2008 campus news archive

MIT commercial property price index turns higher - Despite signs of a widening disconnect between buyers and sellers, transaction sale prices of U.S. commercial property owned by institutional investors rose 2.1 percent in the first quarter of 2008, according to an MIT index. May 6

$4 million gift supports neuroscience innovation at MIT - Restoring memories by flashing brain cells with lasers and dissecting the genetic basis for language learning are among the projects at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT to be funded with a new $4 million gift from The Picower Foundation. May 6

MIT Media Lab announces associate directors - MIT Media Lab Director Frank Moss today announced the appointment of two associate directors: Hiroshi Ishii and Andrew Lippman, both long-term, prominent researchers at the Lab. May 6

Steel away - An MIT team from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering prepares for the American Society of Civil Engineers National Steel Bridge Competition. May 6

MIT robot tourney concludes May 7-8 - The final rounds of MIT's action-packed annual robot competition will be held Wednesday, May 7, and Thursday, May 8, in the Johnson Athletic Center. The events are free and open to the public. May 5

Bear continues leadership at Picower Institute - Picower Professor of Neuroscience Mark F. Bear has committed to continuing as director of the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory through June 2010. Bear began his leadership of the institute in 2007. May 5

Boyce to head mechanical engineering - Mary Boyce, the Gail E. Kendall Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has been named the next head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering effective July 1, School of Engineering Dean Subra Suresh announced this week. May 2

Theresa M. Roche, veteran of MIT Facilities - Theresa M. Roche, of Middleboro, Mass., an MIT Facilities employee for 15 years, died of complications from cancer on Monday, April 21, at Brigham and Women's Hospital. May 1

Three from MIT in top 100 intellectuals list - Three of MIT's thinkers--Noam Chomsky, Esther Duflo and Neil Gershenfeld--have been named among 100 "global intellectuals" by Prospect Magazine. The three are cited, respectively, for their work on foreign policy, poverty and quantum computing. May 1

Harald A. Enge, retired physics professor, 87 - Harald A. Enge, retired professor of physics and member of the Laboratory for Nuclear Science, died April 14 of respiratory failure. He was 87. April 30

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. April 30

Groups offer resources for professional advancement - The Working Group on Support Staff Issues, the Professional Development Task Force and the AO Fundamentals Program are among resources available for MIT employees interested in advancing their careers. April 30

An earthquake's aftermath - Students and faculty from MIT's CityScope class visited a small Peruvian town over spring break to learn about the earthquake-stricken city's needs and how they might help restore water supplies, health-care and a sense of community. April 30

Alum helps 'science come alive' at Cambridge Science Festival - MIT alum John Dolhun creates 'Science Comes Alive' during the Cambridge Science Festival this past weekend. Dolhun worked with a team from the MIT Club of Boston on a standing-room-only demonstration at the festival's Saturday kickoff at City Hall. April 30

Spring Picnic May 5 to celebrate Benedict - A Spring Picnic on May 5 will celebrate Larry G. Benedict upon his retirement from MIT as dean for student life. April 30

Seven from MIT elected to NAS - Seven MIT faculty members are among the 72 newly elected members and 18 foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. April 29

Bingaman pushes amped-up U.S. energy policies - Boosting Washington's "anemic and unreliable support for basic science and engineering enterprise" is a critical step toward a viable energy future, U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., told an MIT audience on Friday, April 25. April 29

Arts, sciences fellows named - Eight MIT faculty members are among the 212 new fellows recently elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies and independent policy research centers. April 28

MIT Arab students honor Nobel laureate, others - The MIT Arab Students Organization honored Nobel laureate Ahmed Zewail at its fifth annual Science and Technology Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 26. April 28

Feynman play 'QED' set for performances - "QED," a play that showcases the warmth and genius of Nobel laureate Richard Feynman, will be performed from April 30 to May 4 as part of the Cambridge Science Festival. The performances are produced by the Catalyst Collaborative at MIT. April 25

Landsman gift aids electric energy-related engineering at MIT - A $4 million gift by alumnus Emanuel E. Landsman and his wife, Sheila E. Landsman, to MIT electrical engineering-related departments and laboratories will provide support in the fields of power electronics and electric energy-related engineering. April 25

Submit awards for commencement issue - The MIT News Office will publish the 2008 Institute Awards issue in print (MIT Tech Talk) and online on June 4 this year. The annual special section lists the names of winners of annual awards, by department, along with photographs where available. April 24

Ross named director of MIT CISR - Jeanne Ross will become director of the MIT Center for Information Systems Research with overall responsibility for the center's activities, MIT Sloan School of Management Dean David Schmittlein announced this month. April 24

Innovator receives sustainability award - Dr. Martin Fisher is transforming the lives of poor African farmers through a combination of technological invention and business development. For his work, Fisher has been named the 2008 recipient of the Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability. April 23

Governor says clean energy can boost economy - Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick told an enthusiastic crowd at MIT on Tuesday that clean energy has the potential to bring about an economic bonanza for the commonwealth at the same time that it improves the planet's well-being. April 23

MIT, Chesonis announce solar revolution - Promising to transform solar power from a "boutique" option to a mainstream energy solution, MIT and the Chesonis Family Foundation today launched a "solar revolution" with the aim of making solar energy America's primary carbon-free fuel. April 22

Faculty OK double majors, CMS SB program - The faculty voted unanimously to allow double majors and to make Comparative Media Studies a permanent SB program at their April 16 meeting. April 22

Your guide to MIT Earth Week 2008 - MIT will celebrate Earth Week 2008 with four days of events, beginning on Earth Day (April 22) with a major public address by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick in Kresge Auditorium. April 18

