In the News

Worcester News Tonight stopped by WPI to talk with Joel Brattin, professor of English, and Arthur Carlson, assistant director of archives, about the Dan and Alice Ryan Dickens collection, which will be included in the Gordon Library's Fellman Collection of Dickens artifacts. 

Andrew Palumbo, dean of admissions and financial aid, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal’s lighthearted look at how Worcester cannot seem to shake the ‘H’ - being called ‘Worchester’ by visitors, the government and even newspapers.

Fine Books Magazine, tailored to book collectors and aficionados, featured news of WPI’s latest literary acquisition, “Dickens Collection Sparked by 'Christmas Carol' Heads to Worcester Polytechnic Institute.”

An op-ed by Patricia Stapleton, assistant professor of social science and policy studies, was published in today's Telegram & Gazette.

The Telegram & Gazette’s College Town section noted WPI appointing Lieutenant Colonel Ronald J. Bashista, United States Army, Retired, as emergency management director.  

Gearing up the week before Christmas, the Telegram & Gazette covered the priceless collection of Charles Dickens artifacts that is being donated to WPI by Daniel Ryan. Joel Brattin, professor of English, and Arthur Carlson, assistant director of archives and special collections in George C. Gordon Library, noted how the influence of the collection will stretch beyond the university's campus. "This is a resource for everyone,” Carlson said. “It’s not restricted to WPI. We’re trying to take Dickens to the world.”

Pamela Weathers, professor of biology and biotechnology, was interviewed for an article and podcast on Outbreak News Today regarding her study testing the efficacy of a tea infusion made from the wormwood plant to cure the tropical disease schistosomiasis. The tea cured patients and cleared them of the parasitic infection much faster than the drug most commonly used, and with no adverse side effects.

An app developed by WPI and UMass Medical School was featured in a news story about depression during pregnancy. The app, called Lifeline4Moms, is giving doctors new tools to better diagnose the condition.

This article was featured in the Worcester Business Journal. The research by Hong Susan Zhou, associate professor of chemical engineering, has led to a biosensor that could be used to quickly detect C. diff bacteria. Zhou is principal investigator for the biosensor research program, and Yuxiang (Shawn) Liu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is co-PI.

WPI and Alexander Wyglinski, professor of electrical engineering and robotics engineering, are featured in this article, published in The Institute, a publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. “This is the first time anyone has ever conducted successful cognitive radio experiments using machine learning algorithms in space,” said Wyglinski, a member of the team that worked on the research.

National Public Radio's Morning Edition interviewed Jen Wilcox, the James H. Manning Professor of Chemical Engineering, for this article. “Certainly, in light of the recent climate reports, we don't have the option of simply avoiding carbon emissions any more. We now are at a point where we need to start removing CO2 directly from the atmosphere,” said Wilcox, an internationally renowned expert on capturing and storing carbon dioxide and other fossil fuel pollutants.

English Professor Joel Brattin, also former president of the U.S.-based Dickens Society, was interviewed for The Daily Gazette (NY) article.

Worcester News Tonight covered a forum held at WPI on the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR.

The Worcester Business Journal covered a WPI forum on the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR. Noted in the article were: Dean, Arts and Sciences, Jean King; Assistant Professor, Social Science, Patricia Stapleton; Associate Professor, Humanities and Arts Bethel Eddy; Associate Professor, Biology and Biotechnology, Rita Rao; and Associate Teaching Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Destin Heilman.

The Telegram & Gazette published syndicated business columnist Peter Cohan’s interview with Jennifer Wilcox, the James H. Manning Chaired Professor of Chemical Engineering. She discussed the cost and impact of climate change, and how it can be slowed.

WPI students are mentioned in the Sentinel & Enterprise for helping design bridges for the Cook Conservation area in Lancaster.

Nova interviewed Albert Simeoni (2:32 mark), professor, interim department head, Fire Protection Engineering; and Steven Van Dessel (2:14 mark), associate professor, director, Architectural Engineering Program, for this PBS Videos segment on Facebook.

In a Q&A with Rob Gegear, assistant professor of biology and biotechnology, Newsweek reported on the decline in pollinators, how people can help bumblebees, and the Bee-cology project, Gegear's app that enables citizen scientists to collect data on native bees. 

A recent speech by Robert J. Gegear, assistant professor of biology and biotechnology, at the Berkshire (Mass.) Botanical Garden was cited in this Berkshire Edge article.

This Wall Street Journal article included WPI as one of the universities Tesla draws on for mechanical engineers and other talent. David Ortendahl, the Career Development Center’s director of corporate relations, was quoted.