Noori Higgins Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research facility, on the campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), is home to the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Constructed in 1941, the building has never been renovated or upgraded substantially. The research activities presently conducted are in the areas of controls and vibrations, fluid dynamics, biomechanics and biofluids, laser holography and metrology, and combustion. Though organized around the traditional disciplines of mechanical engineering, the research conducted addresses emerging area of Critical Technologies, such as Manufacturing, Biomechanics and Thermal Science. Although WPI has an ongoing engineering effort, critical infrastructural deficiencies exit which impinge on the research that is conducted in the facility. This award will provide funding for the renovation of research space for the lower level of the Higgins Laboratory Building. Existing laboratories lack proper and adequate air quality control, electrical power, accessibility, and waste management. Space will be upgraded to consolidate research activities that are currently scattered in small, outdated and compartmentalized facilities. By organizing the available space to encourage exchange, the improvements will facilitate interdisciplinary efforts between all groups. The renovated facility will provide ample space to meet the requirements of the growing numbers of students in the Mechanical Engineering Program at WPI. These trained students, a high percentage of whom are U.S. citizens, will significantly contribute to the Nation's intellectual capital in several Critical Technology areas.
