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A Q&A with Stan Horton, WPI鈥檚 Director, Equal Opportunity & Outreach and Title IX Coordinator

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

Recently we sat down with Stanley (鈥淪tan鈥? Horton, EdD, WPI鈥檚 Director, Equal Opportunity & Outreach, and Title IX Coordinator to talk about his experience, his role at the university, and his goals within Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) and Title IX. Horton joined WPI in September of 2022 as Director of Title IX in support of the university鈥檚 strategic work to foster an equitable and positive living, learning, teaching, and working environment free from sex- and gender-based discrimination. In September of 2024, Talent & Inclusion brought together the Title IX and non-discrimination functions serving WPI faculty and staff, and Stan鈥檚 role was expanded to oversee WPI鈥檚 proactive efforts to engage employees in DEIB learning and professional development and community building. Bwann Gwann, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, will collaborate with Stan in this new structure.

Stan, what excites you about the recent expansion of your role?

I鈥檓 excited about the learning and development aspect of my new role, which takes a proactive approach compared to my work in Title IX, which has some proactive, preventative aspects, but is largely focused more on compliance and processes. In my first year at WPI, I prioritized advancing Title IX efforts, which led to expanding into equal opportunity, outreach, disability, and accessibility in my second year. Now with this new role, I have the amazing opportunity to work with employees here at WPI across all functions and identities and be more proactive about creating a learning and development strategy that fosters greater employee engagement and a strong and sustained sense of belonging.

What does Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging mean to you personally?

DEIB awareness feels natural to me, shaped by my upbringing in a diverse family. My father is Irish and English, and my mother is Spanish/Puerto Rican. I grew up in upstate New York; my parents divorced when I was six and my mother chose to keep the last name Horton instead of returning to her maiden name Jimenez to avoid the stigma she felt around having a Spanish surname. Although I understand why she made that decision, it saddens me that she felt it was necessary鈥攁nd that many Latinos still feel this today. While some progress has been made, much remains unchanged, which is why this work is so important to me.

You bring a lot of experience, both personal and professional, to your role. What aspects of your background or identities will help you work towards furthering a sense of belonging and connection here at WPI?

I was born with a physical disability, which is visible and not something I could hide; it鈥檚 something I navigate daily along with others' perceptions of it. While this used to be challenging, I鈥檝e learned to embrace it and now encourage people to engage with me about it, rather than seeing me as different. I appreciate genuine curiosity, as I believe open conversations can help others share their own visible or invisible identities.

I also struggled with my LGBTQIA+ identity, an identity I could hide, until I came out at 28. Finding a community of LGBTQIA+ individuals allowed me to feel a sense of belonging and embrace my full self. These experiences taught me the importance of shared identities, creating inclusive spaces and a deep sense of belonging and showed me how to adapt physically, mentally, and emotionally to life's challenges.

In your role, you are responsible for building and delivering innovative practices that align with WPI's five values: respect, community, inclusion, innovation, and achievement. Which of these values resonates with you most in your role and why?

Inclusive excellence and fostering belonging are strategic imperatives for the university, but they鈥檙e also just common sense. Our employees spend much of their time here, and if they don鈥檛 feel they belong, it affects their well-being and productivity. Just as we encourage students to find their community at WPI, we must do the same for our faculty and staff, ensuring they feel supported in all their identities. If you鈥檙e feeling disconnected or isolated, you can visit our office, and together we鈥檒l find the right space of belonging for you. In my work in both DEIB and Title IX, my goal is to create a welcoming environment where the community can access support, information, and an open, unbiased ear.

Could you give us a few examples of efforts or action items related to furthering DEIB goals on campus?

We鈥檙e continuing our Fireside Chat series, with the session held on October 30 focusing on the intersection of disability and other identities, where I participated in a panel discussion. Approximately 30 staff and faculty members attended and asked thoughtful questions and the feedback has been positive. In C-Term, we鈥檒l be hosting another chat themed around Afrofuturism, followed by our last session of the year on engaging with the LGBTQIA+ community and fostering a supportive environment.

