humanities archive

China Forum lecture series begins May 14 - MIT will kick off a new monthly lecture series on China with a May 14 talk by Yingyi Qian, dean of the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University and professor of economics at UC Berkeley. Qian will speak about China's economic transformation. May 7, 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

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

E-ZPass takes a toll - Eighteen months of road trips between Boston and New York and one Eureka moment inspired MIT economist Amy Finkelstein to study the hidden cost of E-ZPass, the popular electronic toll collection system that eliminates the frustration of manual tolls. April 9, 2008

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, 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

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, 2008

Solving the drug price crisis - The mounting U.S. drug price crisis can be contained and eventually reversed by separating drug discovery from drug marketing and by establishing a non-profit company to oversee funding for new medicines, according to two MIT experts. March 17, 2008

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, 2008

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, 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

MIT site puts human face on Iraq war - As the war in Iraq approaches its fifth anniversary, a new MIT web site aims to provide an accurate account of living conditions, as well as civilian injuries and deaths due to political violence, throughout the Middle Eastern state. January 18, 2008

Community engagement benefits interracial ties - People who are involved in community organizations and activities and who socialize with their co-workers are much more likely to have friends of another race than those who do not, according to a landmark MIT study of interracial friendship. December 28, 2007

The art of communication - MIT is making it easier for students, faculty and staff to learn about the hundreds of energizing performances, lectures and other art events taking place at the Institute. December 12, 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

Reporting now from the future - A producer of the megahit computer game, "The Sims," and a folklorist who specializes in Harry Potter fan-fiction will join industry and academic leaders in the conference, Futures of Entertainment 2, to be held Nov. 16-17 at MIT. November 14, 2007

Course promotes scientific approach in poverty fight - MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab is technically located on the edge of campus. But the real lab is a primary school in a sub-Saharan African town, a household kitchen in a home in rural India or an unemployment line in a suburb of Paris. 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

Bustani seminars focus on Mideast - The Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar at MIT will celebrate its 22nd anniversary with two lectures this fall on contemporary Middle Eastern affairs. September 12, 2007

Grad student tracks the 'jihad effect' - An MIT graduate student has received a fellowship from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security-funded research center to study the "jihad effect" - that is, how wars impact the trajectory of terrorist movements. August 29, 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

Research suggests retirement wealth will grow - The average value of Americans' 401(k) plans will be substantially higher in real terms by the year 2040 even if stock market returns fall short of their historical values, according to new research by a team of economists from MIT, Harvard and Dartmouth. August 6, 2007

MIT International Review eyes global solutions - A pair of globally minded MIT students have launched a new journal that aims to hash out solutions to major world problems with the kind of cross-disciplinary zeal that is becoming commonplace at the Institute. July 5, 2007

MIT Press wins prestigious international award - Ellen W. Faran, Director of the MIT Press, has received the 2007 Grinzane-Cavour Award in recognition of MIT Press' contributions, both substantial and ethical, to the publication of scientific and humanistic titles. June 26, 2007

Foreign Languages & Literature awards - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. June 6, 2007

Literature awards - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. June 6, 2007

'WACK!' weighs impact of feminist art - "WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution," published by MIT Press to accompany an exhibition of the same name, inspires challenging questions. The exhibition is a collection of art produced by women during the late 1960s through the 1970s. May 2, 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

'Last Mughal' author discusses Great Mutiny's toll - More than 125 attendees came to hear renowned travel writer and historian William Dalrymple discuss his latest book, "The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi, 1857," a dynamic narrative of the violent end of the last Mughal imperial court. April 5, 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

Mark Doty will read poems at MIT - The List Visual Arts Center will present a poetry reading by Mark Doty on Wednesday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the Stata Center, Room 32-144. March 20, 2007

Goleman will discuss 'social intelligence' - Daniel Goleman, who covers behavioral science and health for the New York Times, will deliver a talk titled "Social Intelligence" on Thursday, March 15. March 14, 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

