faculty archive

Seven MIT faculty named to the AAAS - Seven MIT faculty members will be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) as part of its new class of 190 fellows and 22 foreign honorary members. October 10, 2008

Three MIT scientists share Buckley prize - Three MIT scientists from the Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory have been awarded the 2009 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize from the American Physical Society. October 8, 2008

NAE welcomes two from MIT - MIT professors Robert Armstrong and Arvind are among the 65 new members of the National Academy of Engineering. This year the NAE also installed alumnus Irwin Jacobs as the new chairman of the academy. October 6, 2008

MIT Medical launches upgraded web site - The MIT Medical Department has relaunched its web site with a new address -- medweb.mit.edu -- as well as clearer navigation, patient-specific guides and an improved clinician directory. October 2, 2008

Celebrate excellence at MIT - Nominations are due Oct. 27 for this year's Excellence Awards, which recognize exceptional accomplishments by support, service, sponsored research, administrative and other academic staff. (The due date is Oct. 20 for Lincoln Lab employees.) October 1, 2008

Kenneth Hoffman, former math department head, 77 - Former Department of Mathematics Head Kenneth Hoffman, who spent more than 40 years on MIT's faculty and made significant contributions to U.S. education and science policy, died Sept. 29 following a heart attack. He was 77. October 1, 2008

Market talks at MIT - MIT community members will have several opportunities in October to hear world-renowned experts discuss the turbulence that has gripped global financial markets -- and what, if anything, individuals should do. September 30, 2008

Prioritizing science: MIT experts weigh in - As part of a News Office series in the run-up to the Nov. 4 presidential election, members of the MIT community share their thoughts on what should be the next president's top priority in the areas of science and technology. September 30, 2008

MIT on the election: Calling all faculty - MIT Faculty: The News Office wants to hear your thoughts on election issues. September 24, 2008

Two MIT faculty win MacArthur 'genius' grants - Two MIT faculty members -- physicist Marin Soljacic and John Ochsendorf, a structural engineer who studies architectural history -- have won 2008 MacArthur Fellowships, commonly known as "genius" grants. September 23, 2008

Three faculty win '08 NIH Pioneer Awards - Three MIT faculty are among 16 scientists nationwide to receive 2008 Pioneer Awards from the National Institutes of Health for their "pioneering -- and possibly transforming -- approaches to major challenges in biomedical and behavioral research." September 22, 2008

Awards and honors: Sept. 17, 2008 - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. September 17, 2008

Deutch stresses all-out energy approach - MIT Institute Professor John Deutch stressed the importance of pursuing every available avenue on energy, in testimony Friday before the U.S. Senate's Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. September 12, 2008

Awards and honors: Sept. 10, 2008 - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. September 10, 2008

Jacks to accept award from EHS - Tyler Jacks, director of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, will be presented an award by the Environment, Health and Safety Office on Sept. 12, at 10:30 a.m., in recognition of the Koch Institute's outstanding EHS performance. September 10, 2008

Lucian W. Pye, leading China scholar, 86 - Retired MIT political science professor Lucian W. Pye, one of America's leading China scholars, died Sept. 5 in Boston after a long illness. He was 86. September 8, 2008

New initiative to fund faculty research worldwide - MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives has unveiled new seed funding for international collaboration that supports faculty research worldwide and encourages student participation. September 5, 2008

Former professor, MIT alumnus Hammer dies at 60 - Michael Hammer, a research affiliate with MIT's Engineering Systems Division who also previously taught as a professor of computer science and was a lecturer in the MIT Sloan School of Management, died Wednesday, Sept. 3. September 4, 2008

Manalis a winner of new NIH grant - Scott Manalis, associate professor of biological and mechanical engineering, has been awarded a new grant from the National Institutes of Health to promote investigation of novel, unconventional hypotheses. September 3, 2008

Chiang challenges freshmen to follow their passions - If you follow your passion, sometimes you end up in the right place at the right time to have an impact on the world, MIT Professor Yet-Ming Chiang told the Class of 2012 Tuesday during the freshman faculty keynote address. August 26, 2008

HST's Karp among Technology Review's top 35 - MIT instructor Jeffery Karp and several other people with close affiliations to MIT have been named to the TR35, Technology Review Magazine's annual list of 35 outstanding men and women under the age of 35 who exemplify the spirit of innovation. August 19, 2008

Amid food price spike, Nobel laureate eyes fertilizer - One of the reasons food prices have risen sharply is the cost of fertilizer. MIT Nobelist Richard Schrock is among a handful of researchers pursuing less energy-intensive ways to produce ammonia, the main component of fertilizer. August 13, 2008

Just A-Mayes-ing - When Anne Mayes departed MIT recently because of health reasons, the pioneering materials science professor left behind more than just a quarter-century history at the Institute: She left an opportunity for future students. July 30, 2008

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. July 16, 2008

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. July 10, 2008

Jack Howard, chemical engineering professor emeritus, 70 - Jack Howard, a professor emeritus in the Department of Chemical Engineering, died on July 7 after a battle with brain cancer. He was 70. July 8, 2008

Barbara Liskov named Institute Professor - Barbara H. Liskov, the Associate Provost for Faculty Equity and Ford Professor of Engineering, has been named an Institute Professor, the highest honor awarded by MIT's faculty and administration. July 1, 2008

Media Lab celebrates co-founder Davenport's career - Dozens of Media Lab faculty and alums gathered for a symposium June 20 to celebrate the career of Glorianna Davenport, head of the lab's Media Fabrics group and a longtime innovator in film, video, interactive media and new ways of storytelling. June 25, 2008

Berners-Lee named 3Com Founders Professor - Internet pioneer Timothy Berners-Lee has been named the 3Com Founders Professor of Engineering in the School of Engineering, with a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. June 20, 2008

Langer wins Millennium Technology Prize - MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer has won the Millennium Technology Prize, the world's largest award for technology innovation, for his development of biomaterials for controlled drug release and tissue regeneration. June 11, 2008

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. June 11, 2008

Interview with the dean: Adele Santos - An interview with Dean Adele Santos, dean of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, in which Santos discusses the school's goals and challenges and the role it can play in the future of sustainable cities across the world. June 11, 2008

Schmidt to succeed Gibson as associate provost - Professor Martin Schmidt of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science has been appointed Associate Provost, Provost L. Rafael Reif announced this week. June 6, 2008

Langer a winner of Spain's Asturias award - Institute Professor Robert Langer is one of five scientists to receive a top Spanish honor, the 2008 Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research. June 5, 2008

Quarter Century Club welcomes new members - With MIT President Susan Hockfield as the featured speaker, the Quarter Century Club inducted 127 new members at a May 7 luncheon in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex (Building 46). June 4, 2008

Awards & Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. June 4, 2008

Colleagues honor Professor Lisa Steiner of biology - Lisa Steiner, a professor of immunology and the first woman faculty member to join the Department of Biology at MIT in 1967, was honored at a special luncheon by her friends and colleagues at MIT on May 22. May 30, 2008