For faculty and staff, we鈥檝e added new Employee Resource Groups, including JFAST (Jewish Faculty, Administrators, Staff and Allies Group), a Turkish Faculty and Staff Support Group, and a group for LGBTQIA+ faculty and staff. In D-Term, we鈥檒l launch our first DEIB learning and professional development certificate program for faculty and staff, offering advanced training on the needs of different identity groups. This pilot program aims to be offered 1-2 times a year. We're also beginning plans for our Fall 2025 DEIB symposium. There鈥檚 a lot of exciting things to come!

Calling All Introverts

mlumsden — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Q: What do Audrey Hepburn, Bill Gates, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Mahatma Gandhi have in common?

A: They鈥檙e each extremely successful in their chosen field鈥攁nd famously introverted.

Guiding introverted students toward their own paths of professional accomplishment is part of why N. Aaron Deskins, professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, created the class Success for Introverts, offered annually in B-Term since 2021. The course fulfills a wellness and physical education credit, which students need in order to graduate. But it also equips students with important practical skills, a sense of community, and so much more.

Long mischaracterized as a synonym for shyness, introversion is a basic personality type marked by the need to turn inward to regain energy. Extroverts, on the other hand, get energy from external social interactions.

Professor N. Aaron Deskins

Almost all of the students who have taken the class have identified somewhere on the introvert end of the personality spectrum, according to Deskins, who says he is also an introvert. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity for them to realize they鈥檙e not alone and that it鈥檚 okay to be an introvert.鈥?lt;/p>

Deskins鈥檚 co-teacher Kristin Boudreau, professor in the Department of Humanities and Arts, adds, 鈥淭he goal is for students to learn something about introversion, about the chemistry and biology behind it, and how it shows up in social life and how it can hamper somebody. But we also really want them to understand that there are real strengths to introversion and that it鈥檚 another form of diversity.鈥?amp;nbsp;

All of that is helpful for introverted students preparing for careers in the modern workplace because often physical office layouts, as well as reward and promotion systems, are designed for those who gravitate toward social interactions and frequent collaboration.

Before they even get that first job, though, WPI students must navigate the university鈥檚 signature group projects, which can prove especially challenging for introverts.

鈥淭here鈥檚 evidence of people being marginalized on teams because of gender, because of race. It鈥檚 also because of personality styles,鈥?says Boudreau, who identifies as an introvert. 鈥淓xtroverts tend to take control, and if introverts don鈥檛 speak for a while, people stop looking to them to speak. Then they get marginalized and feel discouraged, and there鈥檚 a cascading effect because the introverts don鈥檛 learn鈥攁nd in turn don鈥檛 teach their peers.鈥?lt;/p>

WPI and UMass Lowell Put New Spin on Wheelchair Training

jcain — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

For many people who require use of a powered wheelchair, current methods of training don鈥檛 provide enough time and experience practicing in common and challenging settings. For example, everyday life might require a powered wheelchair user to safely navigate a busy parking lot or a crowded grocery store. However, training in rehabilitation centers often consists of driving tasks in tightly controlled environments with few distractions or obstacles. To address deficiencies in current methods, a team of faculty and students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the University of Massachusetts Lowell has created a virtual reality颅鈥揵ased simulator that provides effective training in safe settings.

鈥淥ur project addresses training limitations that negatively affect wheelchair users鈥?ability to choose the best wheelchair for their needs and seeks to make people feel comfortable when they start using powered wheelchairs in public spaces,鈥?says Robert Dempski, a co-principal investigator, WPI professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, a member of the Interactive Media and Game Development (IMGD) program, and managing director of the Intentional Design Studio (IDeaS).

Professors Yunus Telliel, Robert Dempski, and PhD student Max Chen (L-R)

The team鈥檚 project 鈥?lt;/span>WheelUp! Engaging communities in the development of a wheelchair training simulator for diverse bodies鈥?has generated a simulator with high-resolution graphics, interactive technology, and game elements. With a joystick and an immersive virtual reality headset or a computer monitor, users can practice navigating a wheelchair in challenging virtual settings, such as a dimly lit restaurant or an office crowded with furniture. People can use the simulator at home or in a physical therapist鈥檚 office. 鈥淚n the simulation, users can see feet and footrests of the virtual wheelchair from a first-person perspective. These details help bridge the virtual to the physical world,鈥?says Yuko Oda, an associate professor of art and design at UMass Lowell and a co-principal investigator. 鈥淢any of our participants are thrilled and excited about how 鈥榬eal鈥?it feels.鈥?lt;/span>

A virtual reality headset and controllers used for powered wheelchair training.

