MY BEYOND THESE TOWERS STORY

Anyone closely associated with WPI understands the tremendous value found in the school’s Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP). Conducted Junior year, IQP gives students the experience of working in teams to solve a problem which lies at the day’s intersection of science and society. Generations of alumni have described the powerful impact this distinct element of the WPI curriculum has had on their lives, and David Levine ’00 is no different. For Levine, his IQP was not only experiential project work with an interdisciplinary team on a real-world problem, but for him, it was also a direct path to his career in large animal medicine.

Levine was drawn to WPI in part by the relationship the university had at the time with Tufts Veterinary School. And when it came time to establish his IQP, the biology major was highly intentional in his IQP planning and conducted his project with Tufts Wildlife Hospital, a factor he says helped him earn acceptance to Tufts Veterinary School following graduation.

“Since leaving WPI, I attended Tufts Veterinary School and received my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. From there I moved to Pennsylvania and completed my Internship and Surgical Residency at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (PennVet). I have since obtained Diplomate status (board certification) in both the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.” Today, Levine is Associate Professor of Clinical Large Animal Surgery and Program Director of the Large Animal Surgery residency at PennVet.

Relating his WPI education to his professional success, Levine says, “The technology that goes into medical products and new treatments is strongly influenced and led by engineers. As an orthopedic large animal surgeon, the background baseline engineering information I obtained at WPI has been invaluable.” Adding, “When people go into college thinking about the medical profession, they think, biology and chemistry. What they should also think about is the engineering side of medicine. For example: The circulatory system is a set of pumps and a complex network of hoses run by an advanced electrical activation complex. This understanding of this system is greatly enhanced by previous knowledge of fluid dynamics and electrical conductivity. For me, in orthopedics, the standard stress-strain curve and understanding biomaterials and how they react with body tissue is paramount.”

Levine commends WPI’s interdisciplinary project-based group work, saying, “The project work that is mandatory at WPI really drives home hypothesis-driven research. This is an important tool to teach students how to describe a problem, formulate a concise and accurate plan to address the problem, and then test your hypothesis. This is how progress in all areas is made and is a valuable lesson in school.” Adding, “This academic mindset taught me it is important to truly learn how much you still have to learn, and to understand that throughout life you will have to continue to learn and grow.”

Another element of Levine’s WPI experience that brought him value was his fraternity. “WPI Greek life was a large part of my experience. I was able to make lifelong friends that I still see to this day. Phi Sigma Kappa gave me some structure and a support network that helped get me through school, and that network is still useful for many today when looking for jobs and recommendations.”