President Kornbluth addresses the Trump administration, generative AI, and future of the Institute
On Feb. 3, The Tech spoke with President Sally Kornbluth about the Institute’s plans in response to the Trump administration’s new policies affecting higher education and research.
Meet Nergis Mavalvala PhD ’97, Dean of the School of Science
Learn about Dean Mavalvala’s journey to MIT from Pakistan, her “Mind Blown” notebook of ideas, the Life Sciences and Health Collaborative, and her perspectives on how MIT has evolved.
Four 2025 Rhodes Scholars hail from MIT
Yiming Chen ’24, Wilhem Hector ’25, Anushka Nair ’25, and David Oluigbo ’25 have been selected as 2025 Rhodes Scholars to pursue postgraduate studies at Oxford University beginning next fall.
MIT Human Insight Collaborative holds launch event on Oct. 28.
The Institute launched the MIT Human Insight Collaborative (MITHIC), an initiative seeking to promote intersectionality between faculty in the humanities, arts, and social sciences and their peers across MIT in a formal kickoff event on Oct. 28.
The 2024 Election: The Institute Reacts
Student voices echo the sentiments of the nation, administration largely silent
Meet Anantha Chandrakasan, Dean of Engineering
Chandrakasan: “I was rejected by MIT. I remember being on a call with the MIT graduate office. I was emotional about the rejection—I think I cried—but they were very kind and gave me good advice and valuable support even then.”
Minding the Brain: Professor Mehrdad Jazayeri on brain models research, the HHMI award, and the growth of neuroscience
Mehrdad Jazayeri, Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, has recently been named an HHMI Investigator for his research on the mind-brain connection. Having immigrated from Iran and pursued his academic journey at NYU and the University of Washington, Jazayeri's research at MIT combines cognitive science, neuroscience, and machine learning to connect the biological mechanisms of the brain to the computational capacities of the mind.
Fireside Chat with Dan Riccio: Former Apple Executive Shares Reflections on his Journey
Riccio: “I always wanted to be the first person to get there in the morning and the last person to be there at night. When anything came up, I wouldn't wait… It’s just how I was.”
The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard lays off 87 employees
In an Oct 10 email to members of the Broad Institute community, Todd Golub, the Director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard announced the layoff of 87 employees, 75 of whom were part of the Data Sciences Platform and IT departments.
Nobel Week at the Institute
Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson PhD ’89, and James A. Robinson shared the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for 2024 "for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity." Their work traces increased prosperity in nations today back to having more inclusive institutions during the colonial period. Acemoglu is an Institute Professor in the Department of Economics. Johnson received his PhD in Economics at MIT in 1989 and is the Ronald A. Kurtz (1954) Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Sloan School of Management.
Decoding the Dogma: Dr. Gene-Wei Li on quantitative analysis of the genome and being named an HHMI Investigator
The Tech sat down with Dr. Gene-Wei Li to talk about working at MIT and his research at the forefront of computational biology.
Prof. Steven Flavell on researching neural circuits in C. elegans and being named an HHMI Investigator
C. elegans is a little roundworm, about a millimeter long and barely visible to the naked eye. And it only has 302 brain cells.
Breaking: MIT President Sally Kornbluth announces Deadline for clearing Pro-Palestinian encampment in Kresge Oval
In a statement to the MIT community at 1:44 p.m. May 6, MIT President Sally Kornbluth set a deadline for clearing a Pro-Palestinian encampment of 2:30 p.m. A letter signed by Chancellor Melissa Nobles to those within the encampment warned of varying degrees of academic suspension to students who remained.
OmicsWeb: start-up co-founded by MIT professor launches bioinformatics copilot
“Now, it's the time to take advantage of these opportunities.”
Catalyzing medical innovation
Amie Kitjasateanphun: “We provided a fresh perspective and were able to really pinpoint some problems that they hadn't really thought about.”
ChatMIT: Sam Altman on Start-ups, GPT, and the AI Revolution
Altman: “We have a ton of work in front of us.”
MIT.nano: engineering at the heart of the Institute
Scholvin: “Nothing that happens in microfabrication should work. And the reason it's possible is because we negotiate with nature, in some sense.”
Referendum 2 proponents speak at Undergraduate Association Council meeting
Referendum #2 speakers call for an ad hoc committee “to handle the interpretation and implementation of the referendum.”
NASA’s budget cuts for the Chandra X-ray Observatory could leave a gaping hole in the field
NASA’s recently released budget plan for the next 5 years drastically erodes funding for Chandra to nearly nothing. In other words, NASA plans to terminate the program—and hundreds of scientists around the world are furious.
Achievements from the nanoscale to the Institute: Paula Hammond SB ’84 PhD ‘93 named 52nd Killian Award recipient
Killian Award Committee: “She is someone worth emulating. Indeed, simply put, she is the best of us.”
The clock strikes opening night at the Boston Ballet’s Cinderella
The Tech attended Boston Ballet’s March 14, 2024 showing of Cinderella, the opening night.
Chlormequat chloride in oats: what it means for us
In 2018, the EPA first allowed the importation of chlormequat, and thus it was introduced into American diets. The EWG realized that while some research indicated potential impacts on mammalian fertility and development, the USDA and FDA were not testing for chlormequat in foods and were not conducting any research on it. Here, they saw an opportunity to study the chemical right as it was being introduced into the country.
Prof. Edmund Bertschinger shares his perspective on the importance of science activism and diversity in STEM
The Tech sat down with Bertschinger to discuss his unique position at MIT and his work towards a more diverse MIT.
Lessons Learned from Moungi Bawendi’s Nobel Lecture
Even after winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Bawendi says that he still needs to “learn more.”
Celina Zhao ’24 shares her journey in science journalism
Explaining scientific concepts can be hard. But Celina Zhao '24 makes it look easy.
Can scientists mimic the benefits of CBD without using cannabis?
A team of researchers has uncovered a mechanism by which CBD prevents severe epileptic seizures.
Being pre-med at MIT: Chloe McCreery ’23 and Joanna Lin ’23
Chloe McCreery ’23 and Joanna Lin ’22, both alumni of The Tech, sat down to reflect on their journeys in medicine. McCreery graduated with a degree in Biological Engineering, and is a research associate in the Engreitz Lab at Stanford Medicine. Lin graduated with degrees in Biology and French in 2021, and then studied abroad in France. She is a 2nd-year medical student at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Ayomikun Ayodeji ’22 announced Rhodes Scholar
Ayodeji sat down with The Tech to share his journey and passions regarding energy systems and management in Africa.
Siddhu Pachipala ’27 on why politics is a necessary complement to scientific research
Siddhu Pachipala ’27 intends to study Course 17 (political science) at MIT. He believes there is a need to become fluent in both the languages of science and politics in order to change the world for the better. He sat down with The Tech to discuss his journey from a psychology researcher to an aspiring politician.
Your immune system could be the cause of memory loss
The immune response damages our ability to learn and remember things, even before symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease become apparent.