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Longtime MythBusters Host Features Contributions of WPI Alum and Instructor in Development of Animatronic Grogu聽

cbwamback — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Adam Savage, former MythBusters host, has posted a new video on his Tested YouTube channel highlighting his project to design and build an animatronic Grogu (Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian).

Sutter in the Mandalorian costume he constructed, with the Grogu puppet he and Winchell created at WPI.

Collaborators on the project include Matthew Winchell 鈥?5, robotics engineering, and Ralph Sutter, senior instructor in the Interactive Media and Game Development program. In the video, Savage speaks with Winchell about Sutter鈥檚 3D design/digital sculpture of Grogu and Winchell鈥檚 work as an animatronics engineer on the mechanics, functionality, and control systems of the Baby Yoda replica.

Winchell and Sutter鈥檚 participation in the project has been years in the making. As a Star Wars fan, Sutter constructed a Mandalorian costume and a 3D model of Grogu to accompany it. As an incoming WPI student in 2021, Winchell reached out to Sutter to propose a collaboration to turn the digital sculpture of Grogu into an animatronic puppet. Together, they created one that could blink and make sounds, which Sutter uses at events like charity appearances.

Savage learned about the project and called on Sutter and Winchell to help him create his own animatronic Grogu with new features and advancements. Sutter adapted his 3D model for the project and Winchell has been working for much of the last year on the mechanics.

Sutter, who teaches courses including 3D art and animation, said the collaboration with Winchell demonstrates the scope of what鈥檚 possible with digital arts, pointing out that through cross-disciplinary work, a 3D design was adapted to bring a physical creation to life.

Sutter

鈥淭here is something magical and a power to translating digital designs into real-world objects,鈥?Sutter said. 鈥淚 hope this project inspires makers to collaborate and see the potential of seamless fusion of digital modeling, 3D printing, and tangible artistry.鈥?lt;/span>

As for collaborating with Savage, Sutter said, 鈥淲orking and sharing a passion with one of your childhood idols is kind of mind-blowing. I am geeking out, and I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 fully set in yet.鈥?lt;/span>

Tested is a YouTube channel, led by Savage, that explores the intersection of science, popular culture, and emerging technology. According to the platform, Savage plans additional videos about the ongoing project to build the animatronic Grogu.

2025 Arts & Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows Announced

abriggs — Tue, 13 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

The School of Arts & Sciences is pleased to announce the undergraduate students who were selected to receive summer research funding through the Summer Training in the Arts and Sciences (STAR), LaPre, Manning/Lesser, Spencer, or Neuroscience Fellowship programs. These fellowships were awarded to A&S undergraduate student to conduct summer research projects with a faculty advisor. We congratulate all award recipients.

Summer Training in the Arts and Sciences (STAR) Award Recipients

	Sophia Aikins-Hill Class of 2027 Major: Biochemistry Advisor: Christopher Lambert - Teaching Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
	Aaron Belikoff Class of 2028 Major: Computer Science Advisor: Raha Moraffah - Assistant Professor, Computer Science
	Grace Cao Class of 2026 Majors: Mathematical Sciences, Data Science Advisor: Zhongqiang Zhang - Associate Professor, Mathematical Sciences
	Phong Cao Class of 2027 Major: Computer Science Advisor: Fabricio Murai - Assistant Professor, Data Science
	Abigail Cieniawa Class of 2026 Major: Chemistry Advisor: Ronald Grimm - Associate Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
	Haley Day Class of 2027 Majors: Physics, Mechanical Engineering Advisor: David Medich - Professor, Physics
	Charles Dugaw Class of 2027 Majors: Interactive Media & Game Development, Computer Science Advisor: Karen Stewart - Assistant Teaching Professor, Interactive Media & Game Development
	Artem Frenk Class of 2026 Majors: Data Science, Computer Science Minor: Statistics Advisor: Roee Shraga - Assistant Professor, Computer Science
	Sunny Kang Class of 2026 Majors: Physics, Robotics Engineering Advisor: Rasia Trubko - Assistant Professor, Physics
	Mattan Mohel Class of 2027 Majors: Physics, Mathematical Sciences Advisor: Lyubov Titova - Professor, Physics
	Samin Nihad Class of 2027 Major: Data Science Advisor: Scott Barton - Associate Professor, Humanities & Arts
	Chloe Polit Class of 2027 Majors: Computer Science, Interactive Media & Game Development Advisor: Lane Harrison - Associate Professor, Computer Science
	Daniel Reynolds Class of 2027 Major: Computer Science Minor: Cybersecurity Advisor: Robert Walls - Associate Professor, Computer Science, Program Director, Cybersecurity

Neuroscience Fellowship Recipients

Elene Kajaia

Class of 2026
Majors: Computer Science, Robotics Engineering
Advisor: Jacob Whitehill - Associate Professor, Computer Science

Lucas Ramondo

Class of 2026
Major: Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
Advisors: Luis Vidali - Professor, Biology & Biotechnology, Min Wu - Associate Professor, Mathematical Sciences

Manning/Leser Fellowship Recipients

Luca Dang

Class of 2026
Majors: Computer Science, Mathematical Sciences
Advisor: Jacob Whitehill - Associate Professor, Computer Science

Madeline Gagnon

Class of 2026
Majors: Mathematical Sciences, Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
Minor: Computer Science
Advisor: Andrea Arnold - Associate Professor, Mathematical Sciences

