Pi Day (March 14) is celebrated around the world and has a very special place at W∏!  It's also the International Day of Mathematics, with this year's theme "Mathematics, Art, and Creativity"! March 14 also happens to be the birthday of Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879)! Explore more ∏ today! Check out this article about "The story of the circle" to learn all about Pi. Memorize more digits!  First 100: 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679… Pick up a book at Gordon Library about Pi! [Pi]: a biography of the world's most mysterious number, by Alfred S. Posamentier and Ingmar Lehmann (2004) (print) Pi:  a sourcebook, J.L. Berggren et al (2004) (online) The joy of Pi, David Blattner (1997) (print) Listen to Kate Bush's "Pi" on YouTube: "Of course, this song could of been much, much longer into Infinity and Beyond...." Happy P∏ Day W∏!!  

Students in Assistant Teaching Professor David Ibbett's Music and Science: Climate Change class recently collaborated with the EcoTarium in Worcester. The group developed prototype audio and visual technology enhancements for the nature and science museum's planned re-imagination of its African Communities exhibit. The technology will help the museum update the space to become more accessible, interactive, and engaging, while educating guests about the impact of climate change on African animal habitats.   The work was one of several ongoing partnerships between the university and the EcoTarium. Just last year, the museum went live with a navigational app developed by a student Major Qualifying Project (MQP). 

