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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.
Referring to him as a “leader in haptic technology,” the American Society of Mechanical Engineers featured Cagdas Onal, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, in the article. “Many potential applications exist, including prosthetic/orthotic devices, wearable technologies, robotic collaborators/assistants, elder care, and systems that augment human performance,” Onal said.
Biology and biotechnology assistant professor Robert J. Gegear wrote an op-ed in the Telegram & Gazette in which he stresses that bumblebee decline has detrimental effects on our ecology and notes differences between bumblebees and honeybees, which were the subject of a prior editorial.
USA Today interviewed Alexander Wyglinski, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, for the lead article in its Tech section. Commenting on sound waves generated by technology able to generate enough power to keep multiple devices running, Wyglinski said, “in general, just like with any other signal, there’s an issue with it getting weaker the farther away it travels from the transmission source.”
The Telegram & Gazette, interviewed Yanhua Li, assistant professor of computer science and data science, for the article, "WPI researcher aims for a better, cheaper commute." He’s developing an idea for a new kind of transit system, CityLines, inspired by airlines and built for urban areas.
This Reuters’ article included comments from Susan Landau, professor of cybersecurity policy. In the article, Landau stated that “the new bill was an effort to put the process ‘into civilian control.’”
Referring to her as “the first lady” of WPI, CBS Boston/WBZ-TV reported on 86-year-old Audrey Carlan ’57, who received an honorary doctoral degree during the university’s Graduate Ceremony yesterday, where nearly 800 master’s and doctoral degrees were awarded. Although she received the first degree awarded by WPI to any woman—15 years before the first female undergraduates were awarded degrees—she did not attend commencement because she was more than eight months pregnant.
This story features WPI-developed prosthetic technology. The work is aimed at providing better prosthetics options for injured soldiers and others with transradial amputations who have found it difficult or impossible to perform a wide range of daily tasks with current one-degree-of-freedom hand-wrist prostheses.
Mike Gennert, director of WPI’s Robotics Engineering program, discusses some of the challenges faced by companies and IT departments using industrial robots.
Worcester Magazine profiled WPI’s Camp Reach and its proven results of getting young women interested in engineering. “In terms of what we know about research on girls and the way students behave differently in teams, there are just different ways that boys and girls approach problems and the way they’ll approach work in a teamwork setting,” said Sue Sontgerath, WPI’s director of pre-collegiate outreach.
Fox 25 News aired a feature about an afterschool program at the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science (located at WPI), during which high school juniors and seniors construct 3-D prosthetic hands for children in other countries. The prosthetic hands built by these students cost about $35 in material, a fraction of the cost for prosthetics from hospitals and other providers.
Worcester News Tonight interviewed WPI Police Officer Brian Lavallee and K-9 Bella for a story in its 6:00 and 10:00 newscasts Thursday Night focused on Bella’s upcoming work at the Boston Marathon.
Michael Gennert, professor and director, robotics engineering, was quoted in this article. "It’s very much a different mindset than traditional IT,” he said. “Robots affect the real world. That brings issues IT managers have not had to confront.”
WPI received a $5 million state grant for a new healthcare research and product development initiative. The new center, PracticePoint at WPI, will be established at the college's Gateway Park.
A recent WGBH broadcast featured students at the Mass. Academy of Math and Science who 3D print prosthetic hands for people in developing countries, free of charge. The students are part of a group called e-NABLE, which is comprised of volunteer designers and engineers from all over the world.
WGBH featured the WPI-related segment interviewing Glenn Gaudette, professor of biomedical engineering, and grad student Joshua Gershlak, on growing heart tissue on spinach.
The New York Times quoted WPI’s Jeanine L. Skorinko, associate professor of psychology. She told The Times, that people, especially Americans, prefer more distance between themselves and strangers and would rather take the stair below them or walk past them. “This is why people put bags on seats next to them on the train so people don’t sit next to them,” she said.
National Geographic features a WPI research team that has learned how to grow heart cells on spinach leaves. The stripped down spinach becomes a vascular network to deliver blood, oxygen and nutrients to grow human tissues like cardiac muscle to treat heart attack patients.
National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” program profiles the WPI-developed Flame Refluxer, a novel technology that can greatly accelerate the combustion of crude oil floating on water, minimizing the environmental impact of future oil spills. “The coils collect the heat from the flame and they transmit it through the copper blanket,” Ali Rangwala, associate professor of fire protection engineering, explained to NPR. He and a team of researchers developed the Flame Refluxer.
