Posted
Sep 9, 2014 in “Students”
Class
of 2018 Exemplifies Creativity, Entrepreneurial Spirit
One
is so proficient with robotics that he was called upon to assemble a
team to fix the Miami police bomb squad’s robot when the city had
no funds for the work.
Another
is a national table tennis champ of Vietnam.
One
has medaled at a prestigious sporting event; one has participated in
Revolutionary War reenactments—one can tick off 1,000 digits of Pi.
“It’s
always interesting to hear how students are getting involved and
making themselves known outside the classroom,” says Dean of
Admissions Ed Connor ’92.
WPI
students past and present have long been known for their ingenuity,
creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit – and the incoming class is
no exception. Selected from a record 10,233 applicants, the roughly
1,050 incoming students – who began classes on August 28 – not
only represent the top echelon of their high school classes, but have
achieved a panoply of eclectic personal accomplishments.
Among
them are a one-time assistant and interpreter for a U.S. General
while on a speaking tour in Vietnam; the representative of India to
the 2011 International Spelling Bee in Malaysia, and a helicopter
pilot. Three have patents pending—for a blender drill bit, a
biodegradable fishhook, and a light-beam delivery system.
Another
has already secured a patent—he led a team of three from Gulliver
Prep School in Miami in developing an “Eco-Cooker,” a
self-sustainable cooking and heating system that uses methane gas
derived from the anaerobic decomposition of bio-waste, Connor
explained. The project went on to take first place in the energy and
environment category in the Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge’s
Innovation Summit held at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston –
a distinction that came with a $10,000 prize and notice from
potential investors.
The
incoming class is an avidly active group: one is a three-time
national bronze medalist for synchronized skating; another is a
member of the world’s No. 1 ranked roller hockey team; yet another
wrestled in the 2013 Junior Olympic Games. Many more have climbed
major mountains or biked across country, and some specialize in
Greek, Irish, and tap dance, according to Connor.
“The
Class of 2018 is an incredibly talented group of individuals who are
eager to make a positive impact,” says Kristin Tichenor, WPI senior
vice president.
More
fun facts? The most common male name among them is Matthew; the most
common female name is Rachel. Forty-one percent are from outside New
England (including 12 percent from other countries). And, in a
statistically impressive feat, the class is composed of eight sets of
twins.
As
for their academic interests at WPI? Mechanical engineering is by far
the most popular major, Connor says, and biomedical engineering
numbers are growing. He also noted a rebound in computer science
majors, which had been dropping off—he credits that to the fact
that the discipline affords numerous possibilities in any number of
fields, such as robotics engineering and interactive media and game
development. Plus, there are the major draws of the salary potential
and job opportunities.
“Our
CS department head will say there are many more jobs for computer
science graduates that he has graduates right now,” says Connor.
All
told, WPI received the most applications it has in years, following a
consistent upward trend and a 54 percent increase over the past five
years.
“This
was a very competitive year for admission,” says Connor. “Those
students who were admitted and enrolled are well-deserving to be
here. We have high hopes for their success at WPI academically, but
also in terms of their growing as young men and women and making that
transition to the next stage of their lives.”
Original story link.
–BY
TARYN PLUMB
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