WORCESTER, Mass. — Several local residents are among students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute who recently completed intense, hands-on research projects.

Area students participating in the projects include:

• Jacob Wilson of Wells, a member of the Class of 2019 majoring in aerospace engineering. He was a member of a student team that completed a project through the WPI project center in Australia. The project was titled Identifying Knowledge Flow to Develop a Strategic Plan. In their project summary, the students wrote, ” Our program analysis determined that the EcoCentre’s programming should focus on: participant survey consistency, obtain feedback data on multi-session programs, engage more through hands-on learning, and maintain their current quality of programming.”

• Abigail Doyle of Kennebunk, a member of the Class of 2019 majoring in biomedical engineering. She was a member of a student team that completed a project through the WPI project center in Thessaloniki, Greece. The project was titled Understanding Efforts to Address the Complex Experiences of Young, Male Refugees in Thessaloniki, Greece. In their project summary, the students wrote, “Through conversations with NGOs, volunteers, and refugees in Thessaloniki, this project documented efforts to address the needs of a select and unserved population – young men.”

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 40-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.”

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI is one of the nation’s first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

WPI’s talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university’s innovative Global Projects Program.

There are more than 40 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.