This November, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) proudly commemorates Native and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month a period dedicated to honoring the living traditions, knowledge systems, and continuing contributions of Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas and beyond. This yearly commemoration encourages us to contemplate, educate ourselves about, and involve ourselves with the dynamic cultures, leadership, and creativity of Indigenous communities from past to present to future whose guidance and knowledge continue to influence the territories where we currently reside, study, and work.  At WPI, we celebrate the resilience, creativity, and leadership of Native and Indigenous peoples in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEM). We reiterate our dedication to promoting an inclusive campus that acknowledges and honors Indigenous sovereignty, voices, and cultural identity 🌎 A Legacy of Recognition and Resilience This observance, which started in 1916 as “American Indian Day,” has transformed into a month-long national celebration. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed a joint resolution that officially designated November as National American Indian Heritage Month, which is now more inclusively recognized as Native and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month. This observance pays tribute to the varied histories and contemporary cultures of over 570 federally recognized tribes in the United States, as well as thousands of Indigenous nations around the globe. It serves as a reminder that acknowledgment must be accompanied by action supporting Indigenous sovereignty, enhancing education, and advocating for environmental justice. 🔬 Honoring Indigenous Knowledge in STEM For centuries, long before modern science was formally established, indigenous knowledge systems have shaped and broadened scientific understanding. Indigenous peoples have exemplified sustainability, innovation, and resilience across generations through practices like regenerative agriculture, astronomical observation, and engineering designs that prioritize ecological balance and community well-being. We highlight Indigenous scholars whose work bridges traditional knowledge and modern research: Dr. Jessica Hernandez (Maya Ch’orti’ and Zapotec) – Environmental scientist and author of Fresh Banana Leaves, advocating for Indigenous-led climate restoration. Dr. David Wilson (Navajo Nation) – Biomedical researcher integrating cultural perspectives into health equity. Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) – Botanist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass, whose work blends scientific inquiry with storytelling and reciprocity. Dr. Tasha Hubbard (Cree) – Filmmaker and educator exploring Indigenous sovereignty through visual storytelling. Their work embodies the strength and spirit of Indigenous innovation that aligns with WPI’s mission of purposeful technology and global responsibility. Read, Watch, Listen   Learn how to respectfully address Native and Indigenous people by reading this short article: Native American vs. American Indian: Which Is Preferred? (healthline.com) Explore Gordon Library’s Native and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month Collection  Explore the National Museum of the American Indian online  Watch Gather documentary (2020) - A film that explores the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political, and cultural identities through food sovereignty.  Watch “Bury My Heart on Wounded Knee” film  Watch “The Education of Little Tree” movie If you are a member of the Native and Indigenous community, please visit Natives Rising for mentorship, networking, job placement assistance, and more. Read “Celebrating National Native American Heritage Month” Listen to podcasts that explore Indigenous community, culture, and conversation:  Unreserved podcast  Pow Wow Life podcast   Act   Support the Worcester Inter-Tribal Indian Center  Support the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness   Support the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)  Support Sisterhood of Native American Coders (SONAC)  Support Native arts and businesses by buying art, jewelry, clothing, and other items made by Native people and communities.  Register to Vote -OR- Check Your Voter Registration  Everything you need to vote. Vote.org  WPI Land Acknowledgement WPI acknowledges the painful history of genocide in the U.S. for native and indigenous peoples. As a public statement that honors the indigenous people as native inhabitants on this land, WPI honors and respects the many and diverse tribal nations who were forcefully removed from their sacred lands. WPI would like to recognize the people of the Chaubunagungamaug and Hassanamisco Nipmuc Tribe as the traditional custodians of the land on which we work. We take this moment to honor their elders, past, present, and emerging. WPI strongly advocates for higher education professionals to honor the land, the original tribal occupants, and the history of where they are located.  ODIME Logo The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) promotes and oversees student-facing learning experiences, programs, services, trainings, and initiatives for WPI.

In the lead up to Thanksgiving and in light of impending SNAP cut-offs, WPI Library will be hosting a food drive over the next 3 weeks (Monday, November 3^rd - Friday, November 21st). We're accepting non-perishable food donations in designated bins (archival banker boxes for the win!) located just inside the front entrance of the library. These will be accessible for drop-offs only when the library is open: https://www.wpi.edu/library/about/visiting All donations will be going to the local Flourish at Thrive food pantry. In addition to the list of suggested items available on their website, they've also relayed special need of these staples: Ramen Chef Boyardee canned meals Microwaveable meal cups, such as mac n cheese Boxed potatoes, and Juice Please email any follow-up questions directly to me at gmccuistion@wpi.edu. Many thanks in advance for whatever you're able to contribute!

