Women at MIT have been impacting their fields since Ellen Swallow Richards, the first woman graduate of MIT, was appointed chemistry instructor in 1882. Richards was an industrial and environmental chemist who established the Woman’s Laboratory in 1876 to create better opportunities for the scientific education of women, opening future opportunities at MIT and beyond.
SPOTLIGHT: Modeling the threat of nuclear warAs part of his doctoral studies in MIT’s Department of Nuclear Scienc and Engineering, Eli Sanchez focused on understanding whether hypersonic missiles are a threat to global security. |
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With inspiration from “Tetris,” MIT researchers develop a better radiation detectorThe device, based on simple tetromino shapes, could determine the direction and distance of a radiation source, with fewer detector pixels. |
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Propelling atomically layered magnets toward green computersMIT scientists have tackled key obstacles to bringing 2D magnetic materials into practical use, setting the stage for the next generation of energy-efficient computers. |
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NSE researchers discover “neutronic molecules”A study by graduate students Hao Tang and Guoqing Wang, and profs Ju Li and Paola Cappellaro, shows neutrons can bind to nanoscale atomic clusters known as quantum dots. The finding may provide insights into material properties and quantum effects. |
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2024 NSE Research ExpoThe MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering hosts its annual Research Expo on April 26, 2024. The event will showcase NSE research from across the Department. |
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Lessons from Fukushima: Prepare for the unlikelyAn analysis of the 2011 nuclear accident reveals a need for more preparation, training, and protocols for responding to low-probability accidents. |
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A first-ever complete map for elastic strain engineeringNew research by a team of MIT engineers offers guide for fine-tuning specific material properties |
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Tests show high-temperature superconducting magnets are ready for fusionDetailed study of magnets built by MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems confirms they meet requirements for an economic, compact fusion power plant. |
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Researchers harness 2D magnetic materials for energy-efficient computingNSE’s Thanh Nguyen and Mingda Li with an MIT team precisely controlled an ultrathin magnet at room temperature, which could enable faster, more efficient processors and computer memories. |
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Future nuclear power reactors could rely on molten salts — but what about corrosion?NSE’s Associate Professor Michael Short and postdoc Dr. Weiyue Zhou have demonstrated that proton irradiation decreases the rate of corrosion in certain metal alloys. This is potentially good news for designers and builders of promising nuclear power reactors that rely on molten salts, which tend to be highly corrosive. |
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SPOTLIGHT: Ericmoore Jossou: Optimizing nuclear fuels for next-generation reactorsWhile working on nurturing scientific talent in his native Nigeria, Ericmoore Jossou is setting his sights on using materials science and computation to design robust nuclear components. |
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Jacopo Buongiorno elected to NAENSE’s Jacopo Buongiorno along with 15 from MIT, elected to National Academy of Engineering in 2024 are honored for significant contributions to engineering research, practice, and education |
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Technique could improve the sensitivity of quantum sensing devicesThe method lets researchers identify and control larger numbers of atomic-scale defects, to build a bigger system of qubits. |
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SPOTLIGHT: Guoqing Wang: Exploring quantum phenomena through an engineering perspectiveGuoqing Wang has channeled a deep love of physics to the study of different aspects of quantum sciences. |
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SPOTLIGHT: Masashi Hirose: Democratizing Access to QuantumA passion for quantum physics has led Masashi Hirose, an alumnus of MIT-NSE, to seek to revolutionize computing by creating a network of viable quantum computers. |
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NSE’s Madhumitha Ravichandran selected as MIT-Pillar AI Collective FellowyNSE PhD candidate, Madhumitha Ravichandran, is one of hree MIT students selected as an inaugural MIT-Pillar AI Collective Fellows. The graduate students will aim to commercialize innovations in AI, machine learning, and data science. |
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SPOTLIGHT: Isabel Naranjo De Candido: Improving access to nuclear energyMotivated by the need for a reliable and stable source of energy to fight climate change, NSE PhD candidate Isabel Naranjo De Candido is working on optimizing the construction and management of small modular reactors so they can be efficient in all stages of their lifecycle: building; operations and maintenance; and decommissioning. |
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2023 HighlightsTop NSE news stories from the last twelve months. |
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MIT engineers develop a way to determine how the surfaces of materials behaveProf Bilge Yildiz and colleagues devised a machine-learning-based method to investigate how materials behave at their surfaces. The approach could help in developing compounds or alloys for use as catalysts, semiconductors, or battery components. |
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Diving into nuclear submarinesNuclear Science and Engineering Department creates course for Australian Submarine Agency. The three-week course covered a broad range of topics, including the basics of nuclear reactor theory and design, operations and safety, training, the operation of nuclear shipyards and more. |
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Team engineers nanoparticles using ion irradiation to advance clean energy and fuel conversionThe work by NSE’s Prof Bilge Yildiz and collaborators demonstrates control over key properties leading to better performance. |
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Physicists trap electrons in a 3D crystal for the first timeThe results, published by a team of MIT researchers including Prof Mingda Li, open the door to exploring superconductivity and other exotic electronic states in three-dimensional materials. |
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Dennis Whyte Steps Down as Director of the Plasma Science and Fusion CenterAfter building an organization notable for its growth and human-centered culture, Whyte will devote his full attention to teaching, engaging in cutting-edge fusion research, and pursuing entrepreneurial activities at NSE and the PSFC. |
