WP
William Pope
  • biomedical engineering
  • Class of 2017
  • Middlebury, Conn.

William Pope of Middlebury, Conn., Earn CoSIDA Academic All-District I Accolades

2016 Nov 3

A trio of WPI football upperclassmen, including William Pope, have been named Academic All-District I, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The district covers institutions in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. They are now on the ballot for Academic All-America honors.

Senior Kevin Lynch, a three-time selection, is a four-year starter at strong safety. The mechanical engineering and fire protection double major participated in a year-long IQP titled "The Development and Widespread Adoption of a Heat Resistant Fire Attack Hose." The senior followed that up by examining materials thermal performance and intermediate scale testing for his MQP. He is a Charles O. Thompson Scholar, a repeat Liberty League All-Academic honoree in addition to being a member of Tau Beta Pi engineering honors society and Pi Tau Sigma mechanical engineering honor society. On the field, Lynch has 39 tackles - 25 solo - with a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and recovery, as well as three pass breakups this season.

Senior Will Pope, a biomedical engineering major and computer science minor, is a starter at right guard for the second-ranked offense in the Liberty League and has not missed a game in two-plus seasons. Pope traveled to Denmark to perform IQP titled "Bike Parking in the Narrow Streets of Copenhagen." His MQP will examine sports injury prevention. The Charles O. Thompson Scholar and repeat Liberty League All-Academic selection is a member of the Order of Omega leadership honor society, Biomedical Engineering Society, Student Support Network and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Graduate student Vinny Tavernelli, the all-time leader with an average of 38 yards per punt, regained his starting spot after suffering a season-ending injury last season. The two-time All-Liberty League First Team Specialist and mechanical engineering major completed his IQP titled "The Santa Ana Pond Park Redevelopment Design." The three-time Liberty League All-Academic honoree also designed a football helmet to reduce concussions for his MQP. He currently has 8,547 yards on 225 punts with a career-best 74 yarder as a sophomore and has also placed 51 inside the 20 over 41 games played.

Football (5-3, 2-3 Liberty League) travels to Rochester Saturday for a noon kickoff.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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 45 WPI project centers throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.