SHASS selects 26 Burchard Scholars - Twenty-six sophomores and juniors have been selected as Burchard Scholars in the School of Humanities and Social Science (SHASS) for 2007. February 26, 2007

Seuss fans unite for 17th annual fete - Most people standing up to give a literary reading announce the title of the work they are about to share with their audience. Not so Professor Henry Jenkins at MIT's 17th annual Salute to Dr. Seuss. February 6, 2007

'Living Weapon' film features MIT bioweapons expert - MIT security studies expert Jeanne Guillemin is among those featured in a Feb. 5 PBS documentary, "American Experience: The Living Weapon," that looks at America's top-secret program to develop biological weapons. February 2, 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

Podcasting enables 24/7 foreign language study - MIT's Foreign Languages and Literatures section is exploring ways to use podcasting and mobile media players in language teaching, enabling their students more frequent and non-traditional ways to hear and speak new languages. January 3, 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

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

Experts available to discuss international issues - MIT faculty with expertise on national security and international issues are available for comment to members of the media. December 6, 2006

MIT political scientists list key points on Iraq - The Iraq Study Group, headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker, is scheduled to issue its report Dec. 6. Four MIT foreign policy experts have summarized key points they believe the U.S. should consider in addressing the Iraq situation. December 6, 2006

Economist portrays a new Democratic moment - All eyes may be on Iraq right now. But Alice Amsden, an MIT professor of economy, clearly hopes the new Congress will move to foster the kind of economic growth in the developing world that will fight terrorism by depriving it of oxygen. November 30, 2006

Machinima group animates life 'in-world' - Student researchers working with MIT professor Beth Coleman are exploring machinima, one branch of the rapidly evolving world of computer animation, in which they are experimenting with new modes of cinematic expression. October 27, 2006

French program plumbs cultural depths - French-language students at MIT and English-language students in France are benefiting from a breakthrough method of instruction developed by Senior Lecturer Gilberte Furstenberg and her colleagues. October 27, 2006

Henderson named dean for curriculum and faculty - Dean for Undergraduate Education Daniel Hastings has named Professor Diana Henderson the dean for curriculum and faculty. In that role she will serve as director of the new Office of Faculty Support. September 27, 2006

CAVS staffer finds herself on Lost Highway - Soon after Meg Rotzel arrived in Ljubljana, Slovenia, this past July, she met up with 25 strangers at an art gallery, and they all set out to spend the next three days together--as fellow travelers on the Lost Highway Expedition. September 25, 2006

SHASS announces new department heads - Five new heads in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences have been named, effective July 1, 2006. September 12, 2006

Jenkins illuminates clash of media - The exploding complexity of the media in today's society has set up a clash between traditional media -- print, broadcast and the corporate giants that own them -- and the constantly mutating world of new media on the Internet. August 31, 2006

Deborah Fitzgerald named interim dean of SHASS - Deborah K. Fitzgerald, associate dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, has been named the interim dean for the school while a special committee conducts the search for a permanent replacement for Kenan Sahin Dean Philip S. Khoury. June 21, 2006

Experts discuss MySpace issues - MIT and University of California experts recently discussed the role of social networking sites like MySpace, the forces fuelling proposed new restrictions for such youth sites and the effects of limiting participation in new media. May 24, 2006

Orchestra leader bids farewell May 17 - Dante Anzolini, music director of the MIT Symphony Orchestra (MITSO) since 1998, will conduct his farewell concert May 17, leading the symphony in a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 7. May 17, 2006

Students untie mysteries of Incan knots - On Tuesday, May 2, a giant facsimile of a segment of the Xauxa khipu, a bundle of knots the Incas used for a wide variety of record-keeping, was unveiled in the fifth-floor lobby of Building 16. May 9, 2006

$4.25 million donated to support humanities - The School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences has received a $4.25 million gift from an alumnus donor and spouse. April 7, 2006

