WPI Research is the research magazine of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. It contains news and features about graduate research in the arts and sciences, business, and engineering, along with notes about new grants, books, and faculty achievements.
Issue link: http://wpiresearch.epubxp.com/i/229254
Lifeng Lai (for Asst. Prof., Computer Eng.) Electrical and - PhD, ECE, Ohio St ate University - Asst. Prof, Systems En U. Arkansas, Little Ro gineering, ck - Expert in wireless net wor information theory, sto k security, chastic signal processing - NSF CAREER Aw ard wireless communications ; building secure systems V. J. Manzo (for Asst. Prof., Music) - PhD, music, Temple University - Adjunct Prof., Montclair State and Kean universities tute - Visiting specialist, New Jersey Insti of Technology l - Strong in algorithmic and traditiona system composition, interactive musicand education cognition programming, music - Book on interactive music technology, Oxford University Press vice provost for innovation and entrepreneurship and dean of the School of Business. "Given WPI's motto — Lehr und Kunst, or theory and practice — connecting research to practice, and developing future practitioners, are both important elements in a successful research enterprise. The work of some of WPI's researchers will be focused on advancing the work of other researchers; while others will seek opportunities to translate their research into new products, processes, and services that will improve the human condition." Often, that translates to drawing in faculty who arrive with experience (in the form of postdoctoral research appointments), notable publications, and grants — including the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award (three of WPI's 2012 recruits arrived with these highly competitive grants). "These are people who can have a fairly immediate impact, certainly in terms of helping boost our award volume," says Overström. "Thanks largely to the success of faculty members we've brought on board in the last four to fve years, in 2012–13 we substantially exceeded our previous record for new research awards." 28 > wpi.edu/+research (for Assoc U. Oregon - PhD, philosophy, ll University Prof., John Carro - Assoc. the mind, logy, philosophy of rative - Focus: epistemoAsian and compa ogy, phenomenol inist philosophy philosophy, fem ty for e secretary, Socie - Former executiv ophy en in Philos Wom A glimpse of just a few recent awards illustrates Overstöm's point. Luis Vidali, assistant professor of biology and biotechnology and a member of the record-setting, 23member faculty Class of 2009, recently received a $977,000 CAREER Award to study polarized cell growth. The previous year, Diana Lados, associate professor of mechanical engineering (2007) and Sonia Chernova, assistant professor of computer science and robotics engineering (2010), also received CAREER Awards to fund research on metal fracture and fatigue (Lados) and helping everyday people train robots (Chernova). Greg Fischer, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and robotics engineering (2008), has received a fve-year, $3.8 million award from the National Institutes of Health to develop a novel robot-assisted medical system to treat brain tumors. Bringing the Search Home Karen Kashmanian Oates, Peterson Family Dean of Arts and Sciences, says that hiring faculty at the caliber WPI seeks is an incredibly active endeavor. She relies on her current faculty to keep their fngers on the pulse of their academic ak ich Aaron R.ofSCiviluland Pr ., (for Asst. al Eng.) Environment exel science and eng., Dr - PhD, materials nal Institute er, Natio - Guest Research d Technology of Standards an built ble materials for - Focus: susta,ina reasing infrastructure ns nment inc gy in developing natio enviro durability, technolo r in Morocco as - Spent yeagrantee lbright Fu M eeny Jennife.rProfcWilosophy) ., Ph Stephan Sturm Jagan Srinivasan (for Asst. Prof., Biology and Biotech.) - PhD, genetics, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology - Senior Research Fellow, Caltech - Studies neural basis of social behaviors, role of neuromodulation/social experience in mediating social behaviors - Isolated/characterized novel family of small molecules that mediate social communication in worms (potential therapeutic targets against parasitic nematodes) (for Asst. Prof., Mathematical Sciences) - PhD, mathematics, TU Berlin, Germ any - Postdoc. Research Associate, Princeton - Expert on mathematical finance, stochastic analysis - Taught asset pricing and risk managemen classes at Bendheim Center for Finan t ce at Princeton