In this episode of Time to Startup, we explore why the best founders don’t start with a product — they start with a conversation. The i3 Lab team dives into the importance of customer discovery and how early-stage entrepreneurs can save time, money, and stress by deeply understanding the people they’re building for. From real examples to practical advice, this episode breaks down how to identify true customer pain points, test assumptions, and build solutions that matter. Whether you’re a student innovator or a seasoned builder, you’ll learn why talking first might just be the smartest step you take toward startup success.  

In this episode, we sit down with WPI’s Athletic Director to explore what it really means to be a student-athlete at one of the nation’s top STEM universities. With college sports making headlines nationwide, we take a closer look at the Division III experience at WPI — where academics come first, teamwork is essential, and the lessons learned on the field connect directly to WPI’s project-based learning approach. We talk about balance, motivation, competition, community, and why being part of a team at WPI is about much more than winning games. It’s about collaboration, leadership, and preparing students for life after graduation.

While many colleges and universities offer study abroad programs, few provide international experiential learning opportunities to the extent Worcester Polytechnic Institute does. Among the nation’s leading doctoral universities, WPI has the fifth highest rate of undergraduate participation in study abroad programs. According to the Open Doors 2025 Report on International Educational Exchange, 933 U.S. students at WPI participated in a study abroad program for credit during the 2023–24 academic year. The report estimates that 84.8% of U.S. undergraduate students at WPI study abroad. This is the second straight year that WPI has ranked fifth in this measurement. While the Open Doors report tallies U.S. students who study outside the country, an even larger portion of all WPI students go off campus, abroad or in the U.S., for hands-on learning: 89% of WPI’s undergraduate class of 2025 participated in the university’s Global Projects Program, which offers students opportunities for long-term immersive learning experiences at more than 50 WPI project centers on six continents. “Our students don’t just study the world—they go out and engage with it. Being recognized again as a top university for study abroad underscores WPI’s long-standing commitment to immersive, global, project-based learning,” said WPI President Grace Wang. “Through the Global Projects Program, our students apply their knowledge and skills in real-world settings, collaborate with community partners, and create solutions that truly matter to the society. These experiences shape resilient, empathetic, collaborative, and globally minded leaders and innovators who are exceptionally well prepared to deal with the complexity and ambiguity in our interconnected world.” In addition to widespread student participation and a 50-year history of off-campus learning through the Global Projects Program, WPI also stands out for the way it conducts international learning. Students who study abroad aren’t just doing so in a classroom. They’re gaining experience and learning by doing, which is central to WPI’s project-based learning educational model. When WPI students go abroad, they develop critically important skills for their future success by working in teams and in partnership with community or industry sponsors to take on meaningful challenges. They conduct professional-level research into a specific issue and work toward implementing viable and sustainable solutions in the field. These hands-on project experiences allow students to leverage their STEM knowledge and approach problems from across disciplines. The goal of this approach is to help future scientists, engineers, and leaders in technology and business to better understand societal issues and the implications of their work by experiencing these issues firsthand, immersing themselves in communities around the world, and taking on unstructured problems. A 2021 survey of WPI alumni demonstrates how valuable these real-world learning experiences are for students. Among respondents who completed at least one of their required projects off campus:• 94% reported improved ability to work effectively on a team • 94% reported a positive impact in solving problems • 91% reported a positive impact on viewing issues from different perspectives • 89% felt their project work contributed to their ability to function effectively in the real world Open Doors, released Nov. 17 as part of International Education Week, is a comprehensive information resource on a variety of topics including international students and scholars, as well as students studying abroad for academic credit. The report is published by the nonprofit Institute of International Education with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

