NEWS BRIEFS
Olafur Eliasson to receive the 2014 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT
Olafur Eliasson, the recipient of the 2014 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT, will be on campus to receive the award on March 12-14. The award, which recognizes innovative talents in any artistic discipline, includes a prize of $100,000 as well as a residency at MIT.
During his brief residency, Eliasson will focus his artistic efforts on environmental issues and sustainable energy. He will primarily lead conferences about sustainable development, community engagement, product engineering, and social entrepreneurship in developing economies. He will also share his experience with campus communities such as the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), the Sloan School of Management, MIT’s D-Lab, the MIT Center for Civic Media, and the MIT Museum.
Eliasson is known for his large contributions to public art and architectural projects. He worked on the Weather Project, which resulted in the creation of an artificial indoor climate landscape. New York City commissioned him to help design the New York City Waterfalls, four man-made waterfalls located in New York Harbor that ran in 2008.
He has also played a large role in creating Little Sun, a high-quality, solar-powered LED lamp, which attempts to provide affordable and reliable light to people without access to electricity while reducing emissions from kerosene lamps. So far, the invention has been used in communities in Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Senegal, Ethiopia, and South Africa. Eliasson will speak about Little Sun at MIT on March 13.
Reports of Breaking and Entering at Burton Conner
Sergeant Cheryl Vossmer of MIT Police sent out an email to the MIT undergraduate community last Thursday, concerning instances of theft at Burton Conner.
Between Feb. 11 and Feb. 12, there were three reports of theft from residents’ rooms. All rooms were closed but unlocked. Items stolen include laptop computers, an iPad, perfume, checkbooks, and a brass rat. Four similar cases of theft were also reported at MacGregor and New House earlier in January.
MIT Police now recommends that students lock their doors and windows and document all electronics and valuables. They are also asking that students remain watchful and report any suspicious activity relating to the crimes to the MIT Police.
The MIT Police can be contacted at (617) 253-1212. Anonymous tips can be placed at (617) 258-TIPS.
The Tech will continue to cover this story as it develops.
—Patricia Dominguez