Cambridge, MA – March 31, 2011 – Today, Susan Loconto Penta, Partner and Co-Founder at MIDIOR Consulting, joined an esteemed panel of judges to select the winners in the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Innovation Presentation Competition. The annual competition is open to WPI’s Master’s and PhD candidates engaged in research in the fields of business and social sciences, engineering, life sciences and bioengineering and sciences. The two-day celebration of discovery and innovation provides the graduate research community an opportunity to showcase its remarkable work. First place this year went to Gregory A. Cole, Ph. D., Mechanical Engineering, for his research into "MRI Compatible Surgical Systems: Analysis of Compatibility Methodologies and System Effectiveness".

According to Susan Penta, “As a WPI alumnus and serial entrepreneur, judging this competition was an honor. The students’ presentations were compelling but more importantly, their innovations are sure to have real world impact in the not so distant future.”

Students who participated in the WPI competition through the years have said that the effort they put into communicating their stories helped them understand and even refocus their research and that it helps them see their work in a larger context. More often than not, they return to their labs with a new sense of purpose and greater desire to make a difference.