  2026 Worcester Polytechnic University (WPI), FLAME University and Future Finance and Economics Association (FFEA) Call for Papers FinTech Conference October 22-23, 2026, Worcester, MA, USA Special Issue of International Review of Financial Analysis Journal   Theme: “FinTech Frontiers: AI, Blockchain, and the Evolution of Digital Finance” Venue: Onsite at Worcester Polytechnic University, 100 Institute Rd, Worcester, MA, USA   The Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Business School, the Future Finance and Economics Association (FFEA), and FLAME University are proud to host the second FFEA conference in the United States, following the inaugural 2023 event. The 2026 conference, themed “FinTech Frontiers: AI, Blockchain, and the Evolution of Digital Finance,” will take place Thursday, October 22 – Friday, October 23, 2026, at WPI in Worcester, Massachusetts https://www.ffea.eu/future-conferences/fintech-for-the-future-wpi-october-2023 This event aims to bring together an international group of academics, practitioners, and policymakers to engage in debates on the most pressing issues in FinTech and digital finance. With particular focus on payment innovation, digital asset infrastructure, and regulatory transformation, the conference will explore how technologies such as stablecoins, CBDCs, and blockchain platforms are reshaping global finance. It will provide a forum for presenting new research, policy perspectives, and industry insights, while fostering dialogue on the future direction of FinTech in an era of rapid technological and regulatory change.  The conference submission deadline is June 30th, 2026. Financial Technology (Fintech) is revolutionizing the financial industry and offers social good opportunities. The impacts of Fintech are evident across a myriad of sectors within the financial services industry ranging from payments, insurance, lending, and banking. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are major driving forces behind Fintech’s innovations. We are committed to this transformation at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), the Business School of Engineers. Technology is central to our mission and a bedrock of our programs. Through the FLAME–WPI FinTech Lab, we extend this mission globally by fostering collaborative research, student engagement, and thought leadership in FinTech The conference invites papers in all areas of fintech and sustainability studies. At this point a tentative but not exhaustive set of topics could include the following;  AI-enhanced decision-making in capital markets and credit allocation Stablecoin adoption and central bank digital currency (CBDC) developments Blockchain’s influence on cross-border payments and digital identity verification The role of generative AI and machine learning in regulatory technology (RegTech) FinTech’s evolving role in promoting financial inclusion and sustainable finance The impact of Artificial Intelligence applications in the financial industry Central Bank Digital Currency and the underbanked/unbanked Blockchain and FinTech Applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence in financial decision making Fintech and financial inclusivity Ethics and Fintech   Timeline Papers, extended abstracts, and proposals for workshops and panel discussions should be submitted by June 30, 2026, with decisions by mid-July.   Submissions: Submission link will open shortly Keynote Speakers Ÿ   Andrew W. Lo, Professor, Finance at MIT Ÿ   Roger G. Ibbotson, Professor in the Practice Emeritus of Finance at Yale School of Management.  Special Issue Journal International Review of Financial Analysis - Fintech and Inclusivity in an International Context Guest Editor Kwamie Dunbar WPI Papers for these special issues must be presented at the conference. Which journal, if any, will be requested at submission. It is NOT mandatory to select a SI to attend or present. Please refer to the journal websites for details on submissions. Note that submissions are NOT open yet. Conference Registration The registration fee for the conference is USD400 for all participants. The registration fee is waivered for session chairs and discussants who do not have a paper in the program. The conference is also free for students. Presenting authors should register for the conference before August 15th, 2026.   Important DatesDeadline for Conference Submission  June 30, 2026 Notification of Conference Acceptance July 15, 2026 Conference Registration deadline August 15, 2026 Conference Dates October 22-23, 2026   

Click here to view the November 2025 Benefits Newsletter. 