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Engineers develop an efficient process to make fuel from carbon dioxideThe approach by researchers at MIT and Harvard directly converts the greenhouse gas into formate, a solid fuel that can be stored indefinitely and could be used to heat homes or power industries. |
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A new view on nuclear energyUnique, three-day MIT class offers in-depth look at features and issues of nuclear energy |
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SPOTLIGHT: Jill Rahon: Soaring high in the Army — and in researchAfter three deployments in Afghanistan, Lieutenant Colonel Jill Rahon is pursuing research that will help verify conformation of nuclear treaties. |
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How to decarbonize the world, at scaleIn her keynote at MITEI’s Annual Research Conference, Anne White stressed the urgency to “develop and scale low-carbon and zero-carbon solutions ... with a practical systems-based approach that considers efficiency, affordability, equity, and sustainability for how the world will meet its energy needs.” |
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Paola Cappellaro elected 2023 American Physical Society FellowNominated by the Division of Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics, Professor Cappellaro was cited, “[f]or groundbreaking contributions to quantum control and quantum sensing with spin systems.” |
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Building a strong pipeline for the workforce of tomorrowThe inaugural edition of Global Forum Rising Stars hosted at MIT NSE united women from around the world through a series of networking and information-sharing workshops |
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EVENT: Haowei Xu PhD’23 winds 2023 Del Favero Thesis PrizeXu will deliver the Del Favero Thesis Prize Lecture on the topic of his PhD work — optical control over nuclear degrees of freedom. |
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3 Questions: What should scientists and the public know about nuclear waste?Professor Haruko Wainwright describes a new effort to communicate information about managing and disposing of spent fuel from nuclear reactors. |
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Making more magnetism possible with topologyMIT’s Mingda Li, Nathan Drucker, Thanh Nguyen, and Phum Siriviboon show how topology can help create magnetism at higher temperatures |
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Rafael Mariano Grossi speaks about nuclear power’s role at a critical moment in historyThe head of the International Atomic Energy Agency addresses the world’s urgent energy and environmental challenges. |
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Jacopo Buongiorno elected 2023 NURETH FellowEstablished in 1980 by the Thermal Hydraulics Division of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), NURETH Fellows are appointed once every two years — Buongiorno is recognized for scholarly accomplishments and impact in the thermal-hydraulics field and for his exceptional contributions to NURETH conferences. |
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Professor Emeritus Sidney Yip wins Monie A. Ferst AwardEstablished in 1977, the Sigma Xi’s Monie A. Ferst Award honors “science and engineering teachers who have inspired their students to significant research achievements”. |
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Sensing and controlling microscopic spin density in materialsNSE’s Guoqing Wang, Paola Cappellaro and Ju Lishow that they may be able to develop new quantum sensors or quantum simulations by fine-tuning the spin density in some materials. |
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EVENT: 2023 David J. Rose LectureRafael Mariano Grossi, the IAEA’s Director General, will discuss the IAEA’s unique role, cutting across science, international security and development, and what it means amid today’s challenges, ranging from poverty, disease and hunger to energy insecurity, global warming and war. |
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Cancelling noise for improving quantum devicesPostdoc Guoqing Wang, Prof. Paola Cappellaro, Prof Ju Li and a team of researchers develop protocol to extend life of quantum coherence; the method to achieve a 20-fold increase in the coherence times for nuclear-spin qubits. |
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Patrick Adrian receives prestigious Fellowship in High-Energy-Density SciencesAdrian has been awarded the Director’s Postdoctoral Fellowship in High-Energy-Density Sciences from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico to further his study of high-energy-density physics. |
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Bilge Yildiz selected as Fellow of The Electrochemical SocietyEach year 15 renowned scientists and engineers are selected by their peers for advanced individual technological contributions to the fields of electrochemistry and solid state science and technology, and for service to ECS. |
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VIDEO: Anne White explains fusion in 5 levels of difficultyFusion underpins some of the most basic processes in our universe and holds the promise of virtually limitless, clean, carbon-free energy. Professor Anne White was challenged to explain the nature of fusion to 5 different people; a child, a teen, a college student, a grad student, and an expert. |
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Powering the future in MongoliaThrough coursework, intercollegiate collaboration, and a site visit, MIT students from classes 22.S094 (Climate and Sustainability Systems: Decarbonizing Ulaanbaatar at Scale) and 21A.S01 (Anthro-Engineering: Decarbonization at the Million-Person Scale) fuse engineering and anthropology to propose innovative energy solutions. |
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Rachel Bielajew honored as one of 40 Graduate Women of Excellence at MIT in 2023These impactful women were chosen for their leadership among their peers, their dedication to improving the MIT graduate student experience, their thoughtful and constructive feedback, and their ability to catalyze change. |
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SPOTLIGHT: Optimizing construction and operation of nuclear energy facilitiesKeen to accelerate the adoption of nuclear energy, Isabel Naranjo De Candido is working on methods to optimize construction and operation of production plants. |
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SPOTLIGHT: Winning over nuclear skepticsKaylee Cunningham might love nuclear engineering and computer science but recognizes that her training could be for naught if myths continue to plague the industry. The activist is committed to help &emdash; one TikTok at a time. |