Head of Italy's Geox speaks at MIT Sloan - Mario Moretti Polegato, chairman of Italian footwear company Geox Group, spoke April 10 to a full house of MBA students at the MIT Sloan School of Management. April 18

Future soldier: powered, spring-loaded, located - Soldiers working in sunny but remote areas, in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan, might get a new boost of power for their electronic devices thanks to an innovative design for backpack-mounted solar cells designed by MIT students. April 18

Edwards urges students to make themselves heard - The global problems of climate change, population growth and severe poverty are so enormous that no one country can solve them alone, John Edwards told attendees at a student-organized conference on global poverty at MIT. April 18

Conference asks 'what's the use of race?' - "What's the Use of Race?"--a conference exploring whether race and ethnicity can be used as analytic categories in law, medicine and government without calcifying the very divisions that research in these fields is supposed to erase--will be held April 25-26 at MIT. April 17

Class tracks carbon footprint of different lifestyles - Whether you live in a cardboard box or a luxurious mansion, anyone who lives in the U.S. contributes more than twice as much greenhouse gas to the atmosphere as the global average, an MIT class has estimated. April 16

Student conference targets global poverty - Former senator and presidential candidate John Edwards will be among the speakers at an MIT conference April 18-20 involving more than 1,000 students from around the country dedicated to fighting the problems of extreme poverty in the world. April 16

MIT Sloan's green future - Once it is completed in 2010, the new MIT Sloan building should be the greenest building on campus. April 16

News that oozes: Communicating climate change - The slow, incremental unfolding of the evidence for global climate change is one reason it has been such a difficult subject for journalists to cover, and for the scientists who try to explain it, said panelists at a recent conference at MIT. April 16

Gov. Patrick to speak at MIT on Earth Day - Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will deliver a major public address at MIT's Kresge Auditorium on Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22. The governor will discuss his vision for the future of clean energy in the Commonwealth. April 16

Joining the Quarter Century Club - The MIT Quarter Century Club Induction Ceremony and Luncheon for new members will be held this year on Wednesday, May 7. April 16

A new era for telephones on campus: MITvoip rollout begins - Information Services and Technology has created the MITvoip service, which will be generally available for departments, labs and centers and is intended to replace MIT's traditional telephone service. April 16

DAPER worker's rare cancer spurs fundraiser - MIT Recreational Sports and the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation (DAPER) are sponsoring an April 26 fundraiser to benefit R.J. Lipsky, a DAPER employee who is fighting a rare form of cancer. April 16

MIT Libraries unveil new exhibit space - A once-blank wall outside the Institute Archives, in Building 14's first-floor corridor, has been transformed into a literal window into MIT's remarkable special collections. April 16

Memorial service planned for Menand on April 22 - A memorial service is planned April 22 to celebrate the life of Louis Menand III, who died at age 85 of complications from cardiac surgery on Jan. 30. Menand was a senior lecturer in MIT's Political Science department. April 16

U.S. Sen. Bingaman to deliver energy talk April 25 - U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., will deliver a 2008 Compton lecture titled, "Forging a Clean Energy Future," at 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 25, in Kirsch Auditorium (Room 32-123). April 16

MIT retirement benefits seminar to be held April 23 - Mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 23, from noon until 1 p.m. Representatives from MIT's Retirement Benefits office and Fidelity Investments will be in the Bush Room (Building 10-105) for a presentation titled, "Investing in Uncertain Markets." April 16

Libraries' book sale April 30 - MIT Libraries' book sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 30 in the Bush Room (10-105). April 16

Edward Lorenz, father of chaos theory, dies at 90 - Edward Lorenz, an MIT meteorologist who tried to explain why it is so hard to make good weather forecasts and wound up unleashing a scientific revolution called chaos theory, died April 16 of cancer at his home in Cambridge. April 16

Harbison's 'Symphony No. 5' to premiere - The Boston Symphony Orchestra will present the world premiere of "Symphony No. 5" by MIT Institute Professor, Pulitzer Prize winner and composer John Harbison on April 17 and 18 at Symphony Hall. James Levine will conduct. April 15

Interview with the dean: Deborah Fitzgerald - An interview with Dean Deb Fitzgerald, dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, in which Fitzgerald discusses SHASS's impact on the international-education aspect of MIT and the school's future. April 15

MIT brimming over with energy - "Scale" was the keyword as hundreds of people gathered this past weekend for the fourth annual MIT Energy Conference. The conference's title, "Solutions that scale to meet the energy challenge," addressed this often-overlooked heart of the matter. April 14

Faculty meeting April 16 - The monthly faculty meeting will be held Wednesday, April 16 in the Stata Center, Room 32-123, from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. April 14

Jacks named president-elect of AACR - Tyler E. Jacks, director of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, has been named president-elect of the American Association for Cancer Research. April 14

MIT, Fraunhofer form sustainable energy center - MIT and Fraunhofer, a German research organization, have signed an agreement to establish a research center in Massachusetts focused on significantly reducing the cost of solar energy over the next five years. April 14

MIT's Makan wins Rome Prize - MIT professor Keeril Makan, a musician and composer acclaimed for his technique of layering recorded and live sounds, has been awarded the prestigious Rome Prize by the American Academy in Rome for 2008-2009. April 11

MIT crowned regional champs in battle of brains - A team of MIT students was named regional champions--and placed second overall--in an annual competition, sponsored by IBM, that challenged students to solve a semester's worth of computer programming problems in just five hours. April 11

Three MIT faculty named Guggenheim fellows - Three MIT professors were named Guggenheim fellows for their "stellar achievement and exceptional promise for continued accomplishment," the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation announced this month. April 11