A benefit of this virtual reality-based system is the opportunity for users to make mistakes, like bumping into objects, privately and without causing injury or damage. 鈥淪kills improve with more practice and the privacy allows the person to practice these new motor skills without the added anxiety of performing in front of others,鈥?says Erika Lewis, co-principal investigator and UMass Lowell associate professor of physical therapy and kinesiology. In addition, Lewis says, the system can reduce the travel time required for a physical therapist and a wheelchair user to train in different environments.

The WheelUp! project has the additional goal of creating more awareness about the need for greater accessibility, according to co-principal investigator Yunus Do臒an Telliel, an assistant professor of anthropology in WPI鈥檚 Department of Humanities & Arts and IMGD Program. 鈥淚 call this part of our work 鈥榓dvocacy design.鈥?We want to emphasize there are public spaces that are actually inaccessible to powered-wheelchair users, and to contribute to efforts to make our society more accessible to everyone.鈥?lt;/span>

From the start of the project, the research team has gathered and incorporated input from wheelchair users about training needs, challenging real-world environments, and simulator design. 鈥淲e always want to know what users really want and we engage them as participants in the design process, ultimately enhancing user independence,鈥?amp;nbsp;says principal investigator Kelilah Wolkowicz, UMass Lowell assistant professor of mechanical engineering.

The project is a collaboration between professors, graduate students and undergraduate students from various disciplines including neuroscience, robotics, bioengineering, mechanical engineering, physical therapy, 3D printing, 3D modeling, ethics, and signal processing. At WPI, the project is being developed in the Intentional Design Studio (IDeaS). The studio, managed by the IMGD program, facilitates project collaborations between students and professionals with experience in interactive media and games, art and design, human-computer interaction, computer science, simulation design, app development, augmented reality, and virtual reality.

Bridging Personal Experience and Professional Training

mlumsden — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Gina Heinsohn (they/them) started as the assistant director of the Center for Well-Being in November 2023. A native of the Chicago area, Heinsohn has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in environmental engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, as well as a master鈥檚 degree in higher education and student affairs leadership from the University of Northern Colorado and a certification in public health science from the Colorado School of Public Health. Before joining the WPI community, they served as the University of Cincinnati鈥檚 mental health program manager.

The Center for Well-Being opened in January 2023 as part of WPI鈥檚 holistic approach to wellness, with programming and support available to all members of the campus community. In addition to the workshops, drop-in activities, and wellness and physical education classes offered by professional staff, the Center runs a successful peer ambassador program鈥攚hich Heinsohn oversees鈥攖hat trains students to provide meaningful support and connection to other members of the student body.

Q: What attracted you to this position at WPI?

A: The big thing that interested me is that the Center for Well-Being is brand new, so there鈥檚 a lot of room to tailor it to what students need and want. The other thing that really attracted me specifically to WPI is the STEM focus. I also went to a small, rigorous STEM-focused institution and my bachelor鈥檚 degree is in engineering. I get the vibe at WPI and I know from personal experience that it can be hard for STEM students to talk about wellness in certain ways. I like to say that I can speak STEM, but I can speak health, too. So I鈥檓 looking forward to being a bridge or translator for the WPI community.

Q: What have your impressions been so far about wellness and well-being at WPI?

A: First things first: Everyone is super friendly. I鈥檝e lived all over the country, and New Englanders get a bad rap for not being the most friendly people, but I鈥檝e been pleasantly surprised here, even just with how many people take the time to say, 鈥淕ood morning.鈥?lt;/p>

Beyond that, though, it鈥檚 clear to me that WPI students want wellness. The Reiki sessions that we offer are booked out, people are taking the wellness and physical education courses, and students are signing up for peer coaching. I thought I鈥檇 have to work more to get students engaged, but I鈥檝e been pleasantly surprised with how receptive they鈥檝e been and how much they clearly want to focus on health and well-being.

Q: What are the most pressing issues related to well-being that you鈥檒l be working on?

