The Alumni Magazine for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. (WPI)
Issue link: http://wpialumnimag.epubxp.com/i/114745
π W drummer wanted Liquid Fuel Ignites WPI Music Scene WPI'S HOUSE BAND, Liquid Fuel, heats up the night with a beat that would put Robert Goddard into orbit. Pictured above are lead guitarist Brian Degon '95 (top, left), associate director of operations for WPI's Corporate and Professional Education division; Gordon Library preservation librarian Kathy Markees on bass; her husband, Tom Markees, on guitar; and drummer extraordinaire Rob Provost '88, who has since moved on to other endeavors. Others who fill in as needed include Glenn Barnett '00 on keyboard, and FPE lab manager Randy Harris on drums. The group is seeking a new drummer—ideally someone with WPI connections. Their motto says it all: "It's the Blues: it ain't Rocket Science!" 14 Winter 2013 global To India and Beyond Five new project sites expand WPI's global footprint T HIS YEAR'S GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FAIR took stu- dents in new directions, with project destinations in India, New Zealand, Russia, Albania, and Bar Harbor, Maine. These new locations bring the number of WPI project sites worldwide to 35. The new IQP Center in Mandi, India, is situated in the northwest foothills of the Himalayas, not far from the border of Tibet. "Unlike project centers in major cities, Mandi will offer students a deeper, and different, cultural experience," says dean of interdisciplinary and global studies Rick Vaz. Center director Ingrid Shockey says India, with its colorful saris and fragrant spices, is brimming with unique sensory experiences. "You haven't lived till you've walked through a ƃower market in India—or passed by a temple. What an extraordinary experience for our students!" WPI will partner with IIT Mandi, the newest branch of the Indian Institute of Technology. The collaboration is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of State that includes funds to offset the cost of airfare for students. One of the Ƃrst projects will examine the impact of the new university, which will exponentially swell the population of this remote river valley with hundreds, and ultimately thousands, of IIT students. Four project teams, with a total of 16 students, were selected to spend A-Term 2013 in India, working on projects alongside IIT students. Some have never lived outside Mas-