Homecoming 2009: Oct. 30 and 31

Don’t miss Homecoming 2009: Back to Tech, on Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31. The festivities include the Athletic Hall of Fame inductions, Alumni Association Awards Ceremony, the Homecoming Parade of Floats, WPI football vs. Hobart College, the Phi Sigma Sigma silent auction to benefit the National Kidney Foundation, and a special event featuring a conversation with President Berkey. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.wpi.edu/alumni.

University Lecture: Nov. 2

On Monday, Nov. 2, Julian Agyeman, Professor and Chair of the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University, will deliver the 2010 University Lecture on the topic, “Towards a 'just' Sustainability”. The lecture will be held in Alden Memorial from 5 to 6 p.m. All alumni are invited to attend.

Northern California Chapter Advisory Board Meeting: Nov. 7

The Northern California Alumni Chapter Advisory Board will meet from 10 am to noon Saturday, Nov. 7, at Current TV, 118 King Street (across from AT&T Park) in San Francisco. The meeting is hosted by Frank Leahy ’78. For more information, including a map and parking information, click here.

WPI Football Tailgate: Nov. 14

Relive traditions and reunite with fellow WPI alumni at a football tailgate! Join us under the Alumni Tailgate Tent before and during the home game listed below. Tailgate food and beverages will be available to WPI alumni as well as their families and friends, compliments of the Alumni Office. As always, remember to invite fellow alumni and most importantly – bring your WPI pride!

November 14, vs. St. Lawrence
Tailgate begins at 10:30 am, game begins at noon

WPI’s Day at the Museum of Science: Nov. 14

The Boston Chapter of the WPI Alumni Association invites you to a day at the Museum of Science. The day includes a networking breakfast overlooking the Charles River, a presentation by a WPI faculty member, and a children’s presentation and activity. In the afternoon, enjoy the museum’s General Exhibit Hall with live presentations and more than 400 exhibits. For more information and to register, click here.

Upcoming Networking Receptions: Nov. 19 and Dec. 3

Newton, Mass.
Thursday, Nov. 19, 8-10 am
Boston Marriott Newton Hotel
2345 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton

New York City
Thursday, Dec. 3, 6-8 pm
New York Marriott Marquis
1535 Broadway, New York

Click on the cities to register for these events.

"A Christmas Carol" at the Lederer Theater Center: Dec. 19

Enjoy this holiday classic in Providence, R.I. More details will be sent to you soon.

Recent events

Alumni enjoyed the following recently held events.

Alumnus book signing
Robert Desourdis ’77, ’79 (MS), held a book signing on campus. After discussing his book, “Achieving Interoperability in Critical IT and Communication Systems,” Desourdis presented a 1/48th-scale replica of Plane No. 5 from the Doolittle Raid on Japan. Photos and additional information are available here.

President’s Circle
President’s Circle members gathered for a special evening at The Blue Ginger Restaurant in Wellesley, Mass., on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The event featured special guest Ming Tsai, celebrity chef and owner of Blue Ginger (www.ming.com/blueginger). View photos of the event here. Founded in 1971 as the President’s Advisory Council, the President’s Circle today comprises nearly 400 alumni, parents, and friends who provide the critical resources necessary each year to advance the mission of WPI. To learn more about becoming a President’s Circle member, please contact Donna Pellinger, associate director of leadership annual giving, at 508-831-5607 or ddpellinger@wpi.edu.

Take the Dolan Challenge

If you graduated within the last 20 years, WPI Trustee Mike Dolan ’75 wants to add to the support your gift brings to WPI. When you give $100 or more, he will match your gift (50 cents on the dollar) through June 30, 2010.

Make your gift online and if you’re an undergraduate alumnus/a within the last 20 years, your gift will be matched!

Class rings available

A Balfour representative will be at the WPI campus bookstore Monday, Nov. 2, and Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 11 am to 3 pm. The official ring is on display at the bookstore. Orders can also be placed at www.balfour.com or 1-866-BALFOUR.

WPI’s traditional Ring Ceremony will be held Friday, March 19, 2010.

