Note: Some media outlets require users to log-in. The Gordon Library offers the WPI community free access to a number of newspapers. Visit newspaper database for details.
Multiple media outlets, including the Telegram & Gazette and Mass Live, reported on research efforts led by Michael Timko, the William B. Smith Professor of chemical engineering, to develop technology that destroys harmful PFAS "forever chemicals" which have been linked to serious health conditions. Timko's team has received a $1.5 million federal award to support its efforts to help communities eliminate PFAS contamination in soil and firefighting foam.
What is cognitive reappraisal and what does it have to do with football? The Athletic, from the New York Times, explored those questions and got some help from Richard Lopez, an assistant professor of neuroscience and psychology in the Department of Social Science and Policy Studies. Lopez explained how cognitive reappraisal can help people adapt to challenges.
Catherine Whittington, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and her students are researching uterine fibroids. Student projects in her lab have paved the way for research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, to develop laboratory models that could lead to better understanding in the search for treatments.
Vytenis Babrauskas, adjunct teaching professor in Graduate and Professional Studies, an expert on electrical fires and explosions, shared his insight with Agence France-Presse for a fact check article regarding the investigation into the causes of several wildfires in Spokane, Washington.
John Blandino, professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, appeared as a guest on BBC Science Café, a radio program produced by BBC Radio Wales. The show highlighted the 100th anniversary of WPI graduate Robert Goddard's successful launch in 1926 of the world's first liquid-fueled rocket. During a 15-minute interview, Blandino discussed Goddard's vision, ties to WPI, and historical achievements. (Note: the webpage with audio from the show is only available in the United Kingdom)
What are fire whirls? James Urban, associate professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, was featured in an Associated Press video that explains the phenomenon recently seen in wildfires in the Western U.S. and in Europe. The video also highlights a fire whirl demonstration the department conducted in a laboratory to assist the news agency with its wildfire coverage.
How can tech professionals manage the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence tools? Craig Shue, professor and head of the Computer Science Department, offered his advice for an article in Computerworld. He warns of potential bugs that can result from fallibility in large language models.
Melissa St. Peter has been named one of the Best and Brightest Online MBA graduates from the Class of 2026 by Poets & Quants, a news organization that covers business education. The honor recognizes 52 student professionals in the world’s top online MBA programs.
Muthu Kumaran Selvaraj, assistant research professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, discussed wildfire emergencies in France and Spain in a live television interview on CNA (Channel NewsAsia), a news network based in Singapore. He shared his expertise on wildfire behavior, emergency response, and the unique characteristics of this summer's fires in Europe. The interview also contributed to an article in which Selvaraj helps explain the presence and impact of pyrocumulonimbus clouds during fires in France.
Emily Ping O’Brien, the head of Archives & Special Collections, shared insights from the historical record on Robert Goddard’s time as a WPI student for an article in the Summer 2026 issue of Smithsonian’s Air and Space Quarterly magazine. The article explores Goddard's life and legacy, 100 years after he launched the world's first liquid-fueled rocket.
Jessica Drozd, a 2026 chemistry graduate, spoke with the Telegram and Gazette about her path to teaching as she prepares to start her first teaching job. Drozd completed the university's Teacher Preparation Program which allows students to earn their STEM degree and teaching license as undergraduates.
The Worcester Guardian reported on a new project led by Jun Dai and Xiaoyan "Sherry" Sun, associate professors in the Department of Computer Science, which seeks to inspire and prepare young people to pursue education and careers in emerging science and technology fields. The program will train high school teachers across the country to teach quantum information science and cybersecurity to their students.
The Worcester Guardian reported on a national recognition for The WPI Podcast, produced by the Division of Marketing Communications. The podcast won "Episode of the Year" at the inaugural HigherEd PodCon Awards in Cleveland which recognize creativity excellence in higher education podcasting. The winning episode, "Rest Matters" features a conversation with Stacy Shaw, assistant professor in the Department of Social Science and Policy Studies on how rest influences learning, creativity, focus and well-being.
The Chronicle of Higher Education featured the Department of Fire Protection Engineering's laboratory spaces in its "Daily Briefing" e-mail newsletter. As part of an ongoing series in the newsletter's "Footnote" section, the organization has featured "unexpected research spaces." The newsletter highlighted the department's lab spaces in which students and faculty researchers conduct larger scale experiments to better understand the dynamics of fires in the search for improved fire safety, prevention, and protection against fires.
Carrick Eggleston, professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, provided analysis for a Telegram and Gazette article on proposals to allow for plug-in solar in Massachusetts. Eggleston explained the potential benefits and challenges associated with the technology and discussed safety considerations.
Albert Simeoni, professor and head of the Department of Fire Protection Engineering (FPE), and Shichao Liu, associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering and affiliated with FPE, shared their expertise on what is in wildfire smoke, how it can get inside homes and impact health for a Boston Globe article on the wildfire smoke impacting the region.
Nancy Ma, assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, was interviewed by WBUR about research she co-authored on night time exposure to wildfire smoke indoors and health and sleep impacts on children. She also offered tips for reducing smoke exposure indoors.
James Urban, associate professor in the Fire Protection Engineering Department, was featured in NBC Boston's coverage of the wildfire smoke affecting the Northeast. He helped explain the role of longer and more intense fires in Canada on the air quality concerns in the Boston area.
Kathleen Head, director of the Global Experience Office, was featured in the Worcester Guardian for receiving a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award. Head plans to use the award to explore new pathways for WPI students and faculty to work on projects and research; and have transformative academic and cultural experiences in India.
Dan Linzell, the Bernard M. Gordon Dean of the School of Engineering, provided analysis to the New York Times for its coverage of efforts to shore up a compromised Manhattan high-rise building where steel support columns buckled. Linzell discussed the temporary measures put in place to prevent a partial building collapse and the process of developing a permanent fix by replacing the damaged support columns. In a second New York Times article, he discussed an apparent failure to include reinforcing steel plates to support columns in the building. He was also interviewed by Gothamist from WNYC (New York Public Radio) for its coverage.