A: Three things come to mind right away: sexual and reproductive health education; education around alcohol and substances; and mental health.

There was a session of Sex in the Dark just before I started at WPI in November, and I鈥檇 like to build on that in a joint session with the Center for Well-Being and Health Services. Their staff can answer some of the more medical questions, things that I鈥檓 clearly not qualified to answer. And then I can bring in more of the public health side of the discussion. We could talk about everything from healthy relationships and consent to more intimate things like, 鈥淗ow do I avoid getting an STI?鈥?or 鈥淪hould having sex hurt?鈥濃€攖he kinds of questions people are usually afraid to ask. Because if you didn鈥檛 have a comprehensive program in high school, when else are you going to be in a safe environment to learn these things?

With regard to alcohol and substances, the Center for Well-Being isn鈥檛 here to say, 鈥淣ever drink.鈥?But we should be having more conversations with students about how to stay safe. And then mental health is always a concern. Specifically, anxiety, depression, burnout, imposter syndrome, and, of course, sleep.

Advocacy and Education Around Issues of Gender Equity and Sexuality

mlumsden — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Lauren Feldman (she/they) joined the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) in September as the Assistant Director for Gender Equity and Sexuality. In addition to advocating for the university鈥檚 lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and pansexual (LGBTQIAP+) students, Feldman works with partners around campus to educate the WPI community about gender and sexuality issues. They worked in residential services for eight years before coming to WPI and have undergraduate degrees in psychology and music, as well as a master鈥檚 degree in college student affairs.

Q: What attracted you to this position at WPI?

A: I鈥檓 a very students-first person, so everything for me comes back to how I can support students in their college journey. When I was in college we didn鈥檛 have a queer resource center or a person who specialized in working with queer and trans students. We didn鈥檛 have someone who specialized in women鈥檚 issues. We had one multicultural center that had one, maybe two staff members. So I found myself and did my own journey when I was in college, without support. I was able to do it and I鈥檓 proud of that journey, but now I鈥檝e realized that I want to provide that support for students. I especially like working with very determined and very ambitious students like those at WPI because I know they鈥檙e going to go off and do really cool things in their future, so I want to support them.

Q: What do you see as some of the most pressing issues for the LGBTQIAP+ community on campus and how are you working to address those issues?

A: We have people who are coming to WPI from all places of understanding and knowledge about gender and sexuality. More and more people are coming out earlier, so there are those who are arriving at college already out with their family and friends. But we also have people who come to college knowing nothing about these topics, and we live in a culture that can be very quick to cancel people who don鈥檛 have that knowledge base.

More specifically, I鈥檝e seen that sexuality seems to be pretty well understood on campus, but gender seems less understood. That鈥檚 true in society, too, I think. More people understand 鈥榞ay鈥?than 鈥榯rans.鈥?To remedy that is going to take an ongoing conversation, which involves both education and building community. I want to be a resource that鈥檚 available for people within both the LGBTQIAP+ community and the larger community at WPI, all while centering joy.

I鈥檓 really trying to help students figure out what it is they鈥檙e looking for and then support them in getting those things. I don鈥檛 have full answers yet, but I know that we have some really great student groups at WPI and other student groups in the making鈥攁ll who deserve credit for the community and educational work they are already doing and will continue to do.

Q: Because there are a variety of perspectives on LGBTQIAP+ issues throughout the world, are there special challenges and/or benefits to your work on a campus like ours, with an international student body?

A: Just like the conversation varies in the 50 states, it also varies in different countries. In some countries, queer people have fewer rights than we do in the United States. In some they have the same or different rights. That could mean that people are coming to WPI looking for different types of support, different types of community. It could also mean that there are people coming from countries where they don鈥檛 talk about gender and sexuality at all. And, to be fair, the same can be said for some of the U.S. states. So people are coming to campus with very different knowledge bases鈥攁nd that鈥檚 okay. College is a great place to learn about different perspectives. Having those conversations and learning about other people鈥檚 experiences can really open up our minds.