Cambridge Science Festival kicks off - The annual Cambridge Science Festival, launched last year at the impetus of the MIT Museum, will take place April 26 through May 4 and feature more than 200 events ranging from lunches with Nobel laureates to building and launching your own rocket. April 10

April 13 memorial service for J. Mark Schuster - A memorial service for J. Mark Schuster will be held in Bartos Theater at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 13, followed by a reception in the adjacent atrium. April 10

BP-MIT program focuses on operations safety - A corporation-wide focus on safe, reliable operations has brought BP, one of the world's largest energy companies, to MIT for the new Operations Academy, designed to enhance the culture of continuous improvement. April 10

Obituaries - Recent obituaries of members of the MIT community. April 9

MIT experts sound off on national tax rebates - MIT experts on economics and public opinion are optimistic that this year's tax rebate plan will briefly stimulate the U.S. economy, but they warn that rebate checks alone won't sustain economic progress in the face of record-high consumer debt. April 9

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. April 9

MIT energy conference bringing minds together - Leading energy specialists from MIT, other institutions, industry and government will be gathering at MIT April 11-12 to focus on technologies that are capable of scaling up to provide major contributions to the world's energy needs. April 9

Dower probes 'cultures of war' in lecture - John Dower, Ford International Professor of History, teased out the threads connecting cultures of war from individual nations' densely woven rhetoric about victory in his Killian award lecture, presented Monday, April 7, at MIT. April 9

MIT retirees' scholarship fund makes first award - A fund started by retirees who wished to stay current and connected with MIT recently awarded its first scholarship to senior Laura Harris. Harris is the granddaughter of the late Paul J. Harris, who worked at Lincoln Lab for more than 50 years. April 9

Committee on Animal Care solicits feedback - The Committee on Animal Care is soliciting information that would aid MIT's effort to maintain the humane care of animals used in research. April 9

Feld wins major spectroscopy award - Michael Feld, director of MIT's George R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory, has been chosen to receive the 2008 William F. Meggers Award. April 9

Byron at home in MIT's envelope-pushing culture - Grammy-nominated clarinetist and composer Don Byron has built his career on exploring and redefining all styles of music. It's no surprise, then, that the internationally acclaimed musician feels right at home in MIT's boundary-pushing culture. April 9

Patrick outlines economic growth plan at MIT - In a speech Wednesday at MIT to business and government leaders, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick unveiled a plan to pump $3.8 billion into the state's economy as a safeguard against worsening economic conditions. April 9

U.S. energy secretary to speak to MIT community April 9 - U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman ScD '65 will make a brief presentation entitled "America's Energy Security: The Challenges We Face and How You Can be Part of the Solution" from 11:30-12:15 in E15-070 (Bartos Theater). The event is open to the MIT community. April 8

What is good water worth? - MIT Senior Lecturer Susan Murcott started a nonprofit enterprise in 2005 to sell a simple, low-cost ceramic water filter system to residents of northern Ghana, home to the country's most contaminated water supplies. April 8

Langer a finalist for Millennium Technology Prize - MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer has been chosen as a finalist for the Millennium Technology Prize, the world's largest prize for technology innovation. MIT alumus Andrew Viterbi '56, SM '57, founder of Qualcomm, is also a finalist. April 8

MIT conference celebrates women in math - Women have traditionally been scarce in university math departments, but a conference at MIT this weekend will celebrate those who have succeeded in math and encourage more to pursue careers in the field. April 7

Governor Patrick plans major address April 9 at MIT - Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will deliver a major speech on the state's economy on Wednesday, April 9, at MIT. The event marks Governor Patrick's first official appearance at MIT since he was sworn in as governor last year. April 7

Junot Díaz wins Pulitzer for 'Oscar Wao' - MIT professor Junot Diaz' acclaimed debut novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," enjoyed another wondrous round of literary praise today, winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction just one month after receiving the National Book Critics Circle Award. April 7

The Stata quo - Ray Stata '57 spoke March 31 to MBA students about his experience as founder of Analog Devices and the importance of remaining entrepreneurial in a large company to stay competitive. April 4

Panel focuses on transforming biomedicine - Building relationships between academia, industry and government is key to translating biomedical advances into viable patient treatments, a panel of experts including CDC director Julie Gerberding told an MIT audience Wednesday. April 3

Name change for graduate student dean, office - The position of dean for graduate students, currently held by Steven R. Lerman, has been renamed the dean for graduate education, Chancellor Phillip Clay announced earlier this week. April 3

$500K helps MIT walk the talk on energy conservation - Office lights that turn themselves off when no one is around and lab bench fans that shut down when you walk away are two of a series of new campus energy conservation projects that will help MIT reduce its carbon footprint. April 2

Awards & Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. April 2

Dower to deliver Killian Award lecture - John Dower, Ford International Professor of History, will speak on "Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor/Hiroshima/9-11/Iraq" at the 36th annual Killian Award lecture at 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 7, in Kirsch Auditorium. April 2

Gleason named associate dean for engineering research - Professor Karen Gleason, the Alexander and I. Michael Kasser Professor of Chemical Engineering, has been named associate dean of engineering for research, Dean Subra Suresh announced this week. April 2

Looking back at the Big Easy - A new book of essays on rediscovered photographs of New Orleans in 1867, written by the curator of architecture and design at the MIT Museum, shows how the city tried to rebuild its economy and retrieve its prestige in the aftermath of war. April 1

Two MIT student projects win peace grants - Two MIT student projects to promote peace in Sudan and in Bangladesh have won Davis Projects for Peace grants of $10,000 each. April 1

MIT, Bank of America collaborate on future banking - The MIT Media Laboratory and Bank of America today announced the creation of the Center for Future Banking, a collaboration that will seek to transform the ways banking will be conducted in rapidly changing social, economic, and information landscapes. March 31

