V.J. proudly presents...

Student Lab Researchers and Technologists (the Lab RATs)

The Lab RATs are a highly-talented and appropriately-caffeinated group of students working in V.J. Manzo's research lab on various projects related to music technology including work done through the Electric Guitar Innovation Lab (EGIL) and the Interactive Music Systems Lab (IMSLab), both of which are at WPI.

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What do RATs do?

RATs work on small-scale, one-off projects in the lab as their availability allows and, as part of this, can use and borrow everything in the lab (equipment, musical instruments, tools, amps, pedals, weirdo prototypes, etc.) and the adjacent studio for all projects including personal ones. RATs hang out in the lab pursuing all sorts of awesomeness at the convergence of music and technology and are encouraged to continued to stay on as RATs as long as they’d like in consecutive semesters or moving in and out of the position on a semester-by-semester basis as needed to accommodate other academic scheduling, but there are no open-ended non-terminating committments expected.

All RAThood efforts are voluntary (for V.J. too)—no pay, no course credit: instead, we all help eachother with everything and we all win when one of us wins. There are, however, some projects and opportunities that do allow us to provide pay, course credit, cool gear, and unique mentorship experiences and these are offered exclusively to RATs. We experiment fearlessly, fail regularly, and persevere through resilience—that’s what it takes to be innovative, and that’s what we're all about.

a group of rats is called a mischief

WPI Students Interested in Joining Our Mischief Can Learn More & Apply Here