Happy National Student Parent Month! This month, the Office of Graduate Education is featuring one graduate student parent per week, highlighting their academic work and parenting journey at MIT. This is the last student parent feature of the month, but you can check out the previous weeks’ features.
Matthew Webb
Family: Wife, Rachel, and three children; Catherine (6), Nathaniel (4), and Thomas (7 months)
Degree program: Center for Transportation Logistics PhD program
Years at MIT: Entering 2nd year of PhD program; previously spent two years at MIT completing a Master’s degree
Matthew Webb is a second year PhD student in the Transportation program, conducting research in military logistics networks operating during armed conflict in the Center for Transportation and Logistics. He began his career by commissioning as a second lieutenant in the US Army in 2007. After eight years of service, he enrolled in MIT’s Operations Research program and earned a Master’s degree in Operations Research, graduating in 2017.
Returning to MIT as a dad
In 2023, Matthew returned to MIT as a father of two. He and his wife, Rachel, welcomed their third child early in the spring semester. While many MIT student parents take parental accommodations during the semester, Matthew did not formally take time off after his youngest was born in order to advance the specific timeline to finish his degree. However, he shared that his advisor was supportive of a decrease in his responsibilities during that time.
When asked about his experience now as a student parent compared to his experience as a (childless) Master’s student, Matthew says, “Parenting as a student is much, much tougher. It’s difficult to be a student and find places that are conducive to studying [at home]. It’s also difficult to be a parent and manage the stress of academics [and] research while interacting with my kids.”
He says he feels especially fortunate to have the support of his wife, Rachel, who “keeps everything in our household running” — including homeschooling the older kids!
The MIT Families community
Before returning to MIT for his PhD, Matthew was unaware of the support offered to graduate student families. He discovered the Office of Graduate Education’s resources and programming for families through an email his first semester.
These days, Rachel and the kids take advantage of the activities hosted by MIT Spouses and Partners Connect while Matthew goes to class. Some favorites have included ice cream and bubble tea outings, “crafternoons,” and going on a tour of Fenway Park. Matthew is happy that his wife and children can enjoy the Spouses and Partners community the way he relates to his cohort of classmates.
In addition to family activities, Matthew has enjoyed bringing his kids to campus. His 6-year-old has seen robots through the windows in the hallways and thinks MIT is very cool. When he thinks of the future, Matthew is glad his kids’ earliest memories will be of Boston and MIT.
For more information on MIT’s support for students with children, please visit the MIT Families website or contact gradfamilies@mit.edu.
Photos by Corban Swain.
