The Bridge - July 2006

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ALUMNI NEWS

Reunion 2006 Brings Record Class Gifts

The Class of 1946 generated a record-breaking 60th Reunion Class Gift of $1,389,542. The Class of 1956 raised $1,169,046 for its 50th Anniversary Gift, the Class of 1966 raised $185,526, and the Class of 1981 raised $73,129 for its 25th anniversary. These gifts, plus a check from other classes, were gratefully received by President Dennis Berkey at the Alumni Association Awards Luncheon on June 10. (Note: Final fiscal year-end numbers are not complete for all classes.) See photos from the Luncheon and other Reunion events.

Thank You!

Thank you to the thousands of alumni, parents, and friends who made a gift to the Annual Fund this year. Because of you, we raised $1.88 million, a 12.4 percent increase from last fiscal year. Your support will have a profound impact on WPI: its students, faculty, campus community and physical plant,

Get Your WPI Gear Online!

Alumni are now able to shop online at the WPI Bookstore, operated by Barnes & Noble. Visit the online store to purchase WPI clothing, memorabilia, and other items to display your pride in your alma mater. Visit the store.

Here Comes the Class of 2010!

The Alumni Association has been hosting "Welcome to WPI" events throughout New England this summer to provide first-year students and their parents the opportunity to connect with one another as well as well as current alumni and past parents. The class is one of the largest to date--approximately 800 young men and women representing 30 states and over 35 countries. Their SAT score average tops 1290. Orientation begins Aug. 20, and classes begin Aug. 25. New Student Orientation

Share Your Memories of Father Scanlon

For an article on Father Peter Scanlon, Transformations seeks stories and tributes from alumni and members of the WPI community. Send your favorite "Father Pete" stories to alumni-editor@wpi.edu, mail them to WPI c/o Alumni Editor, or post them online.

WPI NEWS

WPI Professor Tackles The Da Vinci Code

On Sunday morning, July 30, 7:30- 8 a.m., WPI Prof. David Samson will be a guest on "Worcester: Academically Speaking" on WTAG AM580, to discuss the historical accuracy of author Dan Brown's portrayal of Leonardo DaVinci in "The DaVinci Code." Prof. Samson relates his findings to Prof. Paul Bruno, show host, on the weekly program sponsored by the Community Relations Committee of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium. WTAG Weekend Lineup.

WPI to Collaborate on Limb Regeneration Research

Under an agreement with CellThera Inc., a Worcester-based biotechnology start-up firm, WPI's Biology and Biotechnology Department and the WPI Bioengineering Institute (BEI) will conduct joint research aimed at developing techniques for restoring tissue - including digits and limbs - damaged or lost due to traumatic injury. The project is part of a multi-institution research effort funded by a one-year, $3.9-million award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The research will be conducted in laboratories on the WPI campus and, beginning next spring, in the new WPI Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park. WPI faculty members with expertise in tissue engineering, wound healing, stem cells, and related fields are expected to be involved in the project. Learn more...

WPI Hosts Precision Personnel Location Workshop

Indoor personnel location and tracking experts will gather on campus Aug. 7-8 for a first-of-its-kind forum for researchers in this emerging field. Technology under development at WPI and elsewhere could help rescue firefighters and other first responders and play a role in homeland security.

About the conference
Precision Personnel Location (PPL) research at WPI.

Camp Reach Turns 10

WPI's award-winning science and engineering summer program for seventh-grade girls celebrated its 10th anniversary this month with engineering design projects that will benefit three Worcester-area nonprofit organizations. The projects will lay groundwork for developing accessible trail improvements for the Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary; beautifying the landscape at the Friendly House emergency shelter; and creating a playground appropriate for the clients of Sherry's House/Why Me, which provides support for families dealing with childhood cancer. Camp Reach, which this year runs from July 23 to Aug. 4, was founded in 1997 by Denise Nicoletti, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at WPI, and Chrysanthe Demetry, associate professor of mechanical engineering, with a grant from the National Science Foundation. After Nicoletti died in a car accident 2002, the program was continued under Demetry's direction, with the assistance of other WPI faculty and staff members. In all, about 270 girls have completed the Camp Reach program, and nearly 30 middle school math and science teachers have served as instructors. In addition, nearly 50 area high school students--about half of Camp Reach's alumna--have served as staff members. Read more...

