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WPI and MCPHS Expand Longstanding Partnership with New Degree Pathways

cbwamback — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), two nationally recognized institutions with complementary strengths in health science and biomedical engineering, are expanding their academic partnership with new degree pathways. Building on a long-standing relationship, this new agreement creates streamlined pathways for students to pursue advanced degrees across disciplines such as pharmacy and biomedical engineering鈥攚hile remaining immersed in Worcester鈥檚 thriving academic and innovation ecosystem.

The expanded partnership promotes collaborations of mutual interest and benefit and formalizes a series of articulated degree programs that will allow qualified undergraduate students from one institution to seamlessly transition into graduate programs at the other. These pathways are designed to help students accelerate their education, broaden their career prospects, and contribute to the evolving landscape of healthcare, life sciences, and technology.

Students graduating from WPI with degrees in biology, chemistry, or related STEM fields will now have streamlined access to advanced degrees at MCPHS, including the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Similarly, MCPHS students completing degrees in molecular biology, biotechnology, or pharmacy will be able to pursue graduate-level studies at WPI in biomedical engineering.

The agreement comes at a pivotal moment, as interdisciplinary knowledge and collaboration are increasingly essential to addressing global challenges. With Worcester emerging as a regional hub for biotechnology, medical research, and advanced manufacturing, WPI and MCPHS are uniquely positioned to train professionals who will drive innovation and improve lives.

鈥淏y creating clear, cross-institutional pathways that connect WPI鈥檚 strengths in biomedical engineering with MCPHS鈥檚 expertise in pharmacy and health sciences, we are preparing students to advance from rigorous undergraduate programs into specialized graduate study,鈥?said WPI President Grace Wang. 鈥淭hese programs will produce highly skilled professionals ready to make real impact, from leading breakthrough medical research to developing innovative biotech and pharmaceutical solutions that improve health and fuel the growth of the life sciences economy.鈥?lt;/span>

鈥淭hrough this agreement, this partnership reflects the spirit of collaboration that defines Worcester鈥檚 higher education ecosystem. MCPHS is proud to strengthen our long-standing partnership with WPI, creating new opportunities for students to seamlessly advance their education and careers at the intersection of healthcare, life sciences, and technology,鈥?said Richard Lessard, president of MCPHS.

The degree pathways feature clearly defined academic journeys, streamlined admissions processes, and personalized advising from faculty and admissions liaisons at both institutions. Students will benefit from an efficient transition between institutions to study in the heart of Worcester, a city rich with opportunity, innovation, and a strong sense of community.

Students enrolled in these programs must meet GPA and course prerequisites, and final admissions decisions will be handled by the relevant program at each institution. Details for each program pairing will be available on the WPI and MCPHS websites, ensuring transparency and consistency.

This agreement reflects a shared mission to empower students, support workforce development in the region, and strengthen the city鈥檚 position as a center of academic and professional excellence.

WPI Joins Neuroarts Academic Network

cbwamback — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Jean King, the Peterson Family Dean of Arts and Sciences, has been named to the newly launched Neuroarts Academic Network (NAN). The network, created by the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative, brings together leaders from 38 universities and organizations worldwide to advance the emerging interdisciplinary field of neuroarts鈥攖he study of how the arts affect the brain, body, and behavior and how this knowledge is applied to improve health and well-being.

King鈥檚 appointment highlights both her expertise at the intersection of arts and humanities with neuroscience and WPI鈥檚 commitment to exploring how creative expression can drive innovation and well-being. At WPI, King has championed cross-disciplinary approaches that integrate the arts and sciences, reflecting the university鈥檚 broader mission to harness creativity and research in ways that positively impact society. NAN seeks to establish neuroarts as a recognized academic and professional field. The network鈥檚 goals include connecting existing programs, encouraging new research and training opportunities, building career pathways that combine the arts and health, and supporting the long-term growth of the field.

鈥淚 am honored to join the Neuroarts Academic Network and contribute to this important effort to show how the arts and creative expression can shape our health, our communities, and our future,鈥?said King. 鈥淭his field has long been a passion of mine, and I am excited to help advance the science that shows the transformative power of the arts in our lives.鈥?lt;/span>

Celebrating A Decade of Data Science at WPI

cbwamback — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Q: Looking back to the program鈥檚 launch, what problem in higher education or industry were you trying to solve?

