The Bridge - November 2005

Question of the Month

This is a time of year to give thanks. When you think about the skills and attributes your WPI education helped instill in you, which one are you most thankful for? Visit the alumni home page to register your answer.

Results of the October Question

College courses come and go due to changing student interest, shifting professional needs, and evolving ideas about education. Over the past century, WPI has required students to take courses ranging from Argumentation (debate) to Political Science. If it could be required again, which one course do you think would most benefit the students of today?

233 readers responded. Here is how the votes went:

We welcome your feedback on the Question of the Month. If you have a comment on this month's question, the feature itself, or anything about The Bridge, why not post it in The Bridge forum in the Alumni Cafe. You might just get a good conversation started. (Go to the Alumni Cafe and select General Forums.)

A Message for Members of the Alumni Association

On Nov. 5, the Alumni Leadership Council met to consider the direction of your association. The theme of the meeting was volunteerism and the discussions were lively. Steve Rubin '74 kicked things off with a well-received presentation on the importance and benefits of volunteering. Breakout sessions focused on opportunities for volunteering; identifying specific activities needed to accomplish the mission of the association, such as reestablishing regional alumni clubs and enhancing career development and career mentoring support; and examining how we spend our resources and why. You will be hearing much more about these subjects in the coming months.

During the meeting, several members asked about the organizational structure of the association and how members can participate in a more active fashion. The organizational structure may be found on the Alumni Web site, along with descriptions of volunteer opportunities. In future issues of The Bridge, we will provide additional information about the organization of the association and identify volunteer opportunities that may be of interest. There is exciting work going on with the association and we look forward to many of you getting involved in helping each other and WPI.

With best regards,
Morgan Rees '61
President

WPI News Alerts

Little Theatre Opens With Debut of Two Plays

WPI's new 99-seat Little Theatre opened last week in the lower level of Sanford Riley Hall with a production featuring the world premier of plays by two alumni. Made possible through a gift from the George I. Alden Trust, the theatre will serve as a dedicated home for the university's theatre programs and further strengthen the role of the humanities and arts at WPI.

The inaugural production, New Works for a New Theatre, featured "In Bad Taste" by Dean O'Donnell '86, which explores censorship in the comic book industry in the 1950s, and "Prime Time Crime: Teal Version" by Catherine Darensbourg '02, which examines censorship of books and television in the future. Look for a profile of Darensbourg in the Fall/Winter 2005 issue of Transformations.

Read the full news release about the Little Theatre...

Learn more about the theatre at its official Web site...

Dean Kamen Delivers Inaugural University Lecture

Inventor, physicist, and entrepreneur Dean Kamen '73 delivered the first University Lecture on Nov. 4 in Alden Memorial. He focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, and invention; his FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics program; and his efforts to bring electricity and clean water to more than a billion people in the developing world.

The University Lecture series brings to WPI speakers of national and international importance to enhance scholarly and scientific learning and to stimulate intellectual exchange within the university and Worcester communities.

Learn more about the University Lecture and Dean Kamen...

UBS Financial VP Elected to Board of Trustees

Richard F. Connolly Jr., senior vice president for investments at UBS Financial, has been elected to the WPI Board of Trustees. Connolly, who has been recognized as one of the top stock brokers in the financial services industry, brings a strong management and financial background to the board.

Connolly began his career as a financial advisor with PaineWebber (now UBS Financial) in 1973 and has been its top-producing broker for more than 20 years. In addition to his successful career at UBS Financial, Connolly has long been active in civic and philanthropic programs in the United States and Ireland. For the past 26 years, he has served as chairman of the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, which offers youth the opportunity to excel by furthering their education. Connolly earned his BA at the College of the Holy Cross, where he received the Ouimet Scholarship, and later earned an MBA at Babson College. Read the full news release...

Brown Re-appointed Editor of Journal

David Brown, professor of computer science, has been appointed for a second term as editor in chief of Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing (AIEDAM), a journal published by Cambridge University Press. Brown has also been appointed to the international editorial board of the new journal, The Journal of Designing in China. Learn more about Brown...

President's IQP Award Finalists Announced

The most distinctive element of WPI's unique approach to education, the Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) requires students to explore the connections between science and technology and societal issues. Each year, WPI recognizes the best projects with the President's IQP Awards. The recipients are chosen from among dozens of entries.

