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What is flashover?
A devastating fire inside a bar in Switzerland is raising awareness about the importance of fire safety measures and the dynamics of fires that reach the point of flashover.
Milosh Puchovsky, professor of practice and associate department head of the Fire Protection Engineering Department, was interviewed for a Washington Post article that explains flashover, a phenomenon of rapid fire spread that generates near-simultaneous ignition of everything in an enclosed space.
Professor Puchovsky and faculty in WPI’s Fire Protection Engineering Department instruct students on fire safety, fire hazard analysis, and occupant safety with the goal of helping students develop fire safety solutions.
Joseph Sarkis, professor of supply chain management in The Business School, spoke with CBS News and was featured in a story on the CBS Weekend News about what happens to products that are returned to retailers after the holidays and why the volume of returns presents a logistical challenge for companies.
Joseph Sarkis, supply chain expert and professor in The Business School, provided analysis for The Associated Press on post-holiday product returns. He helped explain the logistical challenges for companies and environmental impact associated with returned items. The article was republished by more than 320 news outlets.
Yan Wang, the William B. Smith Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors—the highest professional distinction awarded exclusively to academic inventors.
Several media outlets reported on a $3 million gift to the university from Paul Covec ’64. The gift establishes an innovation and commercialization fund to support growth in promising startups and serve as a catalyst for patent research, prototyping, market research, and technology licensing.
Stacy Shaw, assistant professor in the Department of Social Science and Policy Studies, authored a piece in The Conversation about the importance of rest. The article also suggests people reconsider what they define as rest. The piece has been republished by more than 25 news outlets.
Joel J. Brattin, a Charles Dickens scholar and professor in the Department of Humanities and Arts, was featured in a Telegram & Gazette article that outlines some of the famed author's connections to Worcester. Brattin shares details of Dickens' two visits to Worcester and describes the unique, historic, and expensive Dickens works housed in the George C. Gordon Library's Archives & Special Collections.
Fanglin Che, associate professor of chemical engineering, is using artificial intelligence and computational modeling to optimize hydrogen fuel production, in an effort to advance clean energy innovation. Her research team's work was published in Nature Chemical Engineering and reported on by Hydrogen Fuel News.
The Boston Business Journal has named two WPI faculty researchers as Innovators in Healthcare. Emmanuel Agu and Ulkuhan Guler are among 14 honorees this year. Agu, Harold L. Jurist ’61 and Heather E. Jurist Dean’s Professor of Computer Science, leads research that combines data, imaging, and artificial intelligence for early disease detection and improved care. Guler, associate professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, conducts research to develop wearable sensors for at-home and improved patient monitoring.
WPI is highlighted in this article that addresses the need for more fire protection engineers. The university's fire protection engineering department offers one of the top academic programs to help fill the critical void in this field.
WPI has launched a new Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity program to prepare students to design, analyze, and secure modern computing systems across industries.
Rosanna Garcia, Paul R. Beswick ’57 Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in The Business School, authored an opinion piece, published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, which seeks to explain OpenAI's move to become a public benefit corporation by offering an analogy to the characters and plot of KPop Demon Hunters.
Multiple media outlets reported on research that has created a new carbon-negative building material with the goal of contributing to sustainable construction. The team led by Nima Rahbar, the Ralph H. White Family Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, engineered the enzymatic structural material using an enzyme that helps convert carbon dioxide into solid mineral particles. The research was recently published in the journal Matter.
Albert Simeoni, professor and head of the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, spoke with Scientific American about the potential of using sound waves to suppress fires and the challenge of scaling up sound-based technology systems to fight fires.
Albert Simeoni, professor and head of the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, provided analysis for a multimedia article in the New York Times about a deadly fire in Hong Kong apartment towers. Simeoni described the dynamics of the fire and how the presence of certain construction materials contributed to the spread of flames between buildings.
Several media outlets covered an annual demonstration on fire safety conducted by WPI's student chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. The organization burned two live Christmas trees, with decorations, in the laboratory to raise awareness about how quickly the trees can burn if exposed to fire, provide guidance on proper tree care and fire prevention, and to study the dynamics of these types of fires.
Boston 25 News reported on Engineering Ambassadors, a program that connects dozens of WPI students with hundreds of middle school students every year. Through hands-on activities, WPI students strengthen their professional skills, give children the opportunity to learn about fun applications of science, technology, engineering, and math, and offer K-12 students a glimpse into college life and work in STEM.
Albert Simeoni, professor and head of the Fire Protection Engineering Department, provided analysis for a New York Times article about a deadly fire in several Hong Kong apartment towers and the "domino effect" fire spread that appeared to play a factor and created an especially challenging environment for firefighters.
The Telegram & Gazette reported on how WPI's student chapter of A Moment of Magic is making a difference in the community. Student members recently shared joy and connection with children and families for National Adoption Day in Worcester.
Purvi Shah, associate professor in The Business School, researches the nostalgic brand love that drives consumers to organize to resurrect deleted brands. Her research is cited in this report in TheStreet about the upcoming return of Diet Cherry Coke. The article was republished in Yahoo News and by more than two dozen newspapers around the U.S.
While many colleges and universities offer study abroad programs, few provide international experiential learning opportunities to the extent WPI does. The Open Doors 2025 Report on International Educational Exchange found WPI has the fifth highest rate of U.S. undergraduate student participation in study abroad programs among leading U.S. doctoral universities. The Worcester Guardian reported on the finding and the university's distinctive Global Projects Program that allows students to engage in hands-on project-based learning experiences off campus at more than 50 project centers on six continents.
