Tuning in to invisible waves on the JET tokamak
Research scientist Alex Tinguely is readjusting to Cambridge and Boston. As a postdoc with the Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC), the MIT graduate spent the last two years in Oxford, England, a city he recalls can be traversed entirely “in the time it takes to walk from MIT to Harvard.” With its ancient stone […]
Robotic cubes shapeshift in outer space
If faced with the choice of sending a swarm of full-sized, distinct robots to space, or a large crew of smaller robotic modules, you might want to enlist the latter. Modular robots, like those depicted in films such as “Big Hero 6,” hold a special type of promise for their self-assembling and reconfiguring abilities. But […]
Richard Binzel: Eyes on the skies and a passion for planetary science
Richard Binzel has long held a see-for-yourself attitude toward astronomy. It developed in 1970, when he received a Criterion RV6 telescope for his 12th birthday. It was on a cold Ohio night looking through that telescope at the rings of Saturn that he first realized he wanted to be a planetary astronomer. “I thought, ‘Oh […]
A revolution in learning
To understand a country, it helps to know its schools. To grasp Mexico, MIT historian Tanalís Padilla believes, that means learning about its rural “normales,” teacher-training schools with outsized historical influence on the country’s politics. This might seem surprising. At its height, the system of rural normales consisted of only 35 such boarding schools, scattered […]
On a mission to alleviate chronic pain
About 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, which interferes with their daily life, social interactions, and ability to work. MIT Professor Fan Wang wants to develop new ways to help relieve that pain, by studying and potentially modifying the brain’s own pain control mechanisms. Her recent work has identified an “off switch” for pain, […]
MIT community members elected to the National Academy of Engineering for 2022
MIT engineers John Cohn and Franz-Josef Ulm and are among 111 new members and 22 international members elected to the National Academy of Engineering for 2022. Nineteen MIT alumni were also elected as new members. John Cohn ’81, an IBM Fellow in the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, was honored for improving design productivity of high-performance […]
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to speak at MIT’s 2022 Commencement
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala MCP ’78, PhD ’81, director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and former finance minister of Nigeria, will deliver the address at the OneMIT Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 27. An expert in global finance, economics, and international development, Okonjo-Iweala is the first woman and first African to lead the WTO. Known as […]
MIT Solve announces 2022 global challenges and the Indigenous Communities Fellowship
MIT Solve, an MIT initiative aimed at driving innovation to solve world challenges, has announced the launch of its 2022 Global Challenges and the Indigenous Communities Fellowship. Solve seeks tech-based solutions from social entrepreneurs around the world that address specific challenges. The program invites anyone, anywhere to submit a solution to this year’s challenges by […]
Eddie Glaude Jr.: “We must run toward our fears”
At this year’s annual MIT celebration of the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr, keynote speaker Eddie S. Glaude Jr., the James S. Donnell Distinguished University Professor at Princeton University, invoked King’s memory in an impassioned appeal for confronting the realities of the United States’ history and the country’s racist beliefs and actions, […]
First-ever Climate Grand Challenges recognizes 27 finalists
All-carbon buildings, climate-resilient crops, and new tools to improve the prediction of extreme weather events are just a few of the 27 bold, interdisciplinary research projects selected as finalists from a field of almost 100 proposals in the first MIT Climate Grand Challenges competition. Each of the finalist teams received $100,000 to develop a comprehensive […]
Student-led MIT course provides an inside look at K-pop
Jeana Choi and Lisa Yoo had already bonded over their appreciation for Korean music when they decided to organize a K-pop course at MIT during the Institute’s Independent Activities Period (IAP) this January. Both graduating fifth-year master’s students in electrical engineering and computer science, Choi and Yoo became friends in class 21M.294 (Popular Musics of […]
Beth Marois
Monday: RemoteTuesday: 3-136Wednesday: RemoteThursday: RemoteFriday: Remote I can help graduate students with academic or personal challenges, or the intersection of both, as they work towards completion of their graduate degrees. I’m able to provide direct support as well as help accessing resources. My team, GradSupport, also consults with departments and faculty to support our students. […]
Cynthia Barnhart named MIT provost
Cynthia Barnhart SM ’86, PhD ’88, a longtime faculty member and MIT’s former chancellor, will be the Institute’s next provost, President L. Rafael Reif announced today. Barnhart, a Ford Foundation Professor of Engineering and professor of operations research at the MIT Sloan School of Management, has served the Institute in a variety of roles since […]
L. Rafael Reif to step down as MIT president
L. Rafael Reif announced today that he plans to step down as president of MIT at the end of 2022, after more than 10 years in the role. Reif has guided the Institute through a decade of dynamic growth, greatly enhancing its global stature and magnetism. Under his watch, MIT evolved into one of the […]
Invisible machine-readable labels that identify and track objects
If you download music online, you can get accompanying information embedded into the digital file that might tell you the name of the song, its genre, the featured artists on a given track, the composer, and the producer. Similarly, if you download a digital photo, you can obtain information that may include the time, date, […]
3 Questions: Kuheli Dutt reflects on diversity in science
In summer 2021, the MIT School of Science welcomed Kuheli Dutt, one of the six assistant deans for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the Institute. Dutt came to MIT from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, where she led Lamont’s DEI efforts and initiatives since 2008. At Columbia, she also co-chaired the university’s Senate Commission […]
Professor Emery Brown has big plans for anesthesiology
Emery N. Brown — the Edward Hood Taplin Professor of Medical Engineering and of Computational Neuroscience at MIT, an MIT professor of health sciences and technology, an investigator with The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT, and the Warren M. Zapol Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) […]
An explorer in the sprawling universe of possible chemical combinations
