MIT wins Putnam Competition for third year in a row
The winning team consisted of Mark Sellke ’17, Bobby Shen ’17, and David Yang ’17, who were chosen ahead of time to represent MIT. The teams from Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, Stanford, and Harvard all trailed MIT, ranking second, third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
Institute’s top brass are shuffled around
MIT’s senior leadership saw sweeping changes in 2013. Dennis Freeman PhD ’86 became the new dean of undergraduate education (DUE), Chris A. Kaiser PhD ’87 stepped down as provost, and Eric Grimson PhD ’80 announced his plans to leave Chancellorship in order to head a capital fundraising campaign. In total, nine of the twenty-six total positions in the senior administration changed or will change.
Task force releases new report on MIT education
In an email to the MIT community yesterday, President L. Rafael Reif released the preliminary report of the Institute-wide Task Force on the Future of MIT Education. Last February, Reif charged the Task Force to explore “bold” possibilities of the future of MIT education both on campus and for those around the world, in addition to evaluating MIT’s financial model and pricing structures. The work was split among three working groups, focused on the future of the MIT education and facilities, the global implications of edX, and a new financial model for education.
Chen appointed as new Course 2 head
On July 23, 2013, Gang Chen, the Carl Richard Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering, became the head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He replaces Mary C. Boyce PhD ’87, who left MIT this summer to become the new dean of Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Murals and bar area removed on Burton Third amid new renovations
This summer, the third floor of the Burton side of the Burton-Conner dormitory, also known as Burton Third, saw renovations that included painting over murals and dismantling the bar area. Like two other floors which had similar renovations completed in last summer, Burton Third received new paint, had its walls repaired, and floor tiles replaced.
Meyer is the new Course 6 undergraduate officer
Professor Albert Meyer will succeed Dean of Undergraduate Education Dennis Freeman as the new undergraduate officer in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Course 6). As the undergraduate officer of MIT’s largest department, he is responsible for overseeing the undergraduate curriculum, handling MEng admissions, and maintaining the quality of education.
New backup child care program live
Starting on July 1, 2013, undergraduate and graduate students with children were able to pre-register for the new subsidized backup child care program. The new program provides students with access to caregivers on a short notice through Parents in a Pinch, a national vendor for child care services. The program will run as a pilot until June 30, 2014, when it will reexamined for renewal.
Affirmative action to continue
On June 24, the Supreme Court sent an affirmative action case back to a lower appeals court in a 7-1 ruling that is unlikely to affect most colleges, including MIT, at least for now.
Record yield of 73 percent for admitted Class of 2017
The yield for the incoming Class of 2017 is MIT’s highest ever. According to Dean of Admissions Stu Schmill ’86, 1,125 took up MIT’s offer of admission, representing 73 percent of the pool of 1,548 accepted students, who themselves made up only 8.2 percent of the 18,989 applicants. The yield is up from 2012 and 2011, when 70 percent and 65 percent of accepted students chose to enroll at MIT, respectively.
Bexley Hall vandalized on night before move-out date
This past Saturday morning, Bexley Hall House Manager Jon Nolan notified Bexley residents of vandalism done to the dorm’s 50 entry the night of Friday, June 7. According to the email, the damage was significant, including broken glass strewn across the floor, fixtures torn from the walls and ceiling, and a hole in the wall that Nolan described as “the size of a human being.”
MIT president’s compensation up 19 percent from 2010 to 2011
MIT has released the salaries of its highest compensated employees for the calendar year 2011, which are required to be publicly disclosed as part of its tax returns for the fiscal year 2012 (July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012). During her last full year as president, Susan Hockfield was MIT’s highest compensated employee, receiving $1,199,877 in total benefits. This year is only the second time that a MIT president received total compensation exceeding one million dollars, with Hockfield receiving over a million in 2010.
Course 18 moving
Handing in math problem sets may now require more exercise. In late June or early July, the entire Department of Mathematics will be moving to E17 and E18 as their current space in Building 2 undergoes a significant renovation. Undergraduate math majors have already experienced the effects of the construction, with their undergraduate lounge moved to the Compton Room, opposite 26-100, this past January. For the duration of the construction, the lounge will remain in the Compton Room. As for the rest of the department, all faculty, staff, and graduate student offices will be moved to the new “swing space” in E17 and E18, which will be shared with the Department of Economics, whose space in E52 is also being renovated.
Mechanical Engineering head steps down effective July 1
The head of MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering (Course 2) Mary C. Boyce PhD ’87 will be stepping down in order to become dean of Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science effective July 1, 2013.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: Chief Google economist talks on data, statistics, and Google tools
Yesterday afternoon, the Undergraduate Economics Association hosted a lecture by Google’s Chief Economist, Hal R. Varian ’69, on “Predicting the Present with Search Engine Data.”
Fiscal cliff on the horizon
Unless Congress can come to a compromise regarding the fiscal cliff before the start of 2013, MIT could face up to a 10 percent cut in its federal research funding, affecting both students and faculty. The fiscal cliff refers to the mandate set by the Budget Control Act of 2011 that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction agree on a $1.2 trillion deficit reduction package by Nov. 23, 2011; otherwise, roughly $400 billion in immediate budget cuts, or sequestration, automatically become effective in 2013.
More than just people on ballot
Even though Massachusetts will mostly likely vote Democrat in the upcoming presidential election, there are three statewide ballot questions that could change current laws and affect MIT students.
Bank of America, Citibank, MIT FCU offer attractive choices for incoming freshmen
Choosing a bank can one of the most difficult first decisions of college. Managing money is a scary proposition with plenty of horror stories: students irresponsibly using their credit cards, getting robbed, and just being strapped for cash. Sometimes these situations are inevitable, so the best way to reduce pain and suffering is to pick the right place to put your money. At MIT, the most visible choices are Bank of America, Citibank, and the MIT Federal Credit Union (MITFCU). They all offer basic checking, savings, and credit cards.