The WPI Podcast

The WPI Podcast

The WPI Podcast is the university’s flagship podcast. It offers a front-row seat to anyone who’s curious about the future of technology, science, and engineering—and the leading edge of STEM education. Episodes help listeners keep up with the fast pace of changing technology through discussions with Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s experts on innovations and research in fields including life sciences, artificial intelligence, financial technology, advanced materials, and more. Thoughtful interviews with faculty, students, and staff explore what it’s like to live and study at a top-tier research university and demonstrate how our project-based experiential learning uniquely prepares students to be future-ready leaders.

Episodes

E40: A Parent Playbook for College | Emily Perlow, Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students

July 9, 2026 • 31 mins
Sending a student to college is an exciting milestone, but it also comes with plenty of questions. How involved should parents be? When should they step in, and when should they step back? In this episode, WPI's Dean of Students shares practical advice on supporting college students through academic challenges, independence, well-being, and everything in between. Whether you're preparing for move-in day or navigating the college ye...
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E39: The AI Connector: Social and Data Sciences | Rob Krueger-Social Science and Policy Studies | Lane Harrison-Computer Science

June 24, 2026 • 35 mins
Can artificial intelligence help create better public policy and stronger communities? In this episode, WPI professors Rob Krueger and Lane Harrison discuss how AI is transforming social science research and providing policymakers with new tools to better understand complex societal challenges. The conversation also explores Poverty Stoplight, an innovative initiative that empowers families to assess their own circumstances across ...
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E38: Preparing for College | Paul Reilly – Academic Advising | Raghavan Rajkumar '27 – Computer Science and Data Science

June 8, 2026 • 37 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we explore ways that students who are getting ready to start college, at any institution, can manage the transition so they’re prepared to succeed academically.   Paul Reilly, assistant dean of student success, and Raghavan Rajkumar, an undergraduate student in computer science and data science and a former summer transition assistant, share practical advice for steps students and...
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E37: Hurricane Preparedness | Sarah Molinari | Integrative and Global Studies

May 27, 2026 • 35 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we explore how communities can better prepare for hurricanes and their long-term effects. Sarah Molinari, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Integrative and Global Studies, discusses lessons learned from damaging storms in modern Caribbean history. The conversation highlights examples of grassroots preparedness and response strategies, the challenges of scaling community-led soluti...
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E36: A Student’s Journey | Paula Gibbons | Biomedical Engineering

May 11, 2026 • 27 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we speak with Paula Gibbons ’26, ahead of her upcoming graduation, about her experiences in classrooms, labs, academic projects, student organization activities, performance spaces, research settings, and more as a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Gibbons, a lifelong Worcester resident who is majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in biology, shares her motivation for pu...
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E35: AI-Generated Content | Rodica Neamtu | Computer Science

April 29, 2026 • 32 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we explore why video, images, and other content generated by artificial intelligence seems to be everywhere on social media. Rodica Neamtu, professor of teaching in the Department of Computer Science, explains how AI-generated content is easily produced and distributed and why it can be difficult to distinguish it from human-generated content. She discusses the societal challenges that emerge whe...
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E34: Running Injuries | Karen Troy | Biomedical Engineering

April 15, 2026 • 31 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we explore common running injuries and the engineering research aimed at predicting or preventing them. Karen Troy, the John Woodman Higgins Professor in Engineering and head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, explains her research that examines bone stress injuries and the role of biomechanics and physiology in bone health and injury. Troy’s research seeks to develop predictive t...
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E33: Career Planning for Students | Amanda Laungani | Heebner Career Development Center

April 8, 2026 • 20 mins
On this episode of The WPI Podcast, WPI’s Director of the Heebner Career Development Center, Amanda Laungani, unpacks how today’s students—and WPI alumni—can thrive in a job market transformed by AI and rapid technological change. She explains how the entry level is evolving—and how WPI equips students with the human and technical skills employers now demand. Listeners get an inside look at how WPI pre...
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E32: K-12 Robotics Programs | Colleen Shaver | Robotics Resource Center

March 25, 2026 • 23 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we explore how K–12 robotics programs are igniting a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by giving students hands-on opportunities to design, build, and problem-solve in real time.  This conversation with Colleen Shaver, the director of the Robotics Resource Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, highlights how the university supports this growing pipeline...
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E31: Aerospace Propulsion | Nikolaos Gatsonis and John Blandino | Aerospace Engineering