Spencer Fellowship Recipients

Lillian Hanly

Class of 2026
Major: Biology & Biotechnology
Advisor: Lauren Mathews - Associate Professor, Biology & Biotechnology

Kavya Rajavel

Class of 2027
Major: Biology & Biotechnology
Minor: Psychological Science
Advisor: Karl-Frederic Vieux - Assistant Professor, Biology & Biotechnology

LaPre Fellowship Recipients

	Alexandra Cupit Class of 2028 Majors: Chemistry, Psychology Advisor: Shawn Burdette - Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
	Andrew Raymond Class of 2026 Major: Chemistry Advisor: Ronald Grimm - Associate Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
	Stasha Roganovic Class of 2026 Majors: Biology & Biotechnology Advisor: Luis Vidali - Professor, Biology & Biotechnology
	Victoria Turner Class of 2026 Majors: Biology & Biotechnology and Bioinformatics & Computational Biology Advisor: Scarlett Shell - Associate Professor, Biology & Biotechnology

Ludic Soundscapes: Music, Sonic Environments, and Video Games (Authors Unbound)

akgold — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Join us today (January 22) at 3pm for the first event in the Gordon Library's new author conversation series - Authors Unbound - in the Gordon Library Conference Room (Rm. 303)

In this informal program, Ludic Soundscapes: Music, Sonic Environments, and Video Games, co-editors Dr. Elizabeth Hambleton (Gordon Library), and Professor Kate Galloway (RPI), will share their experience creating their 2024 publication, Music and Sonic Environments in Video Games: Listening to and Performing Ludic Soundscapes (Routledge).

Light refreshments will be served.

We hope you can join us!

Computational Media PhD Student Darren Cole Co-Creates Year-Long Art Exhibit at St. Paul-Minneapolis Airport

ajdarling — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Computational Media PhD Student, Darren Cole, served as a co-creator for Star Seeds: The Stories Our Ancestors Leave Behind, a year-long art exhibit showcased on the walls of the St. Paul-Minneapolis Airport. > Read More.

WPI Honored as Leader in Field of Educational Development and GenAI

mlumsden — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

WPI is being recognized as leading the field in educational development around generative AI (GenAI). The POD Network, which is the premiere professional association for professional and organizational development in higher education, is awarding a WPI team the Robert J. Menges Award for Outstanding Research in Educational Development.

Kimberly LeChasseur (Morgan Teaching & Learning Center), Gillian Smith (IMGD), Yunus Telliel (HUA), and Geoff Pfeifer (DIGS) are being given the honor for their paper, 鈥?..But We鈥檙e Not Stochastic Parrots: CTLs Leading GenAI Pedagogy.鈥?The paper explores what it means to form inclusive GenAI educational development supports within institutions of higher education, rather than focusing exclusively on building technical knowledge and skills. The paper鈥檚 title is a reference to AI systems that parrot back human-like responses that may be convincing, yet ultimately are merely performative and lack authentic meaning.

The team has been behind much of the professional development at WPI on GenAI for teaching and learning, including the GenAI for Teaching and Learning microcourse, two Professional Learning Communities on GenAI, and several seminars and AI jam sessions. While analyzing what they were learning, the team generated a new framework for understanding where centers for teaching and learning fit into the university鈥檚 broader pedagogical ecosystem. The framework describes GenAI initiatives and interventions with a range of foci from technical to humanistic, as well as a range of scopes from depth (such as a master鈥檚 degree program in AI) to breadth (such as a university-wide undergraduate learning outcome on AI).

鈥淭he framework can be used as a tool to assess which types of GenAI initiatives are present within an institution鈥檚 pedagogical ecosystem and point to any gaps,鈥?says LeChasseur.

In addition to providing a professional community for educational developers, the POD Network serves as a leading voice on teaching and learning in higher education. The WPI team鈥檚 paper will be presented in Chicago at the 2024 annual meeting on November 13 and will be available on the POD Network website.

Algorave - Live Electronic Music & Art

ajdarling — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This Wednesday, October 2nd at 8PM, IMGD faculty and students will be performing in a free, all-ages event downtown. At Algoraves, performers take turns creating algorithmic music and visuals. Most performances consist of *live coding*, where the music and visuals are programmed live on stage, and the source code is projected for audience members to follow. We have four IMGD faculty and affiliated faculty (myself, Gillian Smith, Scott Barton, and Rodney DuPlessis), a WPI Computational Media PhD student (Darren Cole), and guest faculty from MIT performing next Wednesday at the Worcester PopUp, right off the main square downtown. Musical robots will make an appearance, along with lots of custom software developed here at WPI.

If you鈥檙e into strange music / art鈥攐r maybe even want to dance?鈥攃ome on by! Free entry, all ages very very welcome, and drinks will be available for purchase. Doors will open at 7:45.

WPI Researchers Publish Study on Mixed Reality in Industrial Workforce Training

jcain — Tue, 21 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

May 21, 2024

In a cross-disciplinary study recently published in the Journal of Chemical Education and featured on the May issue鈥檚 front cover, a team of WPI researchers from the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, and the Interactive Media and Game Development program developed a mixed-reality program to introduce flow chemistry tools to undergraduate students. The study is titled 鈥淔lowAR: A Mixed Reality Program to Introduce Continuous Flow Concepts.鈥?amp;nbsp;

Flow chemistry is an approach whereby chemical reactions occur in smaller volumes while flowing through a reactor when compared to the traditional approach of batch chemical reactions. Flow chemistry has a multitude of benefits including safety, investment savings, and green processing.

