Alumnus

The Chemistry and Biochemistry Department is pleased to host Dr. Timko from Worcester Polytechnic Institute Wednesday 02/04/2026 to give a talk on "Let’s Make this Waste Work for Us: Versatile Strategies for Valorizing waste Plastics". Attached is the seminar flyer with his abstract as well as additional details. The seminar will be held in Gateway Park room 1002 at 12:00pm. We hope you can all make it!

Build the best bot and compete against your peers; see simple schoolyard games turned into a unique tournament of predicting and prevailing!

The 2026 WPI In-Person Spring Career Fair is going to be held on February 5, 2026 in our Sports & Recreation Center from 12-4 pm. This event is for students and alumni from all degrees and disciplines, seeking a full-time job, internship, co-op, or part-time experience. The Career Fair is an opportunity for you to present yourself professionally in-person to a potential employer while showcasing your communication skills. Join the event to get an email notification and calendar invite in your mailbox. While you can RSVP in Handshake, you need to register with the HCDC to receive your nametag which is your ticket for the event:· Pre-register on February 3rd, 9am – 4pm Unity Hall, 5th Floor, Career Corner· Pre-register on February 4th, 9am – 4pm Unity Hall, 5th Floor, Career Corner· Register day of the event starting at 10 am in the Sports and Rec CenterIf you have any questions or concerns about accessibility or accommodations, please contact Amanda Laungani at adlaungani@wpi.edu.

Please join us in Bangkok as WPI and Chulalongkorn University celebrate more than 30 years of collaboration and the remarkable students from both universities who are solving real-world problems together. Thursday, February 5, 20266:30 PM (18:30)Chatrium Grand Hotel728 Phetchaburi Rd, Thanon Phetchaburi, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, ThailandChatrium Grand Ballroom, 2nd floor Hosted by WPI Trustee Chartsiri Sophonpanich ’80, Hon. ’24The program will feature institutional updates from WPI, opportunities to connect and network with fellow alumni, and the chance to meet project sponsors, faculty partners, and the students who bring our project-based learning mission to life. Refreshments will be served.

Guest Lecture FP 575: Explosion Protection Engineering and FP 582: Quantitative Risk AssessmentFire vs. Explosion Safety: Physics, Engineering, and Codes Prof. Jose ToreroFriday, February 6, 202611:00 – 12:30 pm ESTFPE classroom, Rm 122650 Prescott St, WorcesterJosé Torero, William R. Kenan, Jr., Visiting Professor at Princeton University, is a leading expert on fire safety who is a professor of civil engineering and the head of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at University College London in the United Kingdom. Torero was previously the John L. Bryan Chair in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering and a director of the Center for Disaster Resilience in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, from 2017 to 2019. He was previously on the faculty of the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland, Australia, and the University of Edinburgh.Torero co-authored more than 270 articles and has contributed chapters to more than 30 books. He is a co-author of “Modelado y Simulación Computacional en la Edificación” (Computational Modeling and Simulation in Building) (Ediciones Díaz de Santos, S.A., 2007) and a co-editor of the “SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 5th Edition” (Society of Fire Protection Engineers, 2015).This lecture is offered as part of FP 575 (Explosion Protection Engineering) taught by Prof. Lorenz Boeck and FP 582 (QRA) taught by Prof. Stephen Kmiotek for the Explosion Protection Engineering (XPE) – A new and exciting interdisciplinary MS program by Aerospace, Chemical Civil, Fire Protection, and Mechanical Engineering at WPI.https://www.wpi.edu/academics/study/master-science-explosion-protection-engineering