Graduate Student Newsletter March 13, 2025 Edition Announcements Graduate Student Health & Wellness Series: Financial Wellness March 18 4pm – 5pm Unity Hall 420. Join the Office of Financial Aid for a workshop to enhance your financial wellness and provide you resources that will support you with items like protecting yourself from identity theft, buying a home, and building up your credit. Refreshments will be served. Please register here.  EXPLORE THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE + INNOVATION - A Life Sciences Career Expo | Worcester Polytechnic Institute For current and aspiring scientists in the field, there’s no better place to advance your career than at the Life Sciences Expo. The life sciences industry is exploding in WPI’s backyard, with big names like AbbVie, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Insulet, UMass Chan Medical School, and more carving out a foothold in Worcester County. Meet with those and other potential employers.  Check out Catalyst – WPI Graduate and Professional Studies Blog. Catalyst offers practical tips, professional development tools, and discussions of hot topics in STEM with insights direct from WPI's labs, researchers, and industry experts. Career and Professional Development Grad Student Training and Readiness Sessions (STARS)  Grad Alumni/Career Panel March 21. 12-1 PM via Zoom. The panel session will feature several WPI graduate alumni, both Masters and PhDs, and will cover their career paths and provide advice on career advancement. Registration required.   WPI students are invited to participate in WPI’s 17th Annual Sustainability Project Showcase, hosted by the Office of Sustainability and Gordon Library! Submissions are open to any student project that tackles a sustainability-related problem, local or global, with consideration to at least one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Registration opens on March 17th. Find key dates here.  2025 NextProf Nexus Future Faculty Workshop September 8 – 11, 2025 This 3-day workshop is intended for senior-level Ph.D. candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and early career scientists or researchers in the field of Engineering. This preeminent event is designed to give participants the opportunity to explore and prepare for a faculty position in academia.   Social, Community, and Wellness Activities  Graduate Student Health & Wellness Series: Financial Wellness March 18 4pm – 5pm Unity Hall 420 Join the Office of Financial Aid for a workshop to enhance your financial wellness and provide you resources that will support you with items like protecting yourself from identity theft, buying a home, and building up your credit. Refreshments will be served. Please register here.  Energizing Meditations April 8 12pm – 1pm Salisbury Labs Feeling the weight of the semester?  Tired? Tough to get motivated? Learn Energizing Meditation practices that will help revive you. Lunch will be served. Please register here.  March Wellness Day – March 31, 2025 11am – 12pm: Start your Herb Garden- From Seed to Table, location TBD.  Come to pot cilantro, mint or basil.  Register here. 3pm – 4pm: Graduate Online Meditation Session – Join other Graduate Students to engage in a short meditation practice followed by a time to meet fellow graduate students. Register here.   Registration is still open for D-term Graduate Student ProjectConnect! ProjectConnect is a fun, 6-session peer-led program to help you build community on campus. Questions can be sent to cwb@wpi.edu  Registration is still Open for Intro to Mindfulness Meditation in D-Term MIEA Intro to Mindfulness is a four-week evidence-based mindfulness curriculum that runs Mondays, 4:45 to 6:00pm, Mar 17 to Apr 14 (skip Mar 31, wellness day).  Internships/Job Opportunities/Employer Info Sessions  Heebner Career Development Center Check out upcoming Talent Tabling: Chemtek on March 18th 9am – 2pm, Amazon, March 26th 9am – 3pm and City of Worcester Emergency Community Response Team, April 3rd 10am – 2pm.  How to Ace your Interview as a Master’s Student: A webinar by Beyond Graduate School March 19th 2pm – 2:30pm.  Whether you’ve already booked your first screening interview, or you’re wondering what to expect, this webinar will help you prepare for your first meeting with an employer.  WPI VIRTUAL CAREER FAIR – April 17th 12pm-4pm – Register on Handshake. EXPLORE THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE + INNOVATION - A Life Sciences Career Expo | Worcester Polytechnic Institute For current and aspiring scientists in the field, there’s no better place to advance your career than at the Life Sciences Expo. The life sciences industry is exploding in WPI’s backyard, with big names like AbbVie, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Insulet, UMass Chan Medical School, and more carving out a foothold in Worcester County. Meet with those and other potential employers.  Funding Opportunities and Competitions   Celdara Medical Fellowship: experiential learning opportunity for student and post doctoral researchers Entrepreneurial skills are critical for many high-impact careers, including academia, biotech, healthcare, private practice, investing, and consulting. Our fellowship program is a 1 day/week commitment for a period of 9 months. This is expected to be in addition to the participants’ current responsibilities in academic research. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter (2 page maximum) and their CV to chef@celdaramedical.com Sigma Xi Virtual Student Research Showcase March 30th – April 13th, 2025. Students compete for awards and recognition of outstanding virtual research presentations. Learn more here.  Search Graduate and Postdoc Funding Opportunities at the UCLA GRAPES Database. Over 625 scholarships and fellowships listed.  Volunteer and Community Service Opportunities Volunteer for WOMEN in STEM DAY We are excited to announce the 3rd Women in STEM Day will take place at WPI on Saturday, March 29!  We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make the day a success as we inspire the next generation of young women in STEM through hands-on workshops, inspirational conversations, and a team design challenge! Volunteer here or contact nmanterni@wpi.edu with any questions! Highlighted Resources  Resources If You’re Facing Difficulties  Sometimes an unforeseen situation arises, and you need some emergency help. WPI has a few resources that can assist you in times of need.  Hull Loan Fund Immediate short-term loan for emergencies and unforeseen situations. The loans are generally $25-$300, 0% interest, and expected to be repaid in 30 days.  Emergency Assistance Fund This grant fund can help provide support up to $1,000 for unforeseen medical bills, expenses, or other hardships. The application is available on the Dean of Students’ website.  Food Insecurity If you are experiencing hunger issues or food insecurity, reach out to the Dean of Students Office for help. They can offer you both short-term and long-term solutions.  Contact the Dean of Students Office staff at dean_of_students@wpi.edu for additional information

Dive into the dynamic realm of cybersecurity careers in this month’s SECURE IT newsletter, which includes videos, self-paced training, and resources from the Heebner Career Development Center (HCDC). Stay ahead of the curve and unlock new opportunities with information security! Special thanks to Sue Levine in the HCDC for providing several career resources. In this issue: Careers in Cybersecurity Heebner Career Development Center Resources Learning with Laughter From the CISTO Information Security Journey - Webinar Featured Videos By the Numbers Self-Paced Training Diversity in Cybersecurity

Have you seen the Student Voices page?  In their own words, undergraduate and graduate students---both current students and recent graduates--share their unique perspectives and experiences as part of the WPI community, giving prospective students a window into life as a WPI student from different and diverse viewpoints. From IQP projects and research collaborations to athletic pursuits and extracurricular activities, and everything in-between.  Through automated functionality built into Drupal, the platform of wpi.edu, relevant Student Voices are strategically pulled in and displayed throughout the website, including department and school sites, admissions, and more. If you'd like specific Student Voices added to your website, cmshelp@wpi.edu can help. If you know a rising sophomore or junior, or graduate student, who would be a good fit for a Student Voices profile, please email marketing@wpi.edu with the student's full name, class year, and major/degree program. Marketing Communications will reach out to these students to see if they are interested in participating in the project. 