A: It was clear there was a talent gap. Businesses, government, and organizations needed skilled workers who could access big data, analyze it, and turn it into insights to drive decision-making, from sales and sciences to services. There weren鈥檛 enough people with the right skills. As the world grew more data-driven, we at WPI saw an opportunity to step in, using our expertise to educate the next generation of data professionals and help drive the economy forward.

Q: A decade ago, 鈥渄ata science鈥?wasn鈥檛 a common term鈥攎ost people talked about 鈥渂ig data.鈥?How did you decide on the program鈥檚 name?

A: I vividly remember trying to find the appropriate name for this new major. As an interdisciplinary team of colleagues from computer science, mathematical sciences, and business, we spent half of the time designing the curriculum, and half of the time we were having fun debating what to call it. In retrospect, the name we chose fit perfectly: We鈥檙e working with data and we鈥檙e answering fundamental scientific questions. Calling it 鈥渄ata science鈥?gave the program academic staying power. And we got it right鈥攖oday, everyone uses the term 鈥渄ata scientists鈥?for the data modeling professionals in this field.

Q: How close is WPI鈥檚 program today to your original vision?

A: I鈥檇 say 110%. We dreamed big, and it has come together even better than we dreamed. The program now delivers rigorous training in mathematical foundations鈥攍ike statistical machine learning鈥攚hile offering a wide range of cutting-edge computational courses, from deep learning and reinforcement learning to natural language processing and beyond. When we started, we knew there was great potential, but what has now become reality and the impact it allows us to make on our students is truly rewarding.

2020 WiDS conference poster presentation

Q: How has demand from industry influenced the direction of the program?

A: From day one, we set out to make this a program where students don鈥檛 just graduate with knowledge鈥攖hey graduate with the skill set to immediately excel in their profession. In that sense, industry demand has been our compass. To ensure that, I formed an executive industry advisory board for data science composed of professional leaders in the field. They share real-time insights on where their companies鈥攁nd the field at large鈥攁re heading, allowing us to have a finger on the pulse through the disruptive transformations we encountered, from COVID-19 to the invention of generative AI. Those insights don鈥檛 just inform us, they help us transform our curriculum. Courses and projects have been developed from those conversations, ensuring our students aren鈥檛 just prepared for meeting the demands of today鈥檚 jobs but are also equipped to shape tomorrow鈥檚 opportunities.

Q: What kinds of companies and industries do you engage with?

2018 multi-drug interaction analysis research

A: We engage with companies across all industries. Our graduates work in banking, finance, healthcare, engineering, energy, startups, global corporations, and government labs. They鈥檝e joined organizations like National Grid, Google DeepMind, DataRobot, Bose, Microsoft, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Capital One, Mitre Corporation, Dell Technologies, Fidelity Investments, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and many more. Because data science is so versatile, our students can be found contributing to nearly every sector.

Q: What鈥檚 the 鈥渟ecret sauce鈥?of WPI鈥檚 success in data science?

A: Our students develop a distinctive combination of skills. They know how to analyze data and use computational tools, but they also have strong communication, collaboration, and business skills. They鈥檙e willing to dive in and tackle complex problems, working closely with engineers, marketers, or social scientists鈥攚hatever the challenge requires. That flexibility makes them highly sought-after and opens doors to a wide array of career opportunities.

2019 GQP presentation

Q: What unique opportunities does WPI offer data science students?

A: One of the most distinctive opportunities in the data science program at WPI is the Graduate Qualifying Project (GQP) we offer in close partnership with our industry partners. Every master鈥檚 student tackles a real-world project sponsored by industry鈥攏ot hypothetical problems, but actual challenges companies need solved. It鈥檚 similar to a focused internship or co-op. Students contribute to products, processes, and even intellectual property for their sponsoring company while gaining hands-on experience they can showcase on their r茅sum茅s. Our WPI faculty play a key role in mentoring these projects. Similar opportunities are available to undergraduate students as well.

Q: Technology has changed rapidly over the past 10 years. How has the curriculum kept pace?

A: We constantly update. While some of the core principles remain the same, tools and techniques evolve quickly. Every year faculty adjust their existing courses and design new ones to stay current. This year, for example, we launched an experimental course on natural language processing and large language models, while last year we added courses in machine learning operations (known as MLOps) and responsible AI. Our strong PhD program, along with WPI鈥檚 support for hiring faculty experts in emerging areas, allows us to quickly translate cutting-edge research into project-based learning and teaching.

