Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

Recent graduate Paula Gibbons is driven to use her biomedical engineering degree to seek solutions to health challenges. She is headed to UMass Chan Medical School to pursue a PhD in biomedical sciences. She was interviewed by Worcester Magazine about her journey and future plans. Check it out ⬇️

Paula Gibbons is drawn to a career in biomedical engineering, drawn in part by the personal impact of conditions such as brain disorders or injuries. See link below ⬇️

📸 Provided by Steen Christensen

Meteors explained! After the sonic boom over New England, Rudra Kafle, associate professor of physics, helped explain the phenomenon and all things space science for an article in Worcester Magazine.

Woo! Science: There's never been a better time to get hit by a meteor, with telescopes, radar, satellites and witnesses providing state-of-the-art tracking. More at worcestermag.com. https://www.worcestermag.com/story/lifestyle/columns/2026/06/03/woo-science-a-meteor-reminds-us-that-space-is-full-of-flying-stuff/90368219007/

WPI just launched the CellTech Institute — a brand-new biotechnology training facility backed by a $731,000 grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.

Students are already getting hands-on with the tools shaping the future of biomedical research and biomanufacturing. Big things happening in Worcester. 🔬

https://bit.ly/4o49lGR

🦅 WPI has some very special new neighbors.

Meet Vincent and Vivian: a nesting pair of bald eagles spotted near campus as early as March 2024. They're one of ~100 nesting pairs in Massachusetts, and according to WPI Prof. Marja Bakermans, they have one of the most urban nests in the state.

Urban life isn't easy for eagles, traffic, buildings, and pollution all pose real challenges, but these two are giving it a shot, perched on an old red-tailed hawk nest. Eaglets could even make an appearance soon!

Got photos of the eagles? Send them to [email protected] 📬

https://bit.ly/4vqk40O

✨ Where did you get your spark?

Just like Robert Goddard — whose passion for rocketry ignited during his years at WPI — everyone has a moment that set them on their path. In our latest feature, current WPI faculty and students share theirs.

These aren't just career stories. They're human ones.

Our students didn't just study engineering this year. They built an electric race car.

WPI's Formula SAE Electric team, 15 students across electrical, mechanical, and software engineering, designed, built, and drove a brand-new car from the ground up, finishing 4th in autocross at the Formula SAE Hybrid & Electric Competition at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. 🏆

Project manager and driver Max Mobley '26 said it best: "It's more than building a car." Live battery monitoring, real-time telemetry, throttle and braking strategy. This is project-based learning at its best.

We're incredibly proud of this team, and so is Inside Higher Ed, who featured Max and the program this week.

Check it out → https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/just-explain-it-me/2026/06/01/college-students-and-race-cars-no-radio-shack-kits

Can AI help fight misinformation, or make it worse? 🤖

WPI students in Bucharest took on that question head-on during a project about Romania’s communist history. Instead of relying on a chatbot, they built a digital learning tool grounded in historical records and interviews, designed to encourage critical thinking and accuracy.

The WPI aesthetic, as seen through the eyes of our social media photographer Awad '29.

Connecting our university and the city of Worcester 🤝 Laura Martinez, WPI’s director of government and community relations, works behind the scenes to build partnerships that support Worcester’s growth, from economic development to education and beyond.

Learn how she’s helping strengthen the relationship between WPI and the community it calls home. https://bit.ly/4nQVhQB