As climate-induced disasters such as hurricanes grow more frequent and severe in Puerto Rico, communities across the archipelago are increasingly relying on mutual-aid networks to protect one another.A set of emergency preparedness strategies developed by a Puerto Rican mutual-aid hub and WPI students may advance the effectiveness and sustainability of those grassroots efforts. In new research published in the journal Disasters, WPI students and faculty advisors associated with the university’s San Juan, Puerto Rico, Project Center report on the creation of the Disaster Response Mobilization System (DRMS), a community-based emergency management system. The DRMS was co-designed and co-piloted with Centro de Apoyo Mutuo, Las Carolinas, a mutual-aid hub based in Caguas, Puerto Rico. “The DRMS reflects the reality that neighbors often serve as first responders in Puerto Rico,” says Tara Checko ’25, one of the authors on the research article. Other authors were Abigail Sumner ’25, John-Michael Davis, assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Integrative and Global Studies (DIGS), and Sarah Molinari, an assistant teaching professor in DIGS. The authors identified three insights from the development of the DRMS that could advance the effectiveness and sustainability of community-based disaster preparedness: • The DRMS can serve as one approach within a broader community engagement and resilience planning process. • Community-driven implementations of the DRMS can build preparedness and provide an entry point for marginalized communities to connect to other networks of pre- and post-disaster support. • Volunteer-based community disaster preparedness efforts face sustainability and scalability challenges and require support from additional relevant stakeholders.The research that led to the DRMS started in early 2024 when a team of students that included Checko and Sumner were working on an Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP), an interdisciplinary project that examines a problem or need at the intersection of science and society. All WPI undergraduates must complete an IQP to graduate.Drawing on the experience of Hurricane Maria in 2017 and ongoing infrastructural failures that disproportionately impacted elderly and disabled residents, WPI students worked with Centro de Apoyo Mutuo, Las Carolinas, to design the DRMS so it would reflect the community’s specific challenges, strengths, and local knowledge. Faculty advisors, students, and the community partner co-created and co-piloted the system using household surveys and geo-located coordinates on Google My Maps. The group had three goals: assess household preparedness for disasters to guide hub strategies such as resource stockpiling and community engagement; identify household assets available to the community during a disaster, as well as household vulnerabilities such as medical or mobility conditions that may require extra support; and map household assets and vulnerabilities for community and other first responders. Checko and Sumner revisited the project during summer 2024 in an experimental course, Post-IQP Academic Publishing. The course was created by Davis and offered students an opportunity to return to their IQP research, sharpen their academic writing, and co-author a peer-reviewed journal article. Faculty advisors guided students through the publishing process—from engaging with the relevant literature to refining arguments and responding to reviewer feedback—to create a pathway for students to contribute to scholarly conversations and amplify the impact of their global project work. The authors said that the DRMS offers a promising, adaptable model for communities across Puerto Rico and beyond that are seeking to strengthen local disaster preparedness. “By focusing on community knowledge and fostering mutual-aid networks, the system can be scaled and tailored to diverse contexts, providing a strategy for grassroots organizations to build resilience from the ground up and connect more effectively with external support systems,” says Sumner.

A team of researchers that includes Worcester Polytechnic Institute computer scientist Kyumin Lee has developed a DNA testing procedure that could potentially help border control agents identify fins and other illegally traded parts from endangered sharks and rays. The researchers say their approach, a low-cost assay that involves a heating process and machine learning-based species detection using melting curve analysis, can quickly and accurately identify at least 55 shark and ray species, including 38 species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The assay is effective even in samples that have been dried, frozen, processed, or cooked into food. “We think of this assay and machine learning-based species detection technology as a molecular enforcement tool that could help law enforcement monitor trade, enforce international regulations, and combat wildlife trafficking,” says Lee, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science. The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports, emerged from a four-year collaboration among multiple institutions and supported with $2 million in funding from the National Science Foundation and the Allen Family Philanthropies. The team includes researchers from WPI, Florida International University, and the University of Maryland. The researchers sought to address a problem for law enforcement officers who battle illegal trade in animals and animal products: Fish fins and body parts from different species can appear similar, making it difficult to visually identify those from endangered species. Products also can be mislabeled and disguised, hampering investigations and criminal prosecutions. “A lot of the law enforcement that we’ve worked with in the past say that if they cannot have preliminary evidence within 24 hours, they have to let the container go,” says Diego Cardeñosa, a Florida International University assistant professor of biological sciences and an author on the paper. “If that first layer of proof is gone, then everything else falls.” To improve identification, the researchers focused on a technique called high-resolution melt analysis, which involves collecting DNA from a sample, amplifying a specific section of the genetic code, and then applying heat to measure the rate at which the DNA melts over time. The technique can be used as a relatively quick and simple way to spot genetic differences between samples. After building a library of melting data from 669 known fish samples, the researchers used machine learning to create a model that could compare unidentified samples to the library data. They tested their process using frozen, dried, preserved, processed, and cooked fish samples. The assay, they say, cost about $1.50 per sample, took about two hours to complete using simple equipment that could be installed at ports and other border facilities, and was 99.2% accurate. In addition to Lee and Cardeñosa, the paper’s authors were Zhuang Luo, WPI master of science 2025; Associate Professor DeEtta Mills, Emma Aitken, and Maria A. Herrera, all of Florida International University; John Carlson of the National Marine Fisheries Service; and Gavin Naylor of the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, Gainesville. Lee has previously researched the spread of phony and malicious online information, and he has worked with Renata Konrad, professor in The Business School, to understand how technologies and tools might be used to combat illegal wildlife trafficking. Threats to endangered sharks and rays are particularly urgent. Sharks and rays have been consumed as food for centuries, notably in Asia. Some Indian communities consider consumption of milk sharks beneficial to pregnant and lactating women. Shark fins are used in traditional Chinese medicine and shark fin soup. However, overfishing has diminished wild populations and endangered many species. Lee says the researchers hope their technology can be shared with law enforcement and developed to assist with anti-trafficking efforts focused on other species. The group also plans to work on technologies that can monitor social networks and e-commerce sites for suspicious trade activity. Other parts of the project will involve identifying trafficking routes and determining actions that will disrupt networks. “This collaboration brings together researchers with unique skills and resources,” Lee says. “Together we’re trying to use our expertise to make a positive impact for social good on an important global problem, which is the illegal and destructive trafficking of wildlife.”