Lerman to become MIT's vice chancellor - Dean for Graduate Education Steven R. Lerman '72, S.M. '73, Ph.D. '75 will become MIT's vice chancellor, effective July 1, Chancellor Phillip L. Clay announced this week. May 28, 2008

Blanchard appointed IMF chief economist - MIT economist Olivier Blanchard, a macroeconomist specializing in monetary policy, global imbalances, labor-market performance and speculative bubbles, has been appointed chief economist of the International Monetary Fund. May 28, 2008

Five MIT faculty named HHMI investigators - Five MIT faculty have been named Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators, bringing the total number of current MIT professors holding the distinction to 19. May 27, 2008

Bras wins faculty's Killian Award - Rafael Bras, a professor of civil and environmental engineering who pioneered the field of hydrologic science, is MIT's James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award winner for 2008-2009. May 27, 2008

Faculty Renewal Program established - MIT Provost Rafael Reif has announced the establishment of a Faculty Renewal Program at MIT. Participation in the program is completely voluntary and enables eligible senior faculty members to retire with a choice of retirement incentives. May 27, 2008

Center funds environmental health projects for 2008 - The MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences, through support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of NIH, has announced its support for six pilot projects, which all began April 1. May 27, 2008

Hope on the horizon - As the economy appears to falter and as more Americans fear that the country is on the wrong track, the MIT News Office asked a collection of MIT researchers what they think are potentially life-altering technologies that lie just around the corner. May 21, 2008

Hope on the Horizon: Fusion - Leslie Bromberg on fusion. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Bioengineering - Phillip Sharp on bioengineering. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Biosolar Cells - Shuguang Zhang on biosolar cells. May 21, 2008

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. May 21, 2008

Planning under way for Diversity Leadership Congress - Planning is under way for MIT's Diversity Leadership Congress, an event that will be held next year as a keystone of the Institute's ongoing efforts to further enhance its long-standing commitment to diversity on campus. May 21, 2008

Who ya gonna call? Riskbuster! - Whenever something really bad happens in this high-tech world--or whenever someone wants to make sure it doesn't--there's a good chance that someone will be calling Nancy Leveson, MIT professor of aeronautics and astronautics and engineering systems. May 21, 2008

The cost of repealing blue laws - Repealing America's blue laws not only decreased church attendance, donations and spending, but it also led to a rise in alcohol and drug use among people who had been religious, according to a new study by economists from MIT and Notre Dame. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Digital Fabrication - Neil Gershenfeld on digital fabrication. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Education - Eric Klopfer on education. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Electrochemical Energy - Paula Hammond on electrochemical energy. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Embedded Electronics - Michael S. Strano on embedded electronics. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Life Extension - Mehmet Fatih Yanik on extension of the human lifespan. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Mitigating Autism - Rosalind W. Picard on mitigating autism. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Problem solving - Ed Boyden on problem solving. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Robots - Rodney Brooks on robots. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Sustainable cities - William J. Mitchell on sustainable cities. May 21, 2008

Hope on the horizon: Transcending technology - Rebecca Henderson on transcending technology. May 21, 2008

Faculty meeting agenda set for May 21 - A regular meeting of the faculty will take place Wednesday, May 21, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 32-123. May 19, 2008

MIT's Rebecca Saxe probes mechanics of thought - How do we know what other people are thinking? How do we judge them, and what happens in our brains when we do? MIT neuroscientist Rebecca Saxe is tackling those tough questions and many others. May 14, 2008

Awards and honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. May 14, 2008

Interview with the dean: David Schmittlein - An interview with Dean David Schmittlein, dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management, in which Schmittlein discusses Sloan's engagement with the global community and his hopes for the school's future. May 12, 2008

Alexander Rich receives prestigious Welch Award - For his pioneering work that has helped scientists unlock the mysteries of RNA and DNA, as well as important scientific discoveries that have opened up new fields of science, Alexander Rich had been named the 38th recipient of the Welch Award in Chemistry. May 9, 2008

Robert I. Hulsizer Jr., physics professor emeritus, 88 - Professor of Physics Emeritus Robert I. Hulsizer Jr. PhD '48, a former chairman of the faculty and expert on elementary particle physics whose zeal for teaching science made him a student favorite at MIT, died on April 30 of complications from Alzheimer's. May 8, 2008

Notification plan launched for campus alerts - To improve MIT's ability to communicate rapidly with members of the community during an emergency, MIT emergency planners are asking students, faculty and staff to enter or update their emergency notification information on line. May 7, 2008

Lightman lights up future for Cambodians - Alan Lightman, MIT physicist and writer, and his wife, Jeanne, made a pact a decade or so ago to turn their energies toward humanitarian pursuits. The latest of their efforts is a dream come true for residents of a small Cambodian village -- a new mosque. May 7, 2008

Engineering an award-winning TV program - From hosting the show to advising behind the scenes, members of the MIT community have played an important role in developing and implementing the popular PBS series Design Squad, which recently won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. May 7, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. April 30, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. April 9, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

Awards & Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. April 2, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

Seven MIT research teams win Deshpande grants - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT has announced awards of $500,000 in grants to seven MIT research teams currently working on early stage discoveries, with the aim of providing a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship. March 19, 2008

Awards & Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. March 19, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. March 13, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. February 27, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

'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, 2008

Awards and honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. February 13, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

Mercury rising: New images draw interest - Professor Maria Zuber, head of MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, addresses a Jan. 30 NASA press conference in which results from the first mission to visit the planet Mercury in 30 years were unveiled. February 1, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

Awards and honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. January 16, 2008

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, 2008

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, 2008

Recipients of seed grants for MIT energy research - A list of the 16 recipients of MITEI's first round of seed grants for energy research, totalling $1.4 million and covering projects including solar technology, climate change impacts and power transmission. January 15, 2008

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, 2008

Maeda named president of RISD - Professor John Maeda, a world-renowned graphic designer, artist, and computer scientist at the MIT Media Laboratory, has been named president of the Rhode Island School of Design. December 21, 2007

MIT sets early release on Dec. 13 due to storm - Alison Alden, vice president of human resources, has announced that MIT will have an early release at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13. December 13, 2007

Awards and honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. December 12, 2007

Faculty meeting set for Dec. 19 - The next faculty meeting will begin at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 19 in 32-141. December 12, 2007

HST faculty member wins BMW Science Award - Ali Khademhosseini has won first prize in the doctoral thesis category of the 2007 BMW Science Award competition. The award was presented to six young scientists, three in the doctoral and three in the bachelor's/master's thesis categories. December 12, 2007

NEW DATE: Unwind at the MIT Community Winter Break Dec. 17 - The Office of the President invites all faculty, staff and students to an MIT Community Winter Break in Building 7 on Monday, Dec. 17 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. December 7, 2007

