News

Cutting urban carbon emissions by retrofitting buildings

July 13, 2023

To support the worldwide struggle to reduce carbon emissions, many cities have made public pledges to cut their carbon emissions in half by 2030, and some have promised to be carbon neutral by 2050. Buildings can be responsible for more than half a municipality’s carbon emissions. Today, new buildings are typically designed in ways that […]

Statistics, operations research, and better algorithms

July 12, 2023

In this day and age, many companies and institutions are not just data-driven, but data-intensive. Insurers, health providers, government agencies, and social media platforms are all heavily dependent on data-rich models and algorithms to identify the characteristics of the people who use them, and to nudge their behavior in various ways. That doesn’t mean organizations […]

Astro Portraits: Pointing the lens toward our future

July 11, 2023

MIT PhD student Evan Kramer discovered his passion for astrophotography as a high schooler, when he realized words alone were failing to communicate the sense of wonder he found in stargazing. Since coming to MIT, his fascination has expanded into urban astrophotography, which combines technical skill with artistry in creating composite images using brightly lit […]

Thirty-four community members receive 2023 MIT Excellence Awards, Collier Medal, and Staff Award for Distinction in Service

July 10, 2023

Twenty-four individuals and one team were awarded MIT Excellence Awards — the highest awards for staff at the Institute — at a well-attended and energetic ceremony the afternoon of June 8 in Kresge Auditorium. In addition to the Excellence Awards, two community members were honored with the Collier Medal and Staff Award for Distinction in […]

Building connections

July 10, 2023

From an early age, Will Sussman’s family instilled in him the value of education. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that most of my grandparents were teachers,” he says. Now, at MIT, “The energy of a campus, bustling with students, in turn energizes me.” A second-year doctoral student in electrical engineering and computer science and […]

The chore of packing just got faster and easier

July 6, 2023

In 1611, Johannes Kepler — known for his laws of planetary motion — offered a solution to the question concerning the densest possible way to arrange equal-sized spheres. The famed astronomer took on this problem when asked how to stack cannonballs so as to take up the least amount of space. Kepler concluded that the […]

3 Questions: International collaborations in a shifting geopolitical climate

July 5, 2023

Across MIT’s campus, faculty and research teams collaborate with international partners to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. The Institute’s reputation as a global leader in research and innovation is built, in part, on these partnerships. That important work is guided and advised by the International Advisory Committee (IAC) and its Institute partners […]

Professor Emeritus Dick Thornton, maglev innovator and electronics entrepreneur, dies at 93

July 5, 2023

MIT Professor Emeritus Richard “Dick” Thornton SM ’54, ScD ’57 passed away on May 16. He was 93.  An innovator, entrepreneur, adventurer, and outdoor enthusiast, Thornton’s influence upon all the communities he touched was profound. He was well known for his leading work on maglev technology and other electronics innovations, as well as his key […]

Transatlantic connections make the difference for MIT Portugal

June 29, 2023

Successful relationships take time to develop, with both parties investing energy and resources and fostering mutual trust and understanding. The MIT Portugal Program (MPP), a strategic partnership between MIT, Portuguese universities and research institutions, and the Portuguese government, is a case in point. Portugal’s inaugural partnership with a U.S. university, MPP was established in 2006 […]

Studies at the intersection of equity, computing, and education

June 29, 2023

Before joining the Lifelong Kindergarten group in the MIT Media Lab, Cecilé Sadler saw computer engineering and community service as separate aspects of her life. Alongside her bachelor’s and master’s work in computer engineering at North Carolina State and Duke University, respectively, Sadler also spent a lot of time working with young people through local […]