WPI Students Return from Intensive Research Projects

From WPI: The following local residents were among students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) who recently completed intense, hands-on research projects.

Brent Heavey of Hopkinton, Mass., a member of the class of 2018 majoring in robotics engineering, was a member of a student team that completed a project in Ecuador. The project was titled Advancing Community Engagement for an Ecuadorian Museum. In their project outline, the students wrote, "The goal of this project was to develop a plan that would increase the local community's awareness of and involvement with el Museo de las Conceptas, a religious museum in Cuenca, Ecuador devoted to the history of the attached monastery."

Shannon Moffat of Hopkinton, Mass., a member of the class of 2018 majoring in mechanical engineering, was a member of a student team that completed a project in New Zealand. The project was titled Te Papa Exhibition Renewal. In their project description, the students wrote, "This project aimed to provide recommendations to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa for its Natural Environment Zone renewal."

At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to address an important societal need or issue. About two-thirds of students complete a project at one of the university's more than 40 off-campus project centers, which are located around the world. A signature element of the innovative undergraduate experience at WPI, the project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people's lives-and make a difference before they graduate.

"The WPI project-based curriculum's focus on global studies brings students out of the classroom and their comfort zones and into the global community to apply their knowledge to solve real problems," said Professor Kent Rissmiller, interim dean of the WPI Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division. "Students are immersed in all aspects of a different culture, from the way people live and work to the values they hold to the foods they eat-all valuable perspectives for surviving and thriving in today's global marketplace. They also learn the meaning and magic of teamwork; make a real and meaningful difference in their host community; and gain a competitive edge for any resume, or graduate or professional school application."

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