Microsoft joins MIT Kerberos Consortium - MIT today announced that Microsoft joined the MIT Kerberos Consortium as a Founding Sponsor. Slava Kavsan, Director of Development for Windows Core Security at Microsoft, will take a seat on the Executive Board. March 31

Faculty approve exploratory subject, Pass/D/Fail measures at March meeting - Faculty members approved making permanent the exploratory subject option for sophomores and offering a Pass/D/Fail option for graduate students during the monthly faculty meeting on March 13. March 31

William L. Kraushaar, high-energy astronomy pioneer, 87 - Professor William L. Kraushaar, a former MIT physics professor and a pioneer in the field of high-energy astronomy, died March 21 of complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 87. March 31

Albert Hollander Sr., research engineer, 95 - Albert Alfred Hollander Sr., who spent more than three decades as an engineer in the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, died Friday, Feb. 7, at the South Shore Hospital. He was 95. March 31

MIT symposium charts future of 'green' cities - The MIT School of Architecture and Planning and the Boston Society of Architects are staging the first of two symposia featuring leading urbanists from around the world discussing challenges facing the modern city in a period of global climate change. March 28

Film loosely based on MIT blackjack team opens Friday - The movie "21," a fictional work loosely based on the story of the MIT blackjack team that won millions of dollars from casinos across the country, opens in theaters Friday. March 28

Engineering tops U.S. News graduate rankings - MIT's School of Engineering was again ranked No. 1 nationwide in U.S. News & World Report's annual evaluation of American graduate school programs, released online Friday and available at newsstands Monday, March 31. March 28

CDC chief Gerberding to speak at MIT - Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will talk about how to deliver cutting-edge biomedical innovations to patients in a lecture at MIT on Wednesday, April 2. March 28

MIT launches global network of supply chain centers - MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics has announced the creation of an international alliance of leading research and education centers dedicated to the development of supply chain and logistics excellence through innovation. March 27

MIT third overall in Putnam math competition - MIT's math team made a strong showing at the William Lowell Putnam intercollegiate mathematics competition, finishing in third place. Two MIT math majors finished in the top six: sophomore Qingchun Ren and junior Xuancheng Shao. March 27

MIT, Portugal sign energy agreement - MIT and the government of Portugal have formed a partnership to address critical energy issues and strengthen transatlantic cooperation in energy research. Portugal will become the inaugural Sustaining Public Member of the MIT Energy Initiative. March 26

Deadline for credit union scholarships, award is March 28 - Applications for six memorial scholarships and nominations for the People Helping People Award--both awarded by MIT Federal Credit Union--are due this Friday, March 28. March 25

Schmill named new dean of admissions - Stuart Schmill'86 has been named MIT's next dean of admissions, Dean for Undergraduate Education Daniel Hastings announced Monday. Schmill has been serving as MIT's interim director of admissions since last April. March 24

'Just Jerusalem' competition winners announced - MIT's Jerusalem 2050 Program announced today the winners of its global Just Jerusalem competition, in which participants were asked to focus on 'just' the city as a place where, by mid-century, its citizenries co-exist in peace. March 21

Faculty meeting March 19 - The monthly faculty meeting will be held March 19 in the Stata Center, Room 32-141, from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. March 19

Awards & Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. March 19

MIT's Lost and Found goes online - MIT has put the power of the Internet behind its Lost and Found, giving community members a chance to report lost property online and also view a list of items turned in to MIT Police. March 19

OCW, Elsevier offer free journal content - In a move to encourage open education, MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) and Elsevier have agreed to make available figures and text selections from any of the publisher's more than 2,000 journal titles for use on OCW. March 19

Author-illustrator Macaulay to speak at MIT April 1 - David Macaulay, the acclaimed illustrator and author whose books, especially "The Way Things Work," animate the overlap between art and engineering, will discuss how he works in a free public lecture on April 1 at MIT. March 19

Brokaw to deliver Compton lecture April 2 - Tom Brokaw, former anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, will deliver a 2008 Compton lecture titled "Life Is Not Virtual" at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, in Kirsch Auditorium. March 19

EECS in Asia - Markus Zahn and Hsiao-Wuen Hon sign an agreement to send EECS students to the Beijing-based Microsoft Research Asia. March 19

Three things you should know about your benefits - Information on backup child care and elder care, the Family Medical Leave Act and retirement plan vesting. March 19

NYC exhibits showcase MIT's arts clout - MIT artists, designers and architects are filling some of New York's most prominent and competitive exhibition spaces this year with works that disrupt traditional distinctions among art, technology and performance. March 18

Book, exhibit showcase MIT faculty - When Andrea Frank came to MIT in 2003, she found world-class minds conducting cutting-edge research, eager to discuss their work. Today Frank, a lecturer at MIT, has woven together those voices and faces in the book "Visions: MIT Interviews." March 18

Langer wins major German science award - Institute Professor Robert Langer has been chosen as one of two winners of the 2008 Max Planck Research Award, a 1.5 million-euro science prize funded by the German government. March 18

Interview with Subra Suresh, School of Engineering - In this second in our series of interviews with each of MIT's five school deans, Dean Subra Suresh of the School of Engineering outlines his hopes and dreams for the School and the changing face of engineering both at MIT and globally. March 17

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. March 13

Jin Au Kong, long-serving EECS professor, dies aged 65 - Professor Jin Au Kong, an expert on electromagnetic waves who served on the faculty of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science for nearly 40 years, died unexpectedly this week of complications from pneumonia. He was 65. March 13

Memorial service set for Robert M. Wells - A campus memorial service for the late Robert M. Wells will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 15 in the MIT Chapel. A reception will be held in W11 following the service, and members of the MIT community are invited to attend. March 13

