The Bridge - March 2008

Campus News

WPI Professor Wins Coveted National Science Foundation CAREER Award

Wenjing Lou, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at WPI, has received a five-year, $450,000 CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. The award is the NSF's most prestigious for young faculty members. Lou is the 20th member of the WPI faculty to receive a CAREER Award since 1995. In all, 18 current members of the faculty have won CAREER Awards. Learn more...

Gateway Park Anchors First New State Growth District

State and local officials gathered at WPI’s Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park to launch the Massachusetts Growth Districts Initiative—a new program to focus resources on economic growth opportunities across the Commonwealth. In the next several months, the state plans to designate 16 new growth districts across Massachusetts. Learn more...

3rd Annual Biotechnology & Bioengineering Corporate Forum

On Wednesday, March 26th, WPI's Bioengineering Institute (BEI) will host the third annual WPI Biotechnology & Bioengineering Corporate Forum. The Forum will provide wide-ranging perspectives on the current state of the industry and its future, and how companies, universities, and government can work together to develop new products to meet the nation's healthcare needs. This year we will hear representatives from small, mid-sized and large companies based in the Commonwealth speak about the challenges they face. Small companies will describe the challenges and obstacles in their start-up phase of development. Larger companies will speak about the challenges of new product development and roll-out. An underlying theme of these presentations will be the role of academic institutions like WPI, its Bioengineering Institute and its Life Science departments in helping to meet these challenges.

Over the past years we have brought together hundreds of business, academic and government leaders to discuss common issues, and have featured such keynote speakers as Representative Jim McGovern and Lt Governor Tim Murray. This year we are honored that Dan O'Connell, Commonwealth Secretary for Housing and Economic Development and Laura Allen, Director of MedTech IGNITE and Special Projects, MassMEDIC will be joining us as our keynote speakers.

We invite you to join us on March 26th, starting at 9AM to attend the keynote and company presentations and participate in the roundtable discussions. Lunch will be provided and there will also be a networking, mixer event following the program.

Confirmed speakers include:

Tanja Dominko, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer, CellThera, Inc.
Norman Garceau, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer, Blue Sky Biotech
Donna Falcetti, Director of Operations, RXi Pharmaceuticals
Harry Wotton, Chief Executive Officer and President, Securos, Inc.
E. Kevin Hrusovsky, President and Chief Executive Officer, Caliper Life Sciences
Ellen E. Sheets, MD, FACOG, Chief Medical Officer, Hologic Corporation

We hope that you will join us on March 26th from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm. Please register online. (Lunch is included and there is no registration fee.)

WPI Announces Faculty Promotions and Tenure Awards

Six members of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) faculty have been promoted; five have also been granted tenure. The awards are effective July 1. “We are very pleased and proud to be able to recognize these outstanding teachers/scholars by awarding these well-deserved promotions,” said President Dennis Berkey. “The quality of their teaching, research, and scholarship, as well as the extensive personal attention that they pay to our students, is strong affirmation of WPI's strengths and values.” The list includes Emmanuel O. Agu, associate professor of computer science; Kristen Billiar, associate professor of biomedical engineering; Neil Heffernan, associate professor of computer science; Sergey N. Makarov, professor of electrical and computer engineering; Oleg V. Pavlov, associate professor of social science and policy studies; Steven S. Taylor, associate professor of management. Read more...

Kalenian Award: Call for Proposals

The third annual Kalenian Award supports the commercialization of a promising new product or technology and exemplifies the WPI spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. The late Aram Kalenian ’33, inventor and businessman, believed that “The highest and best use of a WPI education is to invent, and patent, then create an invention-based business and employ.”

To celebrate the legacy of Aram Kalenian's successful and inventive life, the Kalenian family established a $25,000 annual award. The 2008 award also includes $5,000 in legal services from Wolf Greenfield to assist in moving the invention toward commercialization. The deadline for applications is April 22, 2008.

Criteria, eligibility, and entry information.

New Voices 26 Selections Announced

This year’s New Voices theater festival features three alumni playwrights and many familiar faces. Performances will be held April 9-12, in WPI’s Little Theatre. View list of plays and scenic design.

Project Perspective: Silicon Valley, California

Tom Niemczycki ’08 was part of the MQP team that worked on development of an automated system to allow researchers to remotely operate an optical telescope located outside of Gakona, Alaska, from the Menlo Park, Calif., facility of a high-tech company called SRI. Their work will benefit the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), which studies the properties of the ionosphere for the purpose of advancing communications and surveillance technology. The MQP team’s goal was to interface with the telescope over the Internet so as to be able to point it and take pictures. Read Tom’s MQP blog.

Alumni Association News

Alumni Association Annual Meeting

The Alumni Association announces its 2008 Annual Meeting will be held Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The agenda features presentations and discussion opportunities focused on issues of great interest to alumni. Highlights:

Vision 2015 presentation by President Dennis Berkey
Presentation by WPI Faculty & Students on the Great Problems Seminar: First Year Experience, with Professors Art Heinricher and Kris Wobbe
Lunch: Social networking & brief demo of enhancements to WPI's online community, alumniconnect
Opportunity for informal conversation with WPI AA Association Directors

Plan today to join us. Details to follow!

