In the News

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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

Worcester Business Journal

Over two months, WPI has received donations from seven individuals totaling $18.6 million. The donations will support capital projects, an endowment for a global project center, scholarships, and a faculty research fund.

Various news outlets reported on the inauguration of President Grace J. Wang, PhD. Wang told Spectrum News 1 she plans to further grow WPI as a technology and talent hub for the region.

In an interview with The Worcester Guardian, Wang expanded on WPI's potential to enhance the region's innovation economy.

WBUR, Boston's NPR News Station, also highlighted the inauguration in a roundup of stories in its local newscasts.

 

Spectrum News 1

Jean King, Peterson Family Dean of Arts and Sciences, talked with Spectrum News 1 about a WPI-led, National Institutes of Health-funded study of how artificial intelligence can fine-tune the effectiveness of mindfulness on chronic pain. 

Fortune

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a robotics engineer, and how you can become one? This Fortune Magazine article includes expertise and advice for people considering an education and a career in the field from Jing Xiao, head of WPI’s department of robotics engineering.

Worcester Business Journal

Research led by Yan Wang, William B. Smith Professor of Mechanical Engineering will receive $75,000 in funding from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Wang is developing a recycling process to recover valuable chemicals and metals from discarded solar panels.

Waste Advantage Magazine

A WPI research team working to tackle harmful algal blooms by creating 3D-printed floating structures which serve as photocatalysts was chosen for funding by the Environmental Protection Agency. The project will include students in mechanical & materials engineering and robotics engineering, Professors Pratap Rao and Markus Nemitz, and postdoctoral fellow Ceren Yilmaz Akkaya.

BestColleges

The changing demographic of leadership at the dean's level demonstrates that many institutions are sensing the winds of change and moving in accordance."  Debora Jackson, Dean of The Business School provided analysis for an article in BestColleges on the growing number of women leading business schools.

The Conversation

An article in The Conversation highlights research done by Stephanie Eccles of Concordia University with Elisabeth Stoddard, associate professor in The Global School. The research focuses on climate-related disasters and their impacts on animals, animal rescues, and animal welfare and the relationship between climate change and animal agriculture.

Inside the Corner Office

WPI President Grace Wang was a guest on the The New England Council’s “Inside the Corner Office” podcast. In her podcast appearance, Wang highlights WPI’s innovation in areas such as AI and robotics while also touting the university’s work around diversity and inclusion. She also shares her vision for WPI’s continued growth and discusses higher education’s role in advancing economic equity.

Bloomberg

 Mimi Sheller, dean of The Global School and mobilities researcher, provided analysis for this Bloomberg article on a new review that estimates the number of deaths, injuries, and other health and social impacts attributed to vehicles and driving

Hawaii Reporter

This article in Hawaii Reporter outlines many of the recent projects students completed on behalf of community-based nonprofits and government organizations through WPI's Hawaii Project Center. The students completed the work for their Interactive Qualifying Projects (IQP).

Orange County Register

Farnoush Reshadi, assistant professor of marketing, was interviewed by the Orange County Register in California about how consumers may respond to the potential for new approaches to pricing in the fast-food industry

BBC Sky At Night Magazine

BBC Sky At Night Magazine highlighted published research by a team led by MIT astrophysicist Sara Seager and her son, Max Seager, a junior at WPI, exploring the idea that the clouds above Venus could sustain the building blocks of life. 

BBC Radio 4

The Global School Dean Mimi Sheller was interviewed for BBC Radio 4’s Analysis program for an episode which explores the politics around driving, traffic policy, fuel taxes, and the political power of the motorist. Sheller, a scholar on mobilities, discusses the role of the vehicle in society, lifestyle, and identity; and how the pandemic changed some mindsets and behaviors around driving. 

BestColleges

“We're teaching the technology, but then we're helping students turn that into something that's going to make a difference in the world." The Business School Dean Debora Jackson discusses how WPI prepares future business leaders, in an article in BestColleges, a student resources website.

Boston 25

Climate change is challenging infrastructure like seawalls, drainage culverts, and wastewater systems. Carrick Eggleston, professor and head of WPI’s Department of Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering explains that extreme rainfall is happening more frequently in New England, and in some places, a storm that used to have a 1 in 100 chance of happening in any given year now has a 1 in 8 chance of happening in any given year. Learn more about the effects of climate change on infrastructure in this Boston 25 News report.

AFP (Agence France-Presse)

Wendy’s will test dynamic pricing, meaning products may cost more at times of peak demand and less in off-hours. Purvi Shah, associate professor of marketing in The Business School, analyzes the risk and potential reward for the company in this article from Agence France-Presse in Le Parisien 

Axios

“Consumers see surge pricing that is based on time as an unfair practice… however, small price changes often go undetected by consumers.” In this Axios article, Farnoush Reshadi, assistant professor of marketing in The Business School, discusses Wendy’s decision to test out dynamic pricing

WCVB

Alexander Wyglinski, professor of electrical and computer engineering and associate dean of Graduate Studies, was interviewed by WCVB-TV for analysis on the nearly day-long wireless network outage affecting cell phone customers nationwide.

Spectrum News 1

Alexander Wyglinski, professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and associate dean of Graduate Studies, provided analysis for Spectrum News 1 for its reporting on a wireless network outage that left tens of thousands of customers in the U.S. without the ability to make calls or send text messages.