MIT students and postdocs advocate for increased federal support of scientific research on Capitol Hill
Sixteen MIT students and postdocs recently traveled to Washington to advocate for federal funding of scientific research for the 2023 fiscal year. Congressional Visit Days (CVD) are an effort organized by the MIT Science Policy Initiative (SPI), a student group that works at the intersection of policy and research. On April 5-6, students met with […]
Applying to Graduate Fellowships
Time: 11:30 – 13:00 Eastern. Hosted by Scott Tirrell, Director of Graduate Fellowships. Why are fellowships great? What is the application process? What are the types of resources available? Tips on personal statements and research proposals. Just a great place to ask questions and prepare to apply for fellowships for the next school year!
Peter Shor receives 2022-2023 Killian Award
Renowned mathematician and quantum computing pioneer Peter W. Shor PhD ’85 has been named the recipient of MIT’s 2022-2023 James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award, the highest honor the Institute faculty can bestow upon one of its members each academic year. The Killian Award citation credits Shor, who is the Morss Professor of Applied […]
Six from MIT Named 2022 Knight-Hennessy Scholars
MIT seniors Desmond Edwards, Michelle Lee, and Syamantak Payra; graduate students Jessica Karaguesian and Tomás Guarna; and Pranav Lalgudi ’21 have been honored by this year’s Knight-Hennessy Scholars program. They will head to Stanford University this fall to commence their doctoral programs. Knight-Hennessy Scholars receive full funding for up to three years of graduate studies in […]
California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education
The California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education, planned by a consortium of public and private colleges and universities from throughout California, have been designed particularly to meet the needs of advanced undergraduates and master’s candidates who belong to groups that are currently underrepresented in doctoral-level programs. The groups include low-income and first-generation college students […]
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) National Convention
Join us as we race toward the future on November 2-6, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina for the largest gathering of Hispanics in STEM!
SACNAS National Diversity in STEM Conference
The largest multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM diversity event in the country, the SACNAS conference is a gathering which serves to equip, empower, and energize participants for their academic and professional paths in STEM. Over the course of the event, college-level through professional attendees are immersed in cutting-edge STEM research, professional development sessions, motivational keynote speakers, and […]
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Get inspired by sessions from leading experts, content creators and innovators who will share emerging trends, data and best practices. Build your personal and professional global community through networking, SWE Affinity Group meet-ups and special events designed to ensure you have a strong sense of belonging in our shared network. Join us for the world’s […]
AISES National Conference
The Annual AISES National Conference is a unique, three-day event focusing on educational, professional, and workforce development for Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers. Attendees include Indigenous high school and college students, educators, and professionals, including representatives from Tribal Nations, Tribal enterprises, […]
3 Questions: Ariel Ekblaw on building beautiful architecture in space
Living in space today is a cramped and utilitarian endeavor. Astronuats who arrive on the International Space Station (ISS) are prepared for a stay in tight quarters, surrounded by exposed wiring, bulky electronics, and floor-to-ceiling beige paneling. But what if in-orbit accomodations could be more spacious, livable, and even beautiful? That’s a question driving TESSERAE, […]
Architecture isn’t just for humans anymore
In a rural valley of northwestern Nevada, home to stretches of wetlands, sagebrush-grassland, and dozens of natural springs, is a 3,800-acre parcel of off-grid land known as Fly Ranch. Owned by Burning Man, the community that yearly transforms the neighboring playa into a colorful free-wheeling temporary city, Fly Ranch is part of a long-term project […]
MIT class journeys to fascinating places where mechanical engineering affects biology
Even for a second-year PhD student researching the mechanics of living cells, the influence of physical forces within the world of living things is a source of wonder. “I did undergrad in engineering mechanics, and ever since I started to look at cells, the more I’ve found it fascinating to look at them as delicate […]
New England renewables + Canadian hydropower
The urgent need to cut carbon emissions has prompted a growing number of U.S. states to commit to achieving 100 percent clean electricity by 2040 or 2050. But figuring out how to meet those commitments and still have a reliable and affordable power system is a challenge. Wind and solar installations will form the backbone […]
No one-size-fits-all approach for mentorship
Although some of his research focuses on nanomaterials, MIT Professor Jeff Grossman makes sure that his graduate students receive a macroscopic amount of thoughtful mentorship. Grossman is a professor of materials science and engineering at MIT, the Morton and Clare Goulder and Family Professor in Environmental Systems, and a MacVicar Fellow, as well as the […]
Soft assistive robotic wearables get a boost from rapid design tool
Soft, pneumatic actuators might not be a phrase that comes up in daily conversations, but more likely than not you might have benefited from their utility. The devices use compressed air to power motion, and with sensing capabilities, they’ve proven to be a critical backbone in a variety of applications such as assistive wearables, robotics, […]
MIT Research Slam showcases postdoc and PhD communication skills
Can you tell the story of a complex research project in only three minutes? Could a presentation emerge from extreme time compression transformed like a diamond from coal? The MIT Research Slam Public Showcase on April 11 put these questions and more center stage as the four postdoc and five PhD student finalists competed for […]
Surface coating designed to improve power plant efficiency wins 2022 Water Innovation Prize
The winner of this year’s Water Innovation Prize is a company commercializing a material that could dramatically improve the efficiency of power plants. The company, Mesophase, is developing a more efficient power plant steam condenser that leverages a surface coating developed in the lab of Evelyn Wang, MIT’s Ford Professor of Engineering and the head […]
Multiplying the MIT $100K’s impact