WPI Teams up on Incubator Facility

WPI and Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI) announced plans for the Gateway Park Incubator, with laboratory and office space for up to six start-up biomedical companies, to be located in WPI's new Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center, now under construction at Gateway Park. MBI will build out and operate the incubator, which is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2007. The center is the first building in the Gateway Park project, an 11-acre, master-planned redevelopment of a former Worcester brownfield. Gateway Park is part of the larger 55-acre Gateway redevelopment district that is currently home to numerous businesses, restaurants, hotels, and business services. A symbolic lease-signing ceremony took place on July 5, featuring a keynote address by U.S. Congressman James P. McGovern and speeches from WPI President Dennis D. Berkey, MBI officials, and other city and state officials. Read the full press release...

WPI Pride Shines in Harrington Auditorium

Among the improvements made to Harrington Auditorium this June was a glossy new gym floor displaying the WPI logo. The historic auditorium, built in 1967, is the home of the WPI men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. It also serves as a practice site for the baseball and softball squads during the winter, an alternate site for Commencement in case of inclement weather, and a location for other large campus gathering such as open houses and concerts. See the new gym floor...

Alumni Events

Aug. 1: Welcome to WPI Barbecue, 6:30 p.m., Westerly, R.I.
Details

Aug. 2: Welcome to WPI Barbecue, 6:30 p.m., Needham, Mass.
Details

Aug. 3: Welcome to WPI Barbecue, 6:30 p.m., Burlington,
Conn. Details

Aug. 3: Welcome to WPI Barbecue, 6:30, WPI, Worcester,
Mass. Details

Sept. 6: GOLD Committee Meeting, 6:30-8 p.m., Mid-Century Room, Campus Center. Sponsored by: WPI Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD). Call +1-508-831-5600 or e-mail gold@wpi.edu.

Sept. 8: 2006 WPI Hockey Alumni Golf Fund-Raiser, 2 p.m., Townsend Ridge Country Club, Cost: $100 per player; $400 per foursome (includes golf, cart, driving range, BBQ dinner, prizes, and tee gifts). Registration deadline Sept. 1, special raffle for early payment. For more information, call Mark Macaulay '89, at +1-508-393-8840 or e-mail macaulay@yankeescientific.com

Sept. 13: Tech Old Timers, 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Campus Center, Odeum. Meeting begins at 10:30, Coffee Hour begins at 9:45 a.m. Lunch is available immediately following the meeting. For more information, e-mail alumni-office@wpi.edu or call +1-508-831-5600.

UNIVERSITY EVENTS

July 31 - Aug.4: Launch, Session I, a new summer enrichment program for soon-to-be freshmen and sophomores interested in biology, computer science, and robotics, 9 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. Session 2 runs Aug. 7 - 11. Information and registration

Aug. 7 through Sept. 13: Art Exhibit: Niva Shrestha - Recent Works - 2004-2006, George C. Gordon Library, 3rd Floor Gallery. Landscapes and still lifes in oils and watercolors.

Aug. 9: Lunch Hour Concert: Slo Grass (Bluegrass), 12 p.m., Campus Center, Burt Terrace.

Aug.24: Graduate Studies Information Session, 6 p.m., Campus Center, Hagglund Room. Register...

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 +1-508-831-5600.

New Job Listings

Click to read full job descriptions

Fire Engineer, Arup Fire, New York City

Senior Project Managers, Arup Fire, Westborough, Mass.

Senior Engineer, Arup Fire, Los Angeles

Fire Protection Engineer, City of Boulder, Colo.

Senior Nuclear Engineer, Taft, LA

Technical Specialist I, Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Port Gibson, MS

Citizen Schools National Teaching Fellowship (various locations) http://www.wpi.edu

Fire Protection Engineer, E-Scan, Albany, NY.

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Last modified: Aug 25, 2006, 14:43 EDT