Worcester Polytechnic Institute has been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop hands-on training, internships, and mentoring aimed at expanding the hydrogen energy workforce. WPI will collaborate with Western New England University, regional community colleges, and industry partners to create a one-year course to prepare nontraditional workers for careers in fields that are needed by hydrogen-sector leaders. Mehdi Mortazavi, principal investigator and associate teaching professor in the WPI Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, said organizers expect to train 40 people over three years. “This program will be unique because it will focus on experiential learning,” said Mortazavi. “Students will gain theoretical knowledge about hydrogen while also getting hands-on experience during industry internships. After three years, we aim to have a blueprint that can be adapted to prepare workers in other regions for jobs in any emerging technology industry, not just hydrogen energy.” Others working with Mortazavi on the project include Andrew Teixeira, associate professor in the WPI Department of Chemical Engineering, and Seyed Niknam, associate professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management at Western New England University. Hydrogen has gained attention in recent years for its potential role in solving a clean-energy conundrum. Renewable resources such as the sun and wind can be tapped to generate energy without producing the emissions associated with carbon-based fuels. But when the sun sets and winds drop, energy generation stops. A solution is to use electricity generated by solar and wind power to power an electrolyzer, a device that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen then can be stored, transported, and ultimately converted into electricity and water through fuel cells. Developing a skilled workforce with knowledge of hydrogen technologies will be essential to expanding the hydrogen economy, Teixeira said. “Massachusetts is investing in industry-academic collaborations aimed at improving the state’s energy resiliency, and hydrogen will play a big role in expanding economic activity,” Teixeira said. “The people we train will become workers for emerging and established hydrogen companies in Massachusetts.” The WPI-led team will work with community colleges in Massachusetts to recruit the first cohort of 13 students for the training program before the end of 2025. Mortazavi hopes to attract a wide range of applicants, including first-generation college students, veterans, and people from low-income families. Students selected for the program will receive stipends and spend about four weeks in training focused on hydrogen safety, production, use, and infrastructure manufacturing. The cohort will train in laboratories at WPI and at the Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems at Western New England University. Students then will be placed in internships with corporate partners for about three months. After their internships, students will have access to mentoring, career counseling, and other job placement services at WPI. The program aims to equip students with the technical and practical skills needed to secure jobs across the hydrogen energy sector. Potential roles could include fuel cell and electrolyzer technicians or engineers and hydrogen infrastructure specialists. “A critical element of this training program is the collaboration across academic disciplines at WPI and among WPI, other educational institutions, industry partners, regional workforce and clean energy organizations, and federal agencies,” Mortazavi said. “The program brings together the mechanical and chemical engineering programs, with support from several WPI offices and external partners, to offer a holistic experience for participants who might otherwise face barriers to finding jobs in emerging technology fields.”