Dear Staff Colleagues, To ensure a successful 2025 Staff Performance Review Process (scheduled for June), Talent & Inclusion will be conducting performance management workshops later this month. Please see the dates and registration details below. We strongly encourage all staff to participate in these valuable sessions. Please note that additional workshops will be offered in early June, concurrent with the performance review period. Dates offered to all employees Performance Management for Individual Contributors March 24th, 10 am - 11:15 am, Campus Center, Chairman’s Room March 25th, 1 pm - 2:15 pm, via Zoom Performance Management for Managers March 26th, 2 pm - 3:15 pm, Campus Center, Chairman’s Room  March 27th, 10 am - 11:15 am, via Zoom Division of Talent & Inclusion

To view the March Newsletter, click here. 

Adam Powell IV Associate Professor Adam Powell IV will speak on renewable energy and metal production during a special lecture March 24 at the annual meeting of The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS).  Powell, a faculty member in the WPI Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, was selected by TMS for an award lecture in the meeting’s extraction and processing division. His lecture is titled “Energy-Intensive Metal Processing in the Age of Low-cost Intermittent Renewables.” “It is an honor to be chosen to speak at the TMS meeting, and I am delighted to describe the research my group has been doing at WPI to determine how renewable energy sources can be used in cleaner metal processing,” Powell said.  Powell’s talk will describe an optimization framework and algorithm for determining the best times of day and parts of the year to operate large-scale metal production operations using electricity generated by intermittent solar and wind sources. Powell’s group has found that in emerging energy landscapes, low capital costs and flexibility can be more important to metal production than energy efficiency. The TMS annual meeting will run March 23–27 in Las Vegas. WPI faculty members and students are expected to speak and present research at about 30 technical sessions.

Brittany Frederick, a historian of higher education with over a decade of experience in student affairs, has been appointed Director of Multicultural Education and Community Engagement in WPI’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME).   Frederick joined WPI in February from the Pennsylvania State University, where she was associate director for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Fox Graduate School, overseeing education, training, and workshops for faculty, staff, and students that supported a culture of inclusion and belonging. There, she collaborated with campus partners to develop and implement impactful programming to promote student engagement and foster a greater sense of belonging within the graduate student community.  “As I join the vibrant educational community at WPI, I am most excited about the institution’s hands-on approach to addressing complex social and economic problems around the world. Inclusion should be at the heart of this work, and I am happy to be in a position that supports and promotes these values on campus,” she says.  Frederick received her bachelor’s in history and her master’s in public history at the University at Albany, and her PhD at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. While at UMass Amherst, she served as a graduate assistant in the Graduate School’s Office of Inclusion and Engagement, where she spearheaded social, academic, and professional initiatives designed to support underrepresented graduate students.  Throughout her career, Frederick has built collaborative relationships within her unit, across her university, and with external partners. Her efforts have enhanced student success and strengthened community awareness around critical topics that affect individuals within systems of higher education.  Emily Perlow, assistant vice president and dean of students, says, “I’m truly energized to have Brittany join ODIME and elevate its successes in engaging our many communities within the university. Most critically, whether someone identifies as a member of our BIPOC, ALANA, first-generation, religious/spiritual, LGBTQIAP+ communities, or any other group, every person on this campus can benefit from ODIME’s programs, resources, and services. Brittany’s expertise and vision are exciting, and I’m proud to have her leadership in supporting student engagement, well-being, and belonging efforts on our campus.”    

