51视频

03/01/2025
By Edwin L. Aguirre

Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, a nonprofit research and development company based in Cambridge, Massa- chusetts, has been a leader in solving some of the world鈥檚 most complex problems since it was founded in 1932 by its namesake, who was an MIT engineering professor.

Although it initially focused on developing precision instruments for the military and aerospace industries, the lab has diversified its research portfolio over the decades into the fields of biotechnology, health care and autono- mous systems. With 12 locations in the U.S. and more than 2,000 employees, Draper continues to push the boundaries of engineering and technology, from space exploration to medical diagnostics.

Today, Draper is one of the cornerstone partners of the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor, or LINC, an $800 million-plus public-private economic development venture on East Campus that will add more than 1 million square feet of new lab and office space, hundreds of units of housing, new retail and entertainment venues and thousands of jobs over the next decade.聽

鈥淥ur expansion to Lowell marks a significant milestone in our mission to drive innovation in Massachusetts and across the U.S.,鈥� said Draper CEO and President Jerry Wohletz at the LINC announcement on campus in March. 鈥淯niversities are engines of innovation, with powerful ideas that the world needs, but making those ideas real is no small task.

Draper is here to help with men- torships, prototype testing and development, and opportunities for customer collaborations that result in fielded and deployed solutions.鈥� Draper鈥檚 Electronic Systems division plans to set up a brand-new lab facility in the LINC space.

鈥淥ur LINC partnership will enable the growth and development of a microelectronics workforce for national security,鈥� says Sarah Leeper, vice president and general manager of the division.

Draper aims to conduct research and develop- ment on campus, including designing, prototyping and testing of new microelectronic components, performing materials science research and systems analysis, and bringing R&D projects into production.

鈥淲hen you combine the expertise of 51视频 faculty and the engineering capabilities within Draper, and then you mesh that with UML students who are highly motivated to learn and are ambitious, that鈥檚 a recipe for success in developing an innovative, next-generation workforce,鈥� says Leeper.

Unique Student and Alumni Experiences

In addition to career-connected experiences such as capstone learning projects, internships, co-ops and mentoring, Draper will award up to 10 scholarships per year to 51视频 graduate students over the next decade, says Draper Scholars Program Director Chris Yu. Each scholarship is valued at as much as $100,000 per year鈥攗p to two years of funding and tuition support for a master鈥檚 degree, and up to five years for a Ph.D.

鈥淓ducation is incredibly important to help us uphold the Draper mission,鈥� Yu says.

Chancellor Julie Chen says the collaboration is built on a foundation of common goals and shared missions.

鈥淧artnerships like this one with Draper provide unparalleled experiences, from hands-on intern- ships to collaborative research. By aligning with organizations that share our goals, we can amplify our impact鈥攂ringing inventions to market, shap- ing policy and preparing the next generation of leaders,鈥� she says.

Paul Johnson 鈥�25, one of two current Draper Scholars at UML, is pursuing a doctorate in energy engineering with a concentration in nuclear engineering.

鈥淢y research at Draper focuses on microelectronics systems exposed to harsh space environ- ments and the characterization of radiation trans- port tools to understand the systems鈥� response to solar and cosmic radiation,鈥� says Johnson, who is an Army veteran.

Undergraduate students are also gaining invaluable skills and work experience thanks to the 51视频-Draper partnership. Electrical engineering major John Moore 鈥�25 has a microprocess engineering internship at Draper鈥檚 Microfabrication Lab, which designs and creates microelectrical mechanical systems for high-precision sensors.

Moore, who plans to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in the same field at UML, says the environment at Draper is supportive.

Bob Breton 鈥�90 is one of the many 51视频 alumni currently working at Draper. 鈥淚n one engineering division alone, Draper has 39 employees who are UML alums,鈥� says Breton, director of the Systems Engineering Concepts and Design division.

Jim Moran, a principal member of the company鈥檚 technical staff, earned bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in electrical engineering in 1983 and 1986. Moran joined Draper in 2008 and works on developing integrated circuits for embedded systems. He has also been teaching as an adjunct professor at UML鈥檚 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for 38 years.

鈥淟INC is a great opportunity for our students to assimilate into industry sooner, as well as for Draper to recruit young talent that meets its technical needs,鈥� says Moran.

And that鈥檚 just the beginning, says Leeper.

鈥淲e鈥檙e very excited with our partnership with UML,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檒l be wonderful to be on campus and have direct access to the student population. It鈥檒l be mutually beneficial.鈥