From the President
Fall 2015
Up for the Challenge
There’s not much you can fathom that MIT won’t plunge in to figure out, fix, get right, or get to the bottom of. We’ve done it since our start: developing radar, helping to land a man on the moon, playing a key role in cracking the human genome. MIT experts view today’s huge, interconnected problems as exhilarating opportunities for action.
Undaunted by the Big Challenges
Maria Zuber, vice president for research, on how MIT digs into complex problems.
Forward Together: Solve Kicks Off
The Solve conference, taking place on the MIT campus in October, seeks to answer the hard questions of our time.
Supporting New Connections in Immunology
Phillip “Terry” ’72 and Susan Ragon created an institute to accelerate discovery of an HIV vaccine.
MIT and Abu Dhabi Connect on Energy and Environment
One of MIT’s most significant international partnerships has massive global implications.
A Bridge to Cancer Solutions
MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research teams up with Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center.
Training Robots to be Better Co-Workers
Julie Shah is designing factory-based machines that will better anticipate human movement.
Understanding the Aging Brain
New research from Li-Huei Tsai’s lab suggests the immune system may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease.
Here Comes the Sun
MIT assesses the future of solar energy
Securing the Digital Landscape
Daniela Rus says: “Cybercrime may seem inevitable today, but with the right people, resources, and approach, we can change that.”
Crowdsourcing Global Climate Strategies
Thomas Malone leads MIT’s Climate CoLab, which is harnessing the world’s intelligence to save the planet.
Looking for Change, Online and Off-Center
Ian Condry and T.L. Taylor are ethnographers exploring the connections between online and offline worlds.
New Dimensions Outside the Classroom
Frankie Perone has developed an intuitive understanding of form that she believes will ultimately help her produce more thoughtful designs.
Arriving at MIT, One Solution at a Time
Freshman Ahaan Rungta began solving problems through MIT’s OpenCourseWare (OCW) at age five. “OCW is more than a school. It’s a paradise,” he says.
Sparking a New Generation of Power
Scores of young alumni are dreaming up fresh ways to harness nuclear, wind, and solar power; optimize our use of fossil fuels; and support development of energy solutions.
Laying the Foundation for Low-Energy Construction
John Ochsendorf, a pioneer in alternative engineering, is working to design zero-energy buildings for the world.
From Mobile Data, Drawing Social Circles
Marta González co-authored a groundbreaking study that shows that one-fifth of urban movement is strictly social.
From Individuals to Industries: Finding Solutions in Nanofluidics
Rohit Karnik is creating ultrathin membranes with potential applications for water purification, energy, and the chemical industry.
Reducing Waste Across a Product’s Lifecycle
Elsa Olivetti focuses on minimizing the carbon footprint of products at every stage, from manufacturing to recycling.
Ongoing Progress
Arup Chakraborty, Bruce Walker, and Darrell Irvine are in pursuit of an HIV vaccine.
Tiny Living Factories
Kristala Jones Prather is developing new, improved methods of chemical synthesis.
Data in a Major Key
Michael Scott Cuthbert advances musical analysis with his new music21 software.
The Science of Subtlety
Ibrahim Cissé examines the mysteries of interactions between biomolecules.
The Future of Education
Mark ’88, SM ’89 and Jill McDowell support MITx, the Institute’s approach to massive open online courses.
Champions of the Student Experience
Karen ’85, SM ’87 and Perry ’85, SM ’87 Ha support the Public Service Center and MISTI-Korea because they provide students an opportunity to make a global impact.