Digitalk: Where IT's at - News from MIT Information Services and Technology. March 12

Peers name Benedict 'Pillar of the Profession' - Dean for Student Life Larry G. Benedict has been honored as a 2008 Pillar of the Profession by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Foundation. March 11

Cancer researchers brief media - Dozens of journalists from national and international publications attended a special media briefing on March 6, in which several MIT faculty members discussed research they will pursue at the new Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. March 10

Joseph Weizenbaum, professor emeritus, 85 - Joseph Weizenbaum, professor emeritus of computer science at MIT who grew skeptical of artificial intelligence after creating a program that made many users feel like they were speaking with an empathic psychologist, died March 5 in Berlin. March 10

Nobel winner Wieman helps mark MacVicar Day - Nobel winner and MIT alumnus Carl E. Wieman marked MacVicar Day, MIT's annual celebration of undergraduate education, with a challenge to teachers: To lecture is human, to engage divine. March 10

MIT breaks ground for Koch institute - MIT broke ground on Friday for the new David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, a state-of-the-art facility that its director, Tyler Jacks, said will usher in "the next generation in cancer research." March 8

MIT to be tuition-free for families earning under $75k - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology today announced its financial aid program for 2008-2009. Increases in financial aid will make it possible for a larger fraction of MIT students to have their tuition and fees completely covered. March 7

Folding art and science - At MIT, origami is more than just art -- it's blend of the ancient Japanese paper-folding tradition with scientific principles that make it possible. There's no place that is more apparent this month than at the Weisner Student Art Gallery. March 7

Book critics honor Díaz with top novel prize - MIT professor Junot Díaz has won the National Book Critics' Circle Award for fiction, for his first novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." March 7

'Four-winged dinosaur' soars in wind tunnel - MIT Senior Technical Instructor Dick Perdichizzi prepares a lifesize model of a prehistoric four-winged bird-like creature for testing in Aero-Astro's Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel. March 6

J. Mark Schuster, urban studies and planning professor, 57 - J. Mark Schuster PhD '79, a professor of urban studies and planning, an expert on arts funding policies and respected leader of First Night and other Boston cultural events, died Feb. 25 of complications from melanoma. He was 57. March 5

MIT physicists bask in the media limelight - They say everyone gets his or her 15 minutes of fame--and that even includes MIT physicists. From late-night TV shows to front-page stories in The New York Times, MIT physicists are getting more press than some minor movie stars. March 5

John C. Szczepanski, Lincoln Laboratory senior staff member, 58 - Physicist John C. Szczepanski SM '80, PhD '93, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and technical staff member at MIT Lincoln Laboratory for the past 15 years, died Feb. 11 in Huntsville, Ala., after a brief illness. He was 58. March 5

Student work improves amputees' prosthetics - A team of MIT students has been working on a new device that could greatly simplify the process of fitting artificial legs in India, producing a better fit while eliminating some steps in the process and reducing waste materials. March 5

Sloan to partner on business education in Portugal - The MIT Sloan School of Management, two universities in Portugal and a group of Portuguese private corporations have entered into an agreement under which MIT Sloan will help the schools strengthen their capacity in business education. March 5

Professor Emeritus J. Francis Reintjes dies at 96 - MIT Professor Emeritus J. Francis Reintjes, celebrated for his keen wit and unassuming but steadfast leadership in electrical engineering and computer science, passed away Feb. 21 after a brief illness. He was 96. March 5

Miriam Yoffa Rich, former longtime lab technician, 88 - Miriam Yoffa Rich, who worked for 41 years as a laboratory technician at MIT, died Wednesday, Feb. 6. She was 88. March 5

Lawrence project puts MIT on U.S. service honor roll - The Corporation for National and Community Service has named MIT to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth. March 4

MacVicar Day, Institute Awards deadline approaching - MacVicar Day 2008 will be held Friday, March 7, and Institute Awards Convocation nominations will be accepted through March 14. March 4

MIT responds to Senate request on endowment figures - The Institute has responded to a request from the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance for information on MIT's endowment spending policies and commitment to financial aid. March 3

Big energy picture requires balance - The world has no choice but to build more energy-producing plants--and find new sources of energy--but the build out process will not happen overnight, a government expert recently told an MIT audience. March 3

Community mourns death of senior Robert M. Wells, 22 - Members of the MIT community are mourning the tragic death of Robert M. Wells, a senior in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Wells, 22, was originally from Ballston Spa, N.Y. March 3

Energy-producing partnership - Paolo Scaroni, chief executive officer for Italian energy company Eni, discusses his company's multimillion-dollar research partnership with MIT during a Feb. 26 press conference. February 29

New site sheds light on MIT's hidden art treasures - The List Visual Arts Center has just made MIT's public art collection more accessible to the public with a new web site. The new List site is designed to offer people who may not be able to visit campus a chance to see its art collection. February 29

MLK celebration keynote speech by the Rev. Dr. Ray Hammond - Transcript of speech given by the Rev. Dr. Ray Hammond at MIT's 34th annual celebration of the 34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration breakfast. February 28

MIT student targets antibiotic resistance - MIT graduate student and synthetic biologist Timothy Lu has received the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for inventing processes that promise to combat bacterial infections by enhancing the effectiveness of antibiotics at killing bacteria. February 27

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. February 27

Core curriculum changes discussed at faculty meeting - The faculty heard an update from the committee charged with refining new proposals for MIT's core curriculum at the Feb. 20 faculty meeting. February 27

Professional development programs enhance workplace, employee growth - MIT has relationships with two excellent professional development programs for employees of color--the Partnership Inc. and the YMCA Black Achievers. Participants of these programs are sponsored by Human Resources. February 27