Q&A with Dean of Students Emily Perlow and Police Chief Steve Marsh

amduffy — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

We sat down with Emily Perlow, Dean of Students, and Steve Marsh, Chief of Police, to discuss their perspectives on how global events, debate, and language impact students and our campus community. Dean Perlow, who has been with WPI for 18 years, and Chief Marsh, who joined the community in 2018 after a long career with the Massachusetts State Police, both play integral roles in the life of the WPI community.

Q: How has the war in the Middle East affected our campus community?

Dean Perlow: The situation in the Middle East is devastating, and even though that war might seem a world away, there are members of our community feeling deep impacts. Many students, faculty, and staff are worrying about their loved ones and suffering the loss of a sense of peace and safety in the overall national and global climate. We鈥檙e reaching out to students to offer support, and we鈥檙e also seeing the kind of empathy and care that naturally occurs on our campus. People here are genuinely concerned for each other.

Being connected matters even more in times like these, especially for those who have family and friends far away. For all of us, it鈥檚 important to continue the conversation we鈥檝e been having about inclusion, belonging, and respect for one another鈥檚 thoughts, faith, culture, experience, and viewpoints. Since the conflict began, I鈥檝e been having some really thoughtful discussions with students about the importance of and challenges associated with language choice and how divisive speech can drown out the open, respectful, and inclusive dialogues we should be having, especially as we grapple with uncomfortable and difficult topics and work to form our own thoughts and opinions.

Q: We鈥檙e seeing tension and clashes on other college campuses across the country. How can we help keep our campus safe?

Chief Marsh: Through our networks with federal, state, and local police鈥攁nd through our partnerships with the Dean of Students Office and other campus partners鈥攚e monitor the landscape and external activities and trends that may cause safety concerns to our community members. And we think about how global, national, or regional issues might manifest on our own campus. Our police officers are accredited and trained in such areas as community support, bias investigation, and de-escalation, and we鈥檙e attuned to our students, faculty, and staff.

At the same time, we need everyone in the community to be aware. We鈥檙e constantly working to reinforce that need by reminding folks on campus that, if they see something suspicious or potentially dangerous, they should say something鈥攅ither by calling Campus Police at 508-831-5555 or, if there鈥檚 an emergency off campus, by dialing 911. I also encourage people to fill out the Bias Response Form if they see or experience bias-related issues.

Q: A group of students held a demonstration at the fountain last week; can you tell us about it?

Dean Perlow: Yes, some students held a silent demonstration on campus to share their views about the Israel/Gaza conflict and their support of Palestinians, holding up signs and lying down on the ground around the campus fountain. Student organizers facilitated the event to adhere with WPI policies and guidelines. I was on hand, as were other student leaders and administrators, as well as Campus Police. All told, there were about 40 students participating. To our knowledge, there were no incidents at the event.

Chief Marsh: Because of what we鈥檝e seen occurring on and near other college campuses, including demonstrations turning into clashes, our team worked with the Dean of Students Office and the students organizing this event to provide security鈥攙isible and not visible鈥攁nd with collaboration of external agencies, should they be needed. WPI is fortunate to have an active emergency management program and close relationships with partners across campus and with other law enforcement agencies, so we can monitor any campus activity and quickly intervene to support our community and stabilize or de-escalate situations as needed.

Q: Words have power and can be used to help or to hurt. What advice do you have for our community?

Dean Perlow. Words truly do matter鈥攚hat you say, how you say it, what you mean by it, and how it鈥檚 perceived can be very fraught in times like these, particularly when groups of people assign different meaning to words or phrases.

An important example, and one I鈥檝e discussed with students, is the slogan 鈥渇rom the river to the sea鈥?which was used in the student-led demonstration. The slogan has very different meanings to individual members of the community, both historically and culturally. While it鈥檚 not clear whether offense was intended, it was perceived as hurtful and offensive by some members of the community, which underscores how critical it is for us all to reflect carefully on the impact of the words we choose.

[Editor鈥檚 note: WPI鈥檚 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) team recently held a session called The Power of Inclusive Language to help faculty and staff understand nuances of some phrases, with another session scheduled for December 4, 2023.]

Chief Marsh: Like all universities, WPI has an obligation to make space for safe and open dialogue; we support free speech and peaceful discourse, even when people disagree. Our campus police are here to support the safety of our community members in the rare situation when disagreement and debate have the potential to become acts of criminal behavior or violence.

