West Tower
Tara McAllister (West 2,3)	Hi! I'm Tara, your GRT for 2nd and 3rd West. I'm originally from Buffalo, New York (where we do get the occasional 6-foot snowfall), but I'm going on my tenth year here in Boston. I studied linguistics as an undergraduate at Harvard, and now I'm starting my sixth year of the doctoral program in linguistics here at MIT. (Anyone taking a linguistics class is welcome to come by with questions!) I'm especially interested in language disorders, and I work a few days a week as a speech pathologist at Children's Hospital, providing therapy for toddlers with speech delay. When I have free time, you might find me out running around the river--I'm training to run my second marathon on Cape Cod in October. I'm also a fan of karaoke, cooking and baking, and Trader Joe's (the grocery store). I can't wait to meet all the new folks, so please stop by 317 and say hi!
Rachel Hillmer (West 4,5)	Hi, my name is Rachel, and I'm the new GRT for 4th and 5th West. I hail from the cornfields of Illinois, where I studied math and physics in undergrad (among other things), and spent many hours jumping from perfectly good airplanes. I'm now a master's student in Course 20 (Bioengineering). I am inspired by unlocking the secrets of the cell. I enjoy beautiful skies, a good book, extended discussions about the nature and future of science and engineering, and painting. Stop by anytime whether it's been a good day or a poor one, and we'll search for the silver lining together. I hope to help my residents believe in themselves when things seem hopeless, and to dream when things seem unescapably mundane.
Lorenna Lee-Houghton (West 6,7)	Hello, I am Lorenna, the new GRT for 6th and 7th West. I originate from the very large state of Delaware, and spent my undergraduate years studying Biomedical and Electrical Engineering at Duke and living the "work hard/play hard" mentality. I am entering year 3 as a PhD candidate in Course 20 (Biological Engineering), and I find that research is quite interesting and rewarding (I engineer livers to study inflammation and cancer). My favorite activities include all kinds of sporting activities (though I am good at only a limited selection), artistic endeavors, culinary arts, and cultural explorations. I am an outdoor adventure enthusiast, and love SCUBA diving, backpacking, skiing, etc., so if you have a desire to try any of these, let me know! I have board games and guitar hero, and hope to make lots of yummy food. Please feel free to come visit me and give me ideas for fun trips and activities! I am really excited about this year and I hope you are too!
	East Tower
Carey Walters; (East 2,3)	Hi! I'm Carey, I am returning for my second year as half of the GRT team for 2nd and 3rd East. My wife and I both enjoy being GRTÂ’s very much, so donÂ’t hesitate to stop by for whatever reason! I am a 4th-year Ph.D. candidate in Course 2 (Mech. Eng.). My thesis will on the effect of strain rate on ductile fracture. Basically, I want to know if metal breaks any differently if you strain it very quickly. On the practical side, I have studied crashworthiness, that is, the ability of a vehicle to save as many lives as possible in a crash. As of August, I have just returned from research in sunny Italy, where I helped Ferrari improve their crashworthiness analysis. Before I came to MIT, I did a similar job at Sikorsky Aircraft, the helicopter maker. For fun, my wife (Bethany) and I both love to explore the cultural aspects of the Boston area. We love going to cultural festivals in the Boston area (e.g. Pulse and The Irish Connections Festival), and we always enjoy going to any of the vast amount of ethnic restaurants that abound in Boston.
Bethany Hipple Walters (East 2,3)	Hi! I'm Bethany, half of the GRT team for 2nd and 3rd East. I work at Massachusetts General Hospital in public health research; I help pediatricians learn how to talk to parents about smoking. I got my Bachelors in Medical Anthropology at U Mass Amherst, my Masters in Public Health at Columbia and I am very lucky, as I get to use both my degrees every day. I love to talk public health, so if you are interested, just ask! I've lived in a ton of different places in the US, but I consider Oklahoma my home state. In the summer, I like to travel. And when I am at home, I love to bike, to bake, to watch movies, to read, and to just hang out. Stop by if you want to talk about books, movies, or just want to eat cookies!
Veronica Weiner (East 4,5)	Hi! I'm Veronica, the GRT for McCormick 4th and 5th East. This will be my second year in McCormick, and I am very excited about meeting new residents and spending time with old friends. There are usually lots of snacks available in my room and some good books to borrow... stop by anytime! I was born in Parma, Italy, grew up in New Jersey, then came to MIT as an undergraduate (courses 14, 15, and 9). After MIT, I was lucky enough to live in France for two years, where I worked in neuroscience research and explored "the city of lights." Now I am back for a Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences. I would be happy to talk with anyone interested in studying or working abroad. One of my favorite parts of the GRT job is the study breaks! I am looking forward to crafts, creative food nights, movies, and outings around Boston. If you have suggestions, please send an email or come visit on the 5th floor.
Rumi Chunara (East 6,7)	Welcome to McCormick! Irfan and I are very happy to be holding down the fort up at the 6th and 7th East floors. This is my fifth year at MIT, where I am a PhD candidate in the Harvard-MIT division of Health Sciences and Technology, and my fourth year at McCormick. Living at McCormick is one of my many favourite things about being at MIT. My research involves bulding neat devices and techniques for biological sensing and diagnostics. And in general, I'm interested in how technology will change the future. You will often see me biking over to the other side of the river to take classes at Harvard Med. School or emerging out of the Media Lab where my research takes place. I'm originally from Canada, and spent my undergrad years at that "other" Institute of Technology over on the West Coast. I love to feed my mind, body and soul through things like amazing food, world music and yoga; although currently my mind is more flexible than my body. Come by anytime for a taste of one or more of the three!
Irfan Alibhai (East 6,7)	Watch this space for information about Irfan.
	The Annex
Jane Wang (Annex)	Welcome to McCormick and especially the Annex! This is going to be my first year at McCormick, and I am so extremely excited about it. I am a second year graduate student in course 3. My research involves biodegradable material and the many applications of it. I work half of my time in E25 and the other in Draper Laboratory in tech square. I was born in Indiana, and moved to Taiwan when I was two. I came back to the U.S. for college in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a very nice and quiet town, as a Chemist. I love singing, have been singing in choir for 15 years, and am a member of the MIT concert choir. I am also a big crochet/knitter, and would love those who are interested to stop by to knock on my door!