STAFF REPORTS
WORCESTER, M.A. — The following local residents were among students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) who recently completed intense, hands-on research projects:
Ava Karet of Buffalo, N.Y., a member of the class of 2019 majoring in mechanical engineering, was a member of a student team that completed a project through the WPI project center in Bangkok. The project was titled A Mobile Application to Reduce Risks for Runaway Youth. In their project summary, the students wrote, “To learn about the runaway youth and their needs, we conducted interviews and followed user-centered design to create our application. We created features that connect runaways to emergency help, show the locations of free resources, and teach runaways about health and wellness.”
Joshua Manning of Rochester, N.Y., a member of the class of 2019 majoring in biomedical engineering, was a member of a student team that completed a project through the WPI project center in Monteverde, Costa Rica. The project was titled Establishing a Carbon Neutrality Movement in Monteverde. In their project summary, the students wrote, “In this project, we investigated how Monteverde is promoting carbon neutrality, analyzed data of carbon emissions and sequestration, and created infographics, blogs, and a video as part of a carbon neutrality awareness campaign, on behalf of CORCLIMA.”
Frank Ciliberto of Spencerport, N.Y., a member of the class of 2019 majoring in mechanical engineering, was a member of a student team that completed a project through the WPI project center in Costa Rica. The project was titled Localization of Monteverde’s Economy. In their project summary, the students wrote, “Our goal was to facilitate connections between enterprises in Monteverde and producers in Costa Rica’s Bellbird Biological Corridor.”
Kelly Martin of Penfield, N.Y., a member of the class of 2019 majoring in chemical engineering, was a member of a student team that completed a project through the WPI project center in Bangkok. The project was titled Reducing Single-Use Plastic in a Thai School Community. In their project summary, the students wrote, ” Partnered with the St. Joseph’s Alumnae Association (SJAA), our project sought to gain an understanding of plastic use and develop methods to reduce plastic consumption in the St. Joseph Convent School (SJC) and its community.”
At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to addresses an important societal need or issue. About two-thirds of students complete a project at one of the university’s 40-plus off-campus project centers, which are located around the world. A signature element of the innovative undergraduate experience at WPI, the project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people’s lives-and make a difference before they graduate.
“The WPI project-based curriculum’s focus on global studies brings students out of the classroom and their comfort zones and into the global community to apply their knowledge to solve real problems,” said Professor Kent Rissmiller, interim dean of the WPI Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division. “Students are immersed in all aspects of a different culture, from the way people live and work to the values they hold to the foods they eat-all valuable perspectives for surviving and thriving in today’s global marketplace. They also learn the meaning and magic of teamwork; make a real and meaningful difference in their host community; and gain a competitive edge for any resume, or graduate or professional school application.”
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