This study, led by Professor Robert Dempski, focused on comparing whether users could more readily assemble a continuous flow reactor using written instructions versus an Augmented Reality (AR)-based program, named FlowAR. The results showed that students who used FlowAR reported having a better training experience and enjoyed assembling the reactor more than students who used a traditional approach. This work shows that complex manual assembly of instrumentation can be more readily accomplished with a well-designed AR-based program. This is an exciting development to help train the workforce of the future.

Authors of the study include Lane Harrison, Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science; Andrew Teixeira, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering; No毛lle Rakotondravony, a PhD student in the Department of Computer Science; Max Chen, a PhD student in the Interactive Media and Game Development Program; Yichen (Claire) Li, a PhD student in the Interactive Media and Game Development Program; and Hilson Shrestha, a PhD student in the Department of Computer Science.

Foundations of Digital Games 2024 conference to be held at WPI

kjcrighton — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Foundations of Digital Games 2024 @ Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Foundations of Digital Games 2024, an international conference covering the spectrum of digital games research, will be held this year at WPI from May 21-24!

WPI's first-time hosting of this prestigious conference will coincide with the timely theme of 鈥淧laying Well, Together,鈥?lt;/span> under which FDG will run a schedule of keynotes, workshops, paper and abstract-only presentations, panels, posters of late-breaking short papers, a doctoral consortium, and a games and demos exhibition--all while hosting scholars and industry from around the world.

"Playing Well, Together"

Games are an international cultural phenomenon; this year's theme recognizes the unifying power of games and game playing and seeks to explore how games are made, appreciated, and create culture across the globe.

Tracks for FDG 2024 include but are not limited to:

Technical Game Development
Game Design, Studio Practices, and Novel Player Experiences
Game Analytics and Visualization
Game Artificial Intelligence
Game Criticism and Analysis
Games Beyond Entertainment
Games Pedagogy
Games and Demos
Workshops, including:
- Eudaimonia in Digital Games
- Game Research Software System Reuse
- Tutorial on Playable Citations
- Playful, Social, and Counter-Productive AI
- Procedural Content Generation
- Queer Play

About FDG

The Foundations of Digital Games (FDG) conference series seeks to promote the exchange of information concerning the scientific foundations of digital games, technology used to develop digital games, and the study of digital games and their design, broadly construed. The conference is held yearly in late Spring or early Summer, and attracts an international audience of 150-200 attendees. The focus of the conference is the presentation of papers describing novel research results. FDG is typically held in cooperation with one or more special interest groups of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and the proceedings of the conference from 2008 onward are archived in the ACM Digital Library.

The conference series was originally created by Kent Foster and John Nordlinger at Microsoft, and was known as the Microsoft Academic Days on Game Development in Computer Science Education (GDCSE). The research focus of GDCSE was education using (and about) computer game technology. In 2009, the conference changed its name to the Foundations of Digital Games, and expanded its scope to become a "big tent" computer games research conference, covering a spectrum of computer game research topics while retaining a strong interest in educational uses of games. In the run-up to the 2009 conference, Microsoft transferred ownership and organization of the conference to the Society for the Advancement of the Study of Digital Games (SASDG), a nonprofit corporation with an academic board of directors.

Past proceedings may be found through the ACM Digital Library's collection: FDG: Foundations of Digital Games.

A&S Graduate Student Conference Attendance Funding (Fall 2023)

raouellette — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000

The School of Arts and Sciences (A&S) offers awards to support conference attendance for students enrolled in A&S graduate programs. These awards are generously funded by the A&S Advisory Board. Funding is competitive and limited.

Deadline for Fall 2023 applications: September 26, 2023

(note: awards for conferences before September 26 will be considered)

APPLY HERE

Guidelines

All graduate students enrolled in a program within the School of Arts and Sciences are eligible to apply.
Students must be enrolled as a WPI graduate student at the time of the conference or other activity.
Students can apply for any upcoming virtual or in-person conference including regional, national, or international professional meetings.
To be eligible for an award, students must be giving an oral or poster presentation at the conference.
Students may apply for assistance through other WPI programs however receipt of other support may affect decisions for an A&S award.
There is no limit on the number of graduate students from a professor's research group that may apply but this may affect the award decisions.
Students receiving an award will be given up to $1,000 towards costs including conference registration and, if applicable, transportation, lodging, and poster printing. (Meals are not covered.) The faculty research advisor or Department/Program should fund any costs not covered by the award. The student should not be responsible for these expenses.
Students who receive awards will be given instructions on how to submit expense reports to the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences. Expense reports should be submitted within one month of completing the activity.

For questions, please contact Rebecca Ouellette at raouellette@wpi.edu or extension x4964.

Laurie Mazza Earns WPI's First MFA in Interactive Media and Game Development

jaquinnszcesuil — Mon, 08 May 2023 12:00:00 +0000

As WPI鈥檚 inaugural graduate of the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree program in Interactive Media and Game Development (IMGD), Laurie Mazza says merging technical and artistic approaches is the way of the future. And she鈥檚 more than happy to be on the leading edge of the untapped potential in technology鈥攑articularly when it comes to creating immersive and interactive experiences.

The MFA, a terminal art degree, is something that is helping Mazza push technology to its limits and experiment with,using it in new ways. Doing so, she continues building on a foundation of professional technical and artistic skills gained from her three other WPI degrees鈥攁 bachelor of arts degree in IMGD (鈥?8) and a bachelor of science (鈥?8) and a master of science degrees in computer science (鈥?2).

