resource for classmates, offers interesting and informative features or links, and displays creativity in design and layout. To vote on your favorite site, or nominate your own class site, e-mail thebridge@wpi.edu. View class Web sites...

7. SPORTS: Five Inducted into Hall of Fame

On Friday, October 8, five alumni were inducted into WPI's Athletic Hall of Fame: Francis J. Oneglia '42 (basketball), Richard H. Wheeler'77 (basketball), Christine A. (Clancy) McNary '86 (field hockey, softball), Jennifer R. Lovin '96 (basketball), and Brian C. Learned '97 (football).

View the entire fall athletics schedule...

8. DID YOU KNOW: Baseball Has a Long History at WPI

This year, WPI's varsity baseball program celebrates its 100th birthday; officially, the program started in the 1904-05 academic year. But did you know that baseball at WPI predates its "birth date" by more than 30 years? According to "Seventy Years at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute," in 1870 baseball was the first athletic team organized at the university. "It was pretty much a scrub outfit with little equipment and no coaching," wrote author Herbert Foster Taylor. "The nine played against high-school teams, its only collegiate opponent being Holy Cross, and this team was met but once or twice. Class baseball flourished and there was much rivalry in the contests." Members of the 1906 and 1907 classes were responsible for introducing baseball as a varsity sport at WPI.

9. BOOKMARKS

We'd love to hear your suggestions or comments. Please send them to us at thebridge@wpi.edu.

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Last modified: May 25, 2006, 13:59 EDT