Matthew Biondi of Brookfield, a member of the class of 2019 majoring in environmental engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently completed an intense, hands-on research project in Nancy, France. The project was titled Rare Earth Elements and Their Behavior During Water Treatment in Nancy, France. In their project summary the students wrote, "In this study, the effects of different treatment techniques were analyzed for the impact on the following REEs: Ce, Nd, Gd, Tb, and Yb."
At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project addressing a challenge in their major field of study. About two-thirds of students complete a project at one of the university's 50-plus off-campus project centers, which are located around the world. A signature element of the innovative undergraduate experience at WPI, the project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people's lives and make a difference before they graduate.