What's happening?
Latest News, Announcements, Events at WPI.
WPI Listen
WPI News
Tune in for in-depth stories on cutting-edge research, student and faculty achievements, and highlights from campus life.
The WPI Podcast
Hear directly from WPI’s faculty, students, and staff as they tackle global challenges, explore cutting-edge discoveries, and create real-world impact.
LATEST WPI NEWS
- WPI’s Yan Wang Named Fellow of the National Academy of InventorsWorcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Professor Yan Wang, the William B. Smith Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, has been elected a 2025 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI)—the highest professional distinction awarded exclusively to academic inventors. Wang is among 185 exceptional inventors selected for the 2025 class, which includes 169 U.S. Fellows and 16 international Fellows. Collectively, this year’s cohort holds more than 5,300 U.S. patents and includes Nobel laureates, National Medal recipients, and members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. A global leader in battery recycling and sustainable manufacturing, Wang is widely recognized for pioneering a hydrometallurgical process that recycles lithium-ion batteries at industrial scale. His innovations have produced 12 U.S. patents and have led directly to the creation of two companies, including the industry-leading Ascend Elements and AM Batteries. His work has received numerous national accolades, including the inaugural Bayh-Dole “Faces of American Innovation” award. He was also named to the NAI Class of Senior Fellows in 2022.
- WPI Shines in News Coverage
- 3D-Printed Scaffolds for New Blood VesselsYonghui Ding holds a 3D-printed scaffold The tiny opaque tube that Yonghui Ding holds up to the light in his laboratory looks like a bit of debris from a dismantled ball point pen. Just 1 centimeter long and about 2 to 3 millimeters in diameter, the biodegradable tube is too small for the grooves and channels on its surfaces to be easily visible. Yet those microscopic textures represent an advance that Ding, an assistant professor in WPI’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, thinks may someday lead to big improvements in heart bypass surgeries. In a new paper in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials, Ding and research collaborators from Northwestern University reported that they developed a rapid 3D-printing process using biodegradable “ink” and light to produce tubular implantable scaffolds with grooves and channels. The textures created pathways for cells to migrate across the implant’s surfaces and line up with each other, a critical step in regenerating blood vessels to the heart. “The goal of this research is to regenerate arteries, not just replace them,” says Ding. “To achieve that goal, it will be important to develop grafts that temporarily provide the structure for tissue growth and enable new cells to grow into healthy and functional blood vessels.” The research aims to improve surgical treatment for one of the nation’s leading public health challenges—heart disease. The leading cause of heart attacks is blockage in the vessels supplying blood to the heart. A common surgical treatment is coronary artery bypass grafting, which involves attaching a vein or synthetic tube to reroute circulation around a blockage to restore healthy blood flow to the heart.
LATEST ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Technology Equipment ReturnAll university-issued technology equipment must be returned to Information Technology Services if it is no longer in use by the employee it was provisioned to. This includes desktop and laptop computers, tablets, peripherals, and any other assigned devices. Please bring equipment to the IT Service Desk in the Gordon Library, or contact the ITS Service Desk to schedule on-campus pickup by calling 508-831-5888 or emailing ITS@wpi.edu. Timely returns help ensure data security and proper inventory management. Thank you for your cooperation!
- All-Staff Meeting (Presented by Staff Council)All Staff Meeting On December 16th, from 9:00 am to 10:30 am, we will be hosting our first All Staff Meeting in Olin Hall 107. The goal of this meeting is to share updates and initiatives relevant to staff and give staff members an opportunity to provide us with feedback on topics that are important to you. Agenda Highlights: Updates on Staff Council Work Presentations Open Q&A and Discussion We encourage all staff members to attend and participate. This is a valuable opportunity to stay informed and have your voice heard. We look forward to seeing you there! Zoom link will be available in December!
- Instructor Featured on Creator Adam Savage’s “Tested” YouTube ChannelRalph Sutter, senior instructor in the Interactive Media and Game Development program, appears in a new video on Adam Savage’s Tested YouTube channel. The video showcases the animatronic Grogu (Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian) that Savage has designed and built with the help of collaborators, who include Sutter and Matthew Winchell ’25, robotics engineering. For the last year, Savage, the former co-host of MythBusters, has been developing his Grogu replica. Sutter contributed to the project by digitally sculpting the 3D model of Baby Yoda’s head, and Winchell worked on the mechanics and control systems. (L-R) Sutter, Grogu, Savage. Photo credit: Kristen Lomasney Sutter participated in filming the new video at Savage’s workshop in San Francisco in September. In the video, Sutter discusses his work on the project. Winchell appeared in two separate Tested videos with Savage: one in July to discuss the status of the project and a second earlier this month to walk viewers through the custom puppet’s controls and movements. Tested is a YouTube channel, led by Savage, that explores the intersection of science, popular culture, and emerging technology. Sutter, a 3D-character artist and animator, teaches courses at WPI including 3D art and animation. “I love digital sculpting, creating compelling 3D characters, and bringing them to life,” he says. “As a Star Wars fan and a big believer in the power of makers, it has been a dream to work on this project with Adam. He is one of my idols and I have so much respect for his work.”