Zwierlein wins physics award for superfluidity work - Martin Zwierlein, assistant professor of physics, was recently awarded the Klung-Wilhelmy-Weberbank Prize for physics. He was honored for superfluidity discoveries made as an MIT graduate student working with MIT Nobel laureate Wolfgang Ketterle. December 5, 2007

Awards and honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. December 5, 2007

Gibson details faculty renewal proposal - At the Oct. 17 faculty meeting, Associate Provost Lorna Gibson outlined proposals being considered for a faculty renewal program. A Q&A with Gibson provides more information. December 5, 2007

Awards and honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. November 28, 2007

Anime takes the stage - The excitement and eccentricities of anime will be brought to life this week when members of the MIT community perform "Live Action Anime 2007: Madness at Mokuba," a play directed and co-written by MIT professors. November 27, 2007

Condry discusses anime's global reach - Ian Condry, MIT associate professor and Mitsui Career Development Chair in foreign languages and literatures, will discuss "Explaining Anime's Global Power" on Nov. 29, to set the stage for the MIT production, "Madness at Mokuba." November 27, 2007

Faculty, alumna win United States Artists grants - Three current MIT faculty members and an MIT alumna have been named United States Artists (USA) Fellows. The USA grants program supports a diverse array of living American artists in a wide variety of artistic genres. November 20, 2007

Former students honor Ross with $100K prize - Linked by the "transforming influence" he has had on their lives and careers, more than 50 former students of MIT Professor of Financial Economics Stephen A. Ross unveiled a major new prize in his name to honor outstanding papers in his field. November 14, 2007

Time magazine honors MIT for inventiveness - Six MIT inventions and two MIT inventors were celebrated as the best of 2007 in Time magazine's annual survey of the world's most promising--and sometimes startling--visions of the future, as seen by scientists, engineers, educators and designers. November 14, 2007

MIT Corporation grants tenure to 50 faculty - The Corporation's Executive Committee has approved 50 faculty for tenure, effective July 1, 2007. November 14, 2007

Crawley, Schindall to direct Gordon-MIT program - MIT Professors Edward F. Crawley and Joel E. Schindall will servie in key positions in the school's new Bernard M. Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program, which aims to create new approaches to prepare students for engineering leadership. November 7, 2007

Writer Ana Castillo focuses on inequality - Ana Castillo, an MIT visiting professor, is a novelist, poet, essayist and painter who has used every means necessary--the clack of typewriters, the flap of mimeograph machines, the tick of e-mail--to tell the tales that had to be told. November 6, 2007

Scientists head to annual neuroscience meeting - MIT's excellence in brain research will be showcased next week in San Diego as Institute scientists give five of the 24 invited talks at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. October 31, 2007

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. October 31, 2007

MIT's very own baron . . . - Stuart Madnick, the John Norris Maguire Professor of Information Technology and Engineering Systems at MIT, has owned Langley Castle in England since 1985. Earlier this year, he acquired the title associated with the property: Baron of Langley. October 31, 2007

Seven from MIT named AAAS Fellows - The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has awarded the distinction of Fellow to 471 members, including seven MIT faculty members. October 26, 2007

Dresselhaus wins prize from American Physical Society - MIT Institute Professor Mildred Dresselhaus has been named winner of the 2008 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize from the American Physical Society "for pioneering contributions to the understanding of electronic properties of materials." October 25, 2007

Got benefits? - Maybe you haven't thought about your benefits since you started working at MIT. Or maybe it's only during Open Enrollment--the two-week period each year when benefits-eligible employees can make benefit plan changes for the coming year. October 24, 2007

Possible retirement incentives outlined at faculty meeting - MIT faculty members heard about planning for a new program of incentives for voluntary retirement, the status of several initiatives for undergraduate and graduate students at their regular Oct. 17 meeting. October 24, 2007

Bazant among Popular Science's 'Brilliant Ten' - Popular Science has named Martin Bazant, associate professor of applied mathematics, one of its "Brilliant Ten" scientists for 2007. Bazant was awarded the distinction for his theoretical work on microfluidics, which can be used to build "labs on a chip." October 24, 2007

Nominations open for Doherty Professorship - Nominations are now open for the Doherty Professorship in Ocean Utilization. All nontenured MIT faculty members from any department are eligible. October 24, 2007

'Redefining the MIT Classroom' to be discussed Oct. 26 - On Oct. 26, from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Office of Faculty Support and Alumni Class Funds will host an afternoon of panel discussions and information about recent pedagogical and curricular innovations, by and for MIT faculty. October 24, 2007

Deshpande Center announces fall 2007 grants - The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT today announced it is awarding $1,030,000 in grants to ten MIT research teams currently working on emerging technologies. October 22, 2007

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. October 17, 2007

A place to call home - Members of the Institute community who plan to stay involved in life at MIT after they retire have a new housing option, the University Residential Communities at MIT, located just blocks from the main campus. October 16, 2007

Faculty meeting agenda set for Oct. 17 - A regular meeting of the faculty will take place Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 32-141. October 15, 2007

Institute of Medicine elects Brown - Emery N. Brown, M.D., a professor in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine. October 13, 2007

Walter Shepherd Owen, professor emeritus, 87 - Walter Shepherd Owen, professor emeritus of physical metallurgy at MIT, died Oct. 10 at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was 87. October 13, 2007

Amon, Golub win cancer prize -  MIT Professor Angelika Amon and Todd R. Golub of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard will share the 2007 Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research, an award of $150,000, with Gregory J. Hannon from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. October 3, 2007

Physics professor probes superconductivity - Eric Hudson is an expert in scanning tunneling microscopy, which is based on the stunning fact that by generating a voltage between the right type of tiny metal tip and a surface just a few atoms' widths away, you can actually map its individual atoms. October 3, 2007

Oct. 4 memorial for Stephen M. Meyer - A memorial service for Stephen M. Meyer will be held Thursday, Oct. 4, at 4 p.m. in the MIT Chapel, the Department of Political Science announced.  October 3, 2007

MIT appoints 23 faculty to named professorships - Twenty-three MIT faculty members have been appointed to named professorships. All are effective July 1, 2007. September 28, 2007

Sheffi named director of Engineering Systems Division - Professor Yossi Sheffi has been appointed director of the Engineering Systems Division, effective Nov. 15, Dean of Engineering Subra Suresh announced this week. September 26, 2007

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. September 19, 2007

MIT Museum show celebrates ocean engineer Jerry Milgram - As MIT ocean engineer Jerry Milgram, legendary professor and "sea-going Sherlock Holmes," prepares to retire after more than four decades on the MIT faculty, his career is the focus of a new exhibition in the MIT Museum's Compton Gallery. September 19, 2007

John M. Buchanan, retired professor and noted biochemist, 89 - John M. "Jack" Buchanan, Wilson Professor emeritus of Biology, died June 25 in Lexington, Mass. He was 89. September 19, 2007

