About

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a science and engineering university established in 1865 in central Massachusetts, has employed a project-based curriculum since the 1970s. The junior-year project consists of a nine-credit-hour (equivalent to 3 courses) interdisciplinary requirement involving applied research that connects science or technology with social issues and human needs.

Most of our students complete these projects at one of more than 45 project centers that WPI has established around the world through the WPI Global Projects Program. Students work with local sponsoring organizations to address complex local and regional problems over a period of 14 weeks, with the final seven weeks in residence at the project center.

Sponsoring organizations benefit from the talents and attention of interdisciplinary teams of students, and students gain practical experience in tackling complex real-world problems. In the end, these collaborations often result in creative approaches whose applications may result in substantial positive impacts on both the sponsoring organizations and on local communities.

About the Director

Lauren Mathews established and directs the Hawai‘i Project Center, and is also an associate professor in the Department of Biology & Biotechnology at WPI. As a biologist, Lauren’s research focuses on evolutionary processes that shape behavior and ecology in aquatic invertebrates.

As an educator, Lauren relies extensively on project-based learning approaches both in the classroom and outside the classroom. As the director of the Hawai‘i Project Center, Lauren has been building new and ongoing relationships with organizations in Hawai‘i whose mission is consistent with the goals of the Global Projects Program.

Organizations interested in learning more about sponsoring a project and students interested in learning more about participating in the program can contact the director for information.