Audit: sluggish processing and a ‘hidden deficit’ caused UA crisis
Slow transaction processing and a burgeoning “hidden deficit” caused the UA to overestimate its available funds each fiscal year since 2011, according to an Institute audit that UA President Matthew J. Davis ’16 released to undergraduates Tuesday.
Cold front means rain, cool air to end the week
A cold front passing over the eastern U.S. will bring with it some rain and wind to end the week here in Cambridge and some cold overnight lows through the weekend. While we won’t be getting the chance of snow and Arctic air that will intrude down into the Midwest, we should have a chance to see the thermometer readings drop below freezing for the first time this month. Saturday will be the best day to go outside, with clear skies and quieter winds than the rest of the week.
Institute Double Take
Sunsets in my home state of Florida are usually pretty boring, but here in Cambridge they can be quite spectacular. I walked out of the student center and had to run back in to grab a camera.
Student life fee may increase by $11 over the next three years
The Council of the Undergraduate Association voted Monday night to propose a $4 increase in the student life fee (SLF) for the upcoming fiscal year. The Council also discussed possible additional increases of $4 and $3 in fiscal years 2017 (FY17) and 2018 (FY18) respectively.
MIT researchers recognized at 2016 Breakthrough Prizes ceremony
MIT researchers Edward Boyden, Larry Guth, Liang Fu, and Joseph Formaggio and his team were honored at the 2016 Breakthrough Prize ceremony. The event was held at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California this past Sunday.
Atlantic Ocean gets November hurricane
Although autumn is in full swing here in New England, the Atlantic hurricane season is still in session. In fact, the Atlantic basin is currently experiencing its fourth hurricane of 2015, as Tropical Storm Kate was officially upgraded to hurricane status on Wednesday morning. A weak Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 75 mph, Kate is forecast to weaken and become a post-tropical storm later today as it moves out to sea without impacting any major land areas.
No. 3 in arts, humanities? Dean hopes ranking spurs interest
MIT was recently ranked third globally for arts and humanities and first for the social sciences by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
CORRECTIONS
Last Thursday’s article on the new MIT.nano building incorrectly stated that the chemistry teaching labs would be located in the basement. In fact, they will be on the top floor of the building.
2.00 students capture balloons for Pokémon-themed project
Approximately 60 students in the 2.00 Introduction to Design class gathered in Lobby 7 on Monday night to demonstrate their solutions to capturing three “TechBeavers” — helium-filled balloons suspended in the air — as part of their first project, dubbed “Pokécapture.”
Award tries to make stars out of scientists
Movie stars. Red carpet. Awards. It's a familiar script. Except that the event here Sunday night was far from New York and Hollywood, and the boldfaced names were gathered not to celebrate movies or music, but life sciences, physics and mathematics.
Construction at Bexley site projected to finish in a month
The park currently under construction at the site of the now-demolished Bexley Hall (Building W13) will not be completed until the end of November, one month after the original target date.
Burst pipe causes another flood in New House
A steam pipe burst in the stairwell of New House’s House 6 Monday, causing a flood on the first floor and part of the large, ground-floor hallway connecting New House’s six houses.
CORRECTIONS
An article published in the Arts section last Thursday misstated the title of Professor Heather Hendershot’s new book. The correct title is Open to Debate: How William F. Buckley Put Liberal America on the Firing Line, not From Firing Line to the O’Reilly Factor.
MIT.nano, new Bldg. 12, projected to complete on schedule in 2018
By the time the class of 2022 arrives on campus, MIT.nano will be open to both the MIT community and the public at large, according to the latest construction updates.
William Siebert, EECS professor emeritus, dies at 89
Professor Emeritus William M. Siebert passed away Sunday, Oct. 25, at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts, at the age of 89. Siebert, the Ford Professor of Engineering emeritus, was widely known for his contributions to long-range radar, and for his dedication to undergraduate teaching.
Woman found dead in athletic center’s locker room sauna
A woman was found dead in the women’s locker room sauna at DuPont Athletic Center last Friday afternoon. She was not an MIT student.
Media Lab celebrates 30th anniversary with star-studded symposium
The MIT Media Lab convened Nobel prize laureates, celebrities, and renowned academics for its 30th anniversary celebration last Friday.