Improving Student Placement in IQP Centers via Preference Matching
Camila Siqueira Dias, Elizabeth Karpinski, Lin Jiang · Digital WPI · 2017
The goal of this MQP is to improve Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s (WPI) Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division (IGSD) off-campus IQP placement process. The IQP is a cornerstone of the WPI plan, however, placements have become increasingly complex and demanding as the number of applicants grow. Our team proposes an Excel-based decision support tool to improve the matching of students and IQP project center directors based on expressed preferences, thereby assisting IGSD by recommending student-IQP site placements. The decision-support tool uses VBA to build and solve an optimization model. In addition to reducing the time and effort required to place students, we believe that the decision-support tool will increase overall participant satisfaction with placements.