Hockfield Announces Creation of Energy Research Council
President Susan J. Hockfield announced the creation of the Environmental Research Council at the State of the Institute Forum on Monday, Sept. 29. The council will organize current and future Institute research related to the environment and will help establish a schoolwide “Environmental Initiative.”
Biogen Idec Leaving Cambridge; Suburbs Feature Lower Costs
Biogen Idec Inc., one of Massachusetts’ largest biotechnology companies, is considering moving its corporate headquarters from Cambridge to Weston, which would add it to a growing list of Cambridge biotechs that have jumped to the suburbs because of lower rents and more options for office space.
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.
Reid Appointed to Role At UNCF, Leaves Position As Director of the OME
Karl W. Reid ’84, Director of the MIT Office of Minority Education since 2005, was recently appointed Senior Vice President of Academic Programs and Strategic Initiatives of the United Negro College Fund in Fairfax, VA. The search for his replacement is currently underway.
Chancellor Clay’s E-Mail to Community Warns About Irresponsible Hacks, Piracy
In an e-mail sent to the student body on Sept. 25, Chancellor Phillip L. Clay PhD ’75 reminded students to hack responsibly and to stop downloading copyrighted works. An almost identical e-mail was sent last October.
MIT Endowment Has 3.2 Percent Yield, Even As U.S. Markets Slide
Despite the faltering economy, MIT’s endowment increased by $88 million, or 3.2 percent, according to figures for fiscal year 2008 released by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Investment Management Company. The endowment now stands at $10.1 billion as of June 30, 2008.
Ig Nobels Reward Quirky Research
Spermicidal cola, archeological armadillos, and lap dancers were the talk of the evening at last night’s Ig Nobels, where a weird ceremony feted the weirdest science of the past year.
Does Your Vote Count? It Depends On Who’s Counting Your Votes
While the debate over who America will vote into the Oval Office is in full swing, so too is the discussion about how the voting will happen. The November elections will feature unprecedented levels and varieties of electronic voting.
Study on Accuracy of SAT Prompts Schools To Accept Other Tests
For the 5,500 college admissions officials and high school guidance counselors who gathered here over the weekend, there were discussions, debates and analyses of things like the ethics of tracking student applicants on Facebook and “Why Good Students Write Bad College Essays — and How to Stop It.”
Many Colleges Wake Up to the Problems of Sleep Deprivation
It’s an age-old predicament: Caffeine-fueled college students cramming for exams and writing papers until the crack of dawn, then skipping or snoozing through classes. Sleep deprivation has long been considered a rite of passage, a point of pride, even.
Credit Crunch Limits Universities’ Access To Short-Term Funds
In a move suggesting how the credit crisis could disrupt American higher education, Wachovia Bank has limited the access of nearly 1,000 colleges to $9.3 billion the bank has held for them in a short-term investment fund, raising worries on some campuses about meeting payrolls and other obligations.
Grad Rat Redesigned for First Time Since 2003
MIT graduate students packed into Walker Memorial on Wednesday night to celebrate the unveiling of the first new Grad Rat ring design since 2003.
50 Years Ago, Smoot Made a Lasting Mark on Cambridge
After decades of cheering pedestrians during the long trek across the Harvard Bridge, the Smoot marks turn fifty tomorrow, and MIT students and alumni are gearing up to celebrate a tradition that spans generations with a shoreline cleanup, a concert by famed oldies group “The Platters,” and a 1950s-themed party.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between Sept. 4 and Sept. 30, 2008. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, or medical shuttles.</i>
News Briefs
Forty-one of the 74 women who registered for recruitment pledged the new MIT chapter of Pi Beta Phi. New members were greeted by sisters of other national Pi Phi chapters at a bid day celebration on Sunday.
Business Schools Counsel Grads in Financial Crisis
Last week, Harvard Business School mounted its own emergency rescue mission on Wall Street.
MIT’s Soljacic and Ochsendorf Win MacArthur Prizes
A Harvard neurobiologist who regularly does surgery on fruit fly brains smaller than a poppy seed, and an MIT structural engineer who searches for modern design principles in Gothic churches, are among the 25 winners of the $500,000 MacArthur “genius” grants announced last week.
MIT E-Voting Project To Analyze Experience Of Voters in Election
As the election approaches, a question lingers with increasing urgency on the minds of concerned citizens: to e-vote or not to e-vote?