The Bridge - September 2005

To All Members of the Alumni Association

Every fall there is a lot of activity at WPI and this year is no exception. From Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, the WPI community will celebrate Homecoming weekend, featuring a full slate of activities, from reunions for the Classes of 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005, to meetings of Class Boards of Directors, to activities at many Greek houses and other social functions, to just plain old enjoyment of friendships.

This year, President Dennis Berkey will join the Class Boards to share his perspective on his first year at WPI and offer his outlook for the years ahead. There will be an opportunity for an open discussion with Dr. Berkey. We have invited the Alumni Leadership Council to participate, as well, and look forward to hearing from them on how we can best continue a strong role for alumni in ensuring a solid future for WPI.

The Alumni Association Cabinet has suggested some goals for the association for the next few years, including reestablishing regional clubs and enhancing career development opportunities for alumni. If you have any thoughts on these objectives, have suggestions for other association programs, or wish to volunteer for alumni activities, now would be a good time to either let the members of your Class Board know, or contact the Alumni Office (alumni-office@wpi.edu).

I hope to see many of you at Homecoming.

Morgan Rees '61
Alumni Association President

Question of the Month

Homecoming weekend (Sept. 30-Oct 1, this year) is a time to take part in traditional celebrations and events that have been enjoyed by generations of alumni. What is your favorite Homecoming tradition? To register your vote, visit the alumni home page.

Results of the August Question

Penn State has its Nittany Lion. MIT has its dome. Harvard has its crimson. Many universities and colleges have symbols or icons that are instantly recognized by their communities and capture the essence of an institution's history, philosophy, or uniqueness. What do you think is WPI's most meaningful symbol?

587 readers responded (our best response to date). Here is what they said:

There was a groundswell of support for another WPI symbol as readers wrote to cast their vote for the arm & hammer weathervane atop the Washburn Shops tower. Peter Sifferlen '84 called it "a symbol of strength and development, and representative of a WPI education." Jonathan Rourke '76, alluding to the arm's well-defined muscles, called it "pumped, pre-steroids!"

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.

WPI News Alerts

Nominations Sought for Distinguished Alumni Awards

The Alumni Association Citations Committee seeks nominations for the 2006 distinguished alumni awards.

Established in 1961, the awards recognize professional achievement and service to the association and the university. For descriptions of the awards, citations for past recipients, and a nomination form, visit our Web site.

Sample the Best of Salisbury Street This Weekend

The annual Salisbury Street Sampler is set for this Saturday, Sept. 17, from noon to 4 p.m. This year's event will be coordinated with the Worcester African Cultural Festival on Canterbury Street. In addition to tours, performances, and other special activities, 100 artists will display their work through ANT (Arts ‘n’ Things). A shuttle bus is available to bring people to the African Cultural Festival. The Sampler is free. For more information, visit the Salisbury Street Sampler Web site.

Information About Federal Loan Consolidation

If you had federal student loans as a WPI student, you may already have pursued loan consolidation through your loan servicer. For those who have not, WPI's Financial Aid Office has put together some information to help you decide if consolidation might be right for you. Read the complete article...

The Financial Aid Office is available to help alumni who have questions about federal consolidation. Visit the the Alumni Financial Aid site, which has links to a FAQ on loan consolidation, or contact the office at finaid@wpi.edu or 508-831-5469.

WPI Names New Director of Public Safety

Cheryl Martunas, who began her career with WPI's Police Department in 1982, is the university's new director of public safety and chief of police. A strong advocate of community policing, Martunas has 23 years of law enforcement experience, including 19 years in a campus setting (at Quinsigamond Community College, where she was director of public safety and chief of police, Dean College, Framingham State College and WPI). She holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Anna Maria College. Read the news release...

WPI Responds to Those Affected by Hurricane Katrina

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the WPI community is responding to the needs of the Gulf Coast residents affected by the disastrous storm. The university established a special admissions program for students displaced from Gulf Coast colleges and universities and has created a message board to help members of the WPI community reach out to those touched by the disaster. In addition, a number of WPI groups and organizations have held fundraising events on campus to aid the hurricane victims. Visit the WPI Katrina information page to learn more.