The bottom line, however, is that we expect every member of our community to engage with one another respectfully and empathically鈥攅ven when there is disagreement鈥攁nd to uphold our values of respect, inclusion, and community.

Dean Perlow: It鈥檚 important for students and employees to remember that university policies dictate the time, place, and manner of speech (including demonstrations), as well as the allowable locations for flyers or posters鈥攁nd when those policies are violated, that we intervene accordingly. Our first approach is to investigate and have a conversation to find out what鈥檚 behind the language or action鈥攊s it intentional and malicious, or an expression that had an unforeseen impact? We look for opportunities to help the student consider alternative perspectives, think about their impact, and, most important, learn鈥攚hich is what college is all about. Of course, if we find that a university policy has been violated, we address it formally through the Student Conduct system.

Q: This is such a complex and emotional issue. How can we help our community?

Dean Perlow: We need to keep the conversations going. Last week our Collegiate Religious Center, led by Assistant Director Kalvin Cummings in partnership with the WPI Muslim Student Association, Hillel, and College Democrats, offered a two-and-a-half-hour Interreligious Dialogue Series presentation on the Conflict on Palestine and Israel, with remarks by a panel of students who are Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, and Christian. They spoke about their own perspectives and experience, and it was truly compelling and, I think, eye opening for some in the audience. I was really proud of our students who modeled the kind of respectful discussion we want to see on our campus. It was an important reminder that when we talk together, we often find those that we think are so different from us actually share common experiences. It is through these conversations that we build empathy and understanding.

Chief Marsh: Agreed, the students were articulate and thoughtful, and they humanized the conflict. The audience of about 75 people鈥攕tudents, faculty, and staff鈥攚as captivated and listened intently and respectfully.

I do think that ongoing conversations will be extremely important, whether through formal panels and presentations or just person-to-person. I support and welcome discussion with anyone in our community, and I know Dean Perlow does as well. I think I speak for both of us when I say I鈥檇 rather someone call us for help to de-escalate growing tension than to have a debate or disagreement become a problem.

Dean Perlow: And our focus is always the student experience and how to best help our students learn and grow, safely and thoughtfully. Our faculty and staff are also here to help keep the conversation going, and right now several faculty and staff members are exploring opportunities to discuss issues related to the Israel/Gaza conflict. As a living and learning community, we will continue to offer and support opportunities for our whole community to engage respectfully and inclusively.

WPI Researcher Leads Project To Develop Oxygen Sensor for Premature Infants of Color

leckelbecker — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

A prototype miniaturized transcutaneous oxygen sensor and its encapsulated form

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $1.1 million to a team led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researcher Ulkuhan Guler to develop a first-of-its-kind wearable sensor for premature infants that will address racial bias in healthcare by monitoring oxygen levels two different ways and correcting the measurements to account for variations in skin color.

The four-year project will create a convenient, affordable, noninvasive sensor about the size of a bandage that will enable infants at risk of lung disease to leave hospitals sooner and be accurately monitored at home, said Guler, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and principal investigator on the project.

鈥淧remature infants are at risk of respiratory distress, and oxygen monitoring is critical to their care so that they can leave hospitals and go home,鈥?Guler said. 鈥淪ome tools widely used at home to monitor oxygenation, however, do not accurately measure oxygen levels in infants with pigmented skin tones. There is a great need for new technology that mitigates the impact of racial bias in measurements and provides important information to the clinicians who are treating these infants.鈥?lt;/span>

Guler will collaborate on the research with co-investigators Dr. Lawrence Rhein, associate professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at UMass Chan Medical School, and Bige Unluturk, assistant professor of electrical engineering and biomedical engineering at Michigan State University.

The researchers will develop a wireless patch with a miniaturized low-power electronic sensor that will use light to measure blood oxygen levels two different ways: A transcutaneous blood gas monitor will sense oxygen gases diffusing through the skin, and a pulse oximeter will measure reflected or refracted light to determine oxygen saturation in hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells.

The sensor will transmit data to a small communications hub that could be placed on an infant鈥檚 crib or carrier. A bias-mitigation algorithm to correct for inaccurate measurements in people of color will run on the hub. The researchers will integrate hardware and software into a system that will be pilot tested on adults and infants in a clinical setting.