Q: In what ways has the data science program shaped WPI鈥檚 broader AI offerings?

A: Here at WPI, data science and AI are inseparable. Our faculty have been at the forefront of applying machine learning and deep learning to solve problems鈥攖hat鈥檚 AI. Many of our data science faculty hold joint appointments in computer science and other departments across campus, so their expertise naturally extends to AI research and teaching. Industry demand for skills like natural language processing pushed us to hire in those areas, which in turn strengthened WPI鈥檚 AI program. You could say the growth of data science in terms of faculty recruitment and curriculum development helped lay the foundation for AI at WPI.

Q: Looking ahead, what鈥檚 your roadmap for the next decade?

A: I see a decade where data science and AI fuse even more鈥攂ut the real frontier isn鈥檛 just technology; it鈥檚 humanity. By partnering with other disciplines, including social sciences, we can understand the human impact of automation, build safeguards, and ensure systems are trustworthy and empowering. The goal is clear: Create technologies that amplify human potential and serve society. That鈥檚 not just our roadmap鈥攊t鈥檚 our mission, with excitement and challenges of the next decade.

WPI Researchers Pioneer Advances to Make Next-Generation Lithium Batteries Safer, More Sustainable, and Ready for Widespread Use

cbwamback — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Battery technology researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) recently published major studies in two top-tier journals that address some of the biggest challenges in the field. Led by Professor Yan Wang, William B. Smith Professor of鈥?lt;/span>Mechanical and Materials Engineering and a widely recognized innovator in battery technologies, the studies in Joule and Materials Today focus on improving the performance and stability of all-solid-state lithium batteries and on ways to recycle lithium-metal batteries safely and efficiently.

Safe and scalable lithium-metal battery recycling

In Joule, Wang鈥檚 team reports a safe, scalable, and economically viable method for recycling highly reactive lithium-metal anodes. By using a 鈥渟elf-driven鈥?aldol condensation reaction in commercial acetone, the researchers converted spent lithium-metal anodes into lithium carbonate (Li鈧侰O鈧? at 99.79% purity鈥攕urpassing industry standards for battery-grade materials.

The recovered lithium carbonate was then used to produce new cathode materials with electrochemical performance comparable to commercial counterparts, demonstrating real-world feasibility. This breakthrough offers a pathway to reduce dependence on mining while lowering costs and accelerating the adoption of cleaner technologies.

鈥淭his method is an effective solution to one of the most pressing challenges in the battery industry,鈥?said Wang. 鈥淏y turning a safety liability into a driving force for recovery, we鈥檝e created a process that is both practical for industry adoption and critical for building a more sustainable energy future.鈥?lt;/span>

Advancing solid-state battery design

The research team鈥檚 work published in Materials Today tackles another barrier to next-generation batteries: the poor compatibility of halide-based solid-state electrolytes with lithium-metal anodes. Traditionally, these systems require protective interlayers that add cost and complexity.

The WPI team introduced iron doping into lithium-indium chloride, creating a material that achieves direct and stable contact with lithium-indium anodes without the need for a protective layer. The material retained high ionic conductivity and delivered long-term performance, with full cells cycling more than 300 times at 80% capacity retention and symmetric cells operating for over 500 hours鈥攖he first such demonstration in the field.

鈥淭his work establishes iron doping as an effective strategy to simplify solid-state battery design while enhancing stability and performance,鈥?said Wang. 鈥淭ogether with our recycling research, these findings represent important steps toward a future where high-performance lithium batteries are not only more powerful but also safer and more sustainable.鈥?lt;/span>

By tackling both the beginning and end of the battery life cycle鈥攆rom safer designs to scalable recycling鈥擶PI researchers are advancing the technologies needed for the next era of electric vehicles, portable electronics, and renewable energy storage.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Appoints Emily Perlow Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

cbwamback — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has announced the appointment of Emily Perlow as vice president for student affairs and dean of students, effective immediately. Perlow, who has served WPI since 2005 and most recently was assistant vice president and dean of students, has long been recognized as a champion for students and an empowering mentor for her team.

