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Wildfire research at WPI
The devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area exemplify the dangers of wind-driven fires in inhabited areas. WPI’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering is leading research designed to understand how fires spread with the goal of contributing to measures that can better protect communities and firefighters.
WPI’s experts in this field include those who are part of the National Science Foundation’s Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center, a collaboration with San Jose State University, to study new fire detection methods, first responder safety, and wildfire suppression systems.
WPI’s research, which involves faculty and ongoing experiments conducted by students in a state-of-the-art wind tunnel on campus, was featured by several media outlets including The Boston Globe, WCVB, NBC 10 Boston, NECN, and Spectrum News 1.
The Associated Press also interviewed James Urban, an assistant professor of fire protection engineering, for an article that helps explain how firebrands, or flying embers, contribute to the spread of wildfires. The AP also interviewed Urban and visited campus to observe fire laboratory experiments for its coverage explaining how fire whirls, or fire tornadoes, can develop in large fires like those occurring in the Los Angeles area. Their experiments were photographed and featured in an AP article, "Fire tornadoes pose a threat in California. A fire lab shows how they work" and in an AP video.
Professor Urban also spoke with WPTF, a news radio station in Raleigh, NC, about how wind and drought factored into the California fires, and about wildfire prevention.
Mahamadou Lamine Sagna, associate professor in the department of social science and policy studies, authored an essay in The Conversation that remembers and pays tribute to the Senegalese intellectual and politician Amadou-Mahtar M’Bow, who headed the UN's cultural agency, UNESCO, for 13 years.
Purvi Shah, associate professor of marketing, is quoted in this article on the career development website Zippia about the skills needed for a career in interactive marketing.
Donald Gelosh, from the systems engineering department, is quoted in this article on the career development website Zippia about some of the responsibilities and expectations of systems engineers.
This article highlighting the potential uses of bamboo in fighting climate change features ongoing studies by an interdisciplinary group of WPI researchers who have shown that bamboo can be converted into ethanol fuel, providing the potential for fossil fuel reduction through a ball milling process that does not generate any new chemical wastes.
Roger S. Gottlieb, the William B. Smith Professor of Philosophy, provided analysis for a WalletHub article on the most livable places for people with disabilities. He addressed the challenges faced by people with disabilities and the programs and policies that have been effective in improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
“Prolonged or widespread port strikes across multiple U.S. ports would erode business confidence in the country's supply chain reliability.” Sara Saberi, associate professor of operations and industrial engineering in The Business School, provided analysis for Inside Supply Management Weekly on the effects of the strike by 45,000 dockworkers at ports from Texas to Maine.
James Urban, assistant professor in Fire Protection Engineering, talked with the Telegram & Gazette about using a federal grant to test his forest-fire research at the International Space Station.
John Sanbonmatsu, associate professor of philosophy, talked with The New Republic about often-overlooked environmental impacts of animal agriculture and the fishing industry in an article about the challenges of adopting a vegan lifestyle.
WPI senior Nolan Warner, a biology and biotechnology major and tight end on the football team, underwent a stem cell donation procedure to help a one-year-old boy. Warner is the third WPI football player to donate stem cells through the "Get in the Game" initiative that educates college football players and campus communities on the ability to save lives through bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants.
An article in BestColleges explores how business schools at universities and colleges are incorporating artificial intelligence into curriculum. It highlights WPI's AI master's degree program and the cross-university collaborations that are a key element of it.
John McNeill, the Bernard M. Gordon Dean of the School of Engineering, and Oli Qirko, the North American president of Cambridge Consultants, Inc. and member of the advisory board for the School of Engineering, authored this op-ed regarding ways employers in STEM industries can foster inclusion and build the demand for women scientists and engineers. The piece also explores how project work, like WPI's educational model, serves as a successful example of best practices. The piece was published in PE Magazine, the flagship publication of the National Society of Professional Engineers.
The first of its kind program in the United States is designed amid growing concerns about fire and explosion risk posed by manufacturing facilities and advancing technologies like electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells.
Joe Sarkis, professor of management in The Business School at WPI, talked with Marketplace about the latest manufacturing data in a radio interview broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the country.
“WPI is making contributions to global efforts around sustainability, climate adaptation, social equity and global health.” Mimi Sheller, dean of The Global School, discusses the global impact of WPI faculty and students; and the dynamic environment and cross-institutional collaboration generated by Worcester’s colleges and universities.
Worcester is home to a thriving gaming industry. Livability reports on how the Massachusetts Digital Game Institute, based at WPI, and our interactive media and game development program are helping students enter the field and innovate.
A team of computer science and data science students developed a smartphone app, in partnership with the EcoTarium, designed to make visiting the outdoor museum a more robust, independent, and accessible experience for people with visual impairment.
Kwamie Dunbar, associate professor of finance and director of WPI’s financial technology programs, provided analysis for a Techopedia article about stablecoins. He addressed some of the reasons behind the increased adoption of this form of cryptocurrency, the potential benefits of using stablecoins in cross-border payments, and remaining hurdles to more widespread use.
A new transfer agreement with Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) aims to create a smooth pathway for MWCC students to continue their education in STEM fields at WPI.
Bioengineer.org wrote about a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation that Kyumin Lee, associate professor of computer science, and Renata Konrad, associate professor at The Business School, will use to develop technology and data analysis that will deter illegal wildlife trafficking.
Erica Brozovsky, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Humanities & Arts, authored a piece for The Mozilla Blog that outlines some of the interesting backstories behind commonly used words and phrases related to the internet.
