WHAT IS AN IQP?
An IQP, short for the Interactive Qualifying Project, is a distinctive project in which we work as an interdisciplinary team with our collaborator in order to understand and give recommendations regarding a science or societal problem. Each member of our team has a unique skill set; we use these skills to support one another in understanding a societal issue. During the project, we try to dissect the overarching issue into specific pieces which we can then approach using our background knowledge and interdisciplinary skill sets. One of the most important aspects of the IQP is to interact with the local community as well as with our collaborator to work on recommendations that best fit the collaborator's needs and the needs of the community. With the help of our advisors and our collaborator we develop this research into a practical solution to offer our collaborator at the end of the semester.
WHO WE ARE
We are the Urban Wetland team from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and in the Spring 2020 semester we are working on our IQP in collaboration with the Vacaresti Natural Park Association in Bucharest, Romania. Our project seeks to create a sustainable plan for the management and improvement of the urban wetland park. We hope that recommendations can be more widely applied to other wetland areas and urban green spaces.
Meet The Team
E.C. Finken
I’m a Robotics Engineering and Mechanical Engineering double major from Virginia. I grew up camping, fishing, and hiking with my family in State and National parks across the United States.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn more about Vacaresti Nature Park and help improve the park for Bucharest residents.
Sarah Kwatinetz
I am a Civil Engineering major from Seattle, WA. I'm interested in sustainability, urban planning, and community development, and have worked in urban development, the arts, community interaction, as well as cataloging and up-keeping city parks and street trees here in Worcester.
I was very excited to join this project, not only because it is applicable to my interests and area of study, but because of the long-term impact it could have on the park and the city of Bucharest.
Arnold Muralt
I am a Robotics Engineering student from New Jersey. As a child and young adult I often camped with my local scout troop, visiting many state and national parks, boating, hiking and enjoying stories by the campfire.
I am excited to work on this project with Vacaresti Nature Park and help improve and protect the park for future generations to enjoy.
Matt Rando
I am a Chemical Engineering major from Massachusetts with a passion for the environment and sustainability. Much of my course work at school has related to energy, as well as understanding and remedying the effects humans have had on the planet.
I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with the Vacaresti Natural Park Association on this project, and I look forward to having a positive impact on both the residents of Bucharest and the environment itself.
Phuong Le
I am an Electrical and Computer Engineering major from Danang, Vietnam. I'm interested in helping to conserve the urban wetland as well as help raising awareness in environmental conservation.
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Therefore, I'm really excited to be part of this project, since I can not only l can improve my teamwork skills, but I can also create a positive impact for the greenspace development in Bucharest.
Professor Bland Addisson, Co-Advisor
I believe it is important for American students to understand the intellectual foundations for their way of viewing the world as well as the cultural perspectives of other peoples of the world. I have taught a variety of intellectual history courses about Western and non-Western civilizations. Such cross-cultural understanding is fundamental in appreciating the values of other peoples and this is a first step toward building a better, more peaceful world. However, the practical experience of working with and learning from other peoples through project work on real-world problems is more effective in cultivating empathy for the common humanity among all peoples, no matter cultural differences. This personal philosophy has led me to advise students on hundreds of projects at 12 of WPI’s 35 global project centers and to serve for a decade as the co-director of the Morocco Project Center. My experience this term working virtually with our very engaging collaborators in Romania has reenforced my commitment to global project education.
Dr. Bogdan Vernescu,
Site Director
I have always been a firm believer that our global projects program has a positive impact on our students and on local communities around the world. Thus I wanted to contribute to expanding and diversifying WPI’s footprint and to providing the opportunity for more students to have this experience.
At the same time during the three decades after the fall of the communist regime, Romania has made progress in its transition to democracy, to a free market economy, to institutionalizing civil and human rights and building its civil society. Its socio-economic status, still in transition, can provide students with an interesting perspective, and many of the relatively young organizations can benefit from our students’ contributions.
Professor Rodica Neamtu, Co-Advisor & Site Director
I see embedding project-based learning into cross-cultural experiences as a great step towards raising awareness to the problems faced by our global society and engaging our students in solving these problems. Co-directing a project center in Romania allows me to contribute to building a strong connection between the two cultures that I am deeply anchored in. I am committed to help our students explore other cultures, understand the issues that they are facing, and become part of impactful initiatives to mitigate them. Advising project teams is one of the most engaging and rewarding aspects of my work.