In her new role, Perlow will oversee all areas within student affairs, including career development, housing and dining, physical education, athletics, recreation, student activities and engagement, support for WPI鈥檚 diverse student populations, health and well-being, student conduct, the Rubin Campus Center, and the bookstore.

鈥淓mily has consistently demonstrated empathetic and principled leadership that puts students at the center of everything she does,鈥?said Grace Wang, president of WPI. 鈥淗er vision, dedication, and deep knowledge of higher education will continue to strengthen WPI鈥檚 commitment to providing an outstanding student experience.鈥?lt;/span>

Since joining WPI, Perlow has played a central role in shaping the university鈥檚 student experience, from enhancing residential life and student well-being to advancing initiatives that promote belonging and developing leadership opportunities. She has overseen multimillion-dollar housing and dining operations, led crisis response teams, advanced student conduct processes, and secured major grants to support equitable teamwork and universal design in education.

鈥淚 am honored to step into this role and continue working alongside our remarkable students, staff, and faculty,鈥?said Perlow. 鈥淲PI is a community that values innovation, inclusion, and resilience, and I look forward to advancing initiatives that ensure every student thrives personally, academically, and professionally.鈥?lt;/span>

Beyond her leadership at WPI, Perlow is widely recognized in the field of student affairs. She has authored numerous articles, book chapters, presentations, and resources on hazing prevention, including editing and contributing to the 2024 New Directions for Student Services monograph, 鈥?lt;/span>Special Issue: Understanding and Addressing Hazing,鈥?and has a forthcoming book chapter on hazing prevention in athletics. She also designed the curriculum for and continues to lead the award-winning Hazing Prevention Institute through the Hazing Prevention Network, which received the North American Interfraternity Conference 2024 Laurel Wreath Award.

Her professional leadership includes service as vice chair of the board of directors for Worcester鈥檚 Friendly House Inc., participation on numerous accreditation visit teams for the New England Commission of Higher Education, and more than a decade of teaching as an adjunct instructor in the Student Development in Higher Education program at Central Connecticut State University. Her professional excellence has also been recognized with the Talent of Leadership Award by Alpha Gamma Delta and the Compass Award from the Northeast Greek Leadership Association.

Perlow earned her PhD in higher education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where her dissertation examined fraternity men鈥檚 gender identity and hazing. She also holds a master of arts in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor of arts in anthropology, with distinction, summa cum laude, from the Ohio State University.

Perlow succeeds Philip Clay, who will retire in May after nearly 33 years of dedicated service to WPI, leaving a lasting legacy of commitment to student success and community.

WPI Entrepreneurs Find Pricing, Awareness, and Supplies Impact Rare Earth Recycling Industry

leckelbecker — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

When a group of WPI students and faculty members first set out in 2022 to interview people connected to the rare earth magnet industry, they wanted to know if an innovative magnet recycling business could succeed.

After more than 130 interviews, says Adam Powell, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and a member of the team, the group concluded that the answer is a qualified 鈥測es.鈥?lt;/p>

Adam Powell

鈥淲e learned there is demand for recycled materials, and a lot of people want a domestic recycling industry to grow,鈥?Powell says. 鈥淵et the reality is that only a small number of U.S. companies are building recycling capacity. The industry is still maturing as companies develop facilities, awareness of recycling grows, and a steady supply of old magnets builds.鈥?lt;/p>

鈥淩are earth鈥?refers to a group of metallic elements such as neodymium that are abundant in the earth鈥檚 crust but difficult and environmentally damaging to mine and process. Magnets made from rare earth minerals are used in everything from hybrid and electric vehicles to wind turbines and fighter jets, and the total market for rare earth elements was valued at more than $3 billion in 2023.

China supplies most of the world鈥檚 rare earth minerals and has used its hold on the market as a political tool. In early 2025, China threatened to limit rare earth exports, especially to Western defense contractors, as a response to U.S. tariffs.

During its review, the WPI group found that challenges for rare earth recycling include incentivizing the recycling of materials and competing with magnets made from virgin materials.

Why Was 'This Old House' Filming in Washburn Shops? It鈥檚 a Long Story

koreilly — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

The story behind why producers from the home improvement show This Old House came to Washburn Shops in August to film general contractor Tom Silva and WPI student Max Sivert 鈥?6 as they created a topographical map of Massachusetts that is destined to be installed on a U.S. Navy submarine鈥攚ell, pull up a chair, because it鈥檚 a long one.