  This B-Term, nearly 325 students are participating in Interactive Qualifying Projects (IQP) or Major Qualifying Projects (MQP) with WPI’s Global Projects Program. Students participate in a term-long immersive research experience that sharpens their skills and brings a new way of looking at the world. This fall, the Syros, Greece, project center is gearing up for its sophomore year with a 12-student cohort. Robert Hersh, Syros advisor and director, says the small island located 80 miles southeast of Athens supports students with an enthusiastic community, challenging projects, and a working relationship with the University of the Aegean.  Hersh, an adjunct teaching professor in The Global School, is familiar with the area, having directed the Thessaloniki, Greece, project center for many years. Opening the Syros project center was serendipity, he says, after a chance visit with a colleague from the University of the Aegean. The colleague’s son is a WPI alumnus, and the conversation turned to how students could use their skills to work with the Syros community. In 2024, the project center hosted its first students. Elizabeth Jordan ’26, who is double majoring in environmental engineering and environmental and sustainability studies, was part of the first Syros cohort and said the Greek island appealed to her because it was unfamiliar. “I was really interested to explore a place I didn’t know much about,” she says. Being part of an inaugural project center was not without hurdles. The lack of previous projects or examples to reference was daunting at first, Jordan says. “But as we settled into the work, we realized it was actually a blessing in disguise. Being the first group at the Syros project center meant we had the freedom to set our own standards and shape the foundation for future teams.” Hersh says he expects student projects to be intellectually stimulating, and he also expects the experience to hold deeper meaning where students can explore their creativity and build cross-cultural understanding. Jordan’s team project exemplified how that all comes together in a project center. Her team, which focused on the challenges of recycling on the island, realized there was much more to the project than just a municipal process. “Once we arrived on Syros, we quickly realized how difficult it was to access reliable information, and our data collection became more limited than expected,” she says. “This challenge ultimately became an important part of our project, helping us understand the underlying reasons behind residents’ hesitations toward recycling and their complex relationship with the local government.” While the projects illuminate difficult questions, the community partnerships that develop reveal why and how answers aren’t so clear-cut. As students learn about the island residents’ way of life and the government structure, they understand why a solution that worked on paper back on the WPI campus isn’t easy to implement on Syros, Hersh says.  Students may leave a project center with excellent professional skills—and, he says, they also acquire something even more important. “They realize that it’s a complicated world.”    In B-Term 2025, the Global Projects Program is hosting projects in these locations:  IQP  Cape Town, South Africa, with project advisors Gbetonmasse Somasse (Social Science & Policy Studies) and Alejandro Manga (contingent) Hangzhou, China, with project advisors Hansong Pu (adjunct) and Gu Wang (Mathematical Sciences)  Honolulu, Hawaii, with project advisors Zoë Eddy (Department of Integrative and Global Studies) and Jed Lindholm (adjunct) Kathmandu, Nepal, with project advisors Brigitte Servatius (MA) and Herman Servatius (MA) Kyoto, Japan, with project advisors Melissa Belz (DIGS) and Alex Sphar (DIGS) Melbourne, Australia, with project advisors Uma Kumar (Chemistry & Biochemistry) and Joe Sarkis (The Business School) Nantucket, Mass., with project advisors Dominic Golding (DIGS) and Seth Tuler (DIGS) Prague, Czech Republic, with project advisors Fred Looft (adjunct) and Linda Looft (adjunct) Santa Fe, N.M., with project advisors Laureen Elgert (DIGS) and Phil Hultquist (adjunct) Syros, Greece, with project advisor Robert Hersh (adjunct) Tirana, Albania, with project advisors Michele Femc-Bagwell (adjunct) and Mallory Bagwell (adjunct) Venice, Italy, with project advisors Judy Nitsch (adjunct) and Luis Vidali (Biology) Washington, D.C., with project advisors Melissa Butler (DIGS) and Tsitsi Masvawure (DIGS)   MQP  FinTech (formerly Wall Street), with center directors Adrienne Hall-Phillips (TBS) and Kwamie Dunbar (TBS) Kyoto, Japan, with center director Adam Powell (Mechanical and Materials Engineering) Silicon Valley, Calif., with center director Mark Claypool (Computer Science) Tokyo, Japan, with center director Adam Powell (ME)   

Chief Stephen Marsh is pleased to announce that a team of assessors from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission is scheduled to arrive on campus Nov. 17, 2025, to begin examining various aspects of the WPI Police Department’s policies, procedures, operations, and facilities toward reaccreditation.  WPI police first became accredited in 2017, and this will be the third reaccreditation assessment to verify that the department continues to meet the commission’s standards for accreditation.   Accreditation is a voluntary process that involves police departments meeting and maintaining over 325 operational standards and best practices.     Achieving accreditation is a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence. Anyone interested in learning more about this program is invited to speak with the department’s accreditation manager, Capt. Brendan Green, or with Chief Stephen Marsh at the WPI Police Department located in Founders Hall.