March 11, 2026 • 38 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we celebrate 100 years since the “Father of Modern Rocketry,” Robert Goddard (Class of 1908), conducted the first successful launch of a liquid-fueled rocket, a development that opened the door to space exploration.  Nikolaos Gatsonis, professor and head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, and John Blandino, professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, explain wh...
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E30: Dean on the Scene | Dan Linzell

February 26, 2026 • 27 mins
Step inside engineering education in action with Dean on the Scene, featuring Daniel Linzell, the Bernard M. Gordon Dean of Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Instead of a traditional studio interview, this episode takes listeners on a walking tour across campus—through labs, collaborative spaces, and student project environments—offering a firsthand look at how ideas become real-world solutions. Along the ...
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E29: Engineering and Technology in Auto Racing | Phil Surgen | Class of 2004

February 9, 2026 • 40 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we explore NASCAR racing from an engineer’s perspective.  Phil Surgen, director of technology for Trackhouse Racing, former crew chief for NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain, and a 2004 Worcester Polytechnic Institute mechanical engineering graduate, discusses the role of engineering, technology, and teamwork in competing at the highest level of stock car racing.  Surgen talks...
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E28: Engineering Safer Skiing | Christopher Brown | Mechanical and Materials Engineering

February 4, 2026 • 37 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we explore the role of engineering in safe skiing and ski racing, and design improvements in athletic equipment that could help prevent ACL injuries, which are common in skiing and other sports.  Christopher Brown, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, director of WPI’s sports engineering laboratory, former collegiate All-American ski racer, and former co...
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E27: AI at WPI | Elke Rundensteiner and Yunus Telliel

January 22, 2026 • 33 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we explore the launch of Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence—why the demand for specialized AI talent is accelerating, what makes WPI’s approach distinctive, and how the program prepares students to apply AI across disciplines and industries. Featuring faculty leaders behind the degree’s design, the conversation highlights W...
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E26: Money Behavior and Personal Finance | Alexander Smith—Social Science and Policy Studies | Aedan Bingham—Robotics Engineering, Economics

January 5, 2026 • 47 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we explore why sticking with your money goals is harder than it seems. Alexander Smith, associate professor in the Department of Social Science and Policy Studies, explains how personal finance is deeply influenced by behavioral economics, or the psychology of decision-making. He describes how emotions and a focus on short-term goals can make it hard to follow a long-term financial plan, and how ...
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E25: Holiday Marketing 101 | Purvi Shah | The Business School

December 17, 2025 • 47 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, Purvi Shah, associate professor in The Business School, explains the marketing strategies behind what you’re seeing in stores and online during the holidays. From advertising and early-season deals to nostalgia and artificial intelligence, the holidays provide a master class in marketing. Understanding it all can make you an empowered shopper with knowledge to tackle gift buying with e...
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E24: Gift Giving Research | Farnoush Reshadi | The Business School

December 10, 2025 • 39 mins
Have you ever wondered if a gift you gave someone was something they wanted and actually would use? Have you felt the joy of receiving a gift that showed the giver really cares about and knows you? There’s a lot of emotion around gift giving and, thankfully, there’s research about it as well. In this episode of The WPI Podcast, Farnoush Reshadi, assistant professor in The Business School, discusses her research on ...
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E23: Engineering a Cultural Connection | Sophia Gross | Sarah Gardner | Engineers Without Borders

December 1, 2025 • 51 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we explore how a group of Worcester Polytechnic Institute students are making a global impact and connections with a community in Ecuador. As part of a multiple-year project, WPI’s student chapter of Engineers Without Borders USA spent a week in May 2025 working with residents in Shungubug Grande to upgrade their aging water system and address water quality challenges.  Sophia Gro...
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E22: Athletics and Academics | Dana Harmon| WPI Athletics

November 19, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode, we sit down with WPI’s Athletic Director to explore what it really means to be a student-athlete at one of the nation’s top STEM universities. With college sports making headlines nationwide, we take a closer look at the Division III experience at WPI — where academics come first, teamwork is essential, and the lessons learned on the field connect directly to WPI’s project-based learning app...
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E21: Thinking with AI | Erin Solovey | Computer Science

November 5, 2025 • 29 mins
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, Erin Solovey, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, introduces the concept of “thinking with AI,” a vision of human-centered intelligent systems designed as collaborative partners that enhance decision-making and creativity. She also discusses her research that seeks to make technology more intuitive and responsive. Solovey’s work lies at the intersecti...
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