Christopher Rene of North Scituate Awarded 2020 Kranich Prize
Worcester, MA (06/03/2020) — Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has announced that Christopher Rene of North Scituate, R.I., a senior in the BS/MS program in mechanical engineering with a concentration in design, was awarded the university's 2020 Wilmer L. and Margaret M. Kranich Prize.
The Wilmer L. and Margaret M. Kranich (pronounced Kray-nick) [PL1] Prize recognizes a science, engineering, or management major who best integrates the humanities and arts into their undergraduate experience. Wilmer Kranich, a professor of chemical engineering, was active in the development of the WPI Plan, and also served as Dean of Graduate Studies.
Rene came to WPI from North Scituate, R.I., and is in the BS/MS program in mechanical engineering with a concentration in design. He chose WPI specifically because he knew he could study engineering but also engage deeply in his passion for music. He has been active in WPI's music program since the first day of his first year and has been active in almost every musical ensemble on campus: Concert Band, Orchestra, Brass Quintet, Brass Ensemble, Stage Band, Pit Orchestra, and Pep Band. He helped start the Brass Quintet and composed an original piece for the quintet in his sophomore year.
He has an outstanding academic record, including an engineering capstone project to design a Humanoid Animatronic Learning Simulator for medical training. He completed his Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) in Thessaloniki on a team that analyzed a development project for the Egnatia Corridor in northern Greece. He has begun graduate work in mechanical engineering.
Rene has combined his passion for music with his skills in mechanical engineering to design and build musical instruments. He has machined brass mouthpieces in the Washburn Shops. He has also designed and built cigar-box guitars, a Theremin (an instrument played without touching it), and an electric bass guitar.
About Worcester Polytechnic Institute
WPI, a global leader in project-based learning, is a distinctive, top-tier technological university founded in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems. Recognized by the National Academy of Engineering with the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education, WPI's pioneering project-based curriculum engages undergraduates in solving important scientific, technological, and societal problems throughout their education and at more than 50 project centers around the world. WPI offers more than 50 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs across 14 academic departments in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. Its faculty and students pursue groundbreaking research to meet ongoing challenges in health and biotechnology; robotics and the internet of things; advanced materials and manufacturing; cyber, data, and security systems; learning science; and more. www.wpi.edu