Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has announced that Kelly Vodola of Darien, Conn., a member of the class of 2019 majoring in chemical engineering, was named to the university's Dean's List for academic excellence for the spring 2016 semester.
A total of 1,292 undergraduate students achieved the criteria required for WPI's spring 2016 Dean's List. The criteria for the WPI Dean's List differs from that of most other universities as WPI does not compute a grade point average (GPA). Instead, WPI defines the Dean's List by the amount of work completed at the A level in courses and projects.
"WPI's academic programs are rigorous and require a level of independence beyond what is required in traditional courses. WPI students go beyond the classroom to work on open-ended problems in and for communities around the world. The problems are important and the impact is real" said dean of undergraduate studies Arthur C. Heinricher. "Some of this nation's best and brightest students come to WPI to study engineering and science and business and the humanities. Those named to the Dean's List have excelled in all of their work, and we are exceptionally proud of these outstanding students."
To be named to the dean's list, students must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or better and rank in the top 20 percent of their class in their respective college or school.
The following local students have been named to the dean's list for the spring 2016 semester:
Nicholas Sullivan of Darien (06820). Sullivan is a(n) Economics major in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Grace Hildreth of Darien (06820). Hildreth is a(n) Psychological Science major in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Michael Festo of Darien (06820). Festo is a(n) Elementary Education - K-6 major in the College of Education and Social Services.
Patrick Daigle of Darien (06820). Daigle is a(n) Business Administration major in the Grossman School of Business.
Katherine Maccarone of Darien (06820). Maccarone is a(n) Business Administration major in the Grossman School of Business.
Darien, CT resident, Megan Doherty Baird, has been named to the dean's list at James Madison University for the spring 2016 semester. Students who earn dean's list honors must carry at least 12 graded credit hours and earn a GPA of between 3.5 and 3.899. Baird is scheduled to graduate in 2018 and is majoring in interdisciplinary liberal studies.