Dinis Pimentel

The tale begins with alumnus Dinis Pimentel 鈥?2, chair of the board of directors for the commissioning committee of the USS Massachusetts, a new Virginia-class attack submarine scheduled to be commissioned in Boston in March 2026. The committee is a nonprofit organization that acts as a sort of booster club for the USS Massachusetts, with volunteers working to bring symbols of the commonwealth into the submarine to capture the spirit of its namesake. In addition to planning the commissioning ceremony, the committee acts as a lifelong support system for USS Massachusetts sailors and their families.

Pimentel is a captain in the Navy Reserves who served on active duty in submarines when he entered the U.S. Navy after graduating from WPI. He reached out to producers of This Old House, a show with Massachusetts roots, to see if they wanted to participate in some kind of project related to the submarine. The producers toured a sub in Groton, Conn., and identified an elegant solution to a simple problem: creating a safe location for officers鈥?coffee mugs that would normally hang from simple pegs in the wardroom.

After a consultation with the sub鈥檚 captain, Silva, with the help of carpenter Nathan Gilbert from the spinoff show Ask This Old House, constructed a beautiful, wall-mounted, wooden board that will snuggly hold each mug, even in the worst sailing conditions. Above the mugs sits an intricately cut map of Massachusetts, with each of its 14 counties constructed from a different type of wood.

The map of Massachusetts ready for its third dimension.

The design called for adding a third dimension to the map to show the topography of the state鈥攆rom the mountains of Western Massachusetts to the flat Atlantic coastline鈥攁 task that needed specialized CNC (computer numerical control) machinery. That鈥檚 when Pimentel, remembering his time in Washburn Shops as a nuclear and mechanical engineering major at WPI, contacted Robert Daniello, associate teaching professor and manager of Washburn Shops.

鈥淚鈥檓 often talking to people around the state about the USS Massachusetts, and as we build community, we see the spirit of the state coming to get behind the boat, the crew, and their families,鈥?says Pimentel, who has volunteered on the committee since construction of the sub started in 2019.

鈥淚 thought it was an interesting project,鈥?says Daniello, who notes that although most of the CNC machines in the shop are for metal work, one of the oldest machines (circa 2001) could be adapted.

Enter Sivert, a robotics engineering major with a mechanical engineering minor, who is a lead lab assistant for the intro to manufacturing course and evening lab monitor for the shops. In addition to attending a trade high school focusing on advanced manufacturing, he completed a co-op at a machine shop working with CNC machines.

鈥淔or the past eight years or so I鈥檝e really only worked with metal,鈥?he says. 鈥淕iven the chance to not only work with a variety of woods, but for a commemorative art installation, it seemed like an incredibly interesting project.鈥?lt;/p>

Sivert worked on the project in his free time鈥攏o credit or pay involved鈥攁nd says writing the CAD (computer-aided design) program to accommodate the size of the board was the most challenging part.

鈥淔irst, I had to split the state into a few different pieces because the board was too large to machine in one go,鈥?he says. The town of Southwick, which oddly juts into the top of central Connecticut, proved to be particularly challenging. 鈥淪eeing the first pass of the endmill go over Southwick successfully was a big relief because it proved the remainder of the program would work.鈥?lt;/p>

The three-person This Old House crew, which in addition to Silva included producer Sara Ferguson and videographer Dino D鈥橭nofrio, was keen on getting multiple angles of the entire process of setting up and running the machine.

鈥淏eing filmed while working was kind of bizarre,鈥?says Sivert. 鈥淚 felt incredibly self-aware about what I was doing throughout the entire milling process. Usually, I interact with the workpiece and the machine console without much thought, but this time around I had to explain everything I was doing, and the reason for it.鈥?lt;/p>

Sivert confirms the genuineness of Silva鈥檚 down-to-earth, friendly TV persona.

鈥淛ust chatting with him throughout the day was nice, too. He鈥檚 got a lot of stories to share, and just hearing his perspective on the board and shop was really insightful,鈥?says Sivert, adding that his grandmother is a huge fan of the show.

It鈥檚 unclear when or how the final segment may air, either as part of Ask This Old House or a web feature. But Pimentel hopes it can premier sometime around the official commissioning ceremony at the end of March 2026.