Experts tackle issues raised by race-based drugs - Scientists and scholars specializing in medicine, public health, social sciences, ethics and law will convene at MIT on April 7 and 8 for a groundbreaking conference on the complex implications of medications created for specific races. April 5, 2006

Prestowitz to give Miller talk - Economist Clyde Prestowitz, a veteran of the Reagan administration and prominent conservative critic of the policies and conduct of the Bush White House, will deliver the annual Charles L. Miller Lecture on April 4. March 22, 2006

Chinese scholar earns fellowship to explore race - An MIT professor of foreign languages and literature whose research focuses on pre-modern Chinese ideas about race has won a Frederick Burkhardt Residential Fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies for 2007-2008. March 17, 2006

Youth benefit from digital culture, Jenkins says - Children need to participate fully in digital culture in order to develop the "skills, knowledge, ethical frameworks and self-confidence needed to be full participants in the world around them," according to MIT Professor Henry Jenkins. March 15, 2006

Stefan Helmreich wins Levitan Prize - Stefan Helmreich, associate professor of anthropology, has been awarded the 2006 James A. and Ruth Levitan Prize in the Humanities. March 10, 2006

Pinsky shares projects, poetry - Former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky discussed poetry, democracy and a new opera in a two-hour panel conversation hosted by the MIT Communications Forum and held in Bartos Theater on Thursday, Feb. 23. February 28, 2006

Virtual forms for buildings and society - Two MIT faculty members presented research and offered innovative perspectives on building technology and digital literacy at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science held February 16-20 in St. Louis. February 23, 2006

Professor sizes up competition in new book - American companies will find the avenues to success in the global economy both wider and less dependent on cheap labor than media reports suggest, according to a new book by Professor Suzanne Berger and MIT colleagues. February 8, 2006

Doctorow signing slated - Science fiction writer Cory Doctorow will be on campus Monday, Feb. 13, for a lecture and book signing, "Down and Out at MIT: An Evening With Cory Doctorow." February 8, 2006

SHASS names Burchard scholars - Thirty-one sophomores and juniors have been selected as Burchard Scholars in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (SHASS) for 2006. February 6, 2006

IAP: Lab puts poverty programs to the test - The executive director of MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab will discuss how scientific methods are being used to measure the impact of poverty reduction policies at an IAP session to be held Feb. 1. January 31, 2006

IAP: Professor illustrates benefits of Wal-Mart - MIT Economics Professor Jerry Hausman placed the cooling hand of numbers on the fevered brow of notions about Wal-Mart's economic impact in a recent IAP session on the consumer benefits from increased shopping competition. January 20, 2006

IAP session analyzes speed dating - So, what do men and women really look for in a date? Economist Raymond Fisman, who spoke on the subject during MIT's Independent Activities Period, thinks he knows. January 11, 2006

Professor Perry gets fellowship - Professor Ruth Perry of literature has been awarded a 2006-2007 fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities to work on a biography of Anna Gordon Brown, an 18th century Scotswoman. December 21, 2005

Contest spurs Filipino entrepreneurs - "Uncommon Solutions to Common Problems," a talk aimed at transforming the Filipino business climate, highlighted the work that Neil Ruiz and a dedicated team of graduate students have done in the past year with the Philippine Emerging Startups Open (PESO). December 14, 2005

Posen will direct Security Studies - Barry Posen, Ford International Professor of Political Science, has been appointed head of the MIT Security Studies Program (SSP). November 30, 2005

National Academies honors Levenson's film for NOVA - Associate Professor Thomas Levenson has been awarded the 2005 National Academies Communications Award in the TV/radio category for "Origins: Back to the Beginning," a film broadcast on the NOVA series on PBS in 2004. November 30, 2005

Panel explores 'unnatural' Katrina disaster - Although Hurricane Katrina was a "natural" disaster, there are lessons to be learned from some of the highly unnatural disasters that followed in its wake, a panel of experts told a crowd gathered at MIT on Nov. 15. November 23, 2005

