On hand for the presentations will be the professors who advised these projects and the organizations that sponsored them. It's the showcase of WPI's project-based philosophy. MQPs, an essential aspect of that new approach, are professional-level design or research projects required of all WPI students. The MQP exposes students to the kinds of work assignments they will be responsible for after graduation. Furthermore, the benefits go beyond the educational aspect.
Sponsors can use the findings to further their own goals.
Among this year's sponsors are such diverse organizations as Lockheed Martin, Fidelity Investments, Providence and Worcester Railroad and Boston University Medical School. The advisors are Leonard D. Albano and Roberto Pietroforte of the Civil Engineering Department and the sponsor is the Worcester Public Library. Founded in 1865, WPI is renowned for its project-based curriculum. Under the WPI Plan, students integrate classroom studies with projects conducted on campus and at project sites around the world.