For additional information, please visit our AlumniConnect page about the class ring:
http://wpi.imodules.com/s/648/index.aspx?sid=648&gid=1&pgid=682

Centennial Walkway Commemorative Brick

The Centennial Walkway on the Quad was dedicated in 1991 and a new tradition was established. Students, alumni, faculty and staff can become part of WPI’s history by having an engraved brick placed in the walkway. The names of those who walked the campus before them will inspire future generations. To assure placement in the Walkway by Commencement in May, brick orders must be received by February 15, 2010. For additional information, please visit our AlumniConnect page on the Centennial Walkway:
http://wpi.imodules.com/s/648/index.aspx?sid=648&gid=1&pgid=660

Reunion Giving Challenge—It’s on!

Every year, alumni return to campus to reunite with friends and fellow classmates. Over the course of the year leading up to Reunion Weekend, alumni contribute to their class gift to be presented to President Berkey.

Reunion classes compete for the most money raised and highest level of participation. The contest for Reunion 2010 is already underway. To see which class has raised the most so far, visit http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Alumni/Events/Reunion/participation.html.

Haven't made your Reunion Class Gift yet? Do so today by clicking here.

Have you ever thought of teaching?

There are jobs available in public schools for teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Through a scholarship program sponsored by the National Science Foundation, WPI and Clark University are offering $14,000 to $20,000 in NSF/WPI Noyce Teacher Scholarships for new STEM teachers. Teachers will be obligated to teach for two years in a Worcester middle or high school, or in another high-need district in the United States.

In Worcester, the starting pay for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and no experience is approximately $43,000 dollars for a 183-day contract. Scholarship money is provided in addition to the base salary. Real world experience is a plus.

Additional preparation for teaching in Worcester or another district may be required depending on training and experience. Preparation for teaching may take place through the Master in Mathematics Education program at WPI, the Master of Arts in Teaching program at Clark University, or through a Visiting Scholar position at the Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Science at WPI. All of these programs require application and admission.

For more information please contact:

Dr. Robert Traver, PI
NSF/WPI Noyce Scholarship Program
Principal, Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics & Science
rtraver@wpi.edu
+1-508-831-5859

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

You can find all the latest WPI university and alumni news on your favorite social networking sites. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and always have your finger on the pulse of WPI. And don't miss out on the give-aways (usually on Facebook). You never know when the next chance for free WPI gear might pop up.

Charles Gammal III ’08 receives Siebel Scholar Award

Charles Gammal III ’08, a graduate student at the MIT Sloan School of Management, recently received a prestigious Siebel Scholars Award from the Siebel Foundation. Gammal is one of five students at MIT’s Sloan School, and one of 80 graduate students worldwide, to receive this award, which recognizes outstanding graduate students from the world’s most prestigious business, computer science, and bioengineering graduate schools. Siebel Scholars are selected from among students who rank top of their class, and are chosen by the dean of their respective schools on the basis of outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated qualities of leadership. New Siebel Scholars and program alumni comprise a distinctive and diverse community that brings together the best and brightest to solve some of society’s most pressing issues.

The Siebel Scholars program was established by the Siebel Foundation in 2000 to recognize exceptional students at the world’s leading graduate schools of business and computer science. With the Class of 2010, the Siebel Scholars program has expanded to include the world’s foremost bioengineering programs, as well as talent from one of China’s top universities. Based on academic excellence and leadership, five graduate students from each institution are honored as Class of 2010 Siebel Scholars and receive a $35,000 award for their final year of graduate studies.

The Siebel Award is the latest in Gammal’s outstanding record of academic excellence. The September after he graduated from WPI, Gammal was selected as the sole National Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) Alton B. Zerby and Carl T. Koerner Outstanding Electrical or Computer Engineering Student of the Year in the United States for the 2007-2008 academic year. Gammal’s selection identified him as the most outstanding electrical or computer engineering student in the nation. The award recognizes outstanding scholastic excellence and high moral character, coupled with demonstrated exemplary service to classmates, university, community, and country.