SHASS professorships announced - Philip S. Khoury, Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, has announced the appointment of two faculty members to named professorships. November 2, 2005

New Orleans survivor gathers stories - Displaced from his home in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans poet, filmmaker, educator and critic Kalamu ya Salaam is leading an effort to record the experiences of scattered New Orleanians during and after the devastating storm and to share these stories with the world via the Internet. November 1, 2005

Professors weigh in on New Orleans planning - Speakers at the third in a series of four symposia exploring "Big Questions After Big Hurricanes" focused heavily on the lack of planning evident following Hurricane Katrina. October 24, 2005

CIS forum confronts terrorism - A former senator and two scholars who served as national security analysts in the Clinton administration discussed the type and timing of the next terrorist attack on the United States in "Report Card on Terror," a panel held Oct. 17 at MIT. October 19, 2005

Women's studies consortium moves to MIT - A pioneering collaboration among prestigious Boston-area universities to advance women's studies scholarship is now housed and administered at MIT. October 14, 2005

Alumnus backs Poverty Action Lab - MIT announced Oct. 12 that alumnus Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel has committed a substantial gift in support of the Poverty Action Lab in the Department of Economics. October 12, 2005

Happy 30th, Boston Review - The Boston Review, an independent political and literary magazine edited by Joshua Cohen, professor of political science and philosophy, and Deb Chasman, will celebrate 30 years of continuous publication with a gala on Tuesday, Oct. 11. October 5, 2005

MIT Latinas lift voices in film - "Nuestras Voces: Being Latina at MIT," a documentary produced by Latina MIT students and alumnae and by MIT faculty, has been included in the 2005 New England Film and Video Festival. The film will screen locally on Oct. 7. October 4, 2005

MIT security seminar turns 20 - An MIT program based in Washington, D.C., that once hosted Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and whose overall aim is to enhance critical thinking about politics, economics and foreign policy, celebrated its 20th anniversary at a gala in the capital on Sept. 12. September 13, 2005

Travis Merritt, professor and undergraduate leader, dies at 71 - Travis R. Merritt, a professor emeritus of literature whose enthusiastic service over four decades at MIT included taking leadership roles as dean for undergraduate academic affairs and director of the Experimental Study Group, died on Sept. 2. September 8, 2005

Historian traces early Chinese empire - A new book by MIT historian Peter Perdue shows how the Qing empire of China controlled Central Asia during the 18th century, shedding light on the challenges facing modern-day Beijing. September 6, 2005

Richard Douglas, former humanities chair, dies at 83 - A memorial service will be held on Sept. 17 in the MIT Chapel. September 2, 2005

Lecture series on religion slated - The dynamics or religion and its role in contemporary political and social life will be explored in an MIT lecture series beginning April 14. April 12, 2005

Fitzgerald named SHASS associate dean - Deborah K. Fitzgerald, a professor of the history of technology, has been named the new associate dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. April 6, 2005

Buddhist message written in sand - Painstakingly created grain by grain, the 4-foot Vajrasattva Sand Mandala was completed yesterday at Simmons Hall in a Buddhist ritual intended to form a physical expression of insight, awareness and altruism. April 6, 2005

Translator wins fellowship - An MIT translator specializing in the work of an Italian poet once called the "czar of the blush" has received the 2004 Raiziss/de Palchi Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets for an English edition of his selected poems. March 25, 2005

Elzbieta Ettinger dies at 80 - Elzbieta Ettinger, a novelist, biographer and professor of writing who helped build the MIT Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, died of heart failure in her home in Cambridge, Mass., on Saturday, March 12. March 15, 2005

Muh winner opens a window on the mind - "What is consciousness in the brain?" According to MIT alumnus Ned Block, who gave a talk as the new recipient of the Robert A. Muh Alumni Award last week, "A lot of our conscious experience is experience we don't even know about." March 9, 2005