Hayward R. Alker, alum and former professor - Hayward R. Alker, an MIT alumnus and political scientist specializing in international relations, died Aug. 24 at his home in Block Island, R.I., following a cerebral hemorrhage. He was 69. September 19, 2007

Four MIT faculty win NIH awards - Professor Emery Brown will receive a 2007 Pioneer Award from NIH, while Professors Ed Boyden, Alan Jasanoff and Mehmet Fatih Yanik will be honored with New Innovator Awards. All four were cited by NIH for their "exceptionally innovative" research. September 18, 2007

She makes it look so easy - Professor Dava Newman made headlines around the world this summer after the MIT News Office promoted the sleek new spacesuit she is developing with colleagues in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. September 12, 2007

Junot Díaz to read from acclaimed novel - MIT Associate Professor Junot Díaz will read from his critically acclaimed new novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," during an appearance at 6 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge. September 12, 2007

Herr wins $250,000 Heinz Award - Professor Hugh Herr, a double amputee whose work has led to the development of new prosthetic innovations that merge body and machine, has won the 13th annual Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment. September 12, 2007

Leader to Leader application deadline is Sept. 30 - Applications for the 2008 Leader to Leader Program are due Sept. 30. L2L is a unique leadership development program for leaders from the MIT community. September 12, 2007

Two to share leadership position for faculty equity - Professors Wesley Harris and Barbara Liskov have been selected to share the office of Associate Provost for Faculty Equity. The pair will focus on issues including the recruitment, retention, promotion and career development of minority and women faculty. September 7, 2007

Think, act globally, Samuels tells new students - Hundreds of members of MIT's Class of 2011 turned out Aug. 28 for their first official lecture, in which Professor Richard J. Samuels challenged them to seek out knowledge about societies that are remote from their own. August 29, 2007

MIT faculty, alumni among Technology Review's top young innovators - Several MIT faculty and alumni have been named to the TR35, Technology Review Magazine's annual compilation of the 35 top innovators worldwide under the age of 35. August 15, 2007

Herb Pomeroy, founder of MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble, dies - Jazz icon Herb Pomeroy, who founded the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble in 1963, died August 11 at his home in Gloucester. He was 77. Pomeroy, a trumpeter inspired by Louis Armstrong, played with such jazz greats as Charlie Parker, Stan Kenton and Lionel Hampton. August 14, 2007

Experts available to discuss bridge collapses - MIT faculty with expertise on bridges and their collapse are available for comment to members of the media. August 2, 2007

MIT trio receives top U.S. science, technology honors - President George W. Bush presented the nation's highest science and technology honors Friday to MIT President Emeritus Charles M. Vest, biomedical engineer Robert S. Langer and atomic physicist Daniel Kleppner. July 27, 2007

Lecturers top the iTunes U top ten - Professor Walter Lewin's lectures are legendary, and now his lectures and others from MIT are accessible worldwide through Apple's iTunes U. MIT lectures on physics, psychology, math and architecture have recently made the iTunes U top ten list. July 25, 2007

MIT encryption pioneer wins Marconi Prize - MIT Professor Ronald L. Rivest, who helped develop one of the world's most widely used Internet security systems, has been named the 2007 Marconi Fellow and prize-winner for his pioneering work in the field of cryptography, computer and network security. July 17, 2007

MIT National Science, Technology Laureates - President Emeritus Charles M. Vest, pioneering biomedical engineer Robert S. Langer and groundbreaking atomic physicist Daniel Kleppner have been awarded the nation's highest technology and science honors. July 16, 2007

Initiative on Faculty Race Issues: Preliminary Report - A core team of faculty representing MIT's five schools has submitted a preliminary report on the Institute's new initiative on faculty race issues, Provost L. Rafael Reif announced in a letter to the faculty e-mailed today. July 16, 2007

MIT IDs mechanism behind fear - Researchers from MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have uncovered a molecular mechanism that governs the formation of fears stemming from traumatic events. The work could lead to the first drug to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. July 15, 2007

MIT Team finds new mechanism of gene control - Biologists have long thought that a simple on/off switch controls most genes in human cells. Flip the switch and a cell starts or stops producing a particular protein. But new evidence suggests that our genes are more ready for action than previously thought. July 12, 2007

Link between aging, neurodegenerative disorders - Professor Li-Huei Tsai at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and colleagues report that one particular gene is a link between aging and neurodegenerative disorders. The work may lead to new drugs against debilitating neurological diseases. July 9, 2007

Levenson wins science film award - Thomas Levenson, associate professor of science writing at MIT, has won the inaugural Walter P. Kistler Science Documentary Film Award for his work on the NOVA miniseries "Origins." June 27, 2007

E. Cary Brown, fiscal policy expert, dies at 91 - As a professor of economics at MIT for more than 60 years, Brown taught a wide range of graduate and undergraduate courses on tax policy design, statistical methods for economics and the economics of fiscal policy. June 27, 2007

Grammy nominee Don Byron is MLK Visiting Prof - Composer and clarinetist Don Byron, who has explored and redefined musical styles from klezmer to hip-hop and every known form of jazz, has been appointed a Martin Luther King Jr. Visting Professor, the first full-year MLK appointment in music and theater arts. June 26, 2007

MIT researchers reverse retardation in mice - Researchers at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT have reversed symptoms of mental retardation and autism in mice. The study suggests that inhibiting a certain enzyme could be an effective therapy for countering FXS symptoms in children. June 25, 2007

Edmund Bertschinger named head of MIT physics - Edmund Bertschinger, professor of physics and division head of astrophysics, has been appointed head of the Department of Physics, effective July 1. Bertschinger succeeds Marc Kastner, who will become dean of the School of Science. June 22, 2007

Buehler of CEE receives national engineering honor - Markus J. Buehler, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is one of 83 young engineers invited by the National Academy of Engineering to attend its 2007 Frontiers of Engineering meeting. June 21, 2007

Boyles assumes MIT symphony directorship - The Music and Theater Office announced that Adam Kerry Boyles has been named director of the 123-year-old MIT Symphony Orchestra. Boyles said he felt honored to receive the MIT appointment and hopes to build upon MITSO's reputation for excellence. June 20, 2007

MIT makes list of top 100 places to work in IT - Computerworld magazine has named MIT one of its "100 Best Places to Work in IT" for 2007. MIT was ranked 93rd in the survey, which was open to all types of organizations. June 19, 2007

Suresh is new dean of engineering - Subra Suresh, the Ford Professor of Engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, will succeed Institute Professor Thomas Magnanti as the next dean of the School of Engineering. Suresh will assume his new role July 23. June 14, 2007

Corporation announces faculty promotions - The MIT Corporation's Executive Committee has approved the following faculty members for promotion. All promotions are effective July 1. June 13, 2007