First-Year Students Thrive in Designated Courses

mlumsden — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Sometimes it pays to sweat the small stuff. That鈥檚 the big-picture takeaway from an initiative started last year by faculty in the Department of Humanities & Arts (HUA) in response to the Mental Health and Well-Being Task Force report.

In this case, the small stuff in question relates to who takes HUA courses鈥攁nd when. Historically, many 1000-level humanities courses have filled up with upper-level students before first-year students were even eligible to enroll. This left new students either delaying their introduction to certain foundational courses or taking classes in subjects they weren鈥檛 passionate about just to fulfill a credit requirement. Both scenarios contributed to students feeling disengaged from parts of their academic journey.

At the same time, as the task force report shows, students struggled to master non-academic skills such as practicing self-care, balancing schoolwork with downtime, and developing meaningful connections with peers. There鈥檚 no specific course for these skills and historically students developed them bit by bit as they progressed through their college experience. But opportunities for teens to learn these lessons organically stopped suddenly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥淚 come back to WPI day after day because of my students, and it concerned me to know that so many weren鈥檛 developing confidence in their abilities,鈥?says Joseph Cullon, professor of teaching and associate department head in HUA as well as co-chair of the Mental Health Implementation Team鈥檚 academic subgroup. 鈥淚 recognized that students needed something additional, but developing a new course or requirement takes a long time. So in conversations with colleagues we decided to change the actual delivery of our courses.鈥?lt;/p>

Cullon recruited 15 HUA faculty members to participate in a pilot program that reserved several introductory-level HUA courses during A- and B-terms in 2022 for first-year students only. None of the actual course content was altered and most of the courses were also offered in other terms, when they were open to all students.

Strong Relationships Are Key for International Student Community

mlumsden — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 12:00:00 +0000

The word 鈥減aperwork鈥?generally doesn鈥檛 evoke images of comfort, security, and happiness. And yet, the strong relationships that staff in WPI鈥檚 Office of International Student Life develop with students are, in large part, built on a foundation of government forms and legal documents.

鈥淲hen people ask what I do, I usually tell them I work in immigration,鈥?says Colleen Callahan-Panday, director of International Student Life (ISL). 鈥淲e help with pretty much anything an international student does that touches the US government.鈥?lt;/p>

That translates to about 4,000 student appointments a year for Callahan-Panday and the other two staff members in the ISL office. Together, the small but mighty team helps roughly 1,400 WPI students and recent alumni with a range of services, including applying for Social Security numbers, securing driver鈥檚 licenses, filing taxes, submitting visa paperwork, and applying for work permits. While some of these services may not seem directly related to studying at WPI, all are helpful鈥攁nd in some cases necessary鈥攖o working as a research or teaching assistant, as many graduate students do.

Students gather during this year's International Orientation breakfast.

Of course, there鈥檚 more to life than paperwork, and the Office of International Student Life offers other services, too. In addition to serving as advisor to the International Student Council, Callahan-Panday and her staff work with many of WPI鈥檚 cultural student groups and help coordinate campuswide events and initiatives, such as International Education Month, which is held annually in November (see below).

鈥淚n many ways our office is like the host family in America for a lot of the students. It鈥檚 a safe space where they can come and share things,鈥?she says. 鈥淚 take pride in the fact that we holistically work with students.鈥?lt;/p>

An important piece of that holistic work is acclimating students to life in a new country鈥攊ncluding helping many prepare for their first-ever cold winter. And as ISL staff members get to know each new incoming cohort, they enjoy learning about students鈥?customs and celebrating that diversity with the wider campus community.

In any given year, WPI has about 1,000 international students from about 80 countries around the globe; roughly two-thirds of those are graduate students. Annually, ISL also works with 400鈥?00 alumni who have special work permits related to their STEM degrees and about 20 exchange students from universities in Armenia, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland who are doing a semester- or yearlong program at WPI.

Move-in Day Includes Connections to Home

koreilly — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Amid the rush of residence hall Move-In Day on Sunday, Aug. 20, we asked several first-year students to show a significant item they brought with them to their home away from home, and explain its importance as they start their college adventure. A common answer: The item is a reminder of friends, family, good times, and home.