The Gordon Library is excited to announce Authors Unbound, a series of events in C and D terms that will feature informal conversations with WPI and other area scholars and writers about their vision, process, innovations and challenges as authors writing across multiple genres.  Details on locations and programs will be announced for each event and also added here throughout the spring: On January 22, at 3pm, the series will kick off with Ludic Soundscapes: Music, Sonic Environments, and Video Games, a conversation about a 2024 publication co-edited by Dr. Elizabeth Hambleton (Gordon Library), and Professor Kate Galloway (RPI).     On January 28, at 1pm WPI Chemistry & Biochemistry Professors Anita Mattson and Raul Orduna Picon will share their innovative work in The Chemistry of Belonging:  A Graphic Novel Approach to Organic Chemistry Education.   On February 13, at 3 pm (GL303), WPI HUA Professors Joel Brattin and Lance Schachterle will introduce us to their work as expert textual editors of works by Charles Dickens and J. Fenimore Cooper, in an interactive program about Great Editions:  The Scholarship of Textual Editing.   On February 20 at 2pm (GL303), we are delighted to confirm a new Authors Unbound program, Who Owns Poverty. The program will feature a conversation between School of Business Professor Martin Burt, and WPI Press editor in chief, Professor Rob Krueger, about Burt's newly released second edition of Who Owns Poverty (2025) from the WPI Press.   On February 21 at 11am (GL303), WPI HUA Professor Lucy Caplan will host Maud Cuney-Hare: Musician, Scholar, Writer, Activist, at the opening at Gordon Library of her exhibit on the life and work of Maud Cuney Hare (1874-1936), an African-American scholar, writer, composer and activist with deep roots in the Boston area.    On March 19 at 4pm (SL104), Global School Dean Mimi Sheller will be joined by Northeastern University’s Professor Adriana de Souza e Silva to discuss how their co-editing is shaping emerging fields of global scholarship, with a program on Mobility Justice and Mobile Networked Creativity.  This event is also part of a city-wide spring event series on sustainability, organized by the Worcester-area association of Worcester’s research and academic libraries (Academic and Research Collaborative).    Just added!   On April 10 at 3pm (GL 303), WPI HUA Professor Lucy Caplan will return to Gordon Library for a conversation about her new book, Dreaming in Ensemble (Harvard University Press, 2025).    Crowning the 2025 spring series on April 17 at 4 pm (Higgins House) will be WPI Library’s first annual Olive Higgins Prouty Poetry Celebration, featuring National Book Award winner, poet, and UMass Amherst Professor Martín Espada, reading from his award-winning book Floaters (2021), and his new book Jailbreak of Sparrows (April 2025).  Espada's reading has been organized and made possible in collaboration with the WPI School of Arts & Sciences, the Worcester County Poetry Association, and the Clemente Course in the Humanities. Please mark your calendars now, and join us in explorations and conversations that celebrate and share the shaping power of authorship across every genre!

Due to the spring break, dining operations on campus will have limited hours.  All hours can also be accessed at: Dine On Campus Hours

March 7-16, 2025 Friday, March 7: 7:30 am – 12 am Saturday, March 8 – Saturday, March 15: 8 am – 10 pm Sunday, March 16: 8 am – 1am The Information Center Service Desk Opens at 8 am during the break. Remember to bring and use your WPI ID to access the building before 8 am and after 10 pm. Normal hours of operation will resume on Monday, March 17, 2025. Contact: Kim Wykes, Assistant Director of Campus Center Operations Email: kwykes@wpi.edu

Project-Based Learning in Higher Ed: Unleashing Student Motivation In the current issue of the PBL newsletter, we highlight the great work of peers and students alike across higher ed that help to demonstrate the value and benefits of PBL. Email subscribers received the newsletter in their inboxes on Thursday, March 6.  Check out the spring 2025 issue—and become a subscriber so you don't miss the next one!

University Analytics has released the WPI 2024-2025 Common Data Set in PDF format. The Common Data Set (CDS) presents a thorough and standardized collection of data that aids in institutional comparisons and provides frequently requested information. Additionally, CDS documents from prior years, dating back to 2007, are available on the Data Resources webpage.