Teng receives Levitan Prize - Emma Teng, associate professor of foreign languages and literature and Class of '56 Career Development Chair, has been awarded the 2005 Levitan Prize in the Humanities. March 9, 2005

Philosopher Ned Block receives Muh Award - An alumni award in the humanities, arts and social sciences will be presented to Ned Block, professor of philosophy and psychology at New York University, who will speak March 2 at MIT. February 25, 2005

Women's studies celebrates 20th anniversary - Feminist scholars discussed class and race relations and ways to confront imperialism and heterosexism at a daylong symposium celebrating the 20th anniversary of the MIT Program in Women's Studies. February 15, 2005

Women's studies program celebrates 20 years - The MIT Program in Women's Studies will celebrate its 20th anniversary Feb. 12 with a daylong symposium, "Challenges for Women's Studies: Power, Politics and Gender," with leading feminist scholars Barbara Ehrenreich, Chandra Mohanty and Patricia J. Williams. February 7, 2005

Burchard Scholars announced - The School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences has named 30 sophomores and juniors Burchard Scholars for 2005. February 2, 2005

Award sends Alter to the Himalayas - Stephen Alter has been awarded a 2004-2005 Fulbright grant to research folktales from the Himalayas from January to October 2005. November 17, 2004

Festival ends with a flurry - "Beyond Exile: Central European Writing and Film," an MIT month-long festival of film, poetry and politics, concludes with a flurry of events on Saturday, Oct. 23. October 20, 2004

Internet's snowball effect changes campaigns - "New Media, Old Politics," an MIT panel discussion held last Friday, featured presentations on the impact of the Internet and other forms of new media on the 2004 presidential campaign. October 20, 2004

Khoury outlines Syrian politics - Historian Philip S. Khoury, located Syria in the context of its own history and in the context of Middle Eastern and international relations in a 90-minute talk sponsored by the Security Studies Program. October 6, 2004

Econ faculty named to professorships - Dean Philip Khoury of the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences announced the appointments of several faculty members to professorships, all effective July 1, 2004. October 6, 2004

MIT lecturer produces 'Origins' - MIT lecturer Thomas Levenson tries to to explain the origins of the universe in a four-part, two-night Nova series he helped produce for PBS. September 22, 2004

'Between the Lines' - Parmesh Shahani has been working on "Between the Lines: Negotiating South Asian LGBT Identity," a three-day conference that will take place at MIT from April 1-3. March 31, 2004

New web-based journal explores students' bicultural experiences - The Center for Bilingual/Bicultural Studies has announced the launch of a new web-based e-journal entitled "e•merging: voices on the new diasporas." March 31, 2004

Monk creates mandala - Buddhist monk designs mandala to bring compassion, acceptance and peace into the world, and to encourage an appreciation for diversity in the MIT community. March 10, 2004

Syrian ambassador visits - Dr. Imad Moustapha, Syria's ambassador to the United States, made a brief visit to campus on March 2, hosted by the MIT Arab Student Organization. March 10, 2004

Vowell of 'American Life' delights MIT audience - Author and radio personality Sarah Vowell brought a keen wit and sharp cultural commentary to MIT on Feb. 29, when she read her work, fielded questions. March 10, 2004

Creeley and Lacy perform - Poet Robert Creeley and saxophonist Steve Lacy will inaugurate a "Words and Music" series pairing spoken-word artists with composers and improvisers on Thursday, March 11. March 10, 2004

Latkes vs. hamentashen - Monday night saw several eminent MIT faculty members take on an even starchier question: latkes vs. hamentashen. March 3, 2004

Monks to create mandala - Buddhist monks will begin construction of the Chenrezig Mandala, intended to bring compassion, acceptance and peace into the world, at Simmons Hall on March 3. March 3, 2004

