Professors Called to Washington to Serve, Advise the President
Since Obama stepped into the White House, he has called on several MIT professors to work in or with his administration. Four have taken temporary leave from the Institute to work full-time in Washington, and others serve as advisers. These professors have taken on diverse tasks: managing budgets, crafting policy, overseeing legislation, and working with other countries.
Alumni Donations Shrink
The total monetary value of alumni donations to Institute’s largest alumni giving funds has decreased. Although about the same number of people are giving, they’re giving less money.
Some MIT Stem Cell Scientists Helped by End of Federal Ban
President Obama’s change to federal stem cell policy, providing researchers with access to additional lines of stem cells under federal money, eliminates barriers faced to research by some MIT scientists.
FSILGs Face Loss of Option to House Non-MIT Summer Renters
The ability of Fraternities, Sororities, and Independent Living Groups (FSILGs) to charge and accept non-student summer boarders is in jeopardy. Those boarders have been critical to struggling revenues at FSILGs.
Overall Reaction Mixed, But Vocal Segment Opposes Meal Plan
Hastily-produced signs decorated the walls of the Infinite on Monday, highlighting phrases from a proposal to revamp dining that students found objectionable.
Ragon Donates $100 Million to Start HIV Research Institute Near Kendall
MIT alumnus Phillip T. Ragon ’71 pledged $100 million last Wednesday to fund a multidisciplinary research institute dedicated to developing an HIV vaccine. The Ragon Institute will bring together scientists, engineers, and doctors from MIT, Harvard, and Massachusetts General Hospital under Bruce Walker, an AIDS researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital.
MIT News in the World
So many important events have happened over the course of 2008 at MIT. With pioneering research, prominent awards, and influential visitors, MIT has enjoyed a prosperous year and has continued its history of excellence in science and technology.
Four Thousand Flock to MIT to Seek Jobs Overseas
The 13th European Career Fair was held at MIT this past Saturday, attracting candidates and employers from all over the world amidst a bleak economy. Over 4,000 candidates from more than 16 countries seeking internships and jobs sent their resumes in and attended the fair this year.
CMS Director Leaves For USC Citing Workload, Lack of Faculty
Professor Henry Jenkins, co-director of the Comparative Media Studies program, announced on Monday he will be leaving for a position at the University of Southern California. Jenkins has been with MIT for nearly 20 years and co-founded CMS. He and his wife Cynthia have also served as housemasters of Senior House for the past 14 years.
High School Seniors Compete at MIT In Siemens Contest Regional Final
Sixteen high school students descended upon campus last weekend as part of the annual Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology to compete for $9,000 dollars and an invitation to the national finals in New York where $100,000 is up for grabs.
Physics Dept.’s Soljacic Receives MacArthur for Wireless Electricity
It started with a vision of self-charging cell phones, Marin Soljacic explained.
McCain, Obama Policy Advisors Debate Future of U.S. Energy
Representatives from the Obama and McCain campaign faced off in last night’s presidential energy debate, co-sponsored by the MIT Energy Initiative and the MIT Energy Club. Both Jason Grumet, adviser to Obama, and James Woolsey, adviser to McCain, agreed that the US must reduce its oil dependence, but argued over financing a transition away from oil.
MIT Experts Weigh In on Economic Woes
With a long recession looming, the government is enacting drastic measures to curb the recent financial problems, but when will things improve? Is Congress doing enough? Can Congress even solve the problem now?
Comedian Russell Peters Will Perform at Kresge in October
Known for his racial humor and “gay Indian” jokes, Canadian comedian Russell Peters will be headlining this year’s Fall Festival. Tickets for his show on Oct. 3 in Kresge went on sale for MIT students on Sept. 17 and can be ordered online for $15 at <i>https://sao.mit.edu/tickets/</i>.
More Freshmen Place Out of Biology in Advanced Standing Exams
The Class of 2012’s performance on the advanced standing exams (ASEs) was markedly different from last year’s as freshman performed better on the biology exams but poorer on the physics exams. And for the second year, results on the newly rewritten Math Diagnostic for Physics Placement exam was used to limit enrollment to the popular 8.012 alternative to 8.01.