Jessica D.
An IQP is often called life-changing by WPI students, requiring teams to delve into a problem that matters to real people.
Junior, BS in Civil Engineering

Project

For her IQP, Jessica was part of the 2017 Dark Sky Team, which assessed the feasibility of Bar Harbor applying to earn the status of an International Dark Sky Community (IDSC). The team found that Bar Harbor already meets nearly 50% of the IDSC guidelines, and worked with the town and Acadia National Park to determine what else Bar Harbor can do to get closer to meeting all guidelines and earning full IDSC status.

Reflection

To Jessica, the most valuable part of her IQP experience was seeing the importance of communication and teamwork in action. She and her team worked together to structure their project work, determine roles for each team member, and ultimately, make a positive difference in the Bar Harbor community.
Jessica D
Hometown
Providence, RI
Mentor/Advisor
Project Sponsor
Acadia National Park
Hometown
Providence, RI
Mentor/Advisor
Achievements
  • Contributing to a successful IQP.
  • Striving to be a good student role model while working hard to make the people around me feel welcome.
Achievements
  • Contributing to a successful IQP.
  • Striving to be a good student role model while working hard to make the people around me feel welcome.
Aspirations
  • Getting a job working in the field of civil engineering.
More about Jessica’s Project
More about the Bar Harbor Immersion

Typical Workweek Schedule

7:30 AM

Breakfast at the dining hall.

9:00 AM

Meet with my teammates to discuss our next steps.

10:00 AM

Head out into the field to collect data for light Inventory.

12:00 PM

Break for lunch.

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1:00 PM

Continue our work collecting data.

3:00 PM

Go back to campus and combine our data in the computer.

5:30 PM

Dinner at the dining hall.

8:30 PM

Meet up with the team back at the dorm.

9:00 PM

Head back out to take sky quality measurements.

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2:30 AM

Go to bed.

Typical Weekend Schedule

7:30 AM

Breakfast in the dorm.

8:00 AM

Spend a few hours working on my paper.

10:00 AM

Switch over to focusing on the presentation part of our project.

11:00 AM

Lunch in the dorm.

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12:00 PM

Start the afternoon working on light Inventory.

1:00 PM

Finish up some laundry.

3:00 PM

Go for a walk to Witch Hole Pond along one of Bar Harbor’s many trails.

5:00 PM

Dinner in the dorm.

6:00 PM

Explore more of Bar Harbor with another walk, this one along the Shore Path.

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7:00 PM

Shower before listening to music and relaxing.

11:30 PM

Go to bed.

Measuring the sky glow at the top of Cadillac Mountain with teammates during an evening of fieldwork

Enjoying a game of soccer with other WPI students on the campus of the College of the Atlantic where students lived

Documenting data captured on the sky glow on top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park

Relaxing with other students on the beautiful grounds of the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor

Gathering and preparing data during fieldwork at the top of Cadillac Mountain

Through the IQP, you learn to be flexible and to adapt to different situations and people.

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