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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.
President Leshin was noted in The Boston Business Journal article, "Inventing a University 'from Scratch': College Leaders Talk COVID-19", a virtual panel hosted by the Mass. High Technology Council. “We can move quickly and innovatively in higher ed — more than anyone thought,” Leshin said. “This moment has shown we can pivot quickly and that’s exciting,” she told the group.
The New York Times sought President Leshin’s insight for this article. (scroll down to 12th graph). “The fact is, the vast majority of the women and men serving in the Space Force will be doing their important work right here on Earth, just like other members of the military,” Leshin said. “The same is true for people at NASA.”
The Worcester Business Journal highlighted WPI’s PracticePoint ribbon-cutting event in its article, "WPI Marks Opening of New $17M PracticePoint Facility." PracticePoint is the university’s membership-based development and testing facility. The goal of this alliance space is to advance healthcare technologies and launch better medical cyber-physical systems, through collaboration across the spectrum of product development and implementation.
The Telegram & Gazette in this article, highlighted the university’s ribbon-cutting at PracticePoint, its membership-based development and testing facility. PracticePoint labs is a collaborative health care technology facility that university, state and business leaders hope will deliver breakthroughs in medical devices.
Robotics Business Review published an extensive story with photos of last week’s Robotics Engineering Research Symposium at WPI. The story includes comments from WPI President Laurie Leshin and WPI alumnus Mathew DeDonato ’09, who is now a manager in the vehicle hardware group at Toyota Research Institute. President Leshin called WPI’s robotics program “an incredible model for higher education.”
New England Cable News interviewed President Leshin about WPI alum Robert Goddard, known as the father of modern rocketry. “He was driven, he was a visionary, and he was not going to stop until he figured out how to get us beyond Earth,” Leshin told NECN, which aired a retrospective Saturday morning and evening, noting Goddard’s link to the university. The piece also included footage of the campus building where Goddard worked.
NBC Boston 10 interviewed President Leshin as part of its look at alum Robert Goddard’s links to Worcester and the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11. “When you’re visionary and when you really believe in an idea, you’ve got to keep working at it and see it through. I’m only sad that he didn’t live to see the Apollo astronauts walk on the moon,” Leshin told Boston 10 about Goddard, considered the father of modern rocketry.
In an interview aired on Boston 25 news, President Leshin said more discoveries await on the moon’s surface. “Imagine exploring the Earth by only touching six different places on its surface,” she said. “We wouldn’t really have a full understanding of our own planet. The most important thing we’ll learn by going back to the moon is how to live permanently off our planet.” This month marks 50 years since the Apollo 11 moon landing.
For this article, The Boston Globe interviewed President Leshin who recounted how Sally Ride was the impetus behind her realizing that she, too, could have a job in the U.S. space program. Ride was the first American woman in space. “Now it’s really important to know about all the hands and minds that made Apollo successful,” Leshin also told The Globe. “We need that diversity, and we need people to see themselves in space exploration because we’re going to need all of them to succeed in the future.”
This article headlined the Worcester Business Journal highlighting how the university is receiving the funding for an initiative with Quinsigamond Community College to develop and run a curriculum for Greater Worcester public school students. President Leshin praised the initiative of bringing together public and private partners along with higher education. "When these three sectors can come together effectively, powerful things can happen," Leshin said.
The Boston Globe covered yesterday’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first man to the moon, held at the JFK Library. The celebration featured astronaut Michael Collins, the command module pilot on Apollo 11, Caroline Kennedy, and Jeff Bezos, among others. The Globe quoted President Laurie Leshin, who attend the event, and who formerly served as a NASA official. "Are we alone in the universe? Is there a more profound question that we as scientists can ask?" she said during a panel discussion.
The New York Times featured WPI’s study abroad program, including students in Albania, Singapore and Kyoto, in this article. “This is about solving an open-ended problem in an entirely different culture, in an entirely different location without friends and family,” President Leshin told The Times, which referred to study abroad as a “boots-on-the-ground” experience with challenge and purpose.
This Inside Higher Ed article featured work by WPI faculty and administration to clarify the university’s faculty promotion guidelines to better support associate professors and offer options that go beyond traditional research paths.
WBZ radio interviewed WPI graduate Jared Grier, who suffered a spinal injury at the end of his freshman year but was determined to finish his degree. Grier said he was eager to get back to WPI after the injury: “This is where I’m supposed to be. A lot of my motivation was from not wanting to lose what I already achieved,” he told WBZ.
WPI graduate Jared Grier, who suffered a spinal injury at the end of his freshman year but was determined to return, was interviewed by WCVB-TV after commencement, where he received his degree in mechanical engineering.
Worcester News Tonight covered the Stigma Free app, designed by WPI students, which will help people battling addiction and other struggles anonymously. The City of Worcester and WPI students teamed up to get the app off the ground.
The Telegram & Gazette quoted President Leshin and highlighted WPI students’ collaboration with the city on a new app that provides help for those needing substance abuse recovery, mental health support and housing services. “There are a lot of challenges and stigmas,” Leshin told the T&G. “If we can take down a barrier just a little bit and reduce a stigma by just a little bit, the impact to the community could be tremendous.”
NBC Boston reported on WPI announcing its partnership with the Worcester Red Sox whereby the university will be the official academic technology advisor to the team, helping the club design and develop what will be known as Polar Park. It is expected to open in 2021.
MassLive reports WPI will be the official academic technology advisor of the Worcester Red Sox, helping design and develop the forthcoming Polar Park. The announcement was made at a press conference attended by officials from the university and team.
