A look back on National Student Parent Month 2026
Celebrating MIT’s graduate student parents
This past September, the Office of Graduate Education celebrated National Student by highlighting four graduate students who are balancing their studies while raising children. Nicholas Maurer and his family moved all the way from Australia so that he could pursue his PhD in Data, Systems, and Society. Kathryn Urban is navigating military strategy research and policy work while parenting a seven-month-old. Magreth Kakoko returned to MIT for her PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering and is now raising her son Villu in student housing. Gefen Baranes is a fifth-year physics doctoral student developing fault-tolerant quantum technologies while caring for her infant son Adam.
What emerged from these four students’ experiences is that they’re not only surviving the demands of doctoral work with children, but they’re thriving in ways they didn’t anticipate. Nicholas speaks of the amazement of watching his kids play with children from around the world. Kathryn and Magreth have both found community among other student parents.
Reflecting on her journey, Gefen shares that “having a baby on campus has been the best experience. “If you want to have a kid during a PhD, this is the place.”
While each story is different, they reveal a common theme: comprehensive support systems are essential for student parents. Resources like family housing, on-campus childcare, healthcare, and flexible academic accommodations allow students to pursue their research while raising their families– rather than having to choose between the two.
For more information on MIT’s support for students with children, visit the MIT Families website.
