PARSIPPANY — Michael Ilic a member of the class of 2021 majoring in management engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently completed intense research projects titled Management Strategies for Harmful Algal Blooms in Worcester, Massachusetts. Michael is a graduate of Parsippany High School Class of 2017.
At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to address an important societal need or issue. Nearly 90% of students typically complete a project in collaboration with partners in communities across the country and around the world, through the university’s 50-plus project centers. Students usually travel to the project center for seven-week terms; this spring, however, due to the global coronavirus pandemic, they worked remotely, using video conferencing and other technology to complete their projects. A signature element of the innovative undergraduate experience at WPI, the project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people’s lives and make a difference before they graduate.
“The WPI project-based curriculum brings students out of their comfort zones to apply their knowledge to solve real problems for people in communities around the globe,” said Professor Kent Rissmiller, interim dean of WPI’s Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division. “Students work to solve open-ended problems with people of different backgrounds-all valuable perspectives for surviving and thriving in today’s global marketplace. They also learn the meaning and magic of teamwork; make a real and meaningful difference, and gain a competitive edge for any resume, or graduate or professional school application.”
About Worcester Polytechnic Institute
WPI, a global leader in project-based learning, is a distinctive, top-tier technological university founded in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems. Recognized by the National Academy of Engineering with the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education, WPI’s pioneering project-based curriculum engages undergraduates in solving important scientific, technological, and societal problems throughout their education and at more than 50 project centers around the world. WPI offers more than 50 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs across 14 academic departments in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. Its faculty and students pursue groundbreaking research to meet ongoing challenges in health and biotechnology; robotics and the internet of things; advanced materials and manufacturing; cyber, data, and security systems; learning science; For more information click here.