Eppinger named MIT Sloan interim dean, deputy deans appointed - In a pair of announcements Tuesday, June 12, Steven D. Eppinger was named the interim dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management and Professors JoAnne Yates and S.P. Kothari were named as the school's interim deputy deans. June 12, 2007

Professor Hazel Sive named associate dean of the School of Science - Professor Marc Kastner has announced the appointment of Biology Professor Hazel Sive to the position of associate dean for the School of Science, effective July 1. June 11, 2007

Lerman is appointed Dean for Graduate Students - Chancellor Phillip L. Clay announced the appointment of Steven R. Lerman, the Class of 1922 Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and current chair of the MIT Faculty, as the Institute's next dean for graduate students, effective July 1. June 11, 2007

MIT economist will head Sloan Foundation - The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's board of trustees has announced the election of Paul L. Joskow as president of the foundation. Joskow is a professor of economics and management at MIT and director of the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research. June 6, 2007

D'Arbeloff, alumni fund innovative courses - More than $1.1 million has been awarded to 22 faculty groups developing new subjects, thanks to the d'Arbeloff Fund for Excellence in Education and the Alumni Fund. June 6, 2007

Prof sees vibrant life for environmental studies - Professor David H. Marks, the first director of MIT's Laboratory for Energy and the Environment, is stepping down as co-director in July. He spoke recently with Teresa Hill, of LFEE, on his experiences and his vision for sustainability studies at MIT. June 6, 2007

Brain has 'teacher' and 'tinkerer' - While most people need peace and quiet to cram for a test, the brain itself may need noise to learn, a recent MIT study suggests. The researchers found that neural activities in the brain gradually change, even when nothing new is being learned. June 4, 2007

Statement regarding resignation of Frank L. Douglas - MIT has released a statement on the resignation of of Professor Frank L. Douglas. June 3, 2007

Summons wins Humboldt Award - Roger E. Summons, a professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, will receive a Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt-Stifung Foundation in Germany. June 1, 2007

Model could help neutralize a flu pandemic - With experts fearing an imminent flu pandemic, Richard Larson and colleagues have developed a mathematical model to track the progression of an epidemic. Their results show that the death toll could be greatly reduced by taking simple steps. May 31, 2007

MLK scholar sheds light on chemical energy flow - Elucidating the dynamics of molecules that are both long-lasting and elusive is the goal of Wilton Virgo, recently named a Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Scholar. Virgo's research focuses on gas molecules in long-lived, highly reactive states. May 30, 2007

Shannon collection shows wit and whimsy - Known as the father of digital communications and information theory, late MIT professor Claude E. Shannon spent his spare time inventing clever, toy-like devices for fun. Among the creations are a chess machine and a juggling W.C. Fields. May 30, 2007

MLK scientist developed solder's 'holy grail' - As a professor of mechanical engineering at Yale, Ainissa G. Ramirez discovered a universal solder, sought by researchers for decades. Ramirez is also dedicated to introducing middle-school kids to scientists through her 'Science Saturdays' program. May 29, 2007

Quarter Century Club welcomes new members - With MIT President Susan Hockfield as the featured speaker, the Quarter Century Club (QCC) inducted 183 new members at a May 8 luncheon in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex (Building 46). May 25, 2007

Awards and Honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. May 23, 2007

Handheld device 'sees' damage in concrete bridges - Engineers at MIT have developed a new technique, involving the use of a hand-held radar device, for detecting damage in concrete bridges and piers that could increase the safety of aging infrastructure by allowing easier onsite inspections. May 18, 2007

Faculty hears MIT to review securities; Dower wins Killian prize, at recent faculty meeting - Faculty hears MIT will review securities in light of Sudan plight; John Dower, of history, is Killian winner; applications up 10 percent over '07. May 18, 2007

DNA-damage test could aid drug development - Researchers from MIT and the Whitehead Institute have developed a cell culture test for assessing a compound's genetic toxicity that may prove dramatically cheaper than existing animal tests. The new test looks for DNA damage in red blood cells. May 14, 2007

Scientists ID secret to infectious protein - Scientists at MIT and the Whitehead Institute have discovered small but critical regions within prions, infectious proteins that cause mad cow disease or its human equivalent, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, through the study of nontoxic yeast prions. May 10, 2007

Initiative leadership guides energy goals - MIT President Susan Hockfield's aspiration to harness MIT's capabilities to meet global energy challenges has become the MIT Energy Initiative. MITEI is led by Ernest J. Moniz and Robert C. Armstrong, and supported by students, faculty, and international collaborations. May 9, 2007

Group leads 'greening' of Institute - MIT has launched a Campus Energy Task Force aimed at greening the campus that enlists the help of the entire community, including the campus itself. The goal: major reductions in campus-wide energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. May 9, 2007

Task force forges energy curriculum - A primary focus for the Education Task Force, which held its first meeting April 26, is to develop and coordinate a robust energy curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students that integrates expertise and perspectives from all five schools at MIT. May 9, 2007

Charles D. Paton dies, memorial on May 11 - Charles D. Paton, retired director of the Electrical Engineering Laboratories, died April 29. He was 78. May 9, 2007

Twelve MIT faculty are elected to AAAS - Twelve MIT faculty members are among the 203 new Fellows and 24 new Foreign Honorary Members recently elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. May 8, 2007

MLK urban planner seeks viability for inner city - William M. Harris is working on a proposal to rebuild city neighborhoods around issues of race, class, and ethnicity. 'I don't see utopia,' he said. 'I see viable living arrangements in the inner city.' His vision includes public and private economic development enterprises. May 7, 2007

MLK professor teaches 'excitement' of math - Akalu Tefera, the Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor for 2006-2007, is enthusiastic about passing along his love for mathematics, and has mentored undergraduate students in cutting-edge research. May 2, 2007

Five from MIT elected to NAS - Five MIT faculty members are among the 72 newly elected members and 18 foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences--an honor that recognizes their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. May 1, 2007

MIT team takes high-res, 3-D images of eye - In work that could improve diagnoses of many eye diseases, MIT Professor James Fujimoto and colleagues have developed a new type of laser for taking high-resolution, 3-D images of the retina, the part of the eye that converts light to electrical signals. April 30, 2007

Quarter Century Club induction will be held May 8 - The MIT Quarter Century Club induction ceremony and luncheon for new members will be held this year on Tuesday, May 8. April 30, 2007

Genzyme co-founder will discuss energy research - Building a balanced portfolio for energy production is not simply a matter of applying known science to large-scale engineering applications, according to George Whitesides, one of the world's leading engineering and science pioneers. April 27, 2007

Book portrays bold new campus architecture - The stories behind the conceptualization, design and construction of the Stata Center and four other major buildings are contained in William J. Mitchell's new book "Imagining MIT: Designing a Campus for the Twenty-First Century." April 26, 2007

Horvitz urges support for basic science - MIT Nobel prize-winning Professor Robert Horvitz outlined his work with "Worms, Life and Death: Cell Suicide in Development and Disease" and his concerns for the future of basic research in the annual Killian Award lecture delivered April 24. April 26, 2007

