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This Master’s in AI Program Is a Cross-University Collaboration. Here’s How Students Will Learn.
Elke Rundensteiner, the William Smith Dean's Professor of Computer Science and founding head of the WPI data science program, spoke with BestColleges about the university's new master's degree in artificial intelligence.
Professor Yuxiang Liu's work regarding "Optical tweezers" and their use in moving nanoscale particles and measuring nanometer-scale displacements was recently published in the e-magazine of AMSE.org. This work is particularly "useful in biological and physical research, for example, measuring the motion of individual motor proteins or the mechanical properties of polymers."
Inside Higher Ed published the article on WPI’s efforts to enroll more female students. WPI saw the female share of its incoming class go from 34 percent to 43 percent in a year, after adjusting aid policy. President Laurie Leshin, was interviewed for the article and described new changes in policies and efforts begun 10 years ago, when WPI admissions became SAT-optional.
WPI announced Global Projects For All, a university-wide initiative that will provide all students with access to an off-campus project experience. Beginning with the class of 2022, every full-time, degree-seeking student will receive a Global Project Scholarship, a credit of $5,000, to defray the cost of an off-campus project.
The Boston Globe’s ‘STAT’ section published an article today on WPI research aimed at helping the heart recover after parts of it die from lack of oxygen. “I want to fix people with heart attacks,” George Pins, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering, told STAT. “I think it’s an important global health care problem and there’s significant unmet need.”
The latest edition of Advanced Manufacturing includes a guest column by Bogdan Vernescu, vice provost for research, about the importance of the manufacturing engineering education (MEE) grant program.
Kristin Tichenor, WPI senior vice president, was quoted in the article. “The quickest way to bridge the gap between the number of people we need with computing expertise to fill jobs and those with the talent to do that work, is to encourage more women and underrepresented minority students to pursue computer degrees in college,” she said.
President Laurie Leshin was quoted in this article regarding a leaked internal memo at Google that raised questions for women looking to enter Silicon Valley tech companies or join academic STEM departments.
WCVB TV 5’s Chronicle aired a story about PABI, a sophisticated and loveable robotic penguin developed by WPI and Salem State University that could change the way behavioral therapies are provided to children with autism. PABI is the brainchild of WPI mechanical and robotics engineering professor Gregory Fischer and Salem State University School of Education professor Laurie Dickstein-Fischer.
The Boston Business Journal reported on WPI’s announcement that the university is leasing innovation space in Boston’s Seaport District as it expands its economic development efforts across the Commonwealth.
Rob Gegear, assistant professor of biology and biotechnology, was interviewed in a story about legislation being filed by State Representative Carolyn Dykema of Holliston to minimize the use neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides that have a harmful effect on bees and bee colonies—a major threat to the ecosystem and agriculture.
Brian Meacham, associate professor of fire protection engineering, was interviewed by NBC Boston for this segment. The segment focused on the use of lightweight engineered wood and its structural integrity when exposed to flame.
Brian Meacham, associate professor of fire protection engineering, was interviewed for the second of a two-part series on last month’s Grenfell Tower fire in London. In an interview in his lab, Meacham described the concerns regarding the combustibility of materials used in the tower’s cladding system.
The Boston Globe interviewed Robert Gegear, assistant professor, biology and biotechnology, in the Q&A, “What Would Happen if Bees Disappeared?” Gegear discussed his new bee app that allows users to import a photo or video of a bee to a database for analysis.
International Fire Protection Magazine featured an article regarding an extensive literature review of fire safety codes conducted for the National Association of State Fire Marshals Fire Research & Education Foundation by Nick Dembsey, professor of fire protection engineering.
VOX published an op-ed by Suzanne Mello Stark, an associate teaching professor in computer science, which raises questions about our voting system’s vulnerability to hackers.
“The app collects data on individual species of bee and flowers and allows us to figure out what the individual needs of the species are ... so people can make changes to their yard, learn what flowers to plant, and tell us how do we conserve lands to increase bee diversity,” Robert Gegear, professor of biology and biotechnology, told the T&G.
The New York Times interviewed Brian Meacham, associate professor of fire protection engineering, about this week’s tragic high rise apartment building fire in London. Meacham weighed in on the differences between building codes in the United States and the United Kingdom saying, “building codes in Britain put a lot of the onus on building engineers to comply with nonmandatory guidelines on sprinkler systems, alarms and fire exits.”
WPI Physics professor David Medich discussed the four-day international radiation protection forum at WPI. “Every type of medical imaging test has a purpose and, if not done properly, you will not get the information you need,” he said.