DUSP show eyes urban design, civil protest - "Urban Design and Civil Protest," a new exhibition conceived as a multimedia laboratory for examining the social and spatial dynamics of protests, will be on view from Feb. 28 to June 9 in the MIT Museum Compton Gallery. February 27

Shedding a bright light on village needs - Two MIT graduate students have led an effort to supply hot water to a girl's high school dorm in Lesotho through the design of a concentrating solar array. Another nearby village features the students' solar heater, located near the community's well. February 27

MIT celebrates legacy of Martin Luther King - At the annual breakfast celebration to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., hundreds of members of the MIT community listened as speakers echoed a similar theme: much has been done to realize King's vision, but much work remains. February 26

Last chance for faculty to respond to quality of life survey - MIT's 2008 Faculty Quality of Life Survey is currently under way. More than half of faculty and instructional staff have already answered the survey. February 26

Seven junior faculty named Sloan Research Fellows - Seven junior MIT faculty have won 2008 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellows, which are intended to enhance the careers of the very best young faculty members in specified fields of science. February 25

Science journalism: bright future ahead - "There's never been a better time to become a journalist," declared Dianne Lynch, dean of the Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, at a MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowships symposium last week on the future of science journalism. February 25

The next-best thing to being on Mars - Two MIT students are currently living, working and communicating with the outside world as if they were on a mission to Mars. Whenever they go outside their small, round habitat, they don spacesuits and pass through an airlock. February 25

Down to earth: Alumnus returns from space station - Daniel Tani SB '84, SM '88 returned to the Kennedy Space Center aboard space shuttle Atlantis on Feb. 20. Tani spent 120 days in orbit aboard the International Space Station as a member of the Expedition 16 crew. February 22

Guests speak with passion on MLK's legacy - A photo gallery of speakers and events at MIT's 34th annual breakfast celebration honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. February 22

Five win MLK Leadership Awards - Five members of the MIT community have won Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Awards for 2008 in recognition of service that reflects the late civil rights leader's ideals and vision. February 22

MLK celebration speech by MIT senior Jamira Cotton - Transcript of speech given by MIT senior Jamira Cotton at MIT's 34th annual celebration of the 34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration breakfast. February 22

MLK celebration speech by MIT graduate student Kenneth Kweku Bota - Transcript of speech given by MIT graduate student Kenneth Kweku Bota at MIT's 34th annual celebration of the 34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration breakfast. February 22

MIT's crossword king girds for annual battle of wits - Teamwork is encouraged in the MIT math department when it comes to solving New York Times crossword puzzles, but one person usually stays on the sidelines: professor Kiran Kedlaya--"he's too good," says the head of the department. February 22

Poterba to lead U.S. economic research group - James Poterba, head of the MIT economics department, has been appointed president and CEO of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting greater understanding of how the economy works. February 21

MIT hosts next generation of science leaders - It's not every day that high school students get the chance to visit MIT research labs and see concepts that they've learned about in classes come to life. But that's exactly what happened last week as at the annual meeting of the American Junior Academy of Science. February 20

Spectroscopy lab celebrates new space with Feb. 27 event - MIT's George R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory will host "MIT's Spectroscopy Laboratory: The Next 80 Years," an event to celebrate its new space, on Wednesday, Feb. 27. February 20

Bustani lectures to feature Avishai - The Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar at MIT, now in its 22nd year, will present two lectures this spring on contemporary Middle Eastern affairs. February 19

Faculty meeting agenda for Feb. 20 - A regular meeting of the faculty will take place Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 32-141. February 19

MIT students design graduate student development program - An MIT PhD candidate in electrical engineering and computer science will describe a novel professional development program for graduate students and its impact at MIT at the annual meeting of the AAAS in Boston. February 16

Langer examines biomedical engineering future - MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer speaks about the great challenges facing biomedical engineering as part of a panel announcing the report "Grand Challenges of Engineering" at the annual meeting of the AAAS in Boston on Feb. 15. February 15

'Cycle-logical' bonding for students, professor - It's not unusual for MIT professors and their students to socialize outside the laboratory. But here's a word of warning to would-be members of Jeff Tester's lab: You might want to think about getting in shape. February 13

Awards and honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. February 13

Optimism among strengths of HST's Gray - Martha Gray, director of the Harvard-MIT Department of Health Sciences and Technology, displays an optimism that explains why, on a snowy night in March, dozens of people flocked to her home to read poetry and to enjoy chance meetings. February 13

Saving the rainforest with … toys? - Some villagers in Honduran communities who used to take part in the illegal trade in mahogany have turned to sustainable wood harvesting. But they need more markets. And that's where MIT Sloan School master's student Craig Doescher comes in. February 13

Digitalk: Where IT's at - News from MIT Information Services and Technology. February 13

Sports, innovation share stage at Sloan event - A love of sports can lead to exultation and heartbreak. But it can also lead to technical innovation, a point emphasized in one of the panels during the second annual MIT Sloan Sports Business Conference, held Feb. 9. February 13

Profiles in excellence at MIT - MIT is known for bringing out the best in its students academically, but that ambition also applies to athletics. MIT's volleyball teams have achieved stellar success, and much of the credit goes to Coach Paul Dill, who will receive a 2008 Excellence Award for Bringing Out the Best. February 13

Major science conference to feature MIT speakers - The largest interdisciplinary scientific gathering of the year--the five-day annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science--begins Thursday in Boston, and MIT students, faculty and staff will feature prominently. February 13