Mazza鈥檚 graduate advisor, Farley Chery, associate professor of teaching in IMGD, influenced her decision to pursue graduate studies at WPI after she spent time working in industry. She also credits WPI with shaping her style to be more adaptable. 鈥淚n the rapidly growing and changing field that I am in, it is crucial to be able to adapt my work and practices to match new standards,鈥?says Mazza, noting her MFA focus areas included creating interactive experiences, particularly utilizing Extended Reality (XR) technology, and technical art. 鈥淭hrough interdisciplinary coursework and hands-on experiences, I have learned to be open to new ideas, think critically, and apply my knowledge in different contexts.鈥?lt;/span>

Chery says the MFA has distinct benefits in a tech-focused school. 鈥?lt;/span>While the MFA uses science and the scientific method, we use it for expressiveness,鈥?he says. 鈥淚t isn't about proving a hypothesis. The technical focus is on how to get the most out of the tools to become the Leonardo Da Vinci of our time, by blending art, science, and technology.鈥?But the teaching mentorship aspect of the MFA program encourages students to explore creativity and leadership leading to entrepreneurial pursuits, he says.

That freedom to explore, both with individual pursuits and through the collaborative project-based work with teams of students, was essential to Mazza as a full-time graduate student. While earning her MFA, Mazza gained additional innovative and educational skills with work in WPI鈥檚 Intentional Design Studio and also as a teaching assistant and instructor for the Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs.

鈥淎chieving success in artistic practice is particularly meaningful to me,鈥?she says. 鈥淚t has demonstrated that technical skills and creative skills are not mutually exclusive and can be combined to create unique and innovative solutions. I hope that my achievement in this degree program will inspire others to explore their creative potential and contribute to various fields blending art and technology.鈥?lt;/span>

With her MFA, Mazza plans to continue to push creative bounds using technology as a tool. The approach, she says, lets her bring worlds that only existed in imagination to life鈥攁nd create a bridge between the two. Inspired by her own mentors, Mazza plans to pass her knowledge on, whether it is through a formal academic role or through professional mentoring. She believes strongly in using her knowledge and skills to inspire and educate others.

鈥淚 am proud to have been part of a program that recognizes the impact of the arts on technology,鈥?says Mazza, who is currently weighing career possibilities in the field. 鈥淚 look forward to a future where creativity and innovation are valued equally, and where the arts and technology are seen as complementary rather than mutually exclusive.鈥?lt;/span>

March Madness at WPI Seaport

creidy — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 12:00:00 +0000

WPI Seaport

March madness isn't just for basketball! The next few weeks at WPI Seaport are filling up with community activities ranging from fintech to games to startups.

Check-out the lineup for March 2023!

March 17th: Mass FinTech Hub Quarterly Meeting

Professors Rob Sarnie and Marcel Blais from the WPI Business School are keeping up to speed on the future of Fintech in MA by participating in the Mass FinTech Hub working group along with executives from Putnam, Fidelity, John Hancock, Fintech Sandbox, Mass Mutual, Universities, Mass Challenge, Mass Tech and many more! *please note, this is invitation only*

March 23rd: MassDigi Made in MA at PAX East 2023 Party!

MassDigi and WPI IMGD are kicking off PAX East with the annual Made in MA party where WPI, UConn and Clark students will showcase their games along with several games' studios.

Join a fun night of games with friends from across MA by registering here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/made-in-ma-at-pax-east-2023-party-tickets-523046234367

March 29th: WPI Chemical Engineering Graduate Organization Alumni Panel & Networking Event

The WPI Chemical Engineering Graduate Organization (CEGO) is hosting an event in collaboration with WPI Chemical Engineering Alumni and The Office of Life-Time Engagement to support current chemical engineering students in their future career paths. *please note, this is an invitation only event*

March 30th: WPI Startup and Fast Growth Showcase

The WPI 鈥?th Annual Startup and Fast Growth Showcase鈥?is back!

At this exciting event, 6-10 startups and fast growth companies will have the opportunity to provide a pitch presentation on their organization and will be given an hour to conduct speed interviews with WPI students followed by an open networking session with all attendees.

Event details and registration through Handshake https://app.joinhandshake.com/login

Join march madness at WPI Seaport by registering for any of the open events or join the line-up by booking a space and planning your own event!

To learn more about WPI Seaport, please visit our website or contact us at wpiseaport@wpi.edu

2023 Summer Training in Arts & Sciences Research (STAR) Program

abriggs — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +0000

The School of Arts & Sciences is pleased to announce that student applications are being accepted for the 2023 Summer Training in Arts & Sciences Research (STAR) Award program. These fellowship stipends will support current WPI sophomores and juniors who seek to conduct A&S research projects full-time for two months during the summer of 2023, with a faculty advisor. These awards are generously funded by the A&S Advisory Board. Funding is competitive and limited.

To be funded, students must propose research projects in one of the arts & sciences disciplines (this includes all majors and programs under the A&S departments, including robotics engineering).

STAR Fellows will participate in summer professional development workshops with other WPI summer undergraduate researchers, present a poster at a summer research showcase, and conduct a presentation as part of WPI鈥檚 Fall A&S Week.

Eligibility:

All current WPI sophomores and juniors who are pursuing a major in a department or program in the Arts & Sciences are eligible for these fellowships.

Deadline: APPLICATION SITE IS NOW CLOSED. We expect to inform students about the status of their application by the week of April 3.

