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.
Covid Obstacles Abound, but Colleges Can Successfully Recruit for Fall 2021
Andrew B. Palumbo, dean of admissions and financial aid, was interviewed for The Chronicle of Higher Education article. “The playbook goes out the window,” he said. “It’s a scary thing on one hand, but it’s also somewhat refreshing. It opens us up to innovate.”
Video Friday: Robotic Third Hand Helps You With Elevators, Handshakes
IEEE Spectrum recapped President Leshin’s interview with a high school student as part of a series by MassRobotics “How to Be a Robotocist.” (scroll down to Robotics Debate subhead, 3:59 mark).
CRASH COURSE: Terms Like 'De-densification' are Becoming De Rigueur in Back-to-Campus Plans
President Leshin was interviewed for the Boston Business Journal. she describes the impact on college and university presidents of having to make decisions on how to approach the Fall semester/term.
Interview with Laurie Leshin, President of WPI
President Leshin, President Laurie Leshin, who serves as the higher education representative on the advisory board Gov. Charlie Baker established to plan for the state's economic reopening, was interviewed on the podcast AICUM Insight (Association of Independent Colleges & Universities in Mass.). She spoke about, among other things, the difficult issues colleges and universities face during the pandemic. “I think our job in this moment is just to be as transparent as we can possibly be. If we’re going to have communities back together…it’s our job to continue to work to stop the spread of this virus,” she said.
WPI's President on How Reopening Higher Ed May Look
New England Cable News featured an interview with President Leshin. ”I think every campus across the commonwealth is making plans that will allow them to reopen and also plans in case they cannot,” she said.
Worcester Colleges Call for Systematic Changes in Wake of George Floyd Killing
The Worcester Business Journal included President Leshin’s thoughts in this article, (scroll up to 3rd article from bottom). “The protests of the past few days, ignited by the killing of George Floyd, but truly fueled by the continued targeting, demonization, and abuse of black people across our country, highlight legitimate anger, which I share,” Leshin wrote. “The uprising we’re now seeing points to the significant work we still have to do as a society to confront and eliminate racism. I stand with those who are outraged at the senseless loss of black lives.”
WPI Researchers Use Mice to Identify Drugs Which Reduce Size of Breast Cancer Tumors
Provost Wole Soboyejo appeared on Spectrum News 1 discussing his research in identifying targeted drugs that reduced the sizes of hard-to-treat breast cancer tumors in mice without inducing the toxic side effects that are typically associated with conventional chemotherapy.
WPI President Talks About Space Launch
“It’s a thrilling and exciting day, and I wish them Godspeed,” President Leshin told NBC Boston over the weekend as SpaceX launched astronauts into orbit. Leshin used to work at NASA where, 10 years ago, she was involved in overseeing the commercial program which gave the very first funding to SpaceX to create the rocket.
Sylvester Manor Windmill Tilts Toward the Future to Harness the Wind for Energy
The Shelter Island Reporter covered the work WPI students Carly Campbell, Anna Carriero, Alaa Hassan, Brandon Weyant and Georgianna Wood, all of the Class of 2020, did during their MQP at Sylvester Manor Educational Farm. The students designed a modern wind energy system to augment the farm's windmill and its future energy production potential.
As I See It: Balancing Work and Life Also Balances Me
Angela Rodriguez, assistant professor in the Social Science and Policy Studies department, wrote an account for the Telegram & Gazette's "As I See It" section on how our culture can more positively reshape its portrayal of the working mom and work-life-balance – especially while in a pandemic.
The Steps Needed to Safely Reopen Colleges and Universities
President Leshin had an Op-ed published in The Boston Globe.
Proposed Plan for Reopening College Campuses
President Laurie Leshin discusses a proposed framework for a safe reopening of colleges and universities in Massachusetts.
The Power 50, Class of 2020
President Leshin and Michelle Jones-Johnson, vice president for talent and inclusion and chief diversity officer, were among the Worcester Business Journal’s honorees in its compilation of The Power 50 for 2020. The annual Power 50 issue “gives us an opportunity to really examine who wields influence in the Central Massachusetts economy, understand who is making power moves and their reasoning for doing so,” the article stated.
WPI President Featured in Virtual Robotics Seminar
President Leshin’s involvement in a virtual seminar on robotics was featured in The Telegram & Gazette’s College Town section (scroll down to third item). The four-part “Robot Stories” series was broadcast by the Innovation Institute at the Mass. Technology Collaborative and MassRobotics.
Lives Lost: An Unassuming Maestro of Sunday Soundtracks
The Associated Press profiled the life of Joe Policelli, 71, who was an adjunct professor in arts and sciences at WPI for 25 years.
Local College Graduations Celebrated Virtually
Spectrum News 1 Worcester aired a segment about President Laurie Leshin’s video to the Class of 2020. The University released the video on Saturday which would have been the Undergraduate Commencement day.
College Board Changing how AP Test-Takers can Submit Answers after Complaints of Botched Online Exams
The Washington Post included comments from Andrew Palumbo, dean of admissions and financial aid, regarding AP exams in this article (12th graph).
WPI Receives $200K Grant to Study College Student Pandemic Stress
The Worcester Business Journal reported on WPI receiving a $199,999 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study how the novel coronavirus global pandemic is affecting stress in college students and their ability to learn in remote settings.
WPI Receives Grant to Study Student Stress and Remote Learning
WBUR spoke with Shichao Liu, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, about his work on how the novel coronavirus global pandemic is affecting stress in college students and their ability to learn in remote settings.
New Programs: Sports Media, Public Service Leadership, Data Science, Physician Assistants, Mental Health, Health-Care Management, Business Analytics
Inside Higher Ed noted WPI’s launching of a master’s in business analytics degree in this segment.