Proud of you all! 🎓

Rev. Debora Jackson, dean of WPI’s Business School, talks about paths to leadership: bit.ly/3Ewi8Pd. @worcestermagazine.bsky.social

WPI English professor and acclaimed Shakespeare scholar Michelle Ephraim has been named one of two recipients of the Friends of American Writers 2025 Literature Award for her memoir Green World: A Tragicomic Memoir of Love & Shakespeare (University of Massachusetts Press, 2024). bit.ly/3Y1yAOe

A WPI researcher is developing a new class of medical adhesives by bringing together hydrogels and glue-like polymers to safely and reliably connect human tissues to therapeutic devices implanted in the body, such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, and artificial joints. Learn more: bit.ly/3ReZVsu.

NASA recently started funding a WPI graduate student named Lydia Ellen Tonani-Penha to look into the problem of making drinkable water on Mars under their Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) funding program. Learn more about her research here: bit.ly/3FToXL5.

WPI Professor Milosh Puchovsky said there’s data to prove sprinkler systems help save lives. “If you look at the statistics long term, there's really no fatality in a fully sprinkler building or that system is properly designed and maintained," Puchovsky said. Learn more: bit.ly/3ReIHvn

"Being able to extract uranium from uranium-bearing mining wastewater will improve the health of ecosystems while addressing uranium security for the nation's needs," said Xiaowei Teng, the James H. Manning Professor of Chemical Engineering. Learn more: bit.ly/4iNhDPT.

WPI @wpiedu.bsky.social tabbed as one of best values in higher learning, other Worcester schools above average www.telegram.com/story/news/e... #Worcester #worcesterma #Massachusetts

According to a WPI study, reusing automobile parts, such as engines, transmissions, bumpers, headlights and doors, across different vehicle types to repair vehicles offers environmental benefits & reduces the need for energy-heavy manufacturing processes without sacrificing quality: bit.ly/3FkpQMo.

With federal funding under threat, state leaders launched a new effort to boost climate tech. The event, held last week at WPI, featured state climate chief Melissa Hoffer and other stakeholders, where the state unveiled its new strategic plan. Read the @bostonglobe.com article: bit.ly/3ERaW01.

WPI chemical engineering researchers are turning up the heat on PFAS, the so-called “forever chemicals”. They’ve developed a novel process for wastewater treatment that can remove PFAS from sewage sludge and may ultimately generate renewable fuel that could reduce carbon emissions: bit.ly/41kR5iB.

Inspired by origami, WPI researchers are developing a lightweight, flexible robotic arm that could be mounted on a wheelchair to help users grasp and carry out-of-reach objects. The work is supported by National Science Foundation. Read more: bit.ly/4b4cCiC.

Xiaowei Teng, the James H. Manning Professor of Chemical Engineering at WPI, has discovered a new redox chemistry that utilizes chloride ions to advance the development of seawater-based green batteries. Learn more about his innovation here: bit.ly/4b6sQb7.

It’s official! WPI has been designated an R1 university in the Carnegie Classification of U.S. research colleges and universities by @aceducation.bsky.social: Learn all about it here: bit.ly/4hwkFY0.

Dr. Uzunovic says, "The future of power systems is very green, meaning we are striving to re-make the existing power systems into new, modern ones with a minimal impact on the climate." Learn more about this program and the work being done in this field by WPI faculty and alumni: bit.ly/40GQqq0.

“The scope of materials recovered from spent lithium-ion batteries is broadening,” said study co-author Professor Yan Wang, from WPI’s Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department. Learn more about his innovative work here: bit.ly/415TAVG.

“As researchers from Penn State, Northern Arizona University, WPI, and Carnegie Mellon University demonstrate, the Neural Carrier Activities jailbreak is effective against several frontier models in a black box setting and has a relatively low barrier to entry." Read the article: bit.ly/410JYf9

First-year students are diving right into studying artificial intelligence and its potential, challenges, and societal implications. Two new courses in WPI’s Great Problems Seminar are providing students with opportunities to try out and think deeply about AI tools. Get more info: bit.ly/3ClErq3.

Is there an upside to the DeepSeek debut? WPI Prof. Elke Rundensteiner talked to the @bostonglobe.com about the new AI tech’s implications for local spinoffs and startups. Check out the article: bit.ly/3WEx97s.

Erica Brozovsky, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Humanities & Arts, authored a piece for The Mozilla Blog which helps tell the history of internet memes. In the piece, Brozovsky outlines how memes represent shared online experiences & human connection. See more at: bit.ly/4jAcAmr.

A Worcester Polytechnic Institute study found instructors could help create a more inclusive learning environment in STEM courses through tailoring their syllabus to feature elements like materials from diverse scholars and accessibility statements. Learn more: bit.ly/40ED6To

“Since lithium-ion batteries are a high energy density fuel, there is a possibility of an explosion hazard,” said Ali Rangwala, a professor of fire protection engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. “The plume has a lot of gases that are harmful if inhaled.”: bit.ly/3CwwnCC.

“Some colleges and universities (including WPI) have increased opportunities for students to learn about climate solutions, encouraging them to get involved in creating a better planet." Learn more about the career prep and mentorship program for students: bit.ly/40mT4kB @insidehighered.com

Research suggests fire tornadoes can carry airborne embers, also called firebrands, over long distances, said James Urban, an assistant professor in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. They also can change the fire’s behavior, he said. bit.ly/4jhD103

Is there a cost to the stress of being a woman in a STEM field? WPI Arts & Sciences Dean Jean King will lead a panel this week at the National Academies about the cumulative effects of stress on the body and the brain, particularly among women and communities of color. Learn more: bit.ly/4jjAaUK

Rong Wang, the new John C. Metzger Jr. Professor and Department Head of Chemistry and Biochemistry at WPI, has deep research experience in the biomedical applications field, including the development of innovative therapies and biosensors. Learn more about her here: bit.ly/4hayM4I.

As conversations surrounding wildfires on the West Coast continue, Spectrum News 1 asked WPI PhD student Fernando Ebensperger what he's learning from the devastation in California. Read what he had to say: bit.ly/3DUe1Mr.

3,000 miles from the firestorms ravaging southern Calif., engineers in Worcester, Mass. are lighting their own fires, in an ongoing effort to get ready for the next disaster. Read the @bostonglobe.com article featuring WPI's Fire Protection Engineering experts: bit.ly/4gQc3uZ