Studying astrophysically relevant plasma physics
Thomas Varnish loves his hobbies — knitting, baking, pottery — it’s a long list. His latest interest is analog film photography. A picture with his mother and another with his boyfriend are just a few of Varnish’s favorites. “These moments of human connection are the ones I like,” he says.Varnish’s love of capturing a fleeting […]
Signal processing: How did we get to where we’re going?
On May 24, Ford Professor of Engineering Al Oppenheim addressed a standing-room-only audience at MIT to give the talk of a lifetime. Entitled “Signal Processing: How Did We Get to Where We’re Going?”, Oppenheim’s personal account of his involvement in the early years of the digital signal processing field included a photo retrospective — and […]
Summer 2024 recommended reading from MIT
MIT faculty and staff authors have published a plethora of books, chapters, and other literary contributions in the past year. The following titles represent some of their works published in the past 12 months. Looking for more literary works from the MIT community? Enjoy our book lists from 2023, 2022, and 2021. Happy reading! Novel, […]
The rules of the game
At the core of Raymond Wang’s work lies a seemingly simple question: Can’t we just get along? Wang, a fifth-year political science graduate student, is a native of Hong Kong who witnessed firsthand the shakeup and conflict engendered by China’s takeover of the former British colony. “That type of experience makes you wonder why things […]
Pioneering the future of materials extraction
The next time you cook pasta, imagine that you are cooking spaghetti, rigatoni, and seven other varieties all together, and they need to be separated onto 10 different plates before serving. A colander can remove the water — but you still have a mound of unsorted noodles. Now imagine that this had to be done for […]
Erik Lin-Greenberg
“He has encouraged me when I’ve been struggling; he’s cajoled me when I’ve needed motivation,” praised one of Erik Lin-Greenberg’s nominators. “He’s guided me through the paper publication process and lifted me up as a coauthor.” Lin-Greenberg is the Leo Marx Career Development Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science. His research examines how […]
Tracy Slatyer
“While professors at MIT are known for being world-class researchers, and many are stellar lecturers, mentors, or great contributors to their community, I can’t say I know many who are all of the above,” begins a nomination letter. “However, Tracy Slatyer is one such professor, and that is why we are nominating them for this […]
“Rollerama” roller rink opens in Kendall Square
The former U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Volpe Center site — now named “Kendall Common” in anticipation of its transformation into a vibrant mixed-use development — is now activated and open to all this summer. “Rollerama at Kendall Common” offers free roller-skating and roller skate rentals, community programming, and family-friendly events through September. “We are extremely excited […]
Have something to say or share? Then blog about it!
Hi MIT Grads! The MIT Grad Blog is excited to announce its upcoming August workshop on blog writing. In brief, Attend a 2-day blogging workshop: August 20th and 22nd, 11am-1pm. Write one blog submission Earn $100 upon completion of post Continue writing for the blog and earn $100 per piece Your work will be eligible for […]
From group stretches to “Hitting Roman,” MIT Motorsports traditions live on
While siblings Kevin Chan ’17 and rising senior Monica Chan may be seven years apart in age, as Monica Chan puts it, “we’re eight grades apart, so, like, eight life-years apart.” Despite this age gap — Kevin left for college when Monica was in fifth grade — the siblings share remarkably similar experiences and interests. Both led subteams […]
Two MIT films nominated for New England Emmy Awards
Two films produced by MIT were honored with Emmy nominations by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Boston/New England Chapter. Both “We Are the Forest” and “No Drop to Spare” illustrate international conversations the MIT community is having about the environment and climate change. “We Are the Forest,” produced by MIT Video Productions (MVP) […]
“UnrulyArt” creates joy and engagement, regardless of ability
An unmistakable takeaway from sessions of “UnrulyArt” is that all those “-n’ts” — can’t, needn’t, shouldn’t, won’t — which can lead people to exclude children with disabilities or cognitive, social, and behavioral impairments from creative activities, aren’t really rules. They are merely assumptions and stigmas. When a session ends and the paint that was once […]
Go before you’re ready
I like being prepared. It gives me a sense of control which is my shield against anxiety. The first time I visited New York, I read a guide on using the subway system. Before attending a beginner bachata workshop, I watched a tutorial. I believed that with research and practice, I could conquer any challenge. […]
Designing for outer space
A new MIT course this spring asked students to design what humans might need to comfortably work in and inhabit space. The time for these creations is now. While the NASA Apollo missions saw astronauts land on the moon, collect samples, and return home, the missions planned under Artemis, NASA’s current moon exploration program, include […]