While an undergraduate student, Gammal served as president of WPI’s Student Government Association and received many academic honors and community service awards from the university. He is one of the founders of WPI’s Phi Kappa Theta chapter, which organized the university’s first American Cancer Society Relay for Life in 2007 and raised $55,000 for cancer research. Gammal was named to the Second Team in USA Today’s 2008 All-USA College Academic Team program. Students awarded this recognition excel in scholarship and extend their intellectual abilities beyond the classroom to benefit society. In 2007, he received national honors such as a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Honorable Mention and was named a Tau Beta Pi Scholar for high scholarship and campus leadership.

WPI updates on the flu season

WPI is working to keep our students, faculty, and staff safe and healthy during the 2009-2010 flu season through proper prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. A seasonal flu clinic was held on campus in September and more will be planned as needed. Information about the flu season and the H1N1 flu is available to the WPI community at http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/Health/h1n1.html. Students, faculty, and staff are also updated through campus emails and other communications.

The STAR Mentor Program needs alumni in these fields

With the successful launch of the STAR Mentoring program in early October, we have students who are seeking alumni mentors in a few areas that need alumni volunteers: physics, biomedical engineering, robotics, and game design. Though you may not have majored in these areas, your experience in these industries would greatly benefit our students. For more information and to volunteer, please email cdcalumni@wpi.edu.

Fundamentals of Engineering Review—Now offered online

WPI's Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Review prepares candidates for the revised Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, an eight-hour multiple-choice test. The morning section of the exam covers topics which are typically part of the first two years of engineering curriculum. In the afternoon section the candidate must choose one of the following six areas: civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, or general. WPI's FE Review focuses on the morning section and also covers the general afternoon exam.

Prepare for the April 2010 Exam
WPI’s FE Review meets weekly at WPI’s Worcester campus to assist individuals preparing for the April 2010 Fundamentals of Engineering Exam. The Review consists of 12 three-hour sessions and includes a lecture period followed by problem sets and question-and-answer sessions. Classes are conducted by WPI faculty, many of whom are professional engineers.

New Feature: WPI is now offering the FE Review program online, allowing participants the flexibility to take the program at WPI, online, or a combination of the two options. The online program follows the same schedule as the on-campus program. The lectures from each topic will be captured and placed on a class site for all participants to view. The instructors will be available during the week via the class site to answer questions.

Topics: math, chemistry, statics, strength of materials, dynamics, thermodynamics, fluids, electric theory, engineering economics, materials science, computers and engineering ethics, and biology (this final session added to accommodate new topic on FE Exam)

Who should attend
WPI’s FE Review assists individuals preparing for the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, but many find the review also helpful for updating knowledge on engineering topics and for preparing to re-enter the field or assume new responsibilities.

Registration
Fee: $445 per person
One evening per week for 12 weeks from 6-9 pm
January 19, 2010 to April 12, 2010
WPI Main Campus, Worcester, MA
CRN 21388 OT147

To register, call WPI Corporate and Professional Education at 508-831-5517 or email cpe@wpi.edu.
Special Note: Enrolling in the FE review does not register you for the exam. All matters pertaining to registration for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam are under the jurisdiction of the individual state registration boards for professional engineers. For further information on registering for the exam call pcs/engineering examination services division toll free at 877-364-3926.

Tickets for Hall of Fame Induction Dinner on Friday, Oct. 30

Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies are this week and limited tickets are still available. The 27th annual event will be held in the Campus Center Odeum on Friday, Oct. 30, beginning at 6:30 pm. Inductees include: Kerri (Coleman) Oldmixon ’03 - Track and Field, John Loonie ’87 - Basketball, Larry Penoncello ’66 - Basketball, Jonathan Pires ’00 - Football, and Garrett Trombi ’95 - Wrestling. For ticket information, please contact Wendy Walsh-Costello at wlwc@wpi.edu, 508-831-5743 or Pam Griffin at griff33@wpi.edu, 508-831-5873.

Field hockey drops penalty stroke thriller to Wellesley

Callie Lekas, Whitney Reid, and Dana Trail all converted penalty strokes to propel visiting Wellesley to a 3-2 victory over WPI in a NEWMAC conference field hockey contest on Tuesday Oct. 13. Kelly Johnson led the way for the Engineers with two goals. Allie Griffin had seven stops in the first half and Elizabeth Ray turned away four shots in the second stanza and the two overtimes. Read more.

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