Application Process:

Students should start by discussing their interests with potential faculty research mentors. Once the student has identified a research mentor and project, the student submits the following materials (PDF only please!) using the online application:

Brief description of the research project and how this work fits into your academic plan or career goals
Brief personal statement on your relevant experience (including course work, independent study, or projects that show your ability to work through open-ended questions)
Resume
Letter of support from faculty mentor for the proposed research project
Other supporting materials (optional, PDF only).
The brief descriptions of the proposed research project and the applicant鈥檚 relevant experience should each be limited to 500 words or fewer.

Award Details and Stipend:
This is a full-time appointment for two months (students will negotiate start and end dates with their mentor).
The stipend is $5000 total: $2500 paid at the end of June; $2500 paid at the end of July.

Questions? Please contact Rebecca Ouellette in the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences at raouellette@wpi.edu.

Call for Alumni Nominations!

jldaigle — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Hurry! Nominations Close October 28.

Each year, the WPI Alumni Association presents awards to deserving alumni in recognition of their professional achievements, service to the university, service to the Alumni Association, and service to their local communities. The 2023 award form is now open and the Citations Committee, chaired by Mark Macaulay '89, MS'94, is looking for nominations of alumni from classes ending in 3 or 8!

Learn more about the alumni awards at: wpi.edu/alumni/awards/about

Nominate a deserving alumna/us at: https://fs28.formsite.com/webteamwpiedu/alumni-award-nomination/index.html_gl=1*s0mlhx*_ga*MTg5NzQ3NjE2LjE2ODE5OTUwNDk.*_ga_RE35PKQB7J*MTY4MzcyNzkxNi45LjEuMTY4MzczMzg5NS41MS4wLjA.

The Citations Committee is chaired by Mark Macaulay '89, MS'94.

A&S Graduate Student Conference Attendance Funding (Fall 2022)

raouellette — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Deadline for Fall 2022 applications: September 6, 2022 (APPLICATION SITE IS NOW CLOSED)

The Dean鈥檚 office expects to offer another application date in Spring 2023; specific dates to be announced later.

Guidelines

All graduate students enrolled in a program within the School of Arts and Sciences are eligible to apply.
Students must be enrolled as a WPI graduate student at the time of the conference or other activity.
Students can apply for any upcoming virtual or in-person conference including regional, national, or international professional meetings. Priority will be given, however, to students who are giving oral or poster presentations.
Students should review carefully all guidance from the conference organization on the policies for canceling an in-person conference due to the pandemic.
Students may apply for assistance through other WPI programs however receipt of other support may affect decisions for an A&S award.
There is no limit on the number of graduate students from a professor's research group that may apply but this may affect the award decisions.
Students receiving an award will be given up to $1,000 towards costs including conference registration and, if applicable, transportation, lodging, and poster printing. (Meals are not covered.) The faculty research advisor or Department/Program should fund any costs not covered by the award. The student should not be responsible for these expenses.
Students who receive awards will be given instructions on how to submit expense reports to the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences. Expense reports should be submitted within one month of completing the activity.

For questions, please contact Rebecca Ouellette at raouellette@wpi.edu or extension x4964.

2022 STARs and DraftKings Scholars Announced

abriggs — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 12:00:00 +0000

The School of Arts & Sciences is pleased to announce the undergraduate students who were selected to receive a 2022 Summer Training in the Arts and Sciences (STAR) and 2022 DraftKings fellowship awards. STAR fellowships are made possible through the generosity of WPI鈥檚 Arts & Sciences Advisory Board and were awarded to A&S undergraduate student to conduct summer research projects with a faculty advisor. The DraftKings Fellowships are made possible by a generous gift from the DraftKings corporation to support work that elevates the impact of advanced research in information science and technology; each student also works with a faculty advisor. We congratulate all award recipients.

Summer Training in the Arts and Sciences (STAR) Award Recipients

	Lauren Abraham Class of 2024 Major: Biology & Biotechnology Advisor: Natalie Farny - Assistant Professor of Biology
	Abigail Boafo Class of 2024 Major: Science, Technology, & Policy Major: Computer Science Advisor: Crystal Brown - Assistant Professor of Social Science & Policy Studies
	Thomas Kneeland Class of 2024 Major: Computer Science Major: Humanities with focus in Music Advisor: Ben Young - Jazz History Database Director
	Daniel Larrabee Class of 2023 Major: Bioinfomatics & Computational Biology Minor: Chinese Studies Advisor: Scarlet Shell - Associate Professor of Biology & Biotechnology
	Cole Parks Class of 2024 Major: Robotics Engineering Major: Computer Science Advisor: Carlo Pinciroli - Assistant Professor of Robotics Engineering
	Rachel Swanson Class of 2023 Major: Chemistry Major: Chemical Engineering Advisor: Patricia Musacchio - Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry
	Camille Williams Class of 2025 Major: Mathematics Major: Physics Advisor: Vadim Yakovlev - Associate Research Professor of Mathematical Sciences
2022 DraftKings Award Recipients
	Sydney Gardner Class of 2023 Major: Interactive Media & Game Development Minor: Computer Science Advisor: Farley Chery - Associate Professor of Teaching of Interactive Media Game Development
	Allison Rozear Class of 2024 Major: Human & Machine Communications Advisor: Yunus Telliel - Assistant Professor of Anthropology & Rhetoric

Applications are Open: Strage Innovation Award - Deadline March 17th

jjones3 — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Strage Innovation Award

Application Deadlines Friday March 17^th, 2022

Strage Award established in 2005 through the generosity of Henry and Alberta Strage to help encourage WPI undergraduate students who are interested in innovation and turning new ideas into viable new projects or ventures. Students鈥?ideas are evaluated by a panel of judges. The award will be given annually. The prize amount is up to $5,000.