Attention, Chicago and Denver Alumni

Thanks to all who attended two very successful events held in March—at the Goose Island Brew Pub in Chicago, and the Wynkoop Brewing Co. in Denver. Both of these regional alumni meetings included the launch of the WPI Alumni Handbook—an organizing manual for Alumni Regional Chapters and Clubs that is in final draft form. If you are interested in becoming actively involved in the Chicago or Denver Alumni Club, please email alumni-office@wpi.edu.

Atlanta Reception at FIRST Robotics Competition

The Office of Alumni Relations and the Office of Admissions will co-host a reception for prospective and current students, faculty, and alumni who are in the Atlanta area, as well as those attending the national championships competition from around the world. Join us at the Ritz Carlton Atlanta on April 18 at 6 p.m. for an opening reception for all guests, followed by a private alumni cocktail reception at 7 p.m. Alumni will have a chance to mingle with recently admitted students, parents, faculty, and staff and hear more about exciting new programs including WPI’s first-in-the-nation robotics engineering degree program. More information will follow. Please email alumni-office@wpi.edu to let us know of your interest in participating.

Alum and Students Dig It

Philip Blackman ’66 and a group of WPI students are teaming up to take part in NASA’s Regolith Excavation Challenge, in which 20 teams will compete to develop new technologies to excavate regolith, the loose material found on the moon’s surface. Advances in lunar regolith extraction have the potential to contribute significantly to the nation’s space exploration operations.

Blackman and the WPI students comprise Team DIG-IT, and, along with the other teams competing, will build an autonomously operating system to excavate lunar regolith and deliver it to a collector. The competition will be held in August.

Senior Ring Ceremony

The Alumni Association will be hosting the Annual Ring Presentation Ceremony for students who purchased an Official WPI Ring. The ceremony will be held on March 27, at 5:30 p.m. in Alden Memorial. Alumni, parents, and guests are welcome. Please RSVP by March 19 to +1-508-831-5600 or alumni-office@wpi.edu.

Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD)

All Graduates of the Last Decade (1998 – 2008) are members of GOLD, an alumni group focusing on the needs and interests of younger alumni. Organizing meetings are conducted monthly via conference call. New members from across the country are currently being sought for the GOLD Coordinating Committee (the planning group for events/activities/program) and the GOLD active participants list (who are invited to participate in these events while they are still in their formative stage).

The next meeting will be May 3, at 1 p.m., immediately following the Alumni Association Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held on campus; conference call-in will be arranged. If interested, contact Kris Anne Hormann, Director of Special Projects in the WPI Development and Alumni Relations Department, at khormann@wpi.edu or +1-508-831-6074.

Careers Services and Lifelong Learning

The WPI Career Development Center provides a comprehensive full-service environment for students and alumni seeking jobs, and employers seeking to hire candidates from the WPI community. The Career Planner Web-based system features a range of opportunities, from highly experienced through entry-level, summer internship, and volunteer positions. The system is active year-round, with no charge for registration or job postings. To register for an account as a candidate, complete the Alumni Registration Form (PDF) and return it to the CDC by mail, by fax (+1-508-831-5827), or by email (cdc@wpi.edu). If you are interested in posting positions as an Alumni Employer, please go the Information for Employers webpage. More information about specific Alumni Services...

March 25: 3rd Annual Biotechnology & Bioengineering Career Fair

Noon-4 p.m., Campus Center Odeum

Contact +1-508-831-5260 or cdc@wpi.edu

WPI Corporate and Professional Education - Industry Solutions

WPI Corporate and Professional Education offers education and training solutions that are specifically designed to meet the technical and management needs of today’s organizations. Options include Master of Science degrees,Graduate Certificate Programs, Undergraduate Certificate Programs, Technical Short Courses, and Professional Workshops. Our program development specialists and faculty will collaborate with your team to design a program to meet your company’s specific needs.

Defense Industry
High Tech Industry (including Online Programs)
Life Sciences Industry
Manufacturing Industry
Utility Industry

We encourage you to contact us today to learn more about these outstanding programs, offered by the university you recognize for its top quality faculty and curriculum.

Phone: +1-508-831-5517
Email: cpe@wpi.edu
Website: Corporate and Professional Education

Upcoming Events

March 25: Hull Colloquium

5 p.m., Salisbury Labs, Kinnicutt Hall

Gary Gardner, Director of Research, Worldwatch Institute

April 2: Tech Old Timers

“Recruiting a #1 Team,” WPI Basketball Coach Chris Bartley

April 8: Venture Forum: “Breaking New Ground with Marketing”

6:30 - 9 p.m., Campus Center, Odeum. Cost: $15 members, $25 non-members

Pre-register.

April 15: Project Presentation Day

Seniors will make presentations at various locations in the academic departments. Alumni are welcome and are encouraged to invite colleagues and prospective student to take part in this annual exhibition of the remarkable outcomes of WPI students' project work.