Suresh to receive 2008 Eringen Medal - The Society of Engineering Science has chosen Subra Suresh, Dean of the School of Engineering and Ford Professor of Engineering, to receive the A.C. Eringen Medal for 2008, in recognition of "sustained outstanding achievements in engineering science." February 11

MIT to review U.S. energy technology innovation - A two-year, $2-million grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation will enable researchers at MIT to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the energy technology innovation system in the United States. February 7

Researcher on front lines of genomic revolution - Manolis Kellis, a young and fast-rising MIT researcher, uses sophisticated computational tools to investigate and analyze the genomes of a variety of organisms, including humans, mice, fruit flies and yeast. February 6

Hammond to address MLK breakfast Feb. 21 - Reverend Ray Hammond, a physician and founding pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Boston, will be the keynote speaker at MIT's 34th annual celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Feb. 21. February 6

2008 Burchard scholars selected - Twenty-six sophomores and juniors have been selected as Burchard scholars in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences for 2008. February 6

Tech trekkies: Sloan students tour Silicon Valley - MBA students go on a "Tech Trek"--an annual trip organized by MIT Sloan students to test the economic waters and meet with prospective employers in the technology sector. February 6

MIT neuroscientists to study autism and dyslexia - Two researchers at MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research will head an ambitious new project to study the origins of autism and dyslexia, supported by an $8.5M grant from the Ellison Medical Foundation. February 6

Avenue queue: One long wait inspired career shift - Waiting in line isn't what it used to be. A robo-voice tells subway riders when a train is entering the station. Passholders and cash toll-payers don't mix vehicle lanes. Soothing, eh? You can thank Professor Richard Larson for that. February 6

Teams battle to on-screen victory - Tanks, soldiers, snipers and bombers fanned out rapidly over unfamiliar undulating terrain, searching for their enemy counterparts and trying to seize control of battle towers. Their commanders? MIT coders, duking it out in the BattleCode programming competition. February 6

IAP 2008 in photos - A sampling of images of the diverse offerings in MIT's Independent Activities Period 2008, which ran from Jan. 7 to Feb. 1. February 6

Time to act on sustainability, speakers say - It's time for work toward sustainable development and sustainable energy systems to turn toward action, solutions and implementation. That was the message that emerged as hundreds from around the world converged on MIT last week. February 6

Claerbout exhibit opens Friday at List Center - The MIT List Visual Arts Center is presenting the first U.S. museum survey of works by Belgian artist David Claerbout, who mixes snapshots and video to form images that explore our ever-changing sense of time and our gestures of intimacy or bafflement. February 6

Exhibit to kick off DUSP 75th-anniversary celebrations - A series of events to celebrate the 75th anniversary of MIT's landmark Department of Urban Studies and Planning will kick off with an exhibit in the Wolk Gallery, opening Tuesday, Feb. 12. February 6

Sports business conference to be held Feb. 9 - On Feb. 9, the second annual MIT Sloan Sports Business Conference will explore the role of analytics in managing successful professional teams and leagues. February 6

Interview with the dean: Marc Kastner - In the first of a series of interviews with each of MIT's five school deans, Marc Kastner of the School of Science discusses the goals he has set, the challenges he faces and the surprises he has witnessed in his new position. February 6

Application for IDDS 2008 now available - The International Development Design Summit (IDDS) 2008 will take place from July 14 through Aug. 8. February 6

Service fair to be held Feb. 8 - Make a commitment to serve this year and come to the annual MIT Service Fair. Meet and talk with more than 30 local nonprofit agency representatives and find out what you can do to serve the Cambridge-area community. February 6

John Meyer, nuclear engineer, 76 - MIT Professor Emeritus John Meyer, a nuclear engineer who spent more than 25 years at MIT until his retirement in 2001, passed away Jan. 11. He was 76. February 6

New MIT program to monitor global air, water quality - Researchers from MIT and two Singaporean universities have launched a bold international research program to develop pervasive environmental sensor networks to collect data on air and water quality from many sources. February 5

Renowned teacher, administrator Menand dies at 85 - Louis Menand III, a celebrated teacher and political scientist who served three consecutive MIT administrations in senior leadership roles, died Jan. 30 of complications from cardiac surgery. February 5

MIT and Colombian company form logistics center - MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics and the Colombia-based company LOGyCA have signed an agreement creating the Center for Latin-American Logistics Innovation to lead research and education in supply chain and logistics in Latin America. February 1

IAP class probes Singapore highway collapse - MIT Professor Andrew Whittle, who was one of four international experts chosen to probe the catastrophic collapse of a subway excavation in Singapore, presented his findings in the IAP class, "What Caused the Collapse of the Nicoll Highway in Singapore?" February 1

Blogging IAP - MIT students near and far blogged about their experiences during MIT's January Independent Activities Period. January 31

Weinberg named first recipient of Swedish science prize - Professor Robert A. Weinberg of MIT's Department of Biology this week became the first recipient of a new Swedish science prize, in recognition of his cancer research. January 31

A different kind of whiteboard - Unknown innovators turned an undeveloped patch of land in front of Building 33 (Aero-Astro headquarters) into an environmentally friendly, self-erasable whiteboard. January 30

HR introduces adoption benefit - In a milestone for MIT Benefits, a member of the MIT community recently became the first person to benefit from the Institute's new Adoption Assistance Program, which provides up to $5,000 per finalized adoption for all benefits-eligible MIT employees. January 30

Stubbe honored by NAS - JoAnne Stubbe, Novartis Professor of Chemistry and professor of biology, has been awarded the National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences. January 30

Making a splash - Senior Doria Holbrook flies skyward as she practices diving at the Zesiger Center. Holbrook, a mechanical engineering major, was a top high school pole-vaulter, but foot problems led her to choose diving instead when she arrived at MIT. January 28