Register TodayView Who’s Coming Please join us to learn and reminisce about the 116-year history of the WPI Wireless Association and W1YK (formerly called the Radio Club) and its partnership with the WPI Gordon Library’s Archives & Special Collections team on their extensive research and documentation.The Wireless Association has its roots in the beginnings of Amateur Radio. The group was first founded in October of 1909, by Oliver B. Jacobs and a group of 40 other men. Over the years, the Wireless Association has been at the forefront of radio technology, as the school has been in other fields. Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocketry attended the school, as did Atwater Kent, who did experimentation with radio as well. Today W1YK is still experimenting in modern modes of Amateur Radio, such as packet radio and satellites.Are you a former Wireless Association or Radio Club member? We would love to hear about your experience with the organization! MEET THE PRESENTERSPresenters include Paige Rust ’26 BS Aerospace Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering is former and interim student organization historian. Gillian McCuistion is the Institute and Outreach Initiatives Archivist for WPI’s Archives & Special Collections.DATE/TIMEWednesday, February 11, 2026 at 3:00 PM ESTLOCATIONThis event will be held via Zoom. Registrants will receive the Zoom URL in their registration confirmation email. This program is hosted by WPI Voyagers and is open to all members of the WPI community. Learn more about WPI Voyagers longstanding history as a social engagement organization for the WPI community, upcoming programs and membership opportunities.

Fire Protection Engineering DepartmentPh.D. Thesis ProposalPablo PintoThursday, February 12, 2026, 8:30 am – 11:00 am, 60P 1001Zoom link: https://wpi.zoom.us/j/94780692455Horizontal Flame Spread Under Controlled Forced FlowCommittee:James Urban, Ph.D. (Advisor and Assistant Professor; FPE WPI)Maria Thomsen, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Engineering and Sciences, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez)Ali Rangwala, Ph.D. (Professor, FPE and XPE WPI)Ya-Ting Liao, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University)AbstractStudying horizontal concurrent flame spread is essential in fire science and safety, as it plays a key role in real-world scenarios. This work presents an experimental investigation of horizontal concurrent flame spread in a bench-scale flow duct under steady and sinusoidally varying forced-flow conditions. Experiments are conducted on black-cast PMMA panels, with flame spread characterized by pyrolysis-front progression and heated-length measurements. Dimensional analysis based on the Richardson number is used to assess the relative roles of natural and forced convection; most cases fall in the mixed-convection regime, with brief transitions to natural convection. An empirical correlation incorporating the Richardson number is used to predict the flame spread rate by accounting for heat transfer to the heated zone. A tractable contour-based formulation is introduced to model the transient radiative heat transfer from the flame to the heated zone during flame spread. The transient radiative heat flux distribution is estimated using a side-facing radiometer and view-factor calculations between the flame, the radiometer, and points located at variable positions within the heated zone. Using this approach, radiative heat transfer under sinusoidally varying airflow is examined. Results show that incident flame radiation remains nearly constant, while the heated-zone size exhibits a strong transient response. This behavior is attributed to temporal variations in heated length. Two-dimensional spatial distributions of the incident radiative heat flux to the heated zone are also calculated and analyzed. To address this limitation, a methodology is presented to separate radiative and convective heat flux contributions from the flame to the fuel surface during flame spread. A second view-factor formulation is employed to estimate and subtract the radiative component, thereby isolating the convective contribution from the total heat flux. The flame spread rate is measured experimentally and independently estimated using the calculated radiative and convective heat fluxes, with strong agreement observed between the two approaches.

February 16th - Poster Submission Day for GRIEPoster size should be 36" x 48" either portrait or landscapePrinting should be on Matte PaperAccepted File Types are PPTX or PDFYou will need to pay either by Goat Bucks or WPI Departmental Account Number (Please see your department adminstrator to get correct information)Information on creating posters and PowerPoint templates are available HERE!Poster submissions can be made HERE!

We are thrilled to announce the annual Graduate Research and Innovation Exchange (GRIE) and Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, set for Friday, February 20, 2026 from 1pm-5pm in the Campus Center Odeum. This year, we’ve made some exciting changes to enhance your experience. The event will feature 3MT from 1-2:30 PM, followed by GRIE from 2:30-4:30 PM, with awards announced between 4:30-5 PM. A registration link will be added to this page soon. Join us for an exciting afternoon of research and innovation!

