I think that academic advising is a very important part of my job as a professor. For a new student, the WPI world is much different than anything they've encountered before. At best, that causes a lot of confusion. At worst, it causes a lot of anxiety and stress. As one of your first contacts with the WPI Community, I like to help sort out the confusion, stress, and anxiety and help you adapt to your new environment.
As time passes, your needs for advising also change. Questions about projects, student-professor, student-student, and other conflicts arise. Again, I'm happy to help sort things out. Often, just by talking about a problem many possible solutions emerge.
Later, job options, graduate school decisions, letters of reccomendation become an important part of student life. Once again, I'm here to help out.
To contact me, email (wrm@ece.wpi.edu) is by far the best option. I check my mail frequently even when I'm off-campus.
The second best way to contact me is by phone at (508)-831-5766. If you call, please leave a message. Make sure you tell me how to contact you. Often, a student just says "This is Jim, I came by your office and didn't see you." That doesn't give me much to go on! I usually know who "Jim" is, but what kind of problem is occuring? Please leave a complete message!
Last, stop by! I keep open office hours posted on my door. You are welcome to come by at will during an open hour. If those hours are not good for your schedule, I'm happy to schedule some other meeting time.