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The Importance of Basic Research (Previously published in the Huffington Post)
This is science’s newest Golden Age. Young people today are inspired by generational heroes like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg that were filled in the relative recent past by the likes of Michael Jordan and Mick Jagger. The fact that today’s students can dream of emulating role models who achieved their status using their minds [...]
Continue reading >What Really Drives Innovation?
April 18, 2013
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Great Science requires curiosity—but that’s not enough. Great scientists are skilled at asking questions and also passionate about finding the answers to make a difference. Great scientists and great artists are thinkers and doers. At WPI, our reputation for producing graduates who get things done is well-earned. We are indeed a world-class STEM institution and are [...]
Continue reading >Our WPI Diaspora
January 23, 2013
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I would like to welcome you to celebrate with us the start of a new and exciting year at WPI. In thinking about the New Year and reflecting on times past, I was struck by how connected the world has become and how WPI, and science broadly, has been impacted by these rapid changes. In [...]
Continue reading >A Community of Excellence
October 16, 2012
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“For excellence, the presence of others is always required.” This quote from Hannah Arendt should get us all thinking about how we as individuals contribute to form a community of excellence at institutions like WPI. How do we combine the best of our individual talents into a community with its own unique characteristics and culture [...]
Continue reading >The Magic of Sally Ride
August 7, 2012
By Karen Kasmanian Oates I was inspired by Sally Ride. Being a woman, maybe that isn’t too surprising. As the first American woman in orbit, Sally Ride became a hero and inspiration to millions of girls during the historic shuttle launch that took her into space in 1983. The difference is that I wasn’t a [...]
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April 18, 2013
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