The objective of the competition is to develop student knowledge and practical experience in the translation of creative ideas into viable new products, ventures, or licensing opportunities. It may be given to an individual or team involved in submitting their commercial, philanthropic, or social venture ideas.

Application Requirements:

Submit the Intent to Participate Form
Submit written proposal
Selected finalist will prepare an presentation slide deck
Selected finalist will present on Competition Day

Judging Criteria:

Customer Need / Pain Point / Problem Definition
Solution / Approach to Solving Problem
Value (Benefits/Costs)
Competition / Alternatives
Technical Merit, Viability, Commercialization Strategy
Implementation Feasibility
Quality of Presentation and Clarity of Idea

For more information and to apply for the Strage Innovation Award, please visit our web page at Strage Innovation Award

2022 Summer Training in Arts & Sciences Research (STAR) Program

raouellette — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 12:00:00 +0000

The School of Arts & Sciences is pleased to announce that student applications are being accepted for the 2022 Summer Training in Arts & Sciences Research (STAR) Award program. These fellowship stipends will support WPI undergraduate students to conduct A&S research projects full-time for two months during the summer of 2022. These awards are generously funded by the A&S Advisory Board. Funding is competitive and limited.

To be funded, proposed research projects must be in one of the arts & sciences disciplines (this includes all majors and programs under the A&S departments, including robotics engineering). The selection committee will consider materials submitted by the student and the proposed faculty research mentor.

Important Note:

All summer research will need to be conducted in compliance with campus operation guidelines in place at the time the research will be conducted.

Eligibility:

All first-year, sophomore, and junior WPI students pursuing a major in a department or program in the Arts & Sciences are eligible for these fellowships.

Deadline:

Applications are due by March 21, 2022. (APPLICATION SITE NOW CLOSED)

Application Process

Applicants should start by discussing their interests with potential faculty research mentors. Once the student has identified a research mentor and project, the student submits the following materials (PDF only please!) using the online application:

Brief description of the research project and how this work fits into your academic plan or career goals;
Brief personal statement on your relevant experience (including course work, independent study, or projects that show your ability to work through open-ended questions);
Resume;
Letter of support from faculty mentor for the proposed research project;
Other supporting materials (optional, PDF only).

The brief descriptions of the proposed research project and the applicant鈥檚 relevant experience should each be limited to 500 words or fewer.

Award Details and Stipend

This is a full-time appointment for two months (students will negotiate start and end dates with their mentor).
The stipend is $5000 total: $2500 paid at the end of June; $2500 paid at the end of July.

Questions? Please contact Rebecca Ouellette in the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences at raouellette@wpi.edu.

Call for Alumni Nominations!

jldaigle — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Each year, the WPI Alumni Association presents awards to a select group of alumni in recognition of their professional achievements and their service to the university and the Alumni Association. The nomination form is now open! We are looking for outstanding alumni from classes ending in 2 or 7. You can learn about the categories HERE. Please submit nominations by Dec. 7 to be considered for this year's award cycle. For any questions, email alumni-office@wpi.edu

Call for Applications: Kalenian Award 2021

jjones3 — Thu, 06 May 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Kalenian Award Application Deadline on August 13^th, 2021

The Kalenian Award, established in 2006 through the generosity of Alba Kalenian in memory of her late husband Aram (Class of 1933), provides seed funds to support and advance the ideas and inventiveness of WPI students, faculty, and alumni.

Aram Kalenian was an inventor who had numerous useful ideas and reduced many of them to practice. The purpose of the Kalenian Award is to encourage similar innovation and entrepreneurship at any stage of development from the WPI academic community. The award's focus is to fuel the entrepreneurial spirit through annual funding of a single viable invention.

This award will be given annually. The duration of the award shall not exceed 18 months and will be a grant of up to $25,000. It may be given to an individual or group involved in the invention of a product in order to assist in the process of moving the invention toward commercialization. The award may be given to support innovative ideas or the development of commercial products. Ideally, the recipients should be either a part of an existing small business enterprise or in the process of trying to establish a small business. This is not a business plan contest. Many diverse and high quality proposals are received making it difficult to select one winner. Applicants may resubmit proposals if they do not win an award in the previous year.

Read the Application Guidelines (pdf) and keep the following deadlines in mind.

Intent to Compete Form is due no later than August 13^th, 2021
Three-page narrative is due no later than September 10^th, 2021鈥?lt;/strong>

Winners will be announced on October 6^th, 2021 at 4pm. Location to be determined.

For more information please visit the Kalenian Award Webpage

WPI and Becker Sign Agreement, Pathway for Interactive Media Students

jgrimes — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Dear WPI Community,

As you may have heard, following a vote of its Board of Trustees, Becker College has announced that it will end instruction at the end of the academic year. While we all know that these past several years have been a challenging time for higher education, it鈥檚 especially difficult when a college that鈥檚 closing is our neighbor鈥攁nd their students, faculty, staff, and alumni are our colleagues and friends.