The world goes round mandala - Buddhist monks will begin construction of the Chenrezig Mandala at Simmons Hall on March 3. March 1, 2004

African-American museum - Students in "Theater and Cultural Diversity" performed vignettes from the lives of African-Americans in the "African-American Living History Museum." February 25, 2004

NPR 'geek funny girl' visits MIT - NPR writer and storyteller Sarah Vowell, called "radio's geek funny girl" by the San Francisco Chronicle, will present a talk and book signing on Feb. 29. February 25, 2004

Malveaux gives MLK talk - Julianne Malveaux (Ph.D. 1980) evoked waves of applause Thursday with commentary targeting those she said were contributing to "the dismantling of the dream" of Dr. King. February 11, 2004

Racial divide a fault line - Race is a notion more than a fact, but it's a notion that exerts a powerful influence. This was delivered in a panel session at Milton Academy. February 11, 2004

Malveaux gives MLK talk - Julianne Malveaux (Ph.D. 1980) evoked waves of applause Thursday with commentary targeting those she said were contributing to "the dismantling of the dream" of Dr. King. February 9, 2004

Burchard Scholars selected - Twenty-nine sophomores and juniors have been selected as Burchard Scholars in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (SHASS) for 2004. February 4, 2004

MLK Awards at breakfast - Four MIT community members will receive Dr. Martin Luther King Leadership Awards at MIT's 30th annual breakfast to celebrate Dr. King's life and legacy on Thursday, Feb. 5. January 28, 2004

Malveaux at MLK breakfast - Alumna Julianne M. Malveaux (Ph.D. 1980) will be the keynote speaker for MIT's 30th annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. November 19, 2003

Correction - In an article about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. professors and scholars, there were some errors in the entry about Professor Arlie Petters of Duke University. October 22, 2003

Zen and art of computers - Naoko Tosa and her collaborator Seigo Matsuoka created "The ZENetic Computer," an interactive installation that opens at the MIT Museum. October 22, 2003

Visiting Professor, Scholar - One Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor and one MLK Visiting Scholar have been named, joining four continuing MLK Visiting Professors and one MLK Scholar on campus. October 8, 2003

Briefly - Five from MIT are among TR100 and WTC book published. September 17, 2003

Tibet leader sounds playful note - The Dalai Lama appeared on the Kresge Auditorium stage to start the conference "Investigating the Mind: Exchanges Between Buddhism and the Biobehavioral Sciences on How the Mind Works." September 17, 2003

Mental imagery, meditation - A Buddhist monk of 20 years who received his Ph.D. in cell genetics from the Institut Pasteur described the relation of mental imagery to rigorous meditative practice. September 17, 2003

Dalai Lama enlists science - The Dalai Lama celebrated the "opportunity to make the conversation between scientists and Buddhists open and accessible to a wider community of people." September 17, 2003

Dalai Lama enlists scientists - Eric Lander and Jerome Kagan were asked to address the question of how to proceed in future during the final session of the conference, "Integration and Final Reflections." September 17, 2003

Patricia Powell, author - Patricia Powell, the 2004 Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor of Writing, will open the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies' Writer's Series on Thursday, Sept. 18. September 17, 2003

Science to meet religion in Kresge - The Dalai Lama and other Buddhists discuss the nature of consciousness with cognitive scientists and neuroscientists from MIT and elsewhere in Kresge. September 10, 2003

NACME honors Vest - President Charles M. Vest has been awarded the Reginald H. Jones Distinguished Service Award from NACME in recognition of his leadership. June 4, 2003

Service to humanities - Dean Philip S. Khoury presents the Dean's Award for Distinguished Service to the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences to professors for their leadership. May 14, 2003

The Bard in bits and bytes - Shakespeare set the stage for a high-tech revolution in an MIT curriculum--an irony not lost on Peter Donaldson, principal investigator on the Shakespeare new media projects. May 7, 2003