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), in collaboration with Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI), the City of Worcester, and more than 30 regional partners, has been awarded $5.2 million from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to establish the BioHub, a transformative initiative designed to power the bioindustrial revolution in Central Massachusetts.The award was announced by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll at an event held at WPI, where she also recognized 14 other innovation and technology projects funded by the state to strengthen Massachusetts’ growing innovation economy.The BioHub will serve as the foundation for a thriving bioindustrial manufacturing ecosystem, positioning Worcester and Central Massachusetts as leaders in sustainable biomanufacturing, applied research, and workforce development.“WPI’s strengths in advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and life sciences make us a natural catalyst for collaboration and economic growth,” said Grace Wang, president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. “The BioHub builds on this foundation—bringing together academic, industry, and government partners to drive biomanufacturing innovation, create jobs, and expand opportunity for people across Central Massachusetts and beyond.”Over the next three years, the initiative aims to complete more than 24 pilot projects, train over 500 individuals, and create 3,000 new jobs, with an anticipated twentyfold return on investment in economic output. The initiative also aims to create a network of bioindustrial companies from startup to multinational corporations that will collaboratively shape the course of research and training in this field for years to come.Powered by breakthroughs in genetics, genomics, process engineering, and artificial intelligence, Central Massachusetts is poised to lead a new era of biology-based manufacturing that transforms how food, fuels, chemicals, and materials are produced. The region already ranks among the top 10 emerging biotech hubs in the country, with $4.5 billion in recent projects, a highly skilled workforce, and one of the nation’s densest concentrations of bioengineers and biological technicians.“By designating Worcester as a BioHub, the Healey-Driscoll administration will help the city build on the work it has already been doing to make the city a hub of innovation and help grow industry across the state,” said City Manager Eric Batista. “I am excited to see how WPI and the MBI will accelerate the commercialization of new food, fuels, chemicals, and materials.” WPI will leverage its extensive research infrastructure and facilities to support and accelerate the work, including the Biomanufacturing Education and Training Center (BETC), a 10,000-square-foot pilot-scale laboratory where theory is put into practice through active training, process development, and scale-up testing.“WPI’s BETC has long been a cornerstone for hands-on learning and industry collaboration in biopharmaceuticals,” said Eric Young, associate professor of chemical engineering and principal investigator for the BioHub project. “Through the BioHub, we’ll expand that impact. This is where research, training, and real-world application truly come together.”In addition, the BioHub calls for the creation of an AI-integrated pilot facility to accelerate scale-up testing, launching a builder’s lab for process optimization, expanding a bio-foundry for bioengineering, developing hands-on and augmented-reality training programs, and connecting academic and industry partners across Massachusetts to form a statewide bioindustrial network. MBI will help guide the strategy for accelerating company growth and scaling innovation. As the region’s longest-running nonprofit life sciences incubator and a leader in developing the Central Massachusetts biomanufacturing sector, MBI will work with academic, industry, and government partners to connect emerging ventures to facilities, technical support, and talent pipelines.“When we developed the regional biomanufacturing strategy, we knew that focused collaboration and investment in Central Massachusetts was the key to global competitiveness. This investment from the Healey-Driscoll administration recognizes what’s already happening here on the ground,” said Jon Weaver, president and CEO of MBI. “We’ve grown biomanufacturing jobs by more than 84% in the last five years, even as other regions have struggled. The BioHub is about continuing that momentum—giving companies the tools, space, and skilled workforce they need to thrive in Central Massachusetts.”

You voted in every poll—social media student Charles did everything you picked. From the 6am workout to the Dunkin' meal, study spots, and even where he grabbed late-night snacks... this is YOUR perfect day at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.This is what a REAL day looks like at WPI when our community designs it. No scripts, no perfect takes—just authentic college life. ⏱️ Timestamps: 0:06 - Breakfast 0:11 - Class 0:14 - Gym 0:24 - Studying 0:29 - Activities

In this episode of The WPI Podcast, Erin Solovey, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, introduces the concept of “thinking with AI,” a vision of human-centered intelligent systems designed as collaborative partners that enhance decision-making and creativity. She also discusses her research that seeks to make technology more intuitive and responsive. Solovey’s work lies at the intersection of AI, human-computer interaction, and neuroscience and is focused on how people interact with artificial intelligence.    Related links: AI at WPI Human-Computer Interaction Lab Interacting with AI at Work: Perceptions and Opportunities from the UK Judiciary Neuroscience at WPI Media: Contact Our Faculty AI Experts The Symposium on Human-Computer Interaction for Work

Coming back to The Hill feels like coming home for so many—and what better way to celebrate that feeling than with Homecoming 2025 events? From the legendary rope pull to the parade across Earle Bridge, the electric pep rally, and unforgettable athletic showdowns—relive all the moments that make Homecoming special.