Gilmanton Iron Works Resident Connor Lemay Returns Following
Intensive Research Project
Connor
Lemay of Gilmanton Iron Works, a member of the class of 2020
majoring in mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic
Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently
completed an intense, hands-on research through the WPI project
center in Panama City, Panama. The project was titled Teak
Efficiency and Environmental Education Methods for Batipa. In their
project summary the students wrote, “We have addressed three issues
in this project regarding the Batipa Peninsula and the surrounding
areas: solutions for teak by-products, reconnecting wildlife
corridors, and the sustainability of the Chiriqui Province through
education. Our mission was to create effective and attainable
solutions for these issues.”
At WPI,
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. About two-thirds of
students complete a project at one of the university’s 45-plus
off-campus project centers, which are located around the world. 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.
“The
WPI project-based curriculum’s focus on global studies brings
students out of the classroom and their comfort zones and into the
global community to apply their knowledge to solve real problems,”
said Professor Kent Rissmiller, interim dean of the WPI
Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division. “Students are
immersed in all aspects of 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 in their host community; and gain a
competitive edge for any resume, or graduate or professional school
application.”
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