As D-Term approaches and Spring draws near, we’re excited to help you refresh your teaching toolkit and explore new technology options. Whether you’re trying something new or revisiting a familiar tool, our Academic Technology team is here to support you. To schedule a consultation with one of our experts, please email us at atc-ttl@wpi.edu.    Instructional Technology Interest Survey  Please take a moment to complete this short survey (approximately 5 minutes) to help us assess your interest in instructional technology topics, allowing us to serve you better!  https://wpi.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1zFEXBAkIvYFRgG     Request Forms    Canvas Request Form  Request Canvas sites to be merged, users added, new sites created, or content copied from a previous term    Echo360 Lecture Capture Form  Set up automatic Echo360 Lecture Capture for the term (this is opt-in each term)   Request a Classroom Microphone  Request a wireless lavalier microphone to use in the classroom     What’s New?     Canvas Updates - 3/15/2025  Changes to Discussions Default View  When creating or editing a discussion, instructors can configure the default view settings, including thread collapse/expansion and sorting options for students, with the ability to lock these preferences if needed. More information on upcoming Canvas release  Echo360 Updates – 2/27/2025  Echo360 makes quarterly updates to its software including new features, improvements, and bug fixes. More information on this release    Get to know our Academic Technology tools   Canvas LMS    WPI's official course website system to deploy learning materials, assessments, discussions, and grades: https://canvas.wpi.edu    To learn more Book time for a 1-on-1 training or email canvashelp@wpi.edu    Zoom Meetings and Zoom Phone    WPI’s web conferencing and telecommunications tool: https://wpi.zoom.us   For help integrating Zoom with Canvas & Echo360 contact jcotnoir@wpi.edu    Echo360   WPI’s Lecture Capture Platform available in every classroom and online: https://www.echo360.org    See our Recording Lectures FAQ or contact echocapture@wpi.edu for a consultation.   Video Storage   Are you maxing out your Canvas file storage? We have dedicated video servers for lecture videos and Zoom recordings that seamlessly connect into Canvas. Learn more about our storage options.  Storing your Zoom recordings - Zoom recordings are deleted after 100 days. Set up a connection between Echo360 and Zoom to save them automatically.  Poll Everywhere  A web-based polling solution for lecture engagement.  Access it at https://www.polleverywhere.com with your WPI email address.  Connect your course directly from Canvas to Poll Everywhere.      Gradescope  A STEM-oriented grading tool that integrates into Canvas and supports online, paper-based, and blended assignments.  Create an account on the Gradescope homepage. To learn more, explore these short videos and the Help Center.  Adobe AI Tools  Faculty can access Adobe products (including AI tools) with their WPI email.   Learn more about Adobe Generative AI and Firefly AI tools.  Camtasia Studio  Screen recording and video editing software for polished videos.   Faculty and staff have access upon request from the ITS Service Desk (its@wpi.edu).      Self-Service Resources   On Demand Trainings - 45-minute training session recordings    Micro-Trainings – Canvas, Echo360, Zoom topics in 10 minutes or less!   TTL Blog - Academic technology resources, workshops, and new tech tools.    Course Development in Canvas – How to build your course site for teaching face-to-face, online, and everything in-between.    Accessibility & UDL in Canvas - Make your course site accessible for all users    Contact Us  Schedule a consult with the Technology for Teaching and Learning team by emailing atc-ttl@wpi.edu. We’re here to help Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.    

Nomination for Outstanding Research Awards 2024/2025 The DEADLINE TO SUBMIT nominations is Wednesday April 2, 2025.  The nomination form and associated documents should be emailed to Sbrower@wpi.edu. Learn about Award Opportunities HERE. You can find the Nomination Form HERE. Read and learn the governing rules HERE.

  Staff Council and the Center for Well-Being invite you to a Lunch & Learn series that highlights the incredible skills, passions, and hidden talents of our staff members! Whether it's a creative hobby, a unique craft, professional expertise, or a life hack, this is your chance to share and connect with colleagues in a fun and engaging way. We’re looking for staff facilitators interested in leading a 15-20 minute session on a topic of their choice. This is a great opportunity to inspire others, build connections, and even spark new hobbyist communities within our staff network. Interested in presenting? Sign up below. If you'd rather attend a session, let us know what topics interest you—we’d love to hear your ideas as well! https://wpi.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7VEUtHWHKYydGiW Lunch and Learn workshop sessions will be held in the Center for Well-Being conference room once we have volunteers signed up to present. We will announce workshop dates after we review applicants so stay tuned!     

Graduating students are invited to audition for Convocation Performer(s) and Speaker, as well as Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement Speakers.  Please note key task deadlines: Order regalia: by March 21 (PhD students by March 7) RSVP to Commencement: by March 31 For more details and audition information, please read the full email  shared with our graduating candidates.