鈥淲e look forward to celebrating this project with the This Old House and WPI teams at the commissioning gala to thank everyone for their help,鈥?he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great that a little bit of WPI and This Old House will be symbolically represented in a submarine named for Massachusetts.鈥?lt;/p>

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Receives $12 Million Legacy Gift from Distinguished Alumnus Carl Karlsson 鈥?0 to Advance Faculty Excellence and Student Success

cbwamback — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) today announced a鈥痸isionary $12 million legacy gift鈥痜rom Carl Karlsson, Class of 1960. The unrestricted estate gift, made following Karlsson鈥檚 passing in 2023, will provide broad support across WPI, with a portion dedicated to establishing鈥痚ndowed professorships for early career faculty鈥攁 strategic investment in the university鈥檚 long-term academic excellence.

Among the most significant philanthropic commitments ever made by an individual to WPI and in support of Beyond These Towers: The Campaign for Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Karlsson鈥檚 gift will leave a lasting mark on the university鈥檚 future. Unrestricted gifts are among the most powerful forms of philanthropy because they provide WPI with the flexibility to address its highest priorities, respond to emerging opportunities, and invest strategically in areas of greatest need. Karlsson鈥檚 altruism ensures WPI remains nimble and well-positioned to advance its mission for generations to come.

鈥淭his is a shining example of the extraordinary generosity and dedication of our alumni to give back and help WPI continue to thrive,鈥?said Grace J. Wang, President of WPI. 鈥淐arl Karlsson鈥檚 remarkable gift will impact the university by supporting faculty excellence, fueling research and innovation, and enriching the student experience. His legacy will empower future generations to achieve, discover, and lead in ways that ensure WPI鈥檚 enduring excellence and global impact.鈥?lt;/span>

After earning his degree in chemical engineering in 1960, Karlsson built a successful career in information systems and technology, working for Praxair Inc. in Tonawanda, New York. Throughout his life, he remained deeply connected to WPI, contributing annually to the university鈥檚 areas of greatest need for nearly four decades. His legacy gift reflects a lifelong belief in the power of education to improve lives, a value that aligns closely with WPI鈥檚 mission and project-based learning model.

Q&A with Christina Bailey-Hytholt

leckelbecker — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Christina Bailey-Hytholt鈥檚 research explores something so ordinary that it is often discarded when no longer needed yet so critical that it sustains life.

The placenta.

Recently named to the Leonard P. Kinnicutt Professorship, Bailey-Hytholt 鈥?5 is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering who focuses on using engineering approaches to advance women鈥檚 and prenatal health. She concentrates specifically on problems of the placenta, a temporary organ that forms in the uterus during pregnancy to provide nutrients and oxygen to a developing baby.

Some of her work is considered exploratory, but she鈥檚 also interested in developing models of the placenta for research and developing particles that package and deliver therapies to patients.

Her research has captured attention from funders and others. In 2024, Bailey-Hytholt was awarded a three-year, $502,999 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for early-career researchers to determine the relationship between placental cells known as trophoblasts and the biomolecules they secrete, called exosomes, that are important for cell communication. In 2022, Forbes named her to its 30 Under 30 Class of Innovators.

Bailey-Hytholt joined the WPI faculty in 2022 after receiving her PhD in biomedical engineering at Brown University and completing postdoctoral research in genomic medicine and biologics drug product development and manufacturing at Sanofi. Her research has been supported by the NSF, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, and the Amnion Foundation. She is affiliated with WPI鈥檚 Department of Biomedical Engineering.

From left, Christina Bailey-Hytholt and students Emily Lei '27 and PhD student Kerstin Andrews '25

Q: Did you always want to be a researcher?

A: I always gravitated toward healthcare. During middle and high school, I volunteered at a nursing home for several years. When I arrived at WPI as an undergraduate in chemical engineering, I thought I would later go to medical school. Then I worked in the lab of Terri Camesano (dean of graduate studies) and had the best experience. She and the graduate students working in her lab encouraged me to think about pursuing research and my PhD. I didn鈥檛 know what graduate school and becoming a researcher really was until my experience working in a lab. At the same time, I had some health challenges of my own. I realized that there are many things we don鈥檛 have answers to in a clinical setting, and new research is important to advance medicine.