Toward socially and environmentally responsible real estate
The MIT student of popular imagination is a Tony Stark or a Riri Williams working in a lab and building the technology of the future. Not necessarily someone studying real estate. Peggy Ghasemlou is doing just that, however, and she’s traveled over thousands of miles and jumped through about as many hoops to do it. A licensed architect in her hometown of Tehran, Iran’s capital, Ghasemlou enrolled at MIT to […]
Interviewing for grad school is a two-way street
One of the most intimidating parts of the PhD application process is choosing a research group to join. It’s a daunting commitment–this group will be your home of sorts for the next five or more years. It’s important to think about this choice as finding a good match, rather than picking the name you think […]
Arvind, longtime MIT professor and prolific computer scientist, dies at 77
Arvind Mithal, the Charles W. and Jennifer C. Johnson Professor in Computer Science and Engineering at MIT, head of the faculty of computer science in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and a pillar of the MIT community, died on June 17. Arvind, who went by the mononym, was 77 years old. A […]
MIT-Takeda Program wraps up with 16 publications, a patent, and nearly two dozen projects completed
When the Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. and the MIT School of Engineering launched their collaboration focused on artificial intelligence in health care and drug development in February 2020, society was on the cusp of a globe-altering pandemic and AI was far from the buzzword it is today. As the program concludes, the world looks very different. AI has […]
David Autor named the inaugural Daniel (1972) and Gail Rubinfeld Professor in Economics
The Department of Economics has announced David Autor as the inaugural holder of the Daniel (1972) and Gail Rubinfeld Professorship in Economics, effective July 1. The endowed chair is made possible by the generosity of Daniel and Gail Rubinfeld. Daniel Rubinfeld SM ’68, PhD ’72 is the Robert L. Bridges Professor of Law and professor […]
MIT graduate engineering and business programs ranked highly by U.S. News for 2024-25
U.S. News and Word Report has again placed MIT’s graduate program in engineering at the top of its annual rankings, released today. The Institute has held the No. 1 spot since 1990, when the magazine first ranked such programs. The MIT Sloan School of Management also placed highly, in rankings announced April 9. It occupies the […]
Featured video: Researchers discuss queer visibility in academia
“My identity as a scientist and my identity as a gay man are not contradictory, but complimentary,” says Jack Forman, PhD candidate in media arts and sciences and co-lead of LGBTQ+ Grad, a student group run by and for LGBTQ+ grad students and postdocs at MIT. He and co-leads Miranda Dawson and Tunahan Aytas ’23 […]
Asking for help is not weakness
I don’t know if I can do this, I thought. Did I make a mistake? I was in just the second week of the chemical engineering PhD program and my eyes, worn by the glare of my laptop, were struggling to stay open against the sea of notes and colored pens scattered across my kitchen […]
Nancy Kanwisher, Robert Langer, and Sara Seager named Kavli Prize Laureates
MIT faculty members Nancy Kanwisher, Robert Langer, and Sara Seager are among eight researchers worldwide to receive this year’s Kavli Prizes. A partnership among the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, and the Kavli Foundation, the Kavli Prizes are awarded every two years to “honor scientists for breakthroughs […]
MIT Faculty Founder Initiative announces three winners of entrepreneurship awards
Patients with intractable cancers, chronic pain sufferers, and people who depend on battery-powered medical implants may all benefit from the ideas presented at the 2023-24 MIT-Royalty Pharma Prize Competition’s recent awards. This year’s top prizes went to researchers and biotech entrepreneurs Anne Carpenter, Frederike Petzschner, and Betar Gallant ’08, SM ’10, PhD ’13. MIT Faculty […]
How a quantum scientist, a nurse, and an economist are joining the fight against global poverty
A trip to Ghana changed Sofia Martinez Galvez’s life. In 2021, she volunteered at a nonprofit that provides technology and digital literacy training to people in the West African country. As she was setting up computers and connecting cables, Martinez SM ʼ23 witnessed extreme poverty. The experience was transformative. That same year, she left her […]
Through econometrics, Isaiah Andrews is making research more robust
When you read about a new study, you may wonder: How accurate are these results? MIT economist Isaiah Andrews PhD ’14 often asks that as well, especially about social sciences research. Unlike most of us, though, Andrews’ job involves answering that question. Andrews, a professor in MIT’s Department of Economics, is an expert in econometrics, […]
Students research pathways for MIT to reach decarbonization goals
A number of emerging technologies hold promise for helping organizations move away from fossil fuels and achieve deep decarbonization. The challenge is deciding which technologies to adopt, and when. MIT, which has a goal of eliminating direct campus emissions by 2050, must make such decisions sooner than most to achieve its mission. That was the […]
A nanotechnologist and a social scientist walk into MIT MechE….
“What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” “What’s your research area?” These are, without fail, the first three questions exchanged between MIT Mechanical Engineering grad students who are meeting for the first time. I quickly learned this convention after spending just a few minutes at department orientation events when I first got to campus in […]
Nuh Gedik receives 2024 National Brown Investigator Award
Nuh Gedik, MIT’s Donner Professor of Physics, has been named a 2024 Ross Brown Investigator by the Brown Institute for Basic Sciences at Caltech. One of eight awarded mid-career faculty working on fundamental challenges in the physical sciences, Gedik will receive up to $2 million over five years. Gedik will use the award to develop a […]
Advocating for science funding on Capitol Hill
This spring, 26 MIT students and postdocs traveled to Washington to meet with congressional staffers to advocate for increased science funding for fiscal year 2025. These conversations were impactful given the recent announcement of budget cuts for several federal science agencies for FY24. The participants met with 85 congressional offices representing 30 states over two […]
Paid positions available in the Grad Blog community!
Dear grad students, We’re excited to announce that the MIT Grad Blog is searching for several new editors! As you all know, the Grad Blog serves as an avenue for MIT students to share their experiences with peers and prospective students. As an editor, you would help bloggers like you hone their story into a […]
QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2024-25
MIT has again been named the world’s top university by the QS World University Rankings, which were announced today. This is the 13th year in a row MIT has received this distinction. The full 2025 edition of the rankings — published by Quacquarelli Symonds, an organization specializing in education and study abroad — can be […]
All in the family
It’s no news that companies use money to influence politics. But it may come as a surprise to learn that many family-owned firms — the most common form of business in the world — do not play by the same rules. New research by political science PhD candidate Sukrit Puri reveals that “family businesses depart […]
Ten with MIT connections win 2024 Hertz Foundation Fellowships
The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation announced that it has awarded fellowships to 10 PhD students with ties to MIT. The prestigious award provides each recipient with five years of doctoral-level research funding (up to a total of $250,000), which allows them the flexibility and autonomy to pursue their own innovative ideas. Fellows also receive lifelong […]
MIT Corporation elects 10 term members, two life members
The MIT Corporation — the Institute’s board of trustees — has elected 10 full-term members, who will serve one-, two-, or five-year terms, and two life members. Corporation Chair Mark P. Gorenberg ’76 announced the election results today. The full-term members are: Nancy C. Andrews, Dedric A. Carter, David Fialkow, Bennett W. Golub, Temitope O. […]
Diane Hoskins ’79: How going off-track can lead new SA+P graduates to become integrators of ideas
For the graduating class of MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning, the advice they received from their highly accomplished Commencement speaker may have come as a surprise. “The title of this talk is ‘Off Track is On Track,’” said Diane Hoskins ’79, the global co-chair of Gensler, an international architecture, design, and planning firm with 55 […]
