San Clemente Student Completes Intensive Research Project

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — Lindsey Fletcher of San Clemente, a member of the class of 2022 majoring in Industrial Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, was a member of a student team that recently completed an intense research project titled Evaluating English Skills Program at Panama City Panama.

At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to addresses an important societal need or issue, a spokesperson for the school said.

Nearly 90% of students typically complete a project in collaboration with partners in communities across the country and around the world, through the university's 50-plus project centers.

Students usually travel to the project center for seven-week terms; this fall, however, due to the global coronavirus pandemic, they worked remotely, using video conferencing and other technology to complete their projects. A signature element of the innovative undergraduate experience at WPI, the project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people's lives-and make a difference before they graduate.

Professor Kent Rissmiller, interim dean of the WPI Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division, spoke on the project.

"The WPI project-based curriculum's focus on global studies brings students out of their comfort zones to apply their knowledge to solve real problems for people in communities around the globe," Rissmiller said. "Students have the opportunity to learn about a different culture, from the way people live and work to the values they hold to the foods they eat - all valuable perspectives for surviving and thriving in today's global marketplace. They also learn the meaning and magic of teamwork; make a real and meaningful difference; and gain a competitive edge for any resume, or graduate or professional school application."

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a global leader in project-based learning, is a distinctive, top-tier technological university founded in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems. Recognized by the National Academy of Engineering with the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education. For more information, visit: www.wpi.edu