Building Cradles of Learning
Teaching and research are the lifeblood of MIT. To do that well, the physical character and technical capabilities of MIT classrooms and laboratories must meet the needs of emerging disciplines, global interactive communication, and offer lots of internet band-width and connectivity for the laptop generation.
Major projects and new buildings completed recently on campus include: the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex; a major renovation of the Dreyfus Chemistry Building; and the Stata Center for Computer, Information and Intelligence Sciences.
Other projects of note include:
Materials Science NanoLab
Aeronautics and Astronautics Laboratory for Complex Systems
Hatsopoulos Microfluids Laboratory
Department of Chemical Engineering Laboratory
TEAL - Technology Enabled Active Learning
Materials Science NanoLab
The Materials Science and Engineering Department’s Nanomechanical Technology Laboratory is a prominent resident on MIT's Infinite Corridor. Its glass walls and plasma screen displays update the neighborhood on new educational and research information. The laboratory will be home to the Institute's first nanoindenters, machines that probe and measure the properties of surfaces of engineering and biological materials at the atomic and molecular scale. The lab enables projects such as the atomic and molecular level design of surfaces, mini reactors for the production of new materials, and the development of new drug delivery devices.
The department’s B.J. Park and Chunghi Park Room for Innovative Education is used for active learning initiatives in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. It enables groups of students to conduct desktop experiments and use web-based modules to illuminate lecture content.
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Aeronautics and Astronautics Laboratory for Complex Systems
To match evolving industry demands, the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics needed to teach differently. The Guggenheim Laboratory became a flexible Learning Laboratory for Complex Systems that combines classroom and hands-on learning to teach engineering process skills in a methodology called CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate).
The 38,000-sq.-ft. Learning Laboratory for Complex Systems, which will involve faculty and students in the product development process, includes a Large Student Projects Aero Hangar and a Complex Systems Operations Center. This project also undertook a complete renewal of building-wide mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
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Hatsopoulos Microfluids Laboratory
The lab for microfluids research, named in honor of Daphne and George Hatsopoulos ’49, offers state of the art equipment for microfluids research. The lab, which was constructed in concert with renovations in classrooms 3-370 and 3-270, enhances group learning and provides an arena for distance education. Upgrades, with complete audiovisual systems and video projection, transformed into a tiered distance learning room that can convert from lecture style to group learning.
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Department of Chemical Engineering Laboratory
Deep in the Building 66 subbasement, a brightly colored and highly versatile laboratory serves the changing needs of Chemical Engineering. Lab features include furniture designed for the space, enhanced lighting, and infrastructure improvements such as lab waste treatment, HVAC, compressed air, chilled water, and fire alarm systems.
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TEAL (Technology Enabled Active Learning) Classroom
The studio physics classroom is designed for moving between lecture, experiment, and discussion portions of the class. It consists of 11 round tables that seat nine students each. In the center of the room is an instructor's station used to present material that can then be projected on eight projection screens located around the perimeter of the room. Also located along the perimeter of the room are numerous whiteboards available for impromptu discussions and presentations by both staff and students. On each table are three laptops, provided for the students to work in teams of three on experiments and problems assigned in class.
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