The direct conversion of methane gas to liquid methanol at the site where it is extracted from the Earth holds enormous potential for addressing a number of significant environmental problems. Developing a catalyst for that conversion has been a critical focus for Associate Professor Heather Kulik and the lab she directs at MIT. As important […]
The downside of machine learning in health care
While working toward her dissertation in computer science at MIT, Marzyeh Ghassemi wrote several papers on how machine-learning techniques from artificial intelligence could be applied to clinical data in order to predict patient outcomes. “It wasn’t until the end of my PhD work that one of my committee members asked: ‘Did you ever check to […]
2021-22 Takeda Fellows: Leaning on AI to advance medicine for humans
In fall 2020, MIT’s School of Engineering and Takeda Pharmaceuticals Company Limited launched the MIT-Takeda Program, a collaboration to support members of the MIT community working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and human health. Housed at the Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health, the collaboration aims to use artificial intelligence to […]
Fast-tracking the search for energy-efficient materials
Born into a family of architects, Nina Andrejević loved creating drawings of her home and other buildings while a child in Serbia. She and her twin sister shared this passion, along with an appetite for math and science. Over time, these interests converged into a scholarly path that shares some attributes with the family profession, […]
Ezra Zuckerman Sivan
Professor Zuckerman Sivan is dedicated to helping students find spaces to “play with ideas for their own sake, for the love of knowledge.” As he notes, this will result in better work – “and you will be happier too.” Ezra Zuckerman Sivan is the Deputy Dean of the Sloan School of Management as well as […]
Jinhua Zhao
Despite innumerable responsibilities, Professor Jinhua Zhao shows up for his students with “unbounded energy.” That, according to student nominators, is what enables him to advise “each of his students in a personally meaningful way.” As the Edward and Joyce Linde Associate Professor of City and Transportation Planning at MIT, Professor Zhao founded and directs the […]
Kamal Youcef-Toumi
Developing an “open and respectful bond” with each member of his lab is paramount to Youcef-Toumi. In a nomination letter, one lab member writes that “he genuinely cares and he knows that his time and patience listening to his students is what drives them to perform better.” Professor Youcef-Toumi joined the MIT Mechanical Engineering Department […]
Dennis Whyte
Professor Dennis Whyte has made community building a top priority. For example, Dennis installed a lounge in the Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) where students and scientists can gather to discuss science, relax, and feel more connected with one another. He also hosts open office hours for students where they can freely voice any […]
Evelyn Wang
Evelyn Wang encourages her students to pursue their passions outside of work as an important part of maintaining good mental health in graduate school. One student recalls Wang encouraging them to continue practicing piano and even attending recitals. This is an instance of encouraging work/life balance, a Mentoring Guidepost identified by the C2C program. Wang […]
Kay Tye
Professor Kay Tye excels at setting a positive tone for her team. Her written expectations for all lab members begins: “Above all, I expect everyone to do their very best and to be aware and communicative of what you need to be happy and feel fulfilled.” Clear expectations coupled with generous time and support have […]
Harry Tuller
Consciously aware of what each of his students needs, Professor Harry Tuller’s mentorship style is encouraging and energizing. As one student notes, he is “an amazingly kind and curious man, who is willing to help anyone who shows up and tries.” Harry Tuller is the R. P. Simmons Professor of Ceramics and Electronic Materials in […]
Lily Tsai
A “wise and perceptive mentor,” Lily Tsai attends closely to her advisees’ wellbeing and intellectual growth, according to student nominators. Lily Tsai is the Ford Professor of Political Science as well as the founder and faculty director of the MIT Governance Lab, a group of political scientists working collaboratively with practitioners on research and innovation […]
David Trumper
David Trumper is a reliable guide for his students, one of whom says “He always encourages us to do what we are passionate about and supports us in any way he can.” As Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Trumper’s research investigates the design of precision mechatronic systems, magnetic levitation for nanometer-scale motion control, and novel actuation […]
Larry Susskind
In half a century of teaching and mentoring, Professor Larry Susskind has sometimes advised the children of his former students. Susskind is the Ford Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning. His research focuses on the theory and practice of negotiation and dispute resolution, particularly as it pertains to cybersecurity for urban infrastructure, land claims of […]
Justin Steil
“Advising, mentoring, and generally talking with students is my favorite part of a job that I love,” says Justin Steil, Assistant Professor of Law and Urban Planning in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP). “I feel lucky to learn constantly from students and am eager to support their growth as researchers and as […]
Gigliola Staffilani
Offering mentorship and advocacy to ensure her students have a smooth and enjoyable graduate experience matters deeply to Professor Gigliola Staffilani. Staffilani is the Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of Mathematics at MIT. Staffilani has previously held positions at Princeton, Stanford, and Brown, with tenure at the latter two. Staffilani is a mathematical analyst; her research […]
Frank Solomon
Professor Frank Solomon is a human being who cares about and respects students. He truly listens, and he understands. For these reasons, when someone in Course 7 is having trouble, be it academic, professional, or personal, they are advised to “go talk to Frank.” One such student recalls, “That single conversation was more helpful to […]
Kord Smith
Professor Kord Smith, in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, has fostered an open, encouraging environment with his students. Though at the top of his field and chief scientist for the Center for Exascale Simulation of Advanced Reactors (CESAR), Kord is exceedingly generous with his time and manages to help students of various backgrounds […]
Alex Slocum
Professor Alex Slocum understands that a healthy student makes a more successful student. His graduate student nominators say that even more than working hard to discover “what makes each student ‘tick’,” and designing research projects that excite them, Alex encourages his students to maintain their physical and mental health. This might take the form of […]