Register to Join us on ZoomRegister to Join us In Person by February 17 You’re invited to a hybrid fireside chat featuring WPI’s Tsitsi Masvawure, professor for The Global School for a discussion on women’s health. In particular, you will hear about her research on menstruation and wellbeing to better understand how menstruation affects student wellbeing, gaps in our global health responses pertaining to this most basic biological process, and to highlight student interest in menstrual wellbeing at WPI and the Worcester community. In light of the termination of USAID and other global health initiatives, what does this mean for academia, research and critical global health programming? Join us on February 24 for an interactive discussion to learn more! Meet the Presenter Professor Masvawure is a medical anthropologist, global health researcher and feminist scholar, whose research focuses on issues of gender, sexuality and health. She has a primary interest in the HIV pandemic and has researched HIV prevention and treatment in Africa. Professor Masvawure is a faculty member in WPI’s master of science in Global Health degree program. Masvawure’s active research projects currently include: a storytelling project to document the history of AIDS Project Worcester, the oldest AIDS service organization in central Massachusetts; a project to promote racial equity at a community health center in Worcester; and a project on menstrual wellbeing on college campuses. Masvawure’s areas of research interest include HIV, menstruation, menopause, and the need to re-imagine the U.S. and wealthier countries as sites for global health intervention. DETAILSTuesday, February 24, 20266:00-8:00 PM EST; The Alumni Center at Higgins House Register by February 17 to join us in person. Space is limited so register early. In the case of inclement weather, this in-person opportunity will be cancelled and registrants will be provided the Zoom URL. 6:00 PM Guest Check-In/Social 6:30 PM Welcome Remarks, Followed by Presentation & Q&A 7:30 PM Reception 8:00 PM Program Concludes 6:30-7:30 PM EST; Register to Join Us on Zoom Hosted by The Women of WPI, this fireside chat is open to all members and friends of the WPI community. All attendees will be entered into a raffle for alumni swag. We look forward to seeing you February 24!

Register now to join us for the 3rd Annual STEM Education Showcase!Additional event details, including the event schedule, full agenda, event program, will be added to this page as they are finalized.What Attendees Are Saying“The opportunity to connect with other educators, share ideas, and be inspired by what others are doing in their classrooms.” — ’25 Showcase Attendee“High-quality workshops with relevant topics, engaging presenters, and time to really learn—not rushed.” — ’25 Showcase Attendee“A welcoming, well-organized morning full of practical ideas, meaningful conversations, and connections I’m excited to bring back to my school.” — ’25 Showcase AttendeeLooking Back: STEM Education Showcase ’25Want a sense of what to expect?Read our STEM Education Showcase ’25 recap for highlights, reflections, and moments from last year’s event.

The 2026 Alumni Association Annual Meeting will be conducted as part of Honoring Our Helping Herd on Wednesday, April 29. If you are a WPI alumna/us, you are a voting member of the Association, and the Board of Directors invites you to take part in the meeting!Members of the Association’s Board of Directors represent you – they advocate for you, help to keep you connected to WPI, foster community, and strengthen the alumni network. They also provide fellow alumni with beneficial resources and opportunities to engage with WPI and each other. All of this important work is in support of the university’s mission and goals. As a voting member of the Association, you can ensure that the work of the Board of Directors continues to have a positive impact on your alumni experience. Alumni Association Annual MeetingWednesday, April 29, 2026 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM Rubin Campus Center, OdeumWPI CampusAppetizers and bar service will be available. Registration information is forthcoming. We hope to see you there! Can’t make it to campus? Participate in the Annual Meeting by voting online. More information will be available in advance of the meeting date.

Volunteers are a crucial part of the equation for success here at WPI, and our alumni are some of the most dedicated members of our Helping Herd. Your commitment and contributions to your alma mater have a profoundly positive impact – whether they be as an advisory board member, a guest lecturer, an event host, or in any other volunteer capacity.Join us as we celebrate YOU – the alumni members of our Helping Herd – during this special volunteer recognition event. You’ll have a chance to gather with other members of the alumni community who also contribute their time and talent in meaningful ways and hear from a special guest speaker.Honoring Our Helping HerdWednesday, April 29, 2026 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM Rubin Campus Center, OdeumWPI Campus In addition, the Alumni Association will conduct its annual meeting, recapping its work from the past year, welcoming new board members, and presenting its annual gift to WPI. Learn more about the annual meeting and the important role you play at your university.Appetizers and bar service will be available. Registration information is forthcoming. We hope to see you there!