Solving Global Grand Challenges
WPI has a long and proud tradition of theory, practice, and making a positive impact on the world, providing opportunities for our students to apply their learning and engage with the grand challenges facing our global society. Through their project work, our students help develop solutions to real-world problems of consequence to real people and communities near and far. This begins as soon as our students set foot on campus—many first-year students enroll in a Great Problems Seminar, where they dive deep into issues such as global health, species extinction, educational systems, climate change, livable cities, and more. For many it continues with a humanities and arts project. All students complete an Interactive Qualifying Project, when they have the opportunity to work on a problem at the intersection of science, technology, and society, and then a Major Qualifying Project, when students hone their research, design, and problem-solving skills within their major field.
On these journeys of discovery they find out what it takes to search for locally appropriate solutions to meaningful problems, they learn to see beyond their own cultural and personal blinders, and they reach deep within themselves to find capabilities and a sense of confidence they never knew they had.
We know that no matter where in the world our students and faculty work, their impact is global. With your gift, you empower our students to make that difference.
Your Gift in Action
At the Puerto Rico Project Center, two student teams worked with local leaders who dreamed of turning an abandoned school into the Cubuy-Lomas Community Services & Development Center, where residents can access health care, education and job training, computer services, and clean water, especially in emergencies.
Talia Mamayek ’23, whose team worked on the water and power resiliency project, says the spirit of the local residents is what she will remember most.
“The best part of my experience was having the opportunity to meet such inspiring and ambitious people such as our project sponsors, who truly have big hearts,” she says. “I was also exposed to the complexities and challenges that most nonprofits face with gaining support for their initiatives, spreading the word, and envisioning the long-term social impact of their work, such as reducing vulnerability and building resilience for their community.”