The WPI Podcast
The WPI Podcast
Podcast Description
The WPI Podcast is the university’s flagship podcast and your front-row seat to the heart of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Whether you're a future student dreaming big, a proud member of the campus community, or just wondering what the school is all about, this is where you'll meet the people who make WPI extraordinary.
Each episode dives into fascinating stories from across campus and around the world—spotlighting breakthrough research, hands-on projects, bold innovations, and the immersive experiences that define our purpose-driven STEM education. You'll hear directly from WPI’s faculty, students, and staff as they tackle global challenges, explore cutting-edge discoveries, and create real-world impact.
Hosted by the storytellers of WPI’s Division of Marketing Communications, this podcast connects you to the energy, creativity, and momentum driving WPI forward.
Tune in and discover what it means to think big, do more, and lead with purpose. www.wpi.edu/listen
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on the innovative research, hands-on projects, and immersive STEM education experiences at WPI. Episodes cover a variety of topics, including breakthrough scientific discoveries, cultural contributions, and sustainability efforts, showcasing content such as organic chemistry graphic novels, global project reflections, and sustainable career mentorship insights.
The WPI Podcast is the university’s award-winning flagship podcast. It offers a front-row seat to anyone who’s curious about the future of technology, science, and engineering—and the leading edge of STEM education. The podcast won Episode of the Year in the 2026 HigherEd PodCon awards, which recognize outstanding achievement in higher education podcasting.
Episodes help listeners keep up with the fast pace of changing technology through discussions with Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s experts on innovations and research in fields including life sciences, artificial intelligence, financial technology, advanced materials, and more.
Thoughtful interviews with faculty, students, and staff explore what it’s like to live and study at a top-tier research university and demonstrate how our project-based experiential learning uniquely prepares students to be future-ready leaders.
In this episode of The WPI Podcast, we explore how a memorable interactive experience during a visit to Walt Disney World as a child led industrial engineer Reagan Hajjar to chase a dream of creating magical moments in theme parks.
Hajjar, a 2023 Worcester Polytechnic Institute graduate, discusses her journey to working in the industrial engineering and business analytics division at Universal Destinations & Experiences in Orlando, Fla. She talks about how the role of industrial engineer combines data and forecasting and helps ensure that park guests have a seamless experience. She also shares what it’s like to work in the shadows of a roller coaster and just a short walk away from attractions that draw crowds from around the world.
Hajjar reflects on how her experiences at WPI, where she was a student in The Business School and earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in management, helped her realize her dream of working in themed entertainment. You can read more about Hajjar’s journey and her work at Universal in the WPI Journal summer 2026 issue.
Related links:
WPI Journal, “Where Engineering Meets Magic”
WPI Journal, Summer 2026
The Business School
Universal Destinations and Experiences
Heebner Career Development Center
Industrial Engineering at WPI
Project-based learning
Disclaimer
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