The Alumni Magazine for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. (WPI)
Issue link: http://wpialumnimag.epubxp.com/i/277771
Spring 2014 45 news from HIGGINS HOUSE tions actually implemented by the world's biggest fnancial frms makes Wall Street a desirable destination for students. He adds that students are often given job opportunities after the completion of their projects. Two alumni who subsequently pursued careers in fnance are Scott Burton '84, managing director at JP Morgan, and Gregory Friel '90, vice president for Barclays Capital. Both have been active in the Wall Street Project Center for many years. Ancient challenges, modern solutions There might be a temptation to assume that the work done at the Venice Project Center is all about water, but that's not the case, says director Fabio Carrera. "During the frst decade we worked a lot on canals," he explains, "including boat traffc and the damage the wakes cause to the canal walls. But then we did a great deal of work on preserving public art and other types of heritage preservation. More recently, we've been moving toward tourism and housing and things that have a long-term impact." A recent project, the City Dashboard, pro- vides real-time tracking of planes, ships, and tourists arriving in the city. The Venice Proj- ect Center was the frst to systematically catalog and map all the public art visible along the streets of Venice, as well as the in- scriptions, tombstones, and decorations embedded in the foors of the city's church- es. The center also launched Venipedia, an online information resource with nearly 18,000 articles about Venice. Notable achievement, powerful impact Last November, a special event recognizing the Washington and Venice anniversaries was held at the Library of Congress in Wash- ington, DC. Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, along with Con- gressman Jim McGovern, spoke in honor of the milestones to an audience of more than 130 alumni and friends. President Phil Ryan delivered opening and closing remarks. Rick Vaz, dean of WPI's Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division, notes that with more than 35 project centers world- wide, WPI strives to deliver powerful learn- ing experiences and provide opportunities for students to make a positive impact. "Alumni who went to a project center usually have a story about how it shaped their career or life, and each center has sto- ries about the impacts of student research on local organizations and communities. Those stories of personal growth and local impact are what the Global Perspective Pro- gram is all about, so it's important for us to take time out to celebrate them." — Mike D'Onofrio A C D A. Trustee Emeritus Steve Rubin '74, Senator Ed Markey, Provost Eric Overström, Interim President Phil Ryan '65, and Trustee Fred Rucker '81 B. Congressman Jim McGovern with Interim President Phil Ryan '65 C. Judy and Phil Ryan with Richard DiBuono '62 D. Senator Elizabeth Warren at WPI's celebration of the Washington, DC, and Venice project centers WPI_Spring14_Alumni.indd 45 3/9/14 2:14 PM