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.
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.
Why are some neighborhoods warmer than others and why are some more vulnerable to the dangers of extreme heat? Professor Stephen McCauley, head of the Department of Integrative and Global Studies, spoke with NBC Boston about the research he leads on urban heat island dynamics in the city of Worcester and mitigation of extreme heat vulnerabilities.
Joseph Sarkis, professor of management in The Business School, was interviewed about the potential for and challenges associated with improved circularity and sustainability in global supply chains for an article in the French website Supply-Chain.net. Sarkis also spoke about research efforts he helped lead since 2022 as holder of the Chaire d’Excellence TEC-LOGd (Transport, Technology, Circular Economy and Sustainable Supply Chains) at the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France.
Research presented by Nan "Nancy" Ma, assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, was featured in an article in Facilities Dive. Ma spoke at the 2026 ASHRAE Annual Conference about how large language models could bridge communication gaps between building systems, enabling facility managers to more easily access contextual and historical data to optimize building operations affecting areas like comfort and energy use; maintenance; and regulatory compliance.
Mimi Sheller, dean of The Global School, was interviewed by the Christian Science Monitor about how the World Cup has generated opportunities for cultural exchange between Americans and people from around the Globe, highlighting hospitality and community. Sheller studies the movement of people, information, and ideas.
A senior-level major qualifying project conducted by environmental engineering majors to study and propose improvements to green infrastructure in Worcester was included in a Telegram & Gazette article on the ways the city is looking to prevent and mitigate the effects of flooding during intense rainfall events. Through mapping data analysis, site visits, and collaboration with project sponsors—the City of Worcester and Weston & Sampson, an engineering and environmental consulting firm—the team proposed natural solutions to handle runoff around a school.
Popular Mechanics cited research conducted by Jamie Monat, teaching professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, in an article exploring consciousness beyond humans. Monat studies self-awareness in living and non-living systems and suggests that based on the number of points of connection, there may be many self-aware plant-based ecosystems on Earth.