Robert P. Greene, alum and former administrator, 74 - Robert P. Greene '55, who spent more than 20 years working for MIT until his retirement in 1996, died Dec. 18. He was 74. January 28

Hilts named new Knight Fellowships director - Philip J. Hilts, the author of six books and a prize-winning health and science reporter for both The New York Times and The Washington Post, has been named director of the Knight Science Journalism Fellowships program. January 28

Reality meets fantasy in Sloan students' site - Two MIT Sloan MBAs are spicing up prime-time television with a web site that injects a little fantasy into reality. The site, TVLeagues.com, brings together two recent pop-culture phenomena: fantasy sports leagues and so-called "reality" TV shows. January 25

MIT and ABB form energy research partnership - MIT and Switzerland-based ABB, a global leader in power and automation technology, have formed a partnership to conduct and support a variety of energy research projects with the aim of helping meet the world's need for clean electricity and energy efficiency. January 24

About 'In The World' - In The World is a column from the MIT News Office that explores the ways people from MIT are using technology--from the appropriately simple to the cutting-edge--to help meet the needs of local people in places around the planet. January 24

Pumping up desert agriculture - Thanks to a new venture set up by two MIT students, subsistence farmers on the edge of the Sahara desert in Sudan will soon get a chance to improve their crops and their livelihoods using inexpensive treadle-powered water pumps. January 23

Five from MIT receive NARSAD awards - Ann M. Graybiel, the Walter A. Rosenblith Professor of Neuroscience, has been selected by NARSAD: The Mental Health Research Association to receive its Distinguished Investigator Award. Graybiel is one of 23 leading scientists to receive the award. January 22

Kenneth A. Wright, longtime researcher at MIT, 88 - Kenneth Wright, an alumnus and a physicist who spent more than 60 years at MIT researching the effects of radiation, died Jan. 7. January 22

SMART Centre to be hub for global research - MIT and Singapore's NRF have announced the official launch of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre, or SMART Centre, consisting of laboratories and computational facilities in a variety of research areas. January 22

Grand pram: MIT chaise offers temporary escape - The coziest corner in MIT's Barker Engineering Library is Dreaming Lounge, a mocha-colored chaise with a green canopy at the head and a wooden lever on one side. January 18

MIT nutrition scientist celebrates a milestone - It's not every day that one of MIT's Institute Professors Emeritus--the elite of the faculty--celebrates a 90th birthday. But Nevin S. Scrimshaw, who founded MIT's Department of Nutrition and Food Science, reaches that milestone on Sunday, Jan. 20. January 18

Experts available to discuss energy research - MIT faculty experts are available to the media to discuss energy research and policy issues. January 16

Lewin's popularity extends to news media - Professor Walter Lewin of MIT's physics department achieved celebrity status after the MIT News Office and OpenCourseWare secured a front page story on him in The New York Times on Dec. 19. January 16

Awards and honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. January 16

American Mathematical Society honors Lusztig - George Lusztig, the Norbert Wiener Professor of Mathematics, has been awarded the 2008 Leroy P. Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement. January 16

Digitalk: Where IT's at - News from MIT Information Services and Technology. January 16

Faculty debate communications measure at Dec. 19 meeting - At their Dec. 19 meeting, MIT faculty debated and voted down a resolution regarding Institute communications. They also received an update from Provost L. Rafael Reif on MIT's efforts to recruit and retain underrepresented minority and women faculty and graduate students. January 16

Dedric Carter named assistant dean of engineering - School of Engineering Dean Subra Suresh has named Dedric Carter (S.B. 1998 in EECS, M.Eng. 1999 in EECS) the school's new assistant dean for development and strategic initiatives. January 16

MIT, Eni announce energy research partnership - MIT and Italian energy company Eni today announced a major energy research partnership, including a program focusing on the development of advanced solar technologies, from novel photovoltaic materials to the design of solar power plants. January 15

MIT research among Nature magazine's best of 2007 - Nature's editors have picked their favorite 18 research papers of 2007, including three studies involving MIT scientists. Topics of the MIT papers include the search for extrasolar planets, a new technique for weighing single cells and the future of irregular verbs. January 14

Waitz to lead aero-astro department - Ian Waitz, the Jerome C. Hunsaker Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, has been named the next head of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, effective February 16. January 11

Gift aims to promote new Picower collaborations - A $1.2 million gift from Dana and Betty Fisher aims to promote new collaborations and community among scientists at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT. January 10

Robert Weber, Lincoln Lab physicist, 81 - Physicist and astronomer Robert Weber (S.M. 1959), who worked at Lincoln Laboratory for more than three decades and helped develop a way to detect asteroids that might pose a threat to Earth, died in his home on Jan. 2. He was 81. January 8

Express yourself this January in video, photography - MIT TechTV presents MIT's video and photography enthusiasts with two opportunities this January to create and share their work: The IAP Video Contest for MIT students, and YourMIT, a chance for the broader community to help reflect MIT life. January 7

New federal chemical rules to impact MIT - The MIT Environment, Health and Safety Office is asking departments, laboratories and centers at the Institute for help in responding to new federal regulations aimed at preventing the misuse of certain chemicals. January 4

Schoolteachers get a 'lift' at MIT Lincoln Laboratory - A voice in a high school classroom issues a challenge familiar to math teachers everywhere: "What can you do with this stuff anyway?" For one, you can help control airport runway warning lights--and that's just what math teacher Dan Gabriner did. January 4

Wearing their art on their sleeves - MIT students are always in motion, so their projects for the visual design course, Give Me Shelter, featured clothes and accessories to help navigate the gaps between work and home, self-confidence and unease, and under- or over-stimulation. January 3