Finkelstein will give Sigma Xi Lecture - Amy Finkelstein, assistant professor of economics, will deliver the 2007 Sigma Xi Lecture, titled "Researching the Impact of Universal Health Insurance: Lessons from Medicare," at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 26, at the MIT Faculty Club. April 25, 2007

Linguists doubt exception to universal grammar - The controversy over certain studies of the Pirahã language is making headlines, unusual for the field of linguistics. MIT's David Pesetsky has thrown doubt upon many of linguist Daniel L. Everett's claims about Pirahã's cultural and linguistic uniqueness. April 23, 2007

Faculty honor Virginia Tech victims, applaud Edgerton winner, in April meeting - The faculty observed a moment of silence at the April 18 faculty meeting for the victims of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. Some faculty requested a system for following up on students referred to student services while maintaining the students' privacy. April 20, 2007

Horvitz will deliver Killian Lecture on April 24 - Nobel laureate H. Robert Horvitz, the David H. Koch Professor of Cancer Biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, will deliver the 35th annual Killian Award lecture April 24 at 4:30 p.m. in Kirsch Auditorium (Room 32-123) of the Stata Center. April 20, 2007

CrossTalk panel explores: Are visualizations eye candy or educational tools? - MIT faculty panelists John Belcher, Fredo Durand, and Graham Walker, will discuss the educational impact of computational tools for creating compelling and high-fidelity representations of scientific and engineering phenomena. April 17, 2007

Course looks at transportation of nuclear fuel - An MIT undergraduate course is exploring how to safely transport spent nuclear fuel from the approximately 130 nuclear power plants in the United States to a high-security repository in Yucca Mountain, Nev. April 17, 2007

Five from MIT are Guggenheim Fellows - Five members of the MIT faculty have been awarded Guggenheim Fellowships for 2007. They are Edmund Bertschinger, Erica Funkhouser, Michel X. Goemans, Erika Naginski, and Anne Whiston Spirn. April 11, 2007

Jacobs receives Levitan Prize in the Humanities - Deborah K. Fitzgerald, the Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, has announced that the 2007 James A. (1945) and Ruth Levitan Prize in the Humanities has been awarded to Associate Professor Meg Jacobs of the history faculty. April 6, 2007

Susskind receives Global Environment Award - Lawrence E. Susskind, the Ford Professor of Urban Studies and Environmental Studies in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, has received this year's International Association for Impact Assessment Global Environment Award. April 3, 2007

Swager wins $500K Lemelson-MIT Prize - Timothy M. Swager, head of the Department of Chemistry, is the winner of the $500,000 2007 Lemelson-MIT Prize for inventing sensors that detect vapors of common bomb-making chemicals such as TNT. April 2, 2007

Faculty team will develop initiative on race issues - A core team of faculty representing all five of MIT's schools has been appointed to develop the Institute's new initiative on faculty race issues, Provost L. Rafael Reif announced in a letter to the faculty. April 2, 2007

Ellison is named inaugural Palm Professor of Economics - Professor Glenn Ellison, a leader in the fields of economic theory, industrial organization and financial economics, has been named the inaugural holder of the Gregory K. Palm '70 Professorship in Economics. March 26, 2007

Douglas receives Black History Maker award - Dr. Frank Douglas, professor of the practice at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, is one of five recipients of the Associated Black Charities' 2007 Black History Makers Award. March 26, 2007

Faculty discuss improving teaching, undergraduate experience - Teaching was the focus of the March 21 faculty meeting, where the faculty continued its discussion of the recommendations of the MIT Task Force on the Undergraduate Educational Commons. March 23, 2007

Seventies oil crisis was a 'perfect storm' for U.S. - The energy crisis of the 1970s was a 'perfect storm' of political, global and social events, says an MIT history professor, an example of how chaos can erupt when there is a disconnect between what citizens expect and how government reacts. March 23, 2007

Faculty will meet March 21 - A regular meeting of the faculty will be held on Wednesday, March 21 at 3:30 p.m. in Room 32-123. March 21, 2007

In Scheib's 'Desert,' love goes all wrong - Jay Scheib, assistant professor in music and theater arts, has created a new work, "This Place Is a Desert," a study of love gone wrong produced in collaboration with media artist Leah Gelpe. March 21, 2007

ICA presents Machover work - MIT Media Lab composer Tod Machover, known for his innovativeness as a musician and as a creator of new technology for musical instruments, will present an evening performance of work commissioned for the Grammy Award-winning Ying Quartet. March 21, 2007

Julie Soriero is new director of athletics - Julie Soriero, director of athletics at Colorado College, has been named MIT's new department head and director of athletics, physical education and recreation, Dean Larry G. Benedict has announced. March 20, 2007

Two from MIT win Franklin Institute Awards - MIT Professor Emeritus Klaus Biemann and Professor Merton C. Flemings have won 2007 Franklin Institute Awards, joining the august company of past winners including Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and Orville Wright. March 15, 2007

Panel explores links among faith, academia - A forum on the links between faith and development in the Third World became a frank discussion on whether MIT students and faculty could--or should--link their faith to their careers as scientists and educators. March 7, 2007

Doherty professor studies marine organisms - In work that will improve our understanding of the marine microorganisms that are essential to healthy oceans, Roman Stocker is using microfluidics to study these organisms in the lab under conditions close to what they experience in the wild. March 7, 2007

MacVicar Day celebrates diversity in strategies - On March 2, the MacVicar Faculty Fellows sponsored MIT's annual recognition of undergraduate education with a roundtable discussion, during which students, faculty and alumni shared learning strategies and tools. March 6, 2007

Corporation accepts 41 faculty promotions - At a meeting held on Feb. 2, the Executive Committee of the MIT Corporation accepted President Susan Hockfield's recommendations for the promotion of 27 assistant professors to associate professor without tenure and of 14 associate professors with tenure to full professor. March 5, 2007

Faculty discuss widening international programs - A faculty committee looking into ways to expand MIT students' access to cross-cultural and international experiences recommended doubling existing opportunities from around 300 to 600 by the 2008-2009 academic year. February 28, 2007

MacVicar Day highlights student learning - MacVicar Day 2007 will be held on Friday, March 2. Provost L. Rafael Reif will announce the new MacVicar Faculty Fellows following the meeting of the MIT Corporation. February 27, 2007

'N (Bonaparte)' is third in Harrington's war trilogy - The winter/spring 2007 issue of TheatreForum magazine, a prestigious venue for new works of drama, will include a script by Laura Harrington, lecturer in theater arts at MIT since 1995. February 23, 2007

Dresselhaus wins L'Oréal-UNESCO Award - MIT Institute Professor Mildred Dresselhaus is the North American winner of a 2007 L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science. Dresselhaus was selected for "conceptualizing the creation of carbon nanotubes." February 22, 2007

