Independence Day celebrations ensue with annual Boston fireworks show
On the evening of July 4, thousands of spectators gathered around the Charles River esplanade to watch the annual Boston Independence Day fireworks show.
Dialogues Across Differences: Susannah Heschel and Ezzedine Fishere host panel on dialogue engagement surrounding the conflict and war in the Middle East
On May 9, Susannah Heschel, the Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor and chair of the Jewish Studies Program at Dartmouth College, and Ezzedine Fishere, a senior lecturer on Middle East politics at the same university, held the final panel of MIT’s Dialogues Across Differences: Building Community, a speaker series hosted at the Schwartzman College of Computing. Heschel studies the evolution of Jewish and Protestant religious ideas in Germany throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Cambridge City Council Unanimously Approves Safety Audits Following Fatal Intersection Collision
In response to the death of Minh-Thi Nguyen G on the morning of June 21 following a fatal collision with a truck, the Cambridge City Council voted unanimously on June 24 to initiate safety audits at intersections where serious collisions have occurred.
MIT Expands Insurance Options with New Enrollment Partner
MIT is set to enhance healthcare accessibility for students with expanded insurance choices and a new enrollment system.
MIT Introduces New Guidelines for Personal Wheels (PWs)
MIT has introduced new guidelines for the use of "Personal Wheels" (PWs), including scooters, skateboards, and bicycles, in response to a surge in their popularity on campus.
In Memoriam: Minh-Thi Nguyen G
Minh-Thi Nguyen G, a third-year graduate student in the Department of Physics, passed away the morning of June 21 following a traffic collision while biking from her apartment to campus.
MIT’s Touchstone system to be powered by Okta starting June 17th
Starting June 17, Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) will update MIT’s single sign-on (SSO) web authentication service Touchstone to be powered by Okta Identity Engine, “a modern cloud-based and extensible platform,” to protect users’ identities and facilitate app access from any device.
Premature reports of Noam Chomsky’s death refuted by account from family of ongoing recovery
In June, reports of renowned linguist, philosopher, and political activist Noam Chomsky’s apparent death surfaced across several news sites and social media platforms.
Interphase EDGE hit with declined enrollment for current cohort amidst student speculation of broader trends
Student enrollment for the 2024 Interphase EDGE program has reportedly declined to around 30 students, according to student sources.
Majority of interim student suspensions stemming from on-campus pro-Palestinian protests lifted
23 different students received these suspensions; over the following weeks, they engaged in what they described as stressful, demoralizing meetings with representatives of the administration while continuing to engage in increasingly escalated process action, in a weeks-long review process that ultimately saw many of these sanctions lifted.
Israeli and Jewish students celebrate community and culture amidst pro-Palestinian protests
In the final weeks of the semester, Israeli and Jewish students came together on a number of occasions to celebrate community, culture, and identity in the aftermath of pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
After the firehose: the Class of 2024 reflect upon their time at the Institute amidst commencement celebrations
On May 31, the Institute’s Class of 2024 gathered at Killian Court for the Undergraduate Ceremony, part of three day commencement proceedings. 1099 undergraduates received their diplomas.
MIT administration releases results from 2024 Quality of Life survey
On June 5, the Office of the Provost released the results of the Quality of Life 2024 Survey. Open to responses from faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars and students, the survey was open for a month between February 15 and closed on March 19. 11,746 students and employees from both the Institute’s campus in Cambridge and the Lincoln Laboratory responded in total for 43% response rate. Undergraduates responded at a rate of 38%, a slight increase from the response rate two years prior of 35%.
UA shares report regarding UROP student experiences
In an email to the undergraduate community on May 22, the MIT Undergraduate Association (UA) released the “Final Report on the MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.” Paul Irvine ’24, UA Chair of Public Affairs (UAPA), stated that the report, which was written by himself, Lindsay Bolino ’24, Enoch Ellis ’26, Miguel Buitrago ’26, and Haylea Brock ’27, is a compilation of what the UA has learned regarding the student experience with undergraduate research at MIT.
Barnhart PhD ’88 announces formation of the Future of the Arts at MIT Committee
In an email to the MIT community on June 3, Provost Cynthia Barnhart PhD ’88 announced the formation of the Future of the Arts at MIT Committee to “advise the Institute on new ways to envision the place of the arts in our community.” Course 8 (Physics) Professor Peter Fisher PhD ’88 will chair the committee. Members of the committee include several MIT faculty and individuals from outside of the Institute, including Paola Antonelli, curator of design at the Museum of Modern Art and Paul Ha, director of the List Visual Arts Center.
Mostly clear skies to send off the graduates
A high pressure ridge will replace a mid-level trough to bring us lots of sunshine Friday and into the weekend. Some stray showers may slightly soak the ground on Thursday morning, so watch where you’re stepping as you enter for commencement! After that, lots of sunshine and relatively mild temperatures will carry us into the weekend while we celebrate the rest of the graduates.
MIT holds OneMIT commencement ceremony
The Institute held its OneMIT commencement ceremony today on May 30. Noubar Afeyan PhD ’87 gave the commencement address and MIT President Sally Kornbluth delivered the charge to the graduates. Chair of the MIT Corporation Mark P. Gorenberg ’76 presided over the ceremony. At times, the proceedings were disrupted by protests led by a pro-Palestinian contingency countered by a pro-Israeli group.
Rifts amongst faculty laid bare in closed-door meetings amidst interim student suspensions and heightened campus tensions
Publisher’s Note: The two faculty meetings described in this article on May 15 and May 17 were held in executive session as closed-door discussions. The information presented is a synthesis of several interviews held with attendees of the meeting and other individuals familiar with the situation. These accounts were corroborated by additional documentation obtained by The Tech.
MIT Office of Minority Education to be potentially renamed and undergo organizational changes
A meeting between the MIT Office of Minority Education (OME) and OME-affiliated students took place on May 9. Diep Luu, Associate Dean of the Office of the Vice Chancellor, Director of the Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC), and Interim Director of the OME presented future directions for the OME. A Q&A session followed.
Physics Professor Or Hen speaks out on campus protests and student conduct
Editor-in-chief’s note: This piece touches upon the ongoing war in Palestine, including associated acts of rape and killing.