3D-printed bridge points the way to greener construction
Concrete is the most widely used building material on Earth, and producing it is one of the largest single sources of carbon emissions. One promising way to reduce its environmental footprint is to 3D-print concrete, laying it down bead by bead like a giant icing-piping robot. This process eliminates the labor-intensive formwork of pouring it […]
Bringing the data to every sideline
With Boston serving as a host city for the FIFA World Cup, the whole Bay State has soccer fever, including Henry Wang. As a child growing up in Dallas, sports were everything to him. Today, Wang is working on research that could impact some of the biggest sporting events in the world, including future World […]
Anantha Chandrakasan
In the early months of a Ph.D. program, everything can feel urgent. Ideas move quickly, expectations feel high, and timelines, especially initial deadlines, may become heavy. In those moments, Professor Anantha P. Chandrakasan is there for his students, armed with steady mentorship and clear guidance to help them regain perspective and move forward with confidence. […]
Toward a future that preserves benefits of neurotechnology for all
As advanced medical technology gets closer to hitting consumer markets, the need for guardrails on protected usage should increase. What might begin as a neural implant to aid in communication could become a device used to police one’s innermost thoughts. Intrigued by the far-reaching benefits and risks of neural implants, Rachel Sava, a PhD candidate […]
GradThriving: World Cup Opening Match Watch Party
Join GradThriving for two World Cup watch parties with friends, food, and live match vibes! Join us for one or both games, and enjoy free snacks throughout. Argentina and Egypt go head to head at 12pmSwitzerland and Colombia face off at 4pm Reserve your spot for both match festivities.
Why Formula 1 is the perfect grad student sport
I used to think Formula 1 was just very fast cars going around a track. This is technically true in the same way that a PhD is just “writing a dissertation.” Accurate, but missing almost everything interesting. Yes I know, F1 does not seem like the obvious grad student sport. It is glamorous, fancy, expensive, […]
MIT in the media: Innovating and educating for the next 250 years of America
Without federal support for curiosity-driven research, the innovation and talent pipeline that has helped ensure our nation’s prosperity and safety could run dry, warned President Sally Kornbluth during a Washington Post Live event. During “The Next Generation,” a panel discussion moderated by Washington Post reporter Zachary Goldfarb at The Washington Post’s “Building America Summit,” Kornbluth […]
MIT student teams win top honors in NASA competition
Three teams comprising 35 students across eight different MIT departments and Wellesley College have been at work since fall 2025, designing critical early infrastructure elements that a moon base would require. This June, their designs were recognized with five awards at NASA’s 2026 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts — Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Forum. Among 75 submissions […]
Inaugural Music Technology Research Showcase celebrates work of new graduate program’s initial students
The MIT Music Technology and Computation (MTC) Graduate Program — launched in fall 2024 as a collaboration between the Music and Theater Arts Section in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS), and the School of Engineering (SoE) — presented its inaugural MIT Music Technology Research Showcase on May 13. The event played […]
Care in the midst of pressure
In the early months of a PhD program, everything can feel urgent. Ideas move quickly, expectations feel high, and timelines, especially initial deadlines, may become heavy. In those moments, Professor Anantha P. Chandrakasan is there for his students, armed with steady mentorship and clear guidance to help them regain perspective and move forward with confidence. […]
David Autor named head of the Department of Economics
David Autor, the Daniel (1972) and Gail Rubinfeld Professor in the MIT Department of Economics, has been named head of the Department of Economics, effective July 1. “David is a world-class labor economist,” says Agustín Rayo, the Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. “He is also an individual of […]
MIT’s Initiative for New Manufacturing builds momentum
In May, the Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM) marked its first anniversary with MIT Manufacturing Week, four days of events that attracted more than 800 registrants including students, faculty, industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and government officials to explore topics ranging from how companies are using AI on factory floors to the role of startups in […]