CEHS calls for pilot project proposals - The Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS) at MIT, an interdisciplinary research center funded by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, invites MIT faculty to submit applications for funding of pilot projects related to environmental health research. February 22, 2007

ACM names three from MIT for computer science - The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) has recognized three MIT researchers among 41 of its members for their contributions to both the practical and theoretical aspects of computing and information technology. February 22, 2007

Physicist Francis E. Low dies at 85 - Francis E. Low, a retired MIT physicist and provost who worked on the Manhattan Project, died of heart failure on Feb. 16 at a retirement home in Haverford, Pa. He was 85. February 20, 2007

Faculty meeting agenda set for Feb. 21 - A regular meeting of the faculty will take place Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 32-123. February 20, 2007

Professor James Sherley ends fast - At noon today, Professor James L. Sherley informed the MIT administration that he was ending his twelve-day fast. February 16, 2007

Academy of Engineering elects 5 from MIT - Five MIT researchers are among the 64 new members of the National Academy of Engineering. Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. February 14, 2007

Chemical engineer: Geothermal is undervalued - MIT Professor Jefferson Tester, who headed a recent study of the potential for ramping up geothermal energy within the U.S., spoke on "Geothermal--An Undervalued Primary U.S. Energy Source" at an MIT Museum event last week. February 13, 2007

Panel reviews economics of climate change - Sir Nicholas Stern's report on the economics of climate change was significant for being produced at all--as the first attempt by a major national government to identify climate change as a major issue, concluded panelists at a recent MIT presentation. February 13, 2007

Economist explores housing price predictions - In a packed IAP seminar on "How Far Will the Housing Bubble Burst?", MIT economist William C. Wheaton showed how forecasting models based on historic data may not match the complicated reality of today's housing market. February 12, 2007

Two MIT profs win DOE's Lawrence Award - MIT professors Arup K. Chakraborty and Moungi Bawendi are among eight winners of the 2007 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award from the U.S. Department of Energy. February 9, 2007

Professor fasts over tenure process - On Monday, Feb. 5, Associate Professor James L. Sherley began a fast on campus to protest both the decision not to promote him to tenure and the outcome of his previous grievance process. February 7, 2007

Mrowka receives Veblen geometry prize - Professor of mathematics Tomasz Mrowka received the 2007 Oswald Veblen Prize in Geometry, one of the highest honors in the field of geometry, on Jan. 6. February 7, 2007

Initiative launched to assess minority faculty issues - Provost L. Rafael Reif and President Susan Hockfield have announced that MIT will undertake a comprehensive, rigorous and systematic study of the effects that race may have in the hiring, advancement and experience of underrepresented minority faculty at MIT. February 7, 2007

Seager honored for extrasolar planet research - Sara Seager, the Ellen Swallow Richards Associate Professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, has won the 2007 Helen B. Warner Prize from the American Astronomical Society. February 5, 2007

Report: Human activity fuels global warming - Today's release of a widely anticipated report on global warming coincides with a growing clamor within the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent the potentially devastating consequences of global climate change. February 2, 2007

Team develops nanoparticles to battle cancer - On a quest to modernize cancer treatment and diagnosis, an MIT professor and her colleagues have created new nanoparticles that mimic blood platelets. Their goal? To send these to carry out different medical missions inside the body. February 1, 2007

Jensen to head chemical engineering - Professor Klavs Jensen has been named head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, effective Feb. 1. January 31, 2007

Walter Backofen, pioneer of superplasticity, dies at 80 - Walter Alan Backofen, retired MIT professor of metallurgy and materials science, died at his Marblehead home on Dec. 2. He was 80. January 30, 2007

Moniz recommends US develop 'portfolio of fuels' - President Bush called on fuel makers to produce 35 billion gallons of alternative fuels a year by 2017. That's not going to happen using corn as the basis for ethanol, said Ernest J. Moniz, director of the MIT Energy Initiative. January 29, 2007

New MIT committee will study effects of race on minority faculty careers - Provost L. Rafael Reif has announced that MIT will establish a committee of leaders within the Institute to undertake a comprehensive, rigorous and systematic study of the effects that race may have in the hiring, advancement and experience of underrepresented minority faculty at MIT. January 29, 2007

Three Mile Island: a re-examination - Since 1979, the words "Three Mile Island" have been synonymous with the words "nuclear disaster." A recent IAP seminar asked the question: was the accident at the U.S. power plant really a public relations disaster and not a technical failure? January 26, 2007

Lauffenburger wins 2007 Galletti award - Professor Douglas Lauffenburger, head of the Biological Engineering Division, has won the 2007 Pierre Galletti Award from the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. January 26, 2007

Fitzgerald is named dean of humanities at MIT - Deborah K. Fitzgerald, professor of the history of technology in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, has been appointed Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. January 24, 2007

High-flying fame for Hoffman - Jeffrey Hoffman, a professor of the practice in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 5. January 23, 2007

LeaderShape calls students to action - Senior Ruth Misener attended LeaderShape in 2006 because of the passion a friend had for the program, but she is returning in 2007 to share her own. January 22, 2007

Science writer awarded physics prize - Marcia Bartusiak, a visiting professor in MIT's graduate program in science writing, joins venerable physicists in receiving the American Institute of Physics' Gemant Award. January 16, 2007

Hynes named scientific governor of U.K. charity - Professor Richard O. Hynes has been named scientific governor of the United Kingdom's largest charity, the Wellcome Trust, effective Jan. 1. January 12, 2007

IAP rekindles 'Pleasures of Poetry' - Pleasures of Poetry, the seminar-style, daily IAP gathering to read and discuss memorable poems, began on Monday, January 8. January 10, 2007

Suburbia gets neo-New Deal - An international architecture journal has devoted an entire issue to the results of an MIT urban design studio addressing how to rescue suburbia after the coming economic crash. January 10, 2007

Scientists mark 50 years since key RNA discovery - Profound doubts were the frequent response when MIT biophysicist Alexander Rich announced 50 years ago that two single-strand ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules could spontaneously align themselves to form a double helix. January 9, 2007

Micro-RNA research proves Rich's 1961 'suggestion' - In 1961 Alexander Rich made a prophetic suggestion that is just now coming to fruition. January 9, 2007

William Orme-Johnson, inorganic biochemistry expert, dies at 68 - MIT Professor Emeritus of Chemistry William H. Orme-Johnson, heralded for his four decades of contributions in the field of inorganic biochemistry, died Jan. 1 after a long illness. He was 68. January 8, 2007

Tim Berners-Lee receives Draper Prize - The man credited with inventing the World Wide Web, Timothy J. Berners-Lee, will receive the 2007 Charles Stark Draper Prize, the $500,000 annual award and gold medallion considered "engineering's Nobel Prize." January 5, 2007

Mark Bear named Picower director - Neuroscientist Mark F. Bear, an expert on how the brain changes in response to experience, has been appointed director of the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. January 2, 2007

