In the News

WPI was included in the Worcester Business Journal editorial for offering to help displaced students within Becker College’s Interactive Media program. WPI and Becker have signed an agreement that provides these students an opportunity to complete their degrees at WPI.

Provost and Senior Vice President Wole Soboyejo was quoted in the News Ghana article on a memorandum of understanding signed by WPI and Academic City University College for academic collaboration to implement an accelerated master’s degree and exchange programs.

Professor Joseph Sarkis, Foisie Business School, was quoted in an article by the New England Innovation Academy (NEIA) on WPI’s signature project-based curriculum, the Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP). A group of WPI juniors teamed up to complete an IQP involving sixth-grade curriculum at the NEIA, which served as project sponsor.  “The WPI IQPs serve many purposes and were designed as such. We seek to allow the students leeway in the paths they wish to link theory and practice. As advisors, we may provide general guidance, but students need to plan the project and execute it,” Sarkis said.

WBZ-CBS Boston reported on WPI’s move to no longer consider SAT or ACT scores in its admission process. The change to fully “test-blind” admissions will begin with the Fall 2021 application cycle and supports WPI’s mission of expanding access to a high-quality STEM education to all students.  WBZ quoted President Leshin in its report appearing on the station’s website. “I’m proud that WPI is one of the very first STEM universities to fully eliminate the test score barrier,” Leshin said. “WPI’s immersive project-based approach to STEM education engages students in solving real problems around the world, and our most successful students are those with drive, curiosity, and passion—factors that no standardized test can measure.

Mike Gennert, professor of robotics engineering; Carlo Pinciroli, assistant professor of robotics engineering; and Ashay Aswale, a PhD student in robotics engineering, were featured in a TV segment describing their participation in the NASA-sponsored Space Robotics Challenge. About a dozen undergraduate and graduate students have made measurable contributions in the competition.

President Laurie Leshin was interviewed by NECN about the successful landing of NASA’s Perseverance Rover on Mars. As a former NASA administrator, Leshin discussed the importance of this mission for the future of space exploration.

Andrew Palumbo, assistant vice president for Enrollment Management  & Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid, appeared in a story in about the impact of test-optional admissions processes on creating a more diverse campus. In the story, Palumbo noted that WPI has stopped awarding financial aid based on student test scores and has withdrawn from the National Merit Scholarship program. “We redirected those dollars to go back to need-based aid,” Palumbo said.

President Leshin was noted in The Telegram & Gazette’s College Town section, “College Presidents Decry Jan. 6 Riots.”

Nearly 80 media outlets, reported on research projects led by Michael Timko, associate professor of chemical engineering; Aaron Deskins, associate professor of chemical engineering; and Nikolaos Kazantzis, professor of chemical engineering, that explore finding applications for nitrogen-rich waste products and converting marine plastics into ship fuel.