ABSTRACT: 2013 ELATE Institutional Action Project Poster Symposium
Project Title: Center for Interdisciplinary Research in a Global Context
Name and Institution: Terri Camesano, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Worcester
Polytechnic Institute
Background, Challenge or Opportunity: We are going through an unprecedented era of globalization which
presents both new opportunities for collaboration as well as new challenges due to increasing competition.
The purpose of this Center is to facilitate and support the participation of faculty, students, and scholars in
international, interdisciplinary research experiences and collaborations, focusing on science and
engineering.
Benefits to WPI
By focusing on interdisciplinary research at an international scale, WPI can build its research
infrastructure, enhance reputation, and strengthen global impact.
Student Benefits
At WPI, we expect to produce graduates who contribute to solving the world’s most challenging problems
through innovative solutions. In order to be seen as a global leader in providing solutions to grand
challenges, WPI needs to establish itself in the international arena through recognized research activities
and achievements. We are known as leaders in the education of BS level engineers, and WPI offers a highly
innovative suite of international opportunities for undergraduate students. Our current international
opportunities for graduate students are limited and are conducted at individual levels, rather than as part
of a larger umbrella. In contrast to our undergraduate programs, there are no dedicated internal resources
to support the education and training of graduate students in an international context. In addition, there
are few sources of external support for these activities. WPI Engineering must increase our international
research activities, focusing heavily on externally-funded, collaborative, and innovative opportunities for
graduate students, in order to train globally-competent engineers, make a broader impact, become highly
recognized among our peers, and to benefit from an enhanced reputation.
Future scientists and engineers need to learn how to function within this new paradigm. It is widely
believed that the global leadership of a nation is closely tied with its technological and industrial
leadership. Research activities that will be enabled through increased international collaborations will
give our graduate students a first-hand perspective on research and translation in a global context so
that they are uniquely positioned to become successful leaders in an increasingly international market.
Purpose/Objectives:
The Goals of the Center are to
1) Create and manage international academic partnerships, dual-degree programs, and research
experiences for faculty, students, and scholars;
2) Recruit and enable WPI faculty and students to participate in international research experiences;
3) Seek external funding to support international research activities;
4) Engage with professional organizations and organize conferences related to international
engineering and/or science experiences.
Methods/Approach:
Some specific examples of activities to be pursued are 1) Dual MS and PhD programs (beginning with a
partnership at Politecnico di Milano, and expanding from there), 2) Research experiences for graduate
students, and 3) International workshops to increase our visibility and form new collaborations.
Outcomes and Evaluation:
The long-term outcomes of this program are to increase our international profile, access to
collaborative funding opportunities, and provide better experiences for student.
Center for Interdisciplinary Research in a
Global Context
Terri A. Camesano, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Why Global? Balance Global Opportunities and Global Competition
We are going through an unprecedented era of globalization, which presents both new opportunities for collaboration as well as new challenges due to increasing competition. The
purpose of this Center is to facilitate and support the participation of faculty, students, and scholars in international, interdisciplinary research experiences and collaborations,
focusing on science and engineering.
Dual Degree Programs
Benefits to WPI
By focusing on interdisciplinary research at an international scale, WPI
can build its research infrastructure, enhance reputation, and
strengthen global impact.
Benefits to Students
WPI undergraduates working on a
solar energy project in Bankgkok,
Thailand. This Center was formed in
1989, and over 300 students have
participated in project experiences.
• At WPI, we expect to produce
graduates who contribute to solving
the world’s most challenging problems
through innovative solutions.
• We are known as leaders in the
education of BS students, and currently
offer project opportunities at >30
Centers around the world.
• By enhancing the opportunities for
graduate students and building
connections with global research
opportunities, we can uniquely
position our graduates to become
leaders in the global marketplace.
We are planning a dual MS degree program with
Politecnico di Milano (Polimi) to provide WPI
students with a first-hand perspective on
research in a global context, so that they are
uniquely positioned to become successful
leaders in an increasingly international market.
Goals of the Center
• Create and manage
international academic
partnerships, dual-degree
programs, and research
experiences for faculty,
students, and scholars;
• Recruit and enable WPI
faculty and students to
participate in
international research
experiences;
• Seek external funding to
support international
research activities;
• Engage with professional
organizations and
organize conferences
related to international
engineering and/or
science experiences.
MOU Signing between WPI and Politecnico di Milano, 2012
L to R: Professor Glenn Gaudette, Professor Terri Camesano, Dean Selçuk Güçeri, Rector’s
Delegate for International Relations Giancarlo Spinelli, President Dennis Berkey, Provost Eric
Overström, Professor Kristen Billiar
Terri Camesano and Paola
D’Angelo, First European Summer
School on Theory and Practice of
AFM in Life Sciences and
Medicine
Chemical Engineering and
Chemistry & Biochemistry
undergraduates completing their
senior theses in Nancy, France
• Recruit top graduate students at the MS level, and
convert them to PhD students after they engage in a
fruitful research experience.
• Students will develop strong skills as global engineers.
• Laying the groundwork to enhance our success in
pursuing competitive global research grants, such as
PIRE, Erasmus Mundus initiatives, and the FIPSE EU/US
Atlantis Program.
• Gain visibility through joint publications and
conference presentations that result from the
WPI/Polimi research collaborations.
• The graduate students will become ambassadors for
WPI in their future careers – these include students
who call both WPI and Polimi their “home”
institutions.
Graduate Research
Opportunities
• Students acquire experiential
knowledge of culture-specific drivers
of technology, innovation, and
policies that govern technological
development in a foreign country.
• These experiences will improve
participants’ global technological
leadership capabilities by enabling
students to incorporate novel
perspectives within their own
research, and improving their ability
to critically assess the value and
impact of technological innovations.
• The first students to participate are
funded through NSF IGERT: Training
Innovative Leaders in Biofabrication
(NSF DGE 1144804)
• The first two participants will be
Karen Levi, a WPI Biomedical
Engineering PhD student who will
conduct work at Politecnico di
Milano , and Sarah Runge, a WPI
Biology PhD student who will travel
to Tsinghua University, both in May
2013
L: Sarah Runge is pursuing a PhD in
Biology. She will travel to Tsinghua
University.
R: Karen Levi is a PhD student in
Biomedical Engineering. She will
conduct research at Politecnico di
Milano
Workshops
• Organizing a highly visible
scientific workshop will be a
key way that we can increase
WPI’s research visibility in an
international arena.
• A proposal was submitted to
the NATO Science for Peace
and Security Programme to
support the organization of an
Advanced Research Workshop ,
Nanotechnology to Aid
Chemical and Biological
Defense.
• 52 participants from 15
Proposed location for NATO
countries will attend
Workshop in Çeşme, Turkey
• The workshop will stimulate
collaborative proposal
submissions to NATO, US, and
EU agencies
Acknowledgements
•
•
•
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Many thanks to Dr. Selçuk Güçeri for supporting my
nomination and participation in ELATE, and for his continued
mentorship
Thanks to WPI for release time and helpful discussions with
many colleagues
Special thanks to my learning community for supporting me
throughout the year!
Thanks to Diane Magrane and all of the ELATE faculty and
participants for creating this wonderful program!