Wake up and get ready for work.
Mary V.
Major/Minor
BS in Aerospace Engineering; Minors in Astrophysics and Computer Science
Completed Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) at the Tirana, Albania Project Center.
An IQP is often called life-changing by WPI students, requiring teams to delve into a problem that matters to real people.
Project
Mary traveled to the Albania Project Center with 23 other students to complete her IQP. Her project, which she collaborated on with three students from different majors, involved the production of a documentary about the Drin River in Albania, with the intent to raise awareness about the pollution problems it faces. The students approached the project through research, interviews with stakeholders, and collaboration with their sponsor, Water Supply and Sewerage Association of Albania (SHUKALB). The project culminated with the students collecting footage, editing it into a documentary, and adjusting the process based on feedback from viewers.
Reflection
Having never left North America before, Mary had the opportunity to experience and immerse herself in another culture firsthand through her IQP. Every day felt like an opportunity to experience something new, whether it be exploring a new section of the city, traveling to Albania’s rural and mountainous regions, or simply trying a new type of cuisine.
For Mary, the most valuable aspect of the IQP experience was working in a professional environment in a different part of the world. Not only did she gain the knowledge of how to work efficiently with a team on a long-term project, she also developed interpersonal skills through communicating with professionals from multiple countries and backgrounds, all of which she could never have experienced in a classroom.
Hometown
Albany, NY
Major/Minor
BS in Aerospace Engineering; Minors in Astrophysics and Computer Science
Project Advisor(s)
Professor Robert Hersh
Professor Peter Christopher
Project Sponsor
Achievements
- Managing the schedule and workload associated with a major and two minors, and maintaining Dean’s List throughout.
- Making new friends from all over the world through involvement in several co-curricular activities.
Aspirations
- Get an engineering position with a prominent company in the aerospace industry.
- Aspire to become an astronaut and travel to space.
Typical Work Week Schedule
Typical Weekend Schedule
Overlooking the city of Berat from the Berat Castle—a major attraction among tourists in Albania
Along the edge of the Osumi Canyon on a weekend excursion to the south-central region of Albania
Group photo while in the beautiful mountain region of Valbona in northern Albania during a weekend expedition away from the city
A weekend visit to the Berat Castle—a fortress overlooking the town of Berat in south-central Albania
Enjoying an evening of Albanian music and dancing at the Castle Park Hotel while on an outing to Berat
Enjoying a hike in the mountain region of Valbona in northern Albania
ExpoCity convention center where the Balkans Joint Conference was held at which the team’s documentary trailer was featured
Team photo at the Balkans Joint Conference—an annual event drawing participants from the Balkans water sector
Team interviewing stakeholders to gather information and raise awareness of their project at the Balkans Joint Conference
Team meeting with stakeholders in the SHUKALB conference booth—their project sponsor
Enjoying a trip to the Berat Castle on a weekend excursion three hours out of the capital city of Tirana