Talk on cheese gives a taste of 'terroir' - Plates of handcrafted cheeses, carefully arranged for identification purposes, were distributed to an eager group of auditors last month, in connection with a talk given by Heather Paxson, lecturer in anthropology. January 2, 2007

Drela elected fellow of AIAA for aircraft design - Mark Drela, the Terry J. Kohler Professor of Fluid Dynamics in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, has been elected a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. December 29, 2006

Sengupta wins $4M breast cancer award - Shiladitya Sengupta, assistant professor of medicine at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and Brigham and Women's Hospital, has won one of three 2006 Era of Hope Scholar Awards from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. December 21, 2006

Faculty make musical recommendations - Faculty from MIT's music section and the Media Laboratory offer the recordings listed below as their favorite holiday music. December 19, 2006

MIT musicians pick season's hits - Faculty from MIT's music section and the Media Laboratory offer the recordings listed below as great gifts to give and receive this holiday season. December 13, 2006

No faculty meeting Dec. 20 - The remaining scheduled faculty meeting dates for the 2006-07 academic year are: Feb. 21, 2007; March 21, 2007; April 18, 2007; and May 16, 2007. December 13, 2006

Professor Stephen Meyer dies at 54 - Stephen M. Meyer, MIT political science professor, an expert in national security issues and a passionate advocate of global biodiversity, died Dec. 10 at the age of 54. The cause was cancer. December 12, 2006

Austrian honor for Zhang - Shuguang Zhang, associate director of MIT's Center for Biomedical Engineering, recently received Austria's 2006 Wilhelm Exner Medal for outstanding contributions to science and technology from the president of Austria, Heinz Fischer. December 8, 2006

Faculty resume debate on curriculum changes - Focusing heavily on potential changes in math and science requirements, around 200 faculty members discussed at a Nov. 29 meeting the proposed changes in MIT's curriculum contained in a report from the Task Force on the Undergraduate Educational Commons. December 6, 2006

MLK prof explores radiation, nuclear monitoring - Dwight Williams, an award-winning nuclear engineer and a Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor, always had a passion for science. But it didn't completely click until he took physics during his senior year in high school. December 6, 2006

Slocum distills debate on curricular change - Alexander Slocum performed his poem, "Free the Endorphins!" at the Nov. 29 faculty meeting. December 6, 2006

Humans grieve for the 'given' world - How are human beings reacting to displacement of their natural, or "given," world by a built world? This question lay at the heart of a talk given by Professor Rosalind Williams, the last in a series of fall colloquia titled "The Big Questions." December 6, 2006

Special faculty meeting Nov. 29 - A special meeting of the faculty will take place Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 32-123 (Kirsch Auditorium). November 29, 2006

Robotic pets may be bad medicine - In the face of techno-doomsday punditry, Sherry Turkle has long been a proponent of the positive. But now the director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self says she has finally met a technology that upsets her. November 29, 2006

AAAS names four fellows from MIT faculty - The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has awarded the distinction of Fellow to 449 members, including four MIT faculty members. November 27, 2006

Makan's '2' will be performed next month - Keeril Makan, 35, is a sought-after contemporary composer who has received commissions from various ensembles and organizations all over the country and has participated in music festivals around the world. November 22, 2006

DeFrantz's 'Queer Theory' builds musical bridges - "Queer Theory! A Musical Travesty," written and directed by Thomas DeFrantz, associate professor of music and theater arts, will be performed Thursday, Nov. 30 through Saturday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m., in Kresge Little Theater. November 22, 2006

MIT conference honors artist at 70 - Fellow artists, students and colleagues at MIT celebrated the life and creative career of Joan Jonas, professor of visual arts, with a daylong conference titled "Theatricality in Contemporary Art," held Oct. 23. November 22, 2006

Faculty discuss curriculum changes - Faculty discussion of the new curriculum changes proposed by the Task Force on the Undergraduate Educational Commons continued last week at the Nov. 15 faculty meeting. November 21, 2006

Statements by Susumu Tonegawa, Rafael Reif - MIT Professor Susumu Tonegawa has issued a statement regarding his decision to resign as director of the Picower Institute of Learning and Memory. November 17, 2006

Susumu Tonegawa to step down from Picower Institute leadership - Professor Susumu Tonegawa has announced his intention to step down as director of the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT to devote himself to research. November 17, 2006

Stephen Madden, retired professor, dies at 70 - Stephen J. Madden, Jr., a retired professor who taught in several MIT departments, died Oct. 7. He was 70. November 17, 2006

MIT chemist studies how electrons behave - Troy Van Voorhis likes to watch how things work. This natural curiosity led to his current research on the behavior of electrons, which will now be further supported by a 2006 David and Lucile Packard Foundation fellowship. November 17, 2006

Science meets the human spirit in reading of 'On Ego' - Catalyst Collaborative at MIT, a collaboration between MIT and Underground Railway Theater, will present a staged reading of "On Ego," co-written by British playwright Mick Gordon and neuropsychologist Paul Broks, on Monday, Dec. 4. November 15, 2006

Faculty to meet Nov. 15 - A regular meeting of the faculty will take place Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 32-123. November 14, 2006

Soap Box speakers urge energy conservation - Americans need to take personal responsibility for their energy consumption, according to John Heywood, the Sun Jae Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Sloan Automotive Laboratory. November 13, 2006

Veteran makes his peace with war stories - At first glance, Adjunct Professor Joe Haldeman appears to be a man of contradictions--a pacifist who writes about war, a former astronomy major who has spent his career working in the arts. November 9, 2006

Building expert describes studies of daylight - Using as much natural light in buildings as possible has many advantages over using artificial lights, if its penetration is appropriately controlled, said Assistant Professor Marilyne Andersen at a Building Technology Lecture Series talk November 8, 2006

George B. Thomas, calculus textbook author, dies - George B. Thomas, a mathematician who turned a one-year teaching appointment at MIT into a 38-year career and whose well-regarded textbook has been used around the world, died Oct. 31 of natural causes in State College, Pa. He was 92. November 8, 2006

Scientific American names Belcher top researcher - Professor Angela Belcher has been named Research Leader of the Year by Scientific American. Three other MIT researchers are also among the magazine's annual list of the nation's top 50 technology leaders. November 6, 2006

MIT creates group to coordinate neuroscience hiring - MIT is establishing an Advisory Council on Neuroscience to oversee and coordinate faculty hiring and recruitment in the Institute's growing neuroscience programs and to help articulate a coherent program for MIT's work in the field. November 2, 2006

Engineer to review energy use in manufacturing - MIT professor Timothy G. Gutowski's mission is to help the manufacturing industry lighten up, energy-wise. November 1, 2006

Lander named one of America's 'best leaders' - Professor Eric Lander, founder and director of the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute, is featured as one of America's 20 best leaders in the Oct. 30, 2006 issue of U.S. News and World Report. October 27, 2006