In two weeks, students will gather in Kresge Auditorium for the 26th annual MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition. The event has served as a springboard for a number of iconic companies over the years. But the full impact of the $100K competition has been far wider. For more than 20 years, the $100K format — which […]
An expanded commitment to Indigenous scholarship and community at MIT
MIT’s faculty meeting on Wednesday had a special guest: Graduate student Alvin Harvey SM ’20 spoke on behalf of students, faculty, and staff who have been drawing attention to MIT’s historical relationship with Indigenous peoples and examining how the Institute can build durable support for its Indigenous community. One vehicle for that work has been […]
Tackling chemical synthesis and advocacy
Azin Saebi was born and raised in Iran, emigrating to the U.S. with her family at 18 after graduating from high school. Now a fifth-year graduate student in chemistry, Saebi never intended to stay permanently; she initially expected to go back to Iran to attend university. With that in mind, when leaving for the U.S., […]
At Climate Grand Challenges showcase event, an exploration of how to accelerate breakthrough solutions
On the eve of Earth Day, more than 300 faculty, researchers, students, government officials, and industry leaders gathered in the Samberg Conference Center, along with thousands more who tuned in online, to celebrate MIT’s first-ever Climate Grand Challenges and the five most promising concepts to emerge from the two-year competition. The event began with a […]
Five MIT PhD students awarded 2022 J-WAFS fellowships for water and food solutions
The Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) recently announced the selection of its 2022-23 cohort of graduate fellows. Two students were named Rasikbhai L. Meswani Fellows for Water Solutions and three students were named J-WAFS Graduate Student Fellows. All five fellows will receive full tuition and a stipend for one semester, and […]
Three from MIT awarded 2022 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
MIT graduate student Fernanda De La Torre, alumna Trang Luu ’18, SM ’20, and senior Syamantak Payra are recipients of the 2022 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. De La Torre, Luu, and Payra are among 30 New Americans selected from a pool of over 1,800 applicants. The fellowship honors the contributions of immigrants […]
Frequent encounters build familiarity
Do better spatial networks make for better neighbors? There is evidence that they do, according to Paige Bollen, a sixth-year political science graduate student at MIT. The networks Bollen works with are not virtual but physical, part of the built environment in which we are all embedded. Her research on urban spaces suggests that the […]
Bridging communities to reimagine cultural preservation
Many young people in rural communities around the world feel the need move to big cities in order to find work. The migration has unfortunate ripple effects. In the cities, people with less formal education are often relegated to slums and can become the victims of exploitation. Meanwhile, the families, communities, and rich cultural traditions […]
MIT to name Building 12, home of MIT.nano, in honor of Lisa Su
Building 12, the home of MIT.nano, will soon be named in honor of Lisa T. Su ’90, SM ’91, PhD ’94, chief executive officer and chair of the Board of Directors of AMD. Su is the first MIT alumna to make a gift for a building that will bear her own name. Lisa Su led […]
MIT-only memories
MIT is a unique place, full of fascinating people and experiences that you won’t have anywhere else. As students, I love to take advantage of the incredible opportunities offered by MIT. For example, it feels like a steal when I get to eat an amazing buffet of food while watching a free movie on campus, […]
Life lessons from a cookie
One of the most famous movie quotes is Forrest Gump’s, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” As a hobby baker with a mega sweet tooth, I feel obligated to come up with my own metaphor: Growing up is like being inside of a baking cookie. To me, […]
Wait, there’s a fun scale?
As a statistics-loving graduate student, I am prone to quantifying everything. I have a tracking app for my running mileage, a separate one for my sleeping hours, and even a custom spreadsheet to grade fried hot chicken I’ve tried in Boston. One of the only areas of my life I don’t quantify is the nebulous […]
How to hang in there
I was skimming the schedule of a conference last week when I saw the last thing any 6th year PhD student wants to see: a title that could describe my project, on someone else’s abstract. I froze with dread. Did I just get scooped? No: the other project used a different experimental approach in a […]
Recreating the taste of home
“Do you need anything from home?” say my parents whenever we chat, asking if I wanted anything to be mailed. “I’m good!” I usually reply. There was one thing I missed from home, but it certainly couldn’t be mailed—the bakeries. Every visit to an Asian bakery was reminiscent of childhood memories of visiting the warm, […]
How a tree decided where I live
It was a hot summer day in India, and I was holding my dad’s arms and standing in front of this old tree. My young mind was fascinated by the wrinkled bark and well spread branches tearing through the sky. He hoisted me into the air to pluck a lime from the tree, but suddenly […]
Tomatoes, parmesan, bread… oh, my!
Focaccia – Your favorite (or soon to be favorite) dimpled bread that seems to have taken the world by storm recently. For those who haven’t heard of it, focaccia is a type of Italian oven-baked bread famous for its distinctive dimpled crust. It can be served in many ways, but my personal favorite is just […]
The White House is on the phone
President Jimmy Carter conceded the 1980 election earlier than expected. Ronald Reagan recounted, “I never dreamed it would be in the late afternoon when I was taking a shower, standing there dripping wet, that Nancy told me the White House was on the phone.” A year ago I received an email from another white-columned place, […]
Reactivating
As a budding biologist, I am familiar with the way metaphor is employed to effectively communicate scientific concepts. For example, the molecule of the moment is messenger RNA, whose name represents the fact that mRNA is a transient molecule that transports information from the genome to the ribosome (the protein-making machinery), where it is translated […]
QS World University Rankings rates MIT No. 1 in 12 subjects for 2022
MIT has earned a No. 1 spot in 12 subject areas, according to the QS World University Rankings for 2022, announced today. The Institute received a No. 1 ranking in the following QS subject areas: Architecture/Built Environment; Chemistry; Computer Science and Information Systems; Chemical Engineering; Civil and Structural Engineering; Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Materials Science; […]