Scholars in France program - Seven MIT undergraduates embarked on a 17-day IAP exploration of Paris through the new January Scholars in France program. March 12, 2003

Bond decries black poverty - Civil rights pioneer Julian Bond spoke at MIT's 29th annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. February 26, 2003

Quotable - Students speak out at MIT's 29th annual breakfast honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. February 26, 2003

Vest details diversity - President Charles M. Vest announced that MIT would file with the U.S. Supreme Court a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the University of Michigan's policy to include race. February 26, 2003

Black Achiever Award winners - Gail-Lenora Staton and Roy Charles were honored as MIT winners of the 2003 Black Achiever Award. February 12, 2003

Inclusive programs upheld - MIT announced that programs will maintain their critical goals but will be open to students from all races. February 12, 2003

MLK Leadership awards won - Professor Jonathan King, graduate student Hector Hernandez and business executive Chiquita V. White will receive Leadership Awards at MIT's 29th annual breakfast to celebrate Dr. King. February 5, 2003

29 named Burchard Scholars - Twenty-nine sophomores and juniors have been selected as Burchard Scholars in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences for 2003. January 29, 2003

'Pirates' on the horizon - The very model of a not-so-modern major musical opens at MIT on Thursday, Nov. 21 with the MIT Gilbert & Sullivan Players' production of "Pirates of Penzance." November 15, 2002

Work and motherhood discussed - Americans must develop new beliefs about work, mothers, children and child-bearing if they are to achieve equality between men and women and support family well-being, researchers said. October 30, 2002

SHASS names academic heads - Two new heads of academic sections and a new assistant dean for development have been announced in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. September 25, 2002

MIT invited to open house in sukkah - The entire MIT community is invited to an open house in the MIT sukkah (the small wooden hut on Kresge Oval). September 25, 2002

Oshima joins Office of the Arts - Michèle Oshima, program coordinator of MIT's Women's Studies Program , will join the MIT Office of the Arts as director of Special Programs, effective Aug. 1. July 31, 2002

Humanities faculty produces books - Faculty members in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences have published books on numerous topics in the past year. June 5, 2002

Panel discusses security, rights - A symposium held honored the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Center for International Studies. May 22, 2002

Valian talk on gender and careers - Virginia Valian got down to causes and conditions behind the salary and status gaps between men and women across professional groups in a talk at MIT on April 5. April 24, 2002

Alter will read from pilgrimage book - The MIT community will get a chance to hear Stephen Alter read from his book about the spiritual and physical expedition he undertook in India. April 10, 2002

Humanities education methods highlighted - A Feb. 8 conference showcased research projects of the Comparative Media Studies Program , including a new multimedia project on Melville's "Moby Dick." February 27, 2002

Burchard Scholars named - Twenty-seven sophomores and juniors have been selected as Burchard Scholars in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences for 2002 . February 6, 2002

Book commemorates SHASS - The School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (SHASS) has produced an elegant bound volume to commemorate its 50th anniversary celebration in October 2000. October 3, 2001

Humanities professorships announced - Two new endowed professorships have been announced in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. September 26, 2001

Wood to head Women's Studies - Dean Philip S. Khoury of SHASS has announced the appointment of Elizabeth Wood, associate professor of history, as director of the program in Women's Studies. September 12, 2001

Dibner names fellows - The Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology has announced the appointments of 16 senior, nine postdoctoral and six graduate student fellows for 2001-02. April 25, 2001

Sculptures brought to life - Bill Arning, curator of the List Visual Arts Center, displayed breadth of knowledge about modern art in a recent tour of sculptures at MIT. April 22, 2001

TCF sponsors talk, forum - TCF will present two events next week: a talk by Institute Professor Noam Chomsky and a panel discussion on AIDS and the future of Africa. April 4, 2001

Series on rural change funded - Professors Deborah Fitzgerald and Harriet Ritvo have received a $107,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in support of a year-long seminar series. March 8, 2001