Q: How did you decide to focus your research on women鈥檚 unmet health needs?

A: Women鈥檚 health is an area that I can relate to and feel I can be an advocate for, which led to my passion for this area of research. However, research into women鈥檚 health as an engineer really wasn鈥檛 on my radar until a few things came together during my first year of graduate school鈥攐pportunities, exciting projects, and good mentors. There was an opportunity to contribute to a prenatal diagnostic project, and that project spurred ideas about using engineering skill sets to study the placenta. I also was fortunate to be an NSF fellow and to have advisors who supported me. Pursuing these projects, I really became passionate about the subject and saw that there were not many engineering approaches being used to advance prenatal and women鈥檚 health. On a personal level, I recently went through my own pregnancy and had a healthy daughter, so I saw firsthand how important research is for prenatal health.

A researcher holds a clear container that is used to measure the surface charge of nanoparticles in solution.

Q: What does chemical engineering have to do with human health?

A: The words 鈥渃hemical engineering鈥?may typically conjure up images of a person wearing a hard hat and working in an industrial plant, but chemical engineers work in many different fields. Many chemical engineers work in health-related fields such as the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Chemical engineers learn to solve problems involving complex systems and processes, and human health involves complex systems and processes. Chemical engineering concepts such as material properties, mass balances, transport, kinetics, thermodynamics, and more are crucial to designing therapeutics and cell models, which are important in advancing human health.

Q: What is the goal of your three-year NSF-funded project?

A: The goal of this project is to study and identify the relationship between the environment that trophoblast cells, the main cells in the placenta, are grown in and how they communicate with each other. Trophoblasts invade the endometrium, which is the membrane that lines the uterus, to anchor the placenta in place and ensure adequate blood flow. Trophoblasts also secrete factors that allow cells in the placenta to communicate with each other. The placenta is not a well-understood organ, so my lab is looking at how the environment in the placenta鈥攕uch as the presence of growth factors or hormones鈥攊nfluences invasiveness and impacts what trophoblasts secrete. It鈥檚 important to expand knowledge about the placenta because it is a critical organ for developing babies and there are studies that suggest placental health impacts the lifelong health of babies and mothers鈥攕o really, everyone. This award also financially supports graduate and undergraduate students in the lab. We have a great team working on this important project.

Q: As a graduate of WPI, what is it like to return here as a faculty member?

A: I love it. It鈥檚 awesome to be back in the same research building where I got started. I also think a lot about the mentors I had as an undergraduate, how they influenced my career decisions, and how I can give the undergraduates in my research group a similar experience. I want to give them the opportunity to own their research and enjoy an immersive experience. In the classroom, I can relate to students taking the chemical engineering courses that I teach, because I was in the same seat as them not so long ago. I thought the seven-week terms were fast paced as a student, but they seem to fly by even faster now as a faculty member!

WPI Researcher Receives CAREER Award for Project Focused on Fibrosis

leckelbecker — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researcher Catherine Whittington has been awarded a prestigious CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop three distinct laboratory models for the study of fibrosis in pancreas, skin, and uterine fibroids.

Whittington, an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, was awarded $629,998 from the NSF for the five-year project. The models she develops could lead to research advances in the understanding and treatment of fibrosis, a condition that occurs when an injury results in too much scarring that stiffens tissue and threatens to disrupt the normal functioning of organs. Chronic pancreatitis, keloid scars, and uterine fibroids are all the result of fibrosis.

鈥淭here is much to learn about fibrosis so that better treatments can be developed,鈥?Whittington said. 鈥淏etter laboratory models for pancreatic, skin, and uterine fibroid tissues could lead to an improved understanding of factors at the cellular level that lead to fibrosis and how interventions could interrupt or reverse that process.鈥?lt;/span>

Models are representations, such as physical objects or mathematical equations, that represent real-world phenomena. Researchers use models to study a problem, test ideas under controlled conditions, and make predictions.

Whittington will develop models composed of materials such as collagen and human cells that represent the tissues of interest. The combined materials will be placed in wells on laboratory plates about the size of an index card and then exposed to hormones, varied mechanical inputs, and other environmental factors.

鈥淭hese models will be small, but they will allow us to systematically ask questions and make discoveries about how different chemicals and forces contribute to the process of fibrosis,鈥?Whittington said.