[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 161 (Wednesday, November 13, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF 
ITS WASHINGTON PROJECT CENTER AND 25 YEARS OF ITS VENICE, ITALY PROJECT 
                                 CENTER

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 13, 2013

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) 
Washington Project Center opened 40 years ago to bridge the divide 
between scientific research and social policy recommendations. Since 
1973, more than 1,100 WPI students have completed more than 400 
projects for government agencies, community-based companies and 
institutions, multinational corporations, and nonprofit partners.
  The Center's success became the model for the WPI Global Studies 
Program, which has seen more than 22,000 budding scientists and 
engineers successfully complete and implement 3,600 projects across a 
wide range of areas, including environment, consumer protection, 
patents and copyrights and art and history.
  At WPI's 39 centers across the world--covering four continents and 
cities ranging from Alberta to Zurich to Bangkok to Cape Town to Panama 
City--students work with some of the world's largest companies, most 
influential non-profit and non-governmental organizations and most 
important scientific governmental agencies.
  Among the centers is the Venice Project Center, founded in 1988 by 
WPI Professor and native Venetian Fabio Carrera. In his 25 years of 
leading students to Venice, Carrera has spearheaded invaluable research 
about, among other areas, erosion within the city's famed canals, which 
was captured in a book by the United Nations Education, Scientific and 
Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
  These great young minds bring ingenious approaches to an outstanding 
array of challenges--and the projects fundamentally change the 
students, building leaders who possess passion, proficiency, and a 
certainty that their life's work can change the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I'm so proud to represent WPI, a world renowned 
institution for higher learning committed to educating our next 
generation of leaders. While WPI students are working to better 
communities across the globe, their longstanding history of service to 
my hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts, should also be recognized.
  I commend WPI students, faculty, leadership, and staff for their 
commitment to science education and global leadership. I ask my 
colleagues to join me today in recognizing their incredible 
achievements.

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