In the true spirit of academia, many area colleges and universities have stepped in to offer help, including WPI. In fact, we have a distinctive way to help, in that we can provide a pathway forward for displaced students within Becker鈥檚 highly ranked Interactive Media programs through WPI鈥檚 longstanding Interactive Media and Game Development (IMGD) program. WPI and Becker have signed an agreement that provides these students an opportunity to complete their degrees at WPI. Specifically, this means:

WPI has offered to admit Becker鈥檚 rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in good academic standing within the Interactive Media programs鈥攊ncluding Game Art, Game Design, Game Development & Programming, Game Audio, and Game Production & Management鈥攊nto the degree program for WPI鈥檚 BA in Interactive Media & Game Development (IMGD). Other colleges have stepped up to offer pathways for these Becker students as well.

As required by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, we have mapped a curriculum pathway for these students. These will be simple transfers for any students in the Interactive Media programs who wish to enroll at WPI, and WPI will provide essential academic advising and support.

Students in other Becker majors will be welcomed to apply to transfer to WPI through our standard application process and deadlines.

The WPI website to help Becker students navigate their path forward is here.

WPI may also offer positions to Becker faculty and staff in the Interactive Media programs to help support the growth in programs at WPI. WPI is also working with those leading MassDiGI, the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute, which we have proposed be housed at WPI. Mass DiGI focuses on entrepreneurship, academic cooperation, and economic development across the Massachusetts games ecosystem.

As more information becomes available, we will keep you updated.

Stronger Together

WPI has been focused on building strength in the gaming area since 2004 when we launched one of the nation's first undergraduate degree programs, and over the years ours has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top majors for game design in the country. We have continued to invest in IMGD, launching a master of science degree in 2011 and more recently developing a robust art curriculum with the university鈥檚 first MFA.

Becker has been a leader in game design for more than a decade, and their program is ranked #2 in the nation. Should they choose to join us, Becker faculty and students will bring talent and expertise to WPI and IMGD.

Collaboration with the Becker community is nothing new for us; students and faculty from our IMGD program and Becker鈥檚 game program already work and develop games together, most notably on MassDiGI projects and co-hosting International Game Developers Association (IGDA) events. As is the case whenever there is an addition to a family, we will work towards managing the change for the WPI faculty and for students already enrolled at WPI鈥攁lthough, I鈥檓 delighted to report, I鈥檝e heard that our students have been unofficially encouraging their peers at Becker to join the Herd. The goal, as always, is to create an effective and meaningful experience for all.

I am confident we are doing the right thing for our current students, those we will welcome from Becker鈥攁nd for our larger community. WPI is filled with brilliant and kind problem-solvers who now have an opportunity to help our neighbor solve an important real-world problem. I thank you for your support and collaboration as we move forward together.

-Laurie

2021 Summer Training in Arts & Sciences Research (STAR) Program

raouellette — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 12:00:00 +0000

The Office of the Dean of Arts & Sciences is pleased to announce that applications are being accepted for the 2021 Summer Training in Arts & Sciences Research (STAR) Award program. These fellowship stipends will support WPI undergraduate students as they conduct A&S research projects during the summer of 2021. To be funded, proposed research projects must be in one of the arts & sciences disciplines (this includes all majors and programs under the A&S departments, including robotics engineering). The selection process will consider materials submitted by the student and the supervising faculty member.

Important Note:

All summer research will need to be conducted in compliance with campus operation guidelines. Students should propose how they will conduct their projects remotely but can include a plan to pivot to in-person research (if desired) as long as that is safe and allowable per campus operation guidelines in place at that time.

APPLICATION SITE IS NOW CLOSED. Applicants will be notified the week of March 29, 2021.

Application Process

Applicants should start by discussing their interests with potential faculty research supervisors. Once the student has identified a research advisor and project, the student submits the following materials (PDF only please!):

A brief description of the research project and how this work fits into your academic plan or career goals (include how you will comply with COVID safety guidelines;

A brief description of your relevant experience (including course work, independent study, or projects that show your ability to work through open-ended questions);

A resume;

A letter of support from the faculty advisor;

Other supporting materials (optional, PDF only).

The brief descriptions of the proposed research project and the applicant鈥檚 relevant experience should be limited to 500 words or less.

Notification

We expect notification of awards will be begin the week of March 29, 2021.

Award Details

This is a full-time appointment for two months.

All freshman, sophomores, and juniors are eligible for this program.

Stipend: $5000 total: $2500 paid the end of June; $2500 paid the end of July.

Questions?  Please contact Rebecca Ouellette in the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences at raouellette@wpi.edu.

WPI Celebrates Arts & Sciences Week 2020 October 5-10

jaquinnszcesuil — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 12:00:00 +0000

The School of Arts & Sciences will hold the third annual WPI Arts & Sciences Week from October 5 to 10, 2020. This year鈥檚 theme is Imagine, Innovate, and Impact 2.0 and will highlight activities related to the arts, social justice, and the humanities.

This week-long event offers the community opportunities to engage with each other and examine pressing current topics through open dialogue, participation in the arts, and exploring new areas of research.

A&S students, staff, and faculty are invited explore how deeply personal experiences, intricate scientific discoveries, and myriad artistic platforms and expressions have significant global repercussions. Arts & Sciences Week showcases the scholarship of A&S students and faculty and those affiliated with the work A&S does.

The campus community is invited to participate鈥攕ome events are listed below:

A&S Week Opening and Dean's Message

Virtual art gallery walk showcasing the submissions from Art and Creativity in the Time of COVID competition

Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Forum: A Reading by LaTanya McQueen

Critical Conversation Forum: Social Justice at WPI: Technology in the Public Interest

WPI Performance of Every Brilliant Thing

See the full schedule of events for A&S Week.