Mott Joins Alcott Society Advisory Board

Wesley T. Mott, professor of English, has been named to the inaugural advisory board of the new Louisa May Alcott Society. Mott served for 14 years on the board of directors of the Thoreau Society and founded the international Ralph Waldo Emerson Society at WPI in 1989. Visit Professor Mott's professional Web page.

ATC Launches New Collaboratory

WPI's Academic Technology Center has created a new self-serve resource for faculty and teachers at all levels who are looking for help with using technology for teaching. The Teaching with Technology Collaboratory site includes ideas on how to use technology to address teaching challenges and issues, how-to’s on specific technologies, and links to best practices that highlight WPI faculty who have successfully used technology in their teaching. Learn more...

Art Tech Expo in Worcester Features Community Members

"All artistry is enabled by technology," notes the press release for Art Tech Expo, an art exhibit that will run from Oct. 9 to Nov. 13 at the Gallery in the Sprinkler Factory, 38 Harlow Street, Worcester. Curated by J.D. Sage, WPI emeritus professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Kevin Burns, a member of the advisory board for WPI's new Interactive Media and Game Development major program, the exhibit will feature the work of 10 local and national artists (including Sage and Burns) whose work applies science and technology to a variety of artistic media. Many of the works are interactive. Read more about the exhibit in this expanded article. Read more about J.D. Sage's art in this story from the Summer 2004 issue of Transformations...

Alumni Events

View the complete listing of alumni events...

Sept. 30: GOLD Social for Classes of 1996 to 2005, 8 to 10 p.m., 4th floor VIP lounge, Irish Times, 244 Main Street, Worcester; $5. Sponsored by GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) and the Alumni Office. For more information, contact the Alumni Office at alumni-office@wpi.edu or 508-831-5600. Register online!

Oct. 1: Class Boards of Directors; 9:30 a.m., Campus Center, Odeum (continental breakfast at 9 a.m.). More information: 508-831-5600 or alumni-office@wpi.edu.

Oct. 12: Tech Old Timers. Artist Lorna Ritz presents "How I Document the Passing of Time: A Travelogue in Color." Coffee hour at 9:45 a.m.; talk at 10:30 a.m., Campus Center, Odeum. For more information, contact the Alumni Office at alumni-office@wpi.edu or 508-831-5600.

Save the Date

Nov. 9: New York City Alumni Reception at the home of Mati Weiderpass '81. For more information, e-mail alumni-office@wpi.edu or call 508-831-5600.

University Events

View the complete listing of campus events...

Sept. 20: Global Opportunities Fair, Campus Center, Odeum, 4 p.m. For more information: 508-831-6089.

Sept. 20: WPI Coffeehouse: Zoe Lewis; $5 general public, $3 consortium, WPI students free with ID. Riley Commons, 8 p.m., 508-831-5509.

Sept. 21: Chemistry and Biochemistry Colloquium: "Olfactory Epithelium Responses and Their Representation in the Olfactory Bulb," Man Ching Cheung '98, Tufts University School of Medicine, Goddard Hall 227, noon.

Sept. 21: Career and Graduate School Fair, 1 p.m., Harrington Auditorium. Talk to companies and graduate school representatives. Sponsored by Career Development Center.

Sept. 22: "E=mc2: A Celebration of Einstein and Verse," sponsored by the Humanities and Arts Department and the Worcester County Poetry Association. Higgins House, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 24: WPI Parents Weekend Concert featuring WPI's choruses, orchestra, concert band, and jazz band. Alden Memorial, 4 p.m.

Sept. 27: Sabor Latino: Hispanic Heritage Month Dinner, Campus Center, Odeum, 5:30 p.m., Campus Center, Room 233. Tickets, $3, are available from Diversity Programs; e-mail mao@wpi.edu.

Sept. 29: Graduate Information Session, Campus Center, Hagglund Room, 6 p.m. For information or to register: 508-831-5301 or grad-studies@wpi.edu.

Oct. 4: WPI Coffeehouse with singer and songwriter, Anais Mitchell, Riley Commons, 8 p.m. $5 general public, $3 consortium, WPI students free with ID.

Oct. 8: Explosia Latina: 2nd annual Hispanic Heritage Month Cultural Show, Alden Memorial, 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 general public, $3 consortium, $2 WPI.

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.

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: Aug 11, 2006, 10:06 EDT