Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts, focusing on the instruction and research of technical arts and applied sciences. Founded in 1865 in Worcester, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities and now has 14 academic departments with over 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, management, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. WPI's faculty works with students in research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields such as health and biotechnology, energy, information security, and materials science. WPI's campus is located one mile west of downtown Worcester, in the residential neighborhood of Salisbury Street, amidst a variety of restaurants, shops, and cultural attractions.