Five projects have been chosen to receive the 2005 awards; another five will receive special commendation. All 10 project teams will present their results to President Berkey and a panel of distinguished judges on Dec. 7 starting at 1:45 p.m. in Higgins Labs Room 116. The public is invited to attend. Get information about the 10 finalists and special commendation winners...

Middle School Students to Compete in Robotics Contest

On Saturday, Dec. 17, 48 teams of middle-school students from as far away as northern Vermont, New York, and Pennsylvania will compete in the fifth annual RoboNautica tournament in Harrington Auditorium. The event, part of the national FIRST LEGO competition, pits LEGO robots designed by students against one another in a friendly contest. The theme of this year's competition is "Ocean Odyssey." The event is free and open to the public. Learn more...

Holiday Reception and Concert Set for Nov. 30

The WPI Alumni Association cordially invites you to the Holiday Reception and Concert, featuring the WPI Orchestra and Chorus. The reception will take place in the Class of 1946 Lounge on the main level of the Campus Center at 6 p.m. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Alden Memorial; it is free and open to the public. In keeping with the holiday spirit, WPI will be accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys to be donated to Toy for Tots. For more information, e-mail alumni-office@wpi.edu or call 508-831-5600.

Alumni Events

View the complete listing of alumni events...

Dec. 14: Tech Old Timers: "Holiday Music Performance," presented by the WPI Music Division. Coffee hour at 9:45 a.m.; meeting at 10:30 a.m., Campus Center, Odeum. For information: alumni-office@wpi.edu or 508-831-5600.

University Events

View the complete listing of campus events...

Nov. 23-25: Thanksgiving Recess

Nov. 28: Physics Colloquium: "Extrasolar Planets in Binary Star Systems," Matthew Muterspaugh, MIT Center for Research, Olin Hall 107, 4 p.m.

Nov. 29: WPI Coffeehouse: Open Mic. $5 public, $3 consortium, WPI students free with ID, Riley Commons, 8 p.m.

Nov. 30: American Red Cross Blood Drive; walk-ins welcome. Campus Center, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dec. 7: President's IQP Award Competition, Higgins Labs 116, 1:45 p.m.

Dec. 10: Massachusetts Symphony Holiday Pops Concert with a choir composed of students from WPI, Clark University, the College of the Holy Cross, and Worcester State College. Choral works, instrumental pieces, dance, and a holiday sing-along. Mechanics Hall, 8 p.m. For more information and tickets, call 508-754-1234 or visit Massachussetts Symphony Orchestra Web site.

Dec. 13: Venture Forum: "Building the Business Team," Bob Creeden, managing director, Center for Innovative Ventures, Partners Healthcare, and Stephen E. Rubin, chairman, Intellution Inc. $10 members, $20 nonmembers, free for students, faculty, and staff. Campus Center, Odeum, 6 p.m. For more: gbetti@wpi.edu, 508-831-5761 or www.wpiventureforum.org

Dec. 15: "The Nutcracker," Boston Ballet, sponsored by the Campus Center. Includes lunch at No Name Restaurant and sightseeing tour to view the holiday light displays. Bus departs WPI at 9 a.m. Cost is $69 per person. For more information and to register: Kim Wykes, 508-831-6806.

Careers

The Alumni Association's Career/Employment Program helps alumni in the search for new employment or with making a career change and provides counseling and mentoring on a private, one-to-one basis. For more information, e-mail alumni-office@wpi.edu or call 508-831-5600.

New Job Listing

Inside Sales Coordinator: Silpro Corporation, a manufacturer of cementitious repair products in Ayer, Mass., seeks a professional to support the efforts of the outside sales force by surfacing new leads, mailing necessary literature, communicating regularly by phone and e-mail with users, distributors, and outside sales team, etc. Strong communication and computer skills essential. Bachelor's degree preferred. Competitive salary, bonus structure, and benefits package. E-mail resume and cover letter, including salary requirements, to Bob Murphy at bmurphy@silpro.com. View full job listing...

Bookmarks

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

Maintained by webmaster@wpi.edu
Last modified: May 25, 2006, 14:17 EDT