Expanding and deepening climate reporting through local messengers
Since 2021, the MIT Environmental Solutions Journalism Fellowship has supported local and regional journalists in reporting high-impact news stories that connect climate change with local priorities. Now, the MIT Climate Project has published a report on the reach and impact of these fellowships, highlighting how the Institute’s scientific resources can help spark and deepen conversations […]
MIT in the media: For the future of tech, “Massachusetts can absolutely lead”
On June 9, The Boston Globe released its 2026 “Tech Power Players” list, recognizing 50 influential local leaders in technology and business across Massachusetts. The list includes eight MIT affiliates including President Sally Kornbluth, Prof. Daniela Rus (director of CSAIL), Prof. Regina Barzilay, Prof. Yet-Ming Chiang, Prof. Max Tegmark, Ana Bakshi (executive director of the Martin […]
The ripple effect of learning at MIT
At MIT, innovation doesn’t only happen in the lab. It also happens in the people who never stop learning. After nearly a decade in the Netherlands modeling data for aerospace and semiconductor companies, Ignacio Vazquez wanted his work to reach beyond code and computation. “I was solving technical problems, but they didn’t connect to the […]
Characterizing Earth’s damping mechanisms
Perrin Davidson is a scientist, a bluegrass banjo player, and — at his core — a builder. He spent his youth roaming around his family’s farm just outside of Freeport, Maine, a small coastal community near Portland. Although the town is close enough to the city to feel connected, he recalls a childhood filled with […]
Computer model could enable bridges and buildings that use less material
In 2022, global production of construction materials accounted for more than 7 percent of total carbon emissions. But how many of those materials were truly necessary to build houses, buildings, and bridges? A technique called topology optimization can design structures that reduce the amount of material used, in some cases by as much as 90 […]
Ice skating: The quintessential New England activity
My favorite film growing up was Mighty Ducks. Although the temperature in my hometown never dipped below fifty degrees Fahrenheit, I was drawn to the story and characters of this great 1990s Disney film. The plot goes something like this: a rich lawyer who grew up on the ice is forced to do community service […]
“We can’t ship goods without functioning ports”
In the small coastal town of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, the port is the backbone of the community. Growing up there, with a father who works as a longshoreman, Chelsea Mitchell witnessed the port’s importance firsthand. From an early age, she understood that the port was essential to the transportation of goods in and out […]
QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2026-27
MIT has again been named the world’s top university by the QS World University Rankings, which were announced today. This is the 15th year in a row MIT has received this distinction. The full 2027 edition of the rankings — published by Quacquarelli Symonds, an organization specializing in education and study abroad — can be […]
Finding light in the long New England winter
On an early spring day, with rare 60F air and blue skies, there’s barely room to walk along the banks of the Charles across from MIT’s main campus. Like the native spotted salamanders, emerging from their winter burrows to mate and lay eggs in vernal pools, graduate students and young professionals clog the packed limestone […]
Indrani Saha
Monday: RemoteTuesday: RemoteWednesday: RemoteThursday: RemoteFriday: RemoteIn-person meetings by appointment I work at the intersection of direct student support and formalizing administrative infrastructure for the broader MIT graduate ecosystem. In my student-facing role, I work with master’s and PhD students through the full arc of their graduate journey—anything from managing burnout and navigating medical leave to demystifying academia and finding […]
MIT affiliates win 2026 Hertz Foundation Fellowships
The Hertz Foundation announced that it awarded 2026 fellowships to three current MIT students as well as an incoming graduate student. They are: Annika Marschner, Alvin Q. Meng, Zachary S. Siegel, and Matthew Wanta. The prestigious science and technology award provides each recipient with five years of financial support — a stipend and full tuition equivalent — which gives […]
Imparting values through mentorship and community
In the STEM fields, excellence is often measured in scientific breakthroughs and discoveries. This April, members of the Institute’s graduate community gathered to focus on something just as critical: the human connection driving those successes. The inaugural Leading with Care reception, hosted by Vice Chancellor David Darmofal, brought students, faculty, and staff from across the […]
2026: Finn Thompson
Finn Thompson receives the Goodwin Medal for teaching, with one faculty member describing him as the “most engaged and impressive TA I have worked with in teaching Genetics at MIT over the past 19 years”. Finn enhanced student accessibility through implementing hybrid recitations and personalized “coffee chats” that bridged the gap between complex theory and […]
Advancing stem cell research and building the next generation of biologists
As an undergraduate at Florida International University, Giselle Valdes tackled rigorous studies in the school’s Honors College while simultaneously caring for family members with medical needs. “I think that the choice to pursue any field in the space of biology and medical research was entirely shaped by having to be there for my family,” says […]
Photos: The Class of 2026 turns the page
Cheered on by the greater MIT community, members of the Class of 2026 were honored this week for the hard work that earned them their newly minted MIT degrees. The 2026 Commencement celebrations spanned three days filled with degree ceremonies, receptions, and reunions, at locations spread across campus. The weather ranged widely, but spirits remained high […]
Alejandro Aravena urges School of Architecture and Planning graduates to lead with kindness, honor the truth
What distinguishes the MIT School of Architecture and Planning’s Class of 2026? According to faculty and staff across the school, it’s their hearts. “They’re big-hearted in the way they deal with each other, with their work, and with the world,” said Hashim Sarkis, dean of SA+P, in his opening remarks at the school’s 2026 Advanced […]
Scene at MIT: A nanoscientist graduates with her very good boy
“I’m originally from Moorestown, New Jersey, a suburb of Philadelphia. While my degree is in chemical engineering, I consider myself a materials scientist, and I’m passionate about using innovative materials to propel next-generation technologies. When I started my bachelor’s degree at Cornell University, I was introduced to polymers and nanotechnology and even got to partake […]
More for your dollar
I just returned from my weekly pilgrimage to Somerville’s foremost grocery institution: Market Basket. On this trip I bought enough ingredients to meal-prep approximately 16 servings of a falafel dinner, as well as some staples – eggs, butter, and two pounds of strawberries – for a mere $68. They are not kidding about getting more […]
At a spirited Commencement ceremony, the Class of 2026 is urged to “run toward the hardest problems”
After years of study and instruction, MIT’s Class of 2026 received one last piece of guidance this afternoon en route to picking up their diplomas and starting the next chapter of their lives. “Run toward the hardest problems,” said Lisa Su ’90, SM ’91, PhD ’94, the chair and CEO of semiconductor powerhouse Advanced Micro […]
Commencement address by Lisa Su ’90, SM ’91, PhD ’94
Below is the text of Lisa Su’s Commencement remarks, as prepared for delivery today. Good afternoon. President Kornbluth, Chairman Gorenberg, trustees, faculty, families, friends … and most importantly, the MIT Class of 2026. Congratulations. You earned this. Standing here feels different than I expected. I’ve given a lot of talks over the years … but […]
New laboratory at MIT aims to advance quantum research for the nation
On May 28, MIT President Sally Kornbluth and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced plans for a new laboratory to accelerate the development of next-generation quantum technologies that will enable Massachusetts to remain a national hub for quantum innovation. Speaking at the Samberg Conference Center on campus, the leaders introduced the Quantum Systems Laboratory (QSL) at […]
Sally Kornbluth’s charge to the Class of 2026
Below is the text of President Sally Kornbluth’s Commencement remarks, as prepared for delivery today. Technically, as MIT’s president, it’s now my job to deliver a “charge” to the graduates. But this year, I faced that assignment with a serious case of humility. You’re entering a world that I’m certain you’ll navigate better than I could. […]
MIT Corporation elects 10 term members, two life members for 2026
The MIT Corporation — the Institute’s board of trustees — has elected 10 full-term members, who will serve five-year terms, and two life members. Corporation Chair Mark P. Gorenberg ’76 announced the election results today. The full-term members are: Kate A. Bergeron, Elizabeth Choe, Kevin B. Churchwell, Stephen P. DeFalco, Bennett W. Golub, Pearl S. […]