Application Open for A&S Graduate Student Travel Awards

raouellette — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 12:00:00 +0000

A&S Graduate Student Travel Fund

The School of Arts and Sciences (A&S) offers awards to support conference travel for students enrolled in A&S graduate programs. These travel awards are generously funded by the A&S Advisory Board. Funding is competitive and limited.

Deadline for Spring 2020 graduate travel award applications: March 16

NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 crises, review of applications for the A&S Graduate Student Travel Fund have been paused. WPI hopes to restart the review once travel restrictions are lifted.

APPLICATION

The Dean鈥檚 office expects to offer another application date in the Fall; specific dates to be announced later.

Guidelines

All graduate students enrolled in a program within the School of Arts and Sciences are eligible to apply.

Students must be enrolled as a WPI graduate student at the time of the conference travel.

You can apply for any conference-related travel including regional, national, or international meetings. Priority will be given, however, to students who are giving oral or poster presentations.

You may apply for travel assistance through other WPI programs however receipt of other support may affect decisions for an A&S travel award.

There is no limit on the number of graduate students from a Principal Investigator's group that may apply but this may affect the award decisions.

Students receiving an award will be given up to $1,000 towards travel costs including conference registration, transportation, lodging, and poster printing. (Meals are not covered.) The Principal Investigator or Department/Program should fund any costs not covered by the award. The student should not be responsible for these expenses.

Students who receive travel awards will be given instructions on how to submit expense reports to the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences. Expense reports should be submitted within one month of completing travel.

For questions, please contact Patricia Bergmann at pbergmann@wpi.edu or x4678.

PAX East this February!

adill — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 12:00:00 +0000

PAX East comes early this year! The event will be in Boston from Feb 27 until March 1. Registration will open soon.

Digital Worcester - Professor Joseph Cullon hopes to launch a version of the map this summer.

mcotnoir — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 12:00:00 +0000

The team behind Digital Worcester hopes that people will share their collections of photographs, documents - even oral stories - to help create the most comprehensive portrait of the city possible.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/03/how_a_new_website_from_the_wor.html

WPI Announcements RSS Feed

Longtime MythBusters Host Features Contributions of WPI Alum and Instructor in Development of Animatronic Grogu聽

2025 Arts & Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows Announced

Summer Training in the Arts and Sciences (STAR) Award Recipients

Sophia Aikins-Hill

Aaron Belikoff

Grace Cao

Phong Cao

Abigail Cieniawa

Haley Day

Charles Dugaw

Artem Frenk

Sunny Kang

Mattan Mohel

Samin Nihad

Chloe Polit

Daniel Reynolds

Neuroscience Fellowship Recipients

Elene Kajaia

Lucas Ramondo

Manning/Leser Fellowship Recipients

Luca Dang

Madeline Gagnon

Spencer Fellowship Recipients

Lillian Hanly

Kavya Rajavel

LaPre Fellowship Recipients

Alexandra Cupit

Andrew Raymond

Stasha Roganovic

Victoria Turner

Ludic Soundscapes: Music, Sonic Environments, and Video Games (Authors Unbound)

Computational Media PhD Student Darren Cole Co-Creates Year-Long Art Exhibit at St. Paul-Minneapolis Airport

WPI Honored as Leader in Field of Educational Development and GenAI

Algorave - Live Electronic Music & Art

WPI Researchers Publish Study on Mixed Reality in Industrial Workforce Training

Foundations of Digital Games 2024 conference to be held at WPI

Foundations of Digital Games 2024 @ Worcester Polytechnic Institute

"Playing Well, Together"

About FDG

A&S Graduate Student Conference Attendance Funding (Fall 2023)

Deadline for Fall 2023 applications: September 26, 2023

Laurie Mazza Earns WPI's First MFA in Interactive Media and Game Development

March Madness at WPI Seaport

Check-out the lineup for March 2023!

2023 Summer Training in Arts & Sciences Research (STAR) Program

Call for Alumni Nominations!

A&S Graduate Student Conference Attendance Funding (Fall 2022)

Deadline for Fall 2022 applications: September 6, 2022 (APPLICATION SITE IS NOW CLOSED)

2022 STARs and DraftKings Scholars Announced

Summer Training in the Arts and Sciences (STAR) Award Recipients

Lauren Abraham

Abigail Boafo

Thomas Kneeland

Daniel Larrabee

Cole Parks

Rachel Swanson

Camille Williams

2022 DraftKings Award Recipients

Sydney Gardner

Allison Rozear

Applications are Open: Strage Innovation Award - Deadline March 17th

Strage Innovation Award

Application Deadlines Friday March 17th, 2022

2022 Summer Training in Arts & Sciences Research (STAR) Program

Important Note:

Eligibility:

Deadline:

Application Process

Award Details and Stipend

Call for Alumni Nominations!

Call for Applications: Kalenian Award 2021

Kalenian Award Application Deadline on August 13th, 2021

WPI and Becker Sign Agreement, Pathway for Interactive Media Students

2021 Summer Training in Arts & Sciences Research (STAR) Program

Important Note:

APPLICATION SITE IS NOW CLOSED. Applicants will be notified the week of March 29, 2021.

Application Process

Notification

Award Details

Application Deadlines Friday March 17^th, 2022

Kalenian Award Application Deadline on August 13^th, 2021