3 Questions: Laura Beretsky on living and learning with epilepsy
Do you have a disability? It’s a question every employer is required to ask job applicants. Some people quickly check a box and move on. For Laura Beretsky, deciding how to answer the question is more complicated. Beretsky, who works as a grant writer in the MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES) program, […]
Credit Cards 101
Graduate Community fellow, Alexander Kossak, will walk you through the basics of getting a credit card. Learn what credit cards can do for you and what penalties you could face if you are not careful.
High school students gain skills by working on digital learning materials
For Thomas Esayas, now a high school senior in Texas, the shift to virtual learning in the earlier days of the Covid-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to dive further into his interests in computer science. He started learning the fundamentals of Python and developing projects, such as trying to make a bot that could scour […]
Q&A: Phillip Sharp and Amy Brand on the future of open-access publishing
Providing open access to scholarly publications is a long-running issue with new developments on the horizon. Last year, the U.S. federal government’s Office of Science and Technology Policy directed government agencies to develop policies that will provide public access to publications derived from federal funding, by the beginning of 2026. That provides more impetus for […]
What does the future hold for generative AI?
Speaking at the “Generative AI: Shaping the Future” symposium on Nov. 28, the kickoff event of MIT’s Generative AI Week, keynote speaker and iRobot co-founder Rodney Brooks warned attendees against uncritically overestimating the capabilities of this emerging technology, which underpins increasingly powerful tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. “Hype leads to hubris, and hubris […]
Everything, everywhere all at once
The way Morgane König sees it, questioning how we came to be in the universe is one of the most fundamental parts of being human. When she was 12 years old, König decided the place to find answers was in physics. A family friend was a physicist, and she attributed her interest in the field […]
Graduate Residential Community Grants
All graduate residences are welcome to apply! Graduate Residential Community Grants are designed to support the MIT residential graduate communities in creating and sustaining a spirit of belonging, engagement, and exploration among residential and off-campus graduate students. The Graduate Residential Community Grant proposals will be reviewed by a committee of staff and faculty who work […]
Funds for grad activities
There are many resources available to support graduate student activities! Submit your creative ideas for graduate student community-building projects and your proposal could be funded by the OGE Graduate Student Experience Grants or the OGE Graduate Residential Community Grants. We also welcome you to peruse additional resources from other campus sources.
A friendly neighborhood elder’s guide to enjoying your program
The second week of classes, I was hanging out with some people in my cohort in the student lounge, when the topic of siblings came up. “Do you have a sibling?” “Yes.” “Are you the oldest?” When I shook my head, their eyes widened in shock. By the way I carried myself and what I […]
MIT’s Science Policy Initiative holds 13th annual Executive Visit Days
From Oct. 23-24, a delegation consisting of 21 MIT students, one MIT postdoc, and four students from the University of the District of Columbia met in Washington for the MIT Science Policy Initiative’s Executive Visit Days (ExVD). Now in its 13th cycle, this trip offers a platform where university students and young researchers can connect […]
Boosting rocket reliability at the material level
The success of the SpaceX Falcon 9 reusable launch vehicle has been one of the most remarkable technological achievements of the last decade. Powered by SpaceX’s Merlin engine, the Falcon 9 booster can be reused over 10 times, with minimal maintenance between flights. Now there is a new generation of reusable rocket engines and vehicles […]
Celebrating five years of MIT.nano
There is vast opportunity for nanoscale innovation to transform the world in positive ways — expressed MIT.nano Director Vladimir Bulović as he posed two questions to attendees at the start of the inaugural Nano Summit: “Where are we heading? And what is the next big thing we can develop?” “The answer to that puts into […]
MIT students build connections with Black and Indigenous Brazilians to investigate culture and the environment
In January 2024, at the height of Brazil’s summer, a group of 20 MIT undergraduates will arrive in São Paulo, Brazil, for the Independent Activities Period (IAP) course WGS.247/21L.592 (Race, Place, and Modernity in the Americas) jointly offered by the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences’ programs in Women’s and Gender Studies, Literature, and Writing. Continuing a program developed […]
A green hydrogen innovation for clean energy
Renewable energy today — mainly derived from the sun or wind — depends on batteries for storage. While costs have dropped in recent years, the pursuit of more efficient means of storing renewable power continues. “All of these technologies, unfortunately, have a long way to go,” said Sossina Haile SB ’86, PhD ’92, the Walter […]
Richard Fletcher named a 2023 Packard Fellow
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has announced that atomic physicist Richard Fletcher, assistant professor of physics and a researcher at MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms (CUA) and the MIT Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE), has been named a 2023 Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering. The Packard Foundation Fellowships are one of the most prestigious and […]
Judgment, reason, and the university
At a time when universities are subject to intense political pressure, it is tempting to think they can follow a template for establishing to all concerned that educational institutions are neutral entities. But circumstances will almost always complicate such efforts, MIT Professor Malick Ghachem suggested in a recent public lecture. The talk focused on the […]
Liberty Ladd: Going above and beyond
Liberty Ladd has been drawn to public service and fighting injustice from a young age. At 15, as a student representative from the first congressional district of Maine, she testified to the state board of education about unfair grading policies at her school. Later, she decided to join the Air Force, with the understanding that […]
Scholarship keeps John F. Kennedy’s legacy alive at MIT
About 20 miles west of London, the meadow of Runnymede hosts a memorial to John F. Kennedy, dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II two years after the U.S. president’s assassination on Nov. 22, 1963. Situated on land bequeathed in perpetuity to the American people, the memorial overlooks the riverbank where the Magna Carta — a pivotal […]
A civil discourse on climate change
A new MIT initiative designed to encourage open dialogue on campus kicked off with a conversation focused on how to address challenges related to climate change. “Climate Change: Existential Threat or Bump in the Road” featured Steve Koonin, theoretical physicist and former U.S. undersecretary for science during the Obama administration, and Kerry Emanuel, professor emeritus […]
Students pitch transformative ideas in generative AI at MIT Ignite competition
This semester, students and postdocs across MIT were invited to submit ideas for the first-ever MIT Ignite: Generative AI Entrepreneurship Competition. Over 100 teams submitted proposals for startups that utilize generative artificial intelligence technologies to develop solutions across a diverse range of disciplines including human health, climate change, education, and workforce dynamics. On Oct. 30, […]
Merging science and systems thinking to make materials more sustainable
For Professor Elsa Olivetti, tackling a problem as large and complex as climate change requires not only lab research but also understanding the systems of production that power the global economy. Her career path reflects a quest to investigate materials at scales ranging from the microscopic to the mass-manufactured. “I’ve always known what questions I […]
Three MIT affiliates receive Schmidt awards
Two MIT faculty were recently honored by Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative of Eric and Wendy Schmidt. MathWorks Professor Jörn Dunkel received the 2023 Schmidt Science Polymath award, and professor of computational cognitive science Josh Tenenbaum was named a Schmidt Futures AI2050 Senior Fellow. Also winning a Schmidt Science Polymath award was Surya Ganguli ’98, MNG […]
Peer coaching helps graduate students thrive
Eventually she became aware that her PhD was taking longer than average, which fueled her doubts. When the pandemic delayed her research, she worried about falling even further behind. Then, in the spring of 2020, she got an email about the launch of the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Coaching Program for students. Her first reaction was, […]
Working to beat the clock on climate change
“There’s so much work ahead of us and so many obstacles in the way,” said Raisa Lee, director of project development with Clearway Energy Group, an independent clean power producer. But, added Lee, “It’s most important to focus on finding spaces and people so we can foster growth and support each other — the power […]
Celebrating diversity and cultural connections
The aroma of global delicacies filled MIT’s Bush Room, as students made cultural connections and answered trivia questions at the third “Heritage Meets Heritage” event. The event is organized by MIT Global Languages, and has become a tradition. It was first held in spring 2022, and again that fall. The third event, held Oct. 19, […]
Aging Brain Initiative symposium showcases “cutting-edge” research across MIT
Spanning computer science, mechanical engineering, biological engineering, neuroscience, and other disciplines, presenters at MIT’s Aging Brain Initiative Symposium Oct. 23 delivered a rich and diverse sampling of the university’s research to address a major global problem: neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). “We still don’t completely understand the mechanism underlying the […]
Five MIT affiliates receive awards from the American Physical Society
The American Physical Society (APS) recently honored five MIT community members for their contributions to physics: Professor Wit Busza, Instructor Karol Bacik, postdocs Cari Cesarotti and Chao Li, and Pablo Gaston Debenedetti SM ’81, PhD ’85. Tom W. Bonner Prize in Nuclear Physics Wit Busza, the Francis L. Friedman Professor of Physics Emeritus, and a researcher in the Laboratory […]
Rewarding excellence in open data
The second annual MIT Prize for Open Data, which included a $2,500 cash prize, was recently awarded to 10 individual and group research projects. Presented jointly by the School of Science and the MIT Libraries, the prize highlights the value of open data — research data that is openly accessible and reusable — at the Institute. The […]
Future Leaders in Aerospace prepares the next generation for research careers
MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro) recently hosted the 2023 Future Leaders in Aerospace Symposium, inviting women and underrepresented minorities in aerospace fields to campus for a two-day program. The symposium was open to applications from recent graduates and students within one to two years of earning their PhD, with the goal of helping […]
Materials science and engineering career fair connects students with industry opportunities
Students in the MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) got to mingle with potential employers interested in their specific skills this fall when the department held its first DMSE Career Fair. More than 20 companies, organizations, and laboratories set up booths in Walker Memorial on Oct. 20 while undergraduates and graduate students streamed […]
Computational imaging researcher attended a lecture, found her career
Soon after Kristina Monakhova started graduate school, she attended a lecture by Professor Laura Waller ’04, MEng ’05, PhD ’10, director of the University of California at Berkeley’s Computational Imaging Lab, who described a kind of computational microscopy with extremely high image resolution. “The talk blew me away,” says Monakhova, who is currently an MIT-Boeing […]
Kristala Prather named head of the Department of Chemical Engineering
Kristala L. J. Prather ’94, the Arthur Dehon Little Professor, has been named the new head of the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChemE), effective Jan. 1, 2024. “Professor Prather has already demonstrated tremendous leadership in her role as executive officer in ChemE. Her contributions to the department, particularly in navigating challenges throughout the pandemic, have […]
Spoken-word collaboration shows off the MIT community’s musical talents
What do you get when you cross MIT student and alumni raps with other community members’ electronic dance music, rhythmic riddles, and heartfelt love songs? You get MITverses, a new spoken-word musical collaboration sponsored by the MIT Music Production Collaborative. Community members from across the Institute were invited to record their singing, vocal loops, and […]
Meet the 2023 tenured professors in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
In 2023, 11 faculty were granted tenure in the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. Isaiah Andrews PhD ’14 is a professor in the Department of Economics. He is an econometrician who develops reliable and broadly applicable methods of statistical inference to address key challenges in economics, social science, and medicine. He is […]
Explained: Generative AI
A quick scan of the headlines makes it seem like generative artificial intelligence is everywhere these days. In fact, some of those headlines may actually have been written by generative AI, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a chatbot that has demonstrated an uncanny ability to produce text that seems to have been written by a human. But […]
Rita Andrade
Monday: Remote Tuesday: 3-107Wednesday: RemoteThursday: 3-107Friday: Remote I can help you with inquiries regarding any aspect of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
