In the News

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.  

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WPI researcher provides expertise and context in The New York Times on AT&T data breach

“When you move your IT infrastructure to the cloud, suddenly you’re in a place that is shared with a bunch of other people, and it becomes much trickier… There are many more ways in which potential attacks can be done.”  Professor Patrick Schaumont in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering provided analysis for The New York Times on the AT&T breach involving the data of more than 100 million phone customers. He discussed the potential risks of shared IT infrastructure in the cloud. The article also appeared on MSN. He was also quoted on the national security concerns raised by the data breach in an article on CBS News that was posted on yahoo! News and AOL.

Read the report in The New York Times
Telegram.com
WPI researchers work to rid local lakes of harmful cyanobacteria

Pamela Weathers, professor of biology and biotechnology, and Pratap Rao, associate professor of mechanical and materials engineering, were interviewed by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette about the impact of algal blooms on local bodies of water. Rao and a team of graduate and undergraduate students received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to create 3D-printed floating structures designed to mimic natural objects that serve as photocatalysts, which have been shown to break down cyanobacteria and associated toxins.

Waste Advantage Magazine
EPA Awards Nearly $1.2M to Student Teams for Innovative Solutions to Environmental and Public Health Challenges

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.

Boston 25
WPI Engineers Create Wireless Oxygen Sensor for Sick Babies

Boston 25 reported on WPI researchers developing a sensor the size of a Band-Aid to measure a baby’s blood oxygen levels, a vital indication of the lungs’ effectiveness and whether the baby’s tissue is receiving adequate oxygen supply. This wearable device will be flexible and stretchable, wireless, inexpensive, and mobile - possibly allowing the child to leave the hospital and be monitored remotely.

Worcester Business Journal
WPI receives $3M to study human-robot workplace interaction

The Worcester Business Journal reported on WPI receiving $3 million from the National Science Foundation to study human-robot interaction in the workplace. Eight WPI researchers are involved: Cagdas Onal (principal investigator), Yunus Telliel, Jeanine Skorinko, Winston Soboyejo, Jing Xiao, Pratap Rao, Soussan Djamasbi and Jane Li. 

 

Worcester Business Journal
WPI, UMass Lowell team to support $111K in research

The Worcester Business Journal reported on WPI and the University of Massachusetts Lowell partnering to award more than $111,000 in seed funding to six different teams, focusing on work ranging from human-robot collaboration to cancer detection and rehabilitation for stroke patients.

Worcester Business Journal
A Holliston startup wants fuel cell vehicles across Massachusetts

The Worcester Business Journal quoted Assistant Professor Pratap Rao, mechanical engineering, on how technological advancements have dropped prices of